GoodEReader.com has written several profiles of children’s interactive app book creator iStoryTime, whose works have included several titles developed through collaboration with DreamWorks Studios and other high-profile children’s entertainment companies. The recently launched HP TouchPad came with one of iStoryTime’s titles pre-installed, the top-selling Kung Fu Panda 2 app book, complete with voices and scenes from the original film.
In a press release this morning, iStoryTime announced that it has partnered with Barnes & Noble to bring its interactive app books to the Nook Color tablet for the first time. This marks iStoryTime’s only current work outside of the iOS and webOS operating systems; the app book publisher has had Android-compatible titles in the past, but found the variations in screen size and resolution to be frustrating, so they chose instead to focus on the number one selling downloadable app store to sell its products.
“We’ve ventured outside the iOS and webOS systems before, but this is a very specific app for Nook with new content,” says Woody Sears, co-founder of iStoryTime, in an interview late yesterday with GoodEReader.com. “Earlier this year Barnes & Noble started its own branded Read and Play children’s book apps, and that was encouraging for us. It showed us that the Nook community is excited about interactive reading and that a lot of parents are sharing the device with their kids. Plus, Nook owners seem to be buying book apps at a much greater rate than other tablet owners.”
Sears had this to say about the unexpected outcome of their previous collaboration with HP:
“You can’t blame HP for the TouchPad not taking off. The device was good, maybe it was just at the wrong price point. Maybe we haven’t seen the last of the TouchPad. We’re still seeing traffic there, but as far as the Nook the audience seems to be so much more focused on the books, which is great for us. The sales volume for the Nook is already showing promise, so we’re going to be bringing our most popular titles to that device.
“Nook is our number one channel for Android at this point. Most people don’t realize that the Nook is on the Android platform, and Barnes&Noble has reskinned it and made it their own. When people talk about the most popular Android tablets, they don’t think of the Nook. It’s one of the most successful, in my opinion. Delivering consistent quality has been an issue with Android devices, so it’s great to target a specific screen size and resolution with the Nook. But it’s also encouraging to branch out into that market. We’re looking to do more with Android, specifically the tablets.”
The children’s titles released today to the Nook Color are How To Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda 2, and The Smurfs, with more content planned in the near future.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
