Online Storybooks for kids

Naturally a lot of people will be thinking that digital picture books (or any other type of digital book) are no substitute for the old fashioned kind. They couldn't be more right. However, more and more of the publishing industry is going digital. The writing is on the wall. If you have a child in elementary school now, by the time they go to university there is a good chance that most of their texts will be electronic. Dealing with bureaucracy is increasingly carried out on screen. Screen media skills are essential for anyone growing up in the modern world. Knowing this, smart parents are getting their children ready by introducing them to the world of digital books at an early age. Not in order to replace traditional books, but in order to supplement them.

Screen time should be limited for children, be it computer games, e books, tv or internet. However not letting a child get any screen time at all would be to deprive them of vital socialization experiences. In the 21st century more and more of our live will be onscreen. This includes, work, study, play and social activities. It follows that to grow up as a healthy, normal individual who is able to function in society, kids need to be exposed to screen media.

Responsible parents just have to decide how much screen media and what kind. Kids are going to play with their phones and waste time on the internet. That's a given. However responsible parents should be able to demonstrate good habits and teach their children how to use screen media to enrich their lives, not to waste them. Digital reading can be the way to combine the traditional benefits of reading with a child's need for familiarization with technological culture.

This page will deal with digital picture books for elementary age kids, but if you look around, you will find that there are many different types of texts and formats and subjects. E books are a whole new world. It is very exciting to be on the cusp of this new revolution.

There are quite a few different options for parents who are interested in getting some screen reading material for their little ones. Quality varies quite a lot so it is sometimes worth it to invest in commercial books, even though there are free options on the web. You know the old saying, you get what you pay for.

Follow some of these links and you'll get a feel for what sort of interactive books you might like to share with your child.

Smartbook Smartkid. This is a publisher of educational books and activities. This website features fully animated and interactive books. Children can click on the story and see it acted out. Of all the book publishers here they have the best quality animation with a very original style of interactivity.

Storyfort Interactive. Another high quality interactive book publisher. This company publishes great animated and interactive titles with catchy tunes. Come with animated music clips that the kids love. Very polished illustration. Definitely created by a seasoned and sophisticated illustrator.

Story Place. The books in this website are fairly well animated but don't really qualify as interactive. While there are a few interactive features they are tacked on and not integral to the story experience. Art quality quite good, story quality could be better. Play through like a regular cartoon in storybook format.

Mobi Stories. Books like this are created to be read on mobile devices. A number of publishers are converting old print books to mobile formats. That seems to be the formula for this publisher.

Storybird. User generated content. This publisher allows users to upload images and text and create their own storybooks. There is no interactivity but creators can show their friends and family what they have created.

Magic Keys. This website has a wide selection of links to amateur interactive books from around the web as well as a number of books on the site. A good introduction to some of the less polished formats and stories out there.