Although mobile devices like the iPad are wildly attractive to children, local app developer Christopher Black found that the tools don't have many apps that are geared toward that audience.
"You can find some storybooks from major brands like Disney, but there didn't seem to be many options for kids' books, especially from small local publishers," he says. "We wanted to create something people hadn't seen before."
About two years ago, Black founded his own contract work and app development firm,
Blacktop Interactive. When his girlfriend had an idea for a children's book, the pair realized it could lend itself well to an online storybook, and "Turtle's Day at the Beach" was born. The interactive storybook, designed for ages 3 and older, is available as an app for Nook, Blackberry, and Apple devices.
That app has been followed by "Rainbows are Colorful," an app to help children learn about colors, and coming soon is a painting app that allows kids to digitally color illustrations of animals.
"Now that we have the platform, we wanted to continue reusing that and going down that path," says Black. "It just makes sense in terms of our strategy and our interests."
Black hopes to have at least eight apps on the market by the end of the year, and to keep going strong after that. So the next time kids reach for a coloring book, they'll want to make sure it's got a full battery charge first.
Source: Chris Black, Blacktop Interactive
Writer: Elizabeth Millard