Image credit: Bookful
Bookful Is a New Reading App That Embraces AR and a Love of Books
by Laura Lambert
(readbrightly.com)
Laura Lambert is a writer, editor, mother of two and flailing book club member living in Los Angeles.
Image credit: Bookful
As the mom of a reluctant reader, I know all too well the push-pull of reading apps. My kid is drawn to the promise of screen time and the latest tech, while I’m banking on the enduring allure of the written word, however it’s presented. Luckily, there are developers and book lovers who are collaborating to create something right where my kid’s interests and my intentions intersect. One of the latest is Bookful, which — as its tagline promises — brings books to life through augmented reality (AR).
AR holds a lot of promise when it comes to learning — particularly when it comes to STEM topics and older students. These immersive, multi-sensory environments give all kinds of learners new pathways into learning materials. But AR doesn’t just have to be strictly educational. For a 7-year-old boy who loves dinosaurs like my son, an AR-enhanced book offers a new, fun way to engage with content he knows and loves.
Image credit: Bookful
Indeed, the Bookful experience isn’t meant to replace traditional books, time spent on the lap, or learning to read. “The goal of the app is not to take away from reading time,” says Noa Oron, a project manager for Bookful. In fact, it’s about making books entertaining enough to be recreational. “It’s the ‘If you can’t beat them, join them’ model. This is where we’re moving — bringing books into screen time.” As Bookful CEO Benny Arbel told The Bookseller, the goal is “to stay loyal to what we all love about traditional books, their stories and their characters.”
At its launch, Bookful will offer both classic children’s fiction titles (The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, and The Tale of Benjamin Bunny) as well as nonfiction titles (DK Children’s Encyclopedia and two Step Into Reading titles, Dinosaur Days and S-s-snakes) published by Penguin Random House. My son clearly favored the latter when he explored Bookful, as they lend themselves to his fact-hungry mind.
Kids can choose from two modes — read, which is really an immersive experience, or play, which involves on-theme games — and various functions can be turned on and off. If AR is too much for a younger reader, for instance, you can choose 3D mode. They have the option to read or to be read to. In Dinosaur Days, the stegosaurus stands on the page, wagging its spiked tail. In Peter Rabbit, you see Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter hop around the very big fir-tree, which seems to grow right out of the book.
Image credit: Bookful
In a word, it’s delightful.
The Bookful library will continue to grow. Each new title takes weeks of engineering and development, and requires a just-right mix of images that lend themselves to 3D rendering and text that is short enough to parse as characters and settings lift off the page and move around. That just so happens to be the sweet spot for the intended audience, which is reluctant readers ages four to ten years old. If my son is any indication, the rest is intuitive — you just need the appropriate phone or tablet, no additional headset, and your imagination.
***
This app is certainly extraordinary to pass on to you today. Kids will love the the magical, playful universe that it creates. It is designed for booklovers and uses augmented reality to bring books to life. Bookful turns books into 3D augmented reality animations and experiences. It lets kids enjoy an interacting reading experience that instills in kids a passion for books using the magic of technology. This incredibly powerful reading tool helps kids better understand book content, and even provides information that extends beyond the pages of the book.
With Bookful, you can:
* Enjoy book-based animations and activities
* Help children develop a passion for reading
* Encourage independent reading, or enjoy the app alongside your children
* Help readers connect with plot and characters
* Improve reading comprehension
* Enhance the development of memory and imagination
* Engage visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners.
Best of all Bookful is free to use and enables access to additional content with in-app purchases. It's made for ages (4+) Made for Ages 6-8
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