2:38 PM
Kakrona Chan
Thanks to rapid developments in consumer technology — namely, large-format touchscreen devices like the iPad, and soon, Android, BlackBerry 6 and Windows 7-based tablets — the definition of the e-book is quickly evolving. Soon, the word “e-book” will no longer connote dull, text-only transcriptions of popular print books on clunky e-readers, but richly colored, animated and interactive multimedia experiences that will leave their print counterparts looking lifeless in comparison.
The e-book medium broke new ground late last week when a little-known team of former video game developers in Vancouver, known as Loud Crow Interactive, released their first book for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, PopOut! The Tale of Peter Rabbit [iTunes link].
What makes Loud Crow’s version of Peter Rabbit so remarkable is the care and ingenuity with which the company has adapted the classic Beatrix Potter tale to the touchscreen medium. The original text, watercolor and ink illustrations, and sliding and pop-out features from early pop-out editions of the book (the team kept one of the original color copies in the studio, founder and President Calvin Wang told me) have all been kept intact.
What the startup has added has only made the Tale even better and more immersive. The entire story is set to the soft piano keys of Debussy’s “Claire de Lune” (sure to activate the tear ducts of many a nostalgic reader) and read by a pretty, female English voice. Words are helpfully highlighted as they are read aloud, and young readers can click again on each word to have it re-pronounced. A pale grey ribbon tab at the top of each page can be pulled down to reveal a full thumbnail index, making it easy to navigate between spreads.
Tap little Flopsy and Mopsy, and they giggle; tap falling leaves or blackberries to enlarge and scatter them about the page; use your finger to lift up pots and the animals hiding underneath will emit tiny squeaks. Paper doll joints and tethered kettles can be swung about on their hinges and the iPad can be tilted to change the direction of gravity for falling leaves. Each page offers a new opportunity for engagement, making readers eager not only to discover what’s going to happen next in the narrative, but to find out what fun bit of interactivity awaits them as well.
The e-book/app is currently available for $4.99 in the U.S. App Store. (Loud Crow is still negotiating for reproduction rights from the original publisher in Europe.) The startup plans to release further pop-out books in the future, including a Christmas-themed e-book set to debut in 30 days.
Screenshot Gallery
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Home screen.
Title page.
Drop-down index.
Click on falling leaves to enlarge.
Words are highlighted as they are read aloud.
Click on the falling blackberries to enlarge.
Double-clicking on the blackberries will cause them to burst and disappear.
Sliding wheels can be moved to trigger simple animations, just like in traditional pop-up books.
Rotate the iPad to shift the direction of the falling leaves.
Final spread.
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