Meet the Mon-Stars

The Narration is completed, Original Music has been composed and the award wining Creativoligist Victor Guiza is creating his magic on the illustrations for Monster Jam. I am thrilled to announce that this Rock Music themed Story Book App is in the final stages of completion.

Monster Jam Children’s Book App is a highly interactive Story book app that builds music awareness. It features an interesting garage band of characters, well on their way to become Mon-stars but first they must make it to the Monster Jam music festival. They’re the Ground Hogs and they rock!

Meet the band

Axe is a little Monster with a big dream. As the guitarist and band leader he’s the glue that holds them together and their driving force. His dreams of being a Mon-Star is on the brink of coming true as he’s just landed the band a spot at the annual Monster Jam.

Skyler: is the only girl in the band but she’s tough enough to hang with the boys. She’s the lead vocalist and is always up front and center. 

JD: plays the bass and he’s one cool character who loves to have a good time on stage.

Stones: is a gentle giant. He keeps a low profile, doesn’t have a lot to say and he’s a genius on the keyboard.

Banger: don’t let his size fool you, he’s a feisty little guy with a big personality. Banger is always ready to jam and his drumsticks are never far.

This story is an inspiring one about determination & following dreams, and it’s been a lot of fun bringing all the components together with the Dragon Pencil App Producers, it’s coming alive in an exciting way. The Rock Music theme will immerse children in songs & sound sprites. They will enjoy reading along to the music as well the animation & touch interactions. In the play with the band activity they’ll choose one of three instruments to play as the band performs their signature song “Smashing Daisies” The making of Monster Jam been quite the adventure and we can’t wait to share it with you!

For a more in depth look behind the scenes & the making of Monster Jam, visit the Kids Korner

Just in time for Mother’s day, Today’s wacky holiday is, Clean Up Your Room Day!

Got a Messy Martin or two? I do!  In fact the main character Martin in the book app 'Grendel’s Great Escape' was inspired by my eldest son A.K.A Pigpen. With Mother’s day just around the corner, I celebrate both my messy kids and thank God for them daily. I love them for their strength's & weaknesses, the yaaaay moments & the Oh Noooo ones too. I love being their mom, and wouldn't trade this job for anything. Being a mom is a rewarding but sometimes messy job which includes cleaning up life’s messes & imploring the kids to do their chores.

One of my favorite Mother’s days was when my eldest son cleaned all the windows in the apartment, it really doesn’t take much to make this mom happy. Now if only I could get them to clean their room & keep it that way would be the best mother’s day gift of all. Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Moms & caregivers out there...it's a full time job.

Martin was always putting things off until later including cleaning his room. “Oh, i’ll do it later” will only work for so long.  See what happens when he finally tackles the laundry monster.

Download Grendel's Great Escape Children's book App:  iPad  & Android

A Book App...What's that?

Each day Children's writers and app developers convert wonderful classics  and  create amazing new books as apps. There are countless titles based on age, topic or content, just waiting to be discovered & downloaded.

During kids books & app discussions, the first question often asked is “What’s a book app?” A Book App is so much more than an eBook, it’s a digital book brought to life with animation, music, narration and fun-filled activities or games woven into the story. Book apps encourage kids to read, play and explore and are available for use on digital tablets such as the iPad, and smart phones.

Best of all, they’re very inexpensive and provide a unique, entertaining and learning environment. Most fall within the range of 99c-$4.99, a flat fee which usually won’t have ‘in app purchases’. Paid book apps are a preferable option to free apps which bombard our kids with ads or prompt a purchase in order to proceed. 

You can find book apps  in the iTunes App Store, under the Books category. In Google Play, you can find book apps under Android Apps > categories > books & reference. There you’ll find wonderful, interactive stories that deliver an animated reading experience. Book Apps like “Grendel’s Great Escape” for iPad /Android and “Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold” for iPad/iPhone allow children to interact with the story, through reading, music and fun activities. 

 

- For a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a book app, visit the Blue Sandpiper Imprints Kids Korner. 

- To see a 2-minute video called “Kids Have Fun Reading on the iPad” visit  http://youtu.be/QEIzvxQo3Vo

Not sure which book apps are suitable for your child? These sites feature the best children apps and reviews, and  provide direct links for downloading.

 Digital Storytime

 iMums  

The Appy Mall 

I heart this app 

Who doesn't love a good review?

Who doesn't love a good review? I certainly do and couldn't wait to share this great feature post on The iMums. To celebrate, the Grendel's Great Escape App will be free all week!

The iMums showcase quality free apps for children that have been installed, tested and recommend. 

"Grendel’s Great Escape by Michelle Anaya  is an interactive storybook about a little boy named Martin and his cute pet ferret, Grendel.  This app reminded me of my son who will procrastinate to get out of almost anything including chores!  I loved the hide and seek aspect of the book along with the, “I will do it later!”  I’m always trying to get my son to do it now even though he moves to his own tune. Grab it and rate it in iTunes to say thank you to the developer!  This is also a great story for new and emerging readers as it contains a “read it to myself” as well as a “read it to me” option.

Free this week on iTunes!

Download to iPad
Download to Android Devices

Top Ten Children's Book Apps

In the vast sea of apps available today, choosing the right ones can be a difficult and daunting task for parents. As I writer and mom, I have a fondness for apps that encourage learning with fun interaction and well crafted stories which encourage reading. Here are my top ten favorites Apps listed by age group.

 Beck & Bo -Preschool    

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/beck-and-bo/id557624393?mt=8

Beck and Bo is non stop fun and giggles for preschoolers. The unique creative artistic style and music is a great backdrop for the activities and it’s a great learning environment and entertainment for children.

Little Fox Music Box - Preschool 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/little-fox-music-box-kids/id499541243?mt=8

Little fox will appeal to music lovers of all ages. This App is a clear favorite with three interactive songs, a record your own song function and the awesome music studio with sounds of every kind to discover. Children will never get tired of playing with Mr Fox.

Leo’s pad Appisode1 - Preschool                                                                 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/leos-pad-appisode-1/id566773525?mt=8 

This is a perfect blend of entertainment and education which encourages user interaction. Features include lovable characters, amazing 3-D animation.Kids engage in a series of story-related activities which includes drawing a birthday card or finding letters and shapes as they watch the animated story staring Galileo and Leonardo da Vinci

My Beastly ABCs - PreSchool 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-beastly-abcs/id578158826?mt=8

Kid’s join in this interactive adventure on a magical day filled with friendly monsters from around the world! This brilliant original story comes to life in an educational, fun experience sure to enchant kids. Features include entertaining games and fun interactive activities. 

Grendel’s Great Escape ages 4-8yrs 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/grendels-great-escape/id585972636?ls=1&mt=8 

It's Show & Tell / Take your pet to school day

A fun and funny show and tell’s day adventure about Martin, a messy little boy and his pet Ferret. Kids will love the animation, interactive features and surprises on every page. The Features include original background music and sound effects, as well as the read to me/read by myself function with highlighted words.

The house that went on strike ages 4-8yrs

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/house-that-went-on-strike/id543678181?mt=8

The home and it’s appliances go on strike against it’s family to win their respect. This app about respecting the home is wonderfully told in rhyme and beautifully illustrated. Features include loads of interactivity, Original music and word highlighting.

The Magnificent traveling palace ages 4-8yrs                                

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/magnificent-travelling-palace/id512502528?mt=8

You’ll be instantly transported to India in The Magnificent Traveling Palace which is a unique animated book app for children. This app uses technology to bring the enchanting world of India and it’s culture to children. The captivating colorful 3-D illustration and animations together with original music, authentic sounds, and rich interactivity, create an exciting Indian atmosphere through which the adventure comes to life. 

Treasure Kai and the lost gold of shark Island ages  5-10yrs

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/treasure-kai-lost-gold-shark/id418289114?mt=8       

This is one of the most unique and original Apps available which has set the standard for interactivity and activities that move the game forward. Join Kai a modern day explorer as he embarks on a treasure hunt through history in search of lost gold. This unique treasure hunt adventure app uses a choose-your-adventure format.

Gone Wishing ages 5-9yrs                                                   

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gone-wishing-interactive-storybook/id488516540?mt=8

Gone wishing is a highly interactive story about a Genie who couldn’t grant wishes. This app features a fantastic world of Goblins, Fairies, loads of magic and amazing graphics. 

The Fantastic Flying books of Morris Lessmore ages 5-9yrs                               

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fantastic-flying-books-mr./id438052647?mt=8

Based on the short film, this story app is just lovely. This well illustrated, wonderfully told story is vividly stunning. The animation and activities such as the piano and the alphabet cereal are seamlessly integrated into the story.

What is a Book App and could you create one?

I was thrilled to see the release of this e-book from my mentor & award winning Writer /App expert Karen Robertson.

She's been a trailblazer in the field of Children book Apps and has helped so many writers achieve their dreams, myself included. In fact I am one of the writers featured in this book. Top row 2nd from right.

"What is a Book App and Could YOU Create One? How 27 Writers Did!" is the eBook any children's writer who is considering digital publishing for their book should read! In this book, children’s book app author, speaker and coach, Karen Robertson, explains what a book app is, why it’s such an exciting publishing option, what you need to know about this opportunity, and how it's done, so you can decide if it’s right for you to publish your children’s book as an app.

Read the personal stories of 27 other writers who've turned their books into book apps to see how many ways there are to achieve this publishing dream and deliver your book to a worldwide audience. From these writers' stories, you’ll see that there are a lot of ways to make a book app happen in a way that will meet your objectives and budget, even if you aren’t technically inclined.

This eBook is available exclusively on Kindle for just $2.99 but you don't have to have a Kindle reader to read it! Did you know about the free Kindle app that lets you read books from the Amazon Kindle store on your Android devices, iPad, iPhone or iPod touch?  

It's super easy and the app is free. Learn more about it here:

How to use the Kindle app on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200298460

How to use the Kindle app on Android: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=165849822 

Black History Month Book of The Month ‘Jazz Age Josephine’ by Jonah Winter

This guest post is by Tia Biamont, Elementary School librarian, Teacher and Mom. Tia’s inspirational Black History Month displays are both educational and entertaining. The perfect mix of digital media & traditional books to appeal to the varied tastes of modern day kids. This included Author bio’s, Book Reviews, scannable barcodes and video footage on iPads/computers.

 

Of all the books and dynamic video footage of amazing & notable people who’ve contributed so impressively to our society, the one that’s getting the most attention from the children is Jazz Age Josephine

Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine McDonald in 1906 to a laundress and a musician. At the age of 13, she began touring the United States with the Jones Family Band and The Dixie Steppers, two comic groups. She performed various comical skits. When the troupes split, she tried to advance to a chorus girl, but she was turned down because she was “too skinny and too dark.” She continued to have trouble landing roles as a singer, actress, and dancer, so she moved to France. She was wildly popular in France. During World War II, she performed for the French troops and smuggled secret messages for the French government that were written on her music sheets. In the 50s and 60s, she visited the United States to help fight for Civil Rights. She spoke out about her experience of being refused service at the Stork Club. 

To show that children of different colors could get along, she adopted 12 children from around the world. She called her family the Rainbow Tribe. She spoke at rallies and was a speaker at the civil rights convention where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Click to See Josephine in action