Tuesday, January 17, 2012

DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE LEADS THE WAY IN DIGITAL READING WITH SIX NEW APPS BASED ON FAVORITE CHLILDREN’S CHARACTERS

 

 

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Titles include Disney Princess, Winnie the Pooh, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast,

It’s A Small World, and more!

Disney Publishing Worldwide, the world’s largest publisher of children’s books and magazines, is dominating the App Store charts with six new children’s titles in the Books, Entertainment, and Education categories.  Entering the New Year as a leading publisher of children’s book apps, Disney Publishing has garnered more than 7 million App Store downloads to-date with apps including:

· "Beauty and the Beast: Storybook Deluxe" – Rated 5-stars by Common Sense Media, this app - newly released in 3-D - allows children to experience a tale as old as time in storybook form.  Complete with games, movie clips, puzzles, coloring pages, and sing-along songs from the film, kids will find a surprise on every page. Hear the story read aloud, record your own narration, or explore at your own pace. (MSRP $6.99)

Review coming soon…

 

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· “Don’t Let the Pigeon Run This App!” – Rated as one of the “Best Apps in 2011” by iTunes, this app features the creative work of three-time Caldecott Honoree Mo Willems, who brings the Pigeon to the digital screen with this original, feature-rich, animated app.  The app lets users create your own Pigeon stories and is fully animated with hilarious shake-and-play technology and customized voice integration.  (MSRP $6.99)

--Click here to read my review of this great app--

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· "It's A Small World" – Recommended by Consumer Reports, this app gives families a chance to experience the “It’s A Small World” ride, song, and lyrics in an inspiring new way. Taking readers on a world-class adventure, the app is packed with whimsical interactivity, beautiful artwork by illustrator Joey Chou, and unforgettable music. Featuring the original Sherman Brothers’ song lyrics, this simple, poetic story encourages kids to meet new people, explore new places, and discover that it’s a small world, after all. (MSRP $3.99)

My Thoughts:

We just reviewed this last weekend and loved it.  I wanted to get Savannah familiar with all the wonderful Disney classics, as we were taking her to see Disney on Ice last Thursday.  Savannah couldn’t stop dancing to the song and loved tapping away on the iPad screen at the children, which were interactive.  The children would act out “sad, happy, etc.” based on the song.  I especially love the beautiful artwork that was turned into an app.  It reminded me of my trips to Disney World as a child. This has always been a favorite ride and song for me, and it is nice to see it as an app now.  It will definitely become a parent/child favorite, like the rest of the Disney interactive apps.

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· “Pooh’s Birthday Surprise” – Rated 5-stars by Common Sense Media, this storybook app features Winnie the Pooh illustrations and exciting tap-and-play animation designed to help children acquire and reinforce early literacy and pre-math concepts. As children read along with the word-by-word narration, they are invited to join in the birthday party planning with their favorite friends in the Hundred-Acre Wood. (MSRP $4.99)

My Thoughts:

I grew up loving Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore, so I couldn’t wait to share this app with Savannah.  Unfortunately, she didn’t find it as appealing as I did.  I loved how you could tap on the characters and they would come to life, making the story more enjoyable.  If you are a fan, like I am, of the Hundred-Acre Wood and Pooh characters, you will love this app.

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· "Toy Story Showtime!" – Rated as one of “15 Fantastic iPad Apps for Kids” by Apple Gazette, this storybook app is designed to help children explore essential early reading concepts. Kids are invited to join Buzz Lightyear as he sets out to impress Jessie the Cowgirl in the talent show. As Buzz tries his luck at everything from comedy to juggling, emerging readers discover new vocabulary words in the context of a rich, interactive storytelling experience. (MSRP $4.99)

My Thoughts:

This is by far Savannah’s favorite app, next to the PBS television app.  I had recently played Toy Story 2 for her, and she fell in love with Woody and Jessie.  So, when she saw this app, she grabbed the iPad from my hand and sat down on the floor with it.  You should have seen her smile – from ear to ear!  I didn’t even have to show her what to do.  Having played with the other popular Disney apps, she tapped the screen and brought the storybook and its characters to life.  And, when Woody and Jessie came on the screen, she went crazy. Since downloading this app, she can’t go a day without playing with the app.  And, now that I gave her a Jessie doll of her own, she sits down on the floor with her doll and iPad and is content for about an hour, which is great for a 17 month old to be this engaged with one thing.  I think we have another Toy Story fan in the family!

Disney Publishing also recently launched “Disney Princess: A Royal Christmas” this past December, which was picked as a “Great Holiday Book App” by AppAdvice.  All Disney Publishing apps are available from the App Store on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

For more information, visit http://disneybookapps.com and www.facebook.com/DisneyReads, or follow @DisneyReads on Twitter.

About Disney Publishing Worldwide

Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world’s largest publisher of children’s books and magazines, with over 250 million children’s books and over 400 million children’s magazines sold each year. Disney Publishing Worldwide consists of an extensive worldwide licensing structure as well as vertically integrated publishing imprints including Disney Book Group in the U.S., Disney Libri in Italy and Disney Libros in Spain. DPW publishes a range of children’s magazines globally including Topolino, Le Journal de Mickey, and Donald Duck, as well as family titles in the U.S. which include Disney FamilyFun and Phineas and Ferb. Disney English is DPW’s English language learning business which includes Disney English learning centers in China and a worldwide retail licensing program. DPW’s digital products include bestselling eBook titles as well as original apps. Headquartered in White Plains, NY, Disney Publishing Worldwide publishes books, magazines, and digital products in 85 countries in 75 languages. For more information visit www.disneypublishing.com.

Disclosure: I was allowed to review these apps free of charge from Disney in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.

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