Books Turned Into Apps

We have been working for months on turning our Kindle books into animated apps for iPad using InDesign instead of actual coding. And it worked! Not only have our beta testers expressed words like "Wow!" "Awesome" and "I don't want to say anything I just want to play with it," we also just got all six approved by the App Store℠! This is the image we used to announce it on Facebook today:

I know. Six apps at once? Why?

We wanted to put two up at once so that people who like one can have another one handy (it's a philosophy based on my own book app buying--when my children find a favorite book app and we read and play with it over and over, I reach a point where I want another one immediately to keep me sane--I mean to keep bedtime from going stale).

Plus we wanted one app to be free so people can make sure they like our story and style before paying money for it.  

But this two app plan was foiled because I work more slowly on the dramatized narration and choosing sound effects and music than my illustrator, Carol Stevens, works at animating our books. She found it animating the characters so fun that she just kept working on the next one. And the next one. She calls herself obsessed, but I call her amazing! Finally, she'd animated all six books right around the time I finished recording all the narrations and picking out and buying part of the sound effects and music. With her projects done for the moment, Stevens picked up the slack and finished the sound effects and music, as well as setting my narration to music! I love partnering with Stevens!

So here we are with SIX apps! And we're working on the seventh book and app at the same time. Yep, we are having some crazy fun (and you can see why I'm behind in my book reviewing, sorry! More to come soon!).

Here is a link to the FREE app, The Chipmunk Wants To Be A Bear.

Isn't it a cute icon? Stevens is so talented!

The Chipmunk Wants To Be A Bear app teaches children to work hard toward a goal no matter what, with 61 animations, 28 sound effects, music, and dramatized narration. Add to your cart and teach children that accomplishing difficult things changes us into something more, and perseverance is worth it!

App Details: Tapping or swiping the stars can drop an acorn on Bear’s nose, catch Chipmunk riding on a fish, or send a hawk soaring in the sky, and much more. The icons on the left release a variety of sounds effects, including a laughing raccoon, gurgling stream or even a grumbling bear.

The other five apps sell for $2.99, just like the Kindle book version, and we even have our newest book, The T-Rex Who Wanted To Be A Long Neck (which was published just a month ago), in app form--with steam coming out of the angry T-Rex nose and a volcano that explodes in the background. Lovely stuff!!

The T-Rex Wants To Be A Long Neck

App Details: 70 animations, 35 sound effects, music, and dramatized narration. Tapping or swiping the stars can knock down a tree with T-Rex's tail, send a pterodactyl soaring in the sky, hatch a baby dinosaur egg, and much more. The icons on the left release a variety of sounds effects, including a volcano erupting, T-Rex roaring or even the boom from Long Neck whipping his tail.

The Alligator Wants To Be A Dog

App Details: 63 animations, 34 sound effects, music, and dramatized narration. Tapping or swiping the stars can throw Alligator out of the back of a truck, start a frog leaping, send a rabbit hopping, and much more. The icons on the left release a variety of sounds effects, including a noisy swamp, croaking frog or even a hissing alligator.

The Peacock Wants To Be A Pig

App Details: 68 animations, 35 sound effects, music, and dramatized narration. Tapping or swiping the stars can launch Peacock into a mudhole, help him swallow an apple core, balance on a ball, and much more. The icons on the left release a variety of sounds effects, including cows mooing or even Pig slurping from a trough.

The Elephant Wants To Be A Bee

App Details: 73 animations, 36 sound effects, music, and dramatized narration. Tapping or swiping the stars can start a hive of bees swarming, cause a zebra to rear, send a meerkat scampering away, and much more. The icons on the left release a variety of sounds effects, including a trumpeting elephant, a tree crashing to the ground or even a barking meerkat.

The Snake Wants To Be A Horse

App Details: 71 animations, 35 sound effects, music, and dramatized narration. Tapping or swiping the stars can tie Snake's tongue in a knot, send a herd of horses galloping, put band aids on Snake, and much more. The icons on the left release a variety of sounds effects, including galloping hooves, horses neighing or even snakes laughing.

If you enjoyed these apps, would you let us know? We'd love to hear your response and we'd appreciate your reviews in the Store. 

Thanks!!

~Valerie Harmon