This has got to be the most amazing children’s iPad storybook created.
It is a game changer.
This app has defined an entirely new genre of iPad app.
It’s titled, “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.” If that wasn’t enough to get your attention, let me try another angle.
Part of why the book works so well is its top-shelf creative pedigree: author William Joyce is also an accomplished illustrator and animator who’s published New Yorker covers, won a bunch of Emmys, created character designs for some of Pixar’s first animated classics, and worked on many others for Dreamworks and Disney. With his cohorts at Moonbot Studios, he created an interactive book-app around the story and a standalone animated film — so you can experience “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” however you like.
I remember as a kid, pop-up books were very engaging. Every page was a piece of art, and every page had some sort of interaction.
That is exactly what this does – x 100!
Just like those pop-up books of ‘ol, every page of this app has some sort of feature embedded into it. Not only that, but this children’s book app is flexible in its options set. You can turn the voice-over off and read it to your kids. You can turn-off the music and sound effects, and you don’t have to interact with the embed content to move the story along, either. Of course, you can also hand it over to your children and let them explore it entirely on their own, too.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is beautifully done:
Screen-shots are great, but the trailer does a better job of showing how it works:
There is increasing competition between Amazon and Apple when it comes to the ebook market, and apps like this really help push the iPad.
I think this app has raised the bar for children’s apps on the iPad and has established a whole new genre and market for this kind of app for kids, but the price of the iPad hardware may kill-it before it can get any kind of momentum.
You can get a copy of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from the Apple App Store for $4.99.
I hope there’s more to come!
[via Fast Co Design]
This is awesome! Another “book app” that I’ve enjoyed is “Our Choice” by Al Gore. I heard about it when it first came out on the news and downloaded it instantly. I really think that this kind of thing is going to be the future of books as we know them.
Oh Graham. You and I were getting along so famously.
And now this.
Chris
(Kidding!)
*Northern States Liberals* [shakes fist]
I like it for the completely different way of presenting information. That said, for as much of a bad rap as Al’s got in the media since leaving the White House, I do think he makes some interesting points. I’m inclined to agree with him for the most part.
My girls, 3 & 6yrs, have been enjoying this book app all week. We also love one of my childhood favorites, The Monster at the End of this Book featuring Lovable, Furry Old Grover.
PLEASE MAIL ME YOUR IPAD ASAP!!!
Thank you.