Little Critters calling

News about children's books being offered in varied formats appears almost every day. Publisher's Weekly has just announced that Mercer Mayer's Little Critters books are now appearing as i-phone aps. The touch screen allows children to touch various hot spots on the screen and to listen to the story or to see animations. The book Just Me and My Dad allows plenty of scope for action and sound and Mayer is planning on bringing many of his books to the small screen. Some of them have already been available for PCs, but the touch screen of the i-pod makes it easier for children to handle. Mobile phones are also, of course, much more portable than PCs, so parents can look forward to hours of driving pleasure while the kids in the back seat huddle over their i-phones absorbing literature.

Have you phoned any good stories?

Children's books have appeared in many settings so it shouldn't surprise us that some will now be appearing on the i-phone and i-pod. Instead of reading a story to their child at bedtime, a parent could click on an i-phone version. As both parents and children get more used to using their phones to meet all their entertainment needs, this development seems a natural. Many children will find the small screen idea for their viewing and the thought of keeping a pocketful of books is surely a winner. It's starting small, of course, but this is one development that librarians and teachers will want to keep an eye on.