With our busy schedules and so many events going on around town, we go out to eat fairly frequently. Most of the restaurants we patronize provide a kid’s menu or other activity sheets, but my kids get bored with these pretty quickly, and they’re often too advanced for my 4 year old. Which leads to the inevitable question, “Can I play with your phone?” I’m happy to hand over my Android smartphone now that it has The Berenstain Bears’ Bedtime Battle, the first in a series of omBooks (Oceanhouse Media digital book) available from Oceanhouse Media, Inc. and HarperCollins Children’s Books.
omBooks are interactive books available for Apple and Android devices. Each book has three modes. “Auto Play” reads the book aloud and turns the pages automatically, suitable for younger children. If “Read to Me” is selected, the words are highlighted and read aloud, but the reader swipes to turn the pages. If “Read It Myself” is tapped, then the child can read the book unassisted and swipe the pages on their own. The three modes are great for kids at vastly different reading levels, as the books are aimed at kids aged 3 to 7. In addition to the reading of the story, when objects on the page are tapped, the words zoom up and are announced out loud. The reader can also press and hold the paragraph for the words to be read to them, allowing the child to attempt to read on their own first. The book also comes with sound effects – background music, crickets and even the pages turning add to the experience of the story.
The Berenstain Bears’ Bedtime Battle is one of the newer books about the Bear family and while it has the usual lesson, it doesn’t hit you over the head with it. Brother and Sister Bear have had a great day, but now it’s time to put away their toys and get ready for bed. Like most kids they’re not happy about this development and use every stalling tactic they can think of. Mama and Papa Bear end up exhausted by the bedtime battle and the cubs realize that maybe they could go a little easier on their parents.
If you have an Android or Apple device and kids who clamor to use your phone, The Berenstain Bears’ Bedtime Battle and other omBooks will keep them occupied and happy.
Nancy has had her share of bedtime battles. She writes about her 2 boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books.
I’ve just dug out my old BBears books. Good timing!
Great review! I had wondered about the features of those ebooks and apps.
For years the Berenstein Bears books have been on my Best Homeschool Books on Listamania at Amazon. My kids “got it” when Brother and Sister learned the lesson. We read the books, watched the show. Then one Sunday I pulled out a VHS tape. My cousin had recorded it from tv years before. It was scratchy. It was….the ORIGINAL Berenstein Bears! My kids were HORRIFIED!! I laughed and laughed after they went to sleep! I remember reading the ORIGINAL Bears book when I was little–they were not very together! This is one case where TV helped!!!
Thank you for this review. I downloaded the free version of Berenstain bears and the Golden Rule on my Android phone. My daughter enjoyed it very much. I will probably buy the book you mentioned in this post. I also mentioned your post on my blog page -> http://melissasbooknook.blogspot.com/2011/08/blogs-i-read-5-minutes-for-books.html