by Gale Pryor, Ruckus Media Contributing Writer
11/9/2010
Last week, Mike Shatzkin, publishing consultant and blogger at The Shatzkin Files, wrote a post reversing his stand that enhanced e-books aren’t likely to catch on because books provide “narrative reading experiences not intended to be interrupted.” Now, says Shatzkin, “In fact, I’m beginning to think that enhanced ebook or app-type delivery could overwhelm books as a container-of-choice in a pretty short time. Single digit years.”
Why the change? Children and touch screens. With touch screens, even toddlers can enjoy an e-book as easily as they flip pages of print books. Because they’re not yet fluent readers, says Shatzkin, they don’t mind when their reading is “interrupted by enhancements,” games, animation, accelerometer tilts, and other digital dynamics. “The younger you are, the more likely you are to accept the interrupted reading experience,” he concludes.
At Ruckus Media, we agree with Shatzkin. Touch screen technology has opened the door to extraordinary new ways to tell stories for children. “Enhanced e-books” is a pretty dry term for really wonderful apps in development, and apps for children are leading the way. When authors like Jon Scieszka, Rosemary Wells, and Alan Katz are excited about the new creative dimensions now open to them, so are we.
On the other hand, we don’t believe that the future of children’s apps is bright because, unlike the rest of us, kids who can’t read yet don’t mind having stories “interrupted” by elements extraneous to the text. At Ruckus, we are developing original apps for children in which text, art, sound, and touch are all part of the story. What a child makes happen on the screen is integral to the story. It’s an utterly new form of story telling.
We are working with the very best writers and illustrators and software designers because we believe that children recognize quality. Sure, you say, thinking of your six-year-old’s love of junk food and bad jokes. Yet consider the books, movies, and toys that have endured and continue to engage children, every one wonderful in some way. Ruckus exists to create enduring, high quality children’s reading and entertainment. Our format happens to be touch-screen mobile devices. Through our apps, children discover the pleasure of immersive reading long before they become fluent readers, and long afterward. Whether immersed in an app or a book, they will know the joy of total engagement in a terrific story.
You know those things designed for kids that you end up enjoying just as much as they do? Toy Story 3, for example. I could watch that movie every single day and still cry at the ending. In a good way, I mean. And the hot chocolate I make them on special days? Totally self-serving-- I still haven't gotten over that warm chocolaty goodness from my own childhood. Through my kids, I have discovered just how delicious grilled cheese sandwiches really are after choosing PB&J instead for years and how baths really can be nicer than showers.
We have also been busy getting our next round of apps ready for launch in a few weeks. We have two NEW ORIGINAL APPS coming soon.
y, and really original. It’s about a little boy’s trip from the principal’s office all the way to the Oval Office. It really takes multi-touch animation to the next level – kids can tilt their iPhone or iPad to get through mazes, click on his teacher’s apple to take bites out of it, tip the goldfish bowl for a big surprise and so much more. We’ll be featuring an interview with Katz on this blog next week, as well as an interview on our 