I’m more than a little obsessed with Ladybird books. I have a few saved from my own childhood that I’ve topped up with eBay and junk shop finds, a mix of practical learning tomes and nursery stories (although not The Three Billy-Goats Gruff – that troll still gives me nightmares!) So it was encouraging to discover that the hugely creative team behind The Land of Me had the same love of nostalgia. So much so, in fact, that they decided to team up with Penguin Books to launch an app which renders these classic books truly interactive.
You buy the app for 69p and this gives you access to one title The Zoo (one of my favourites) and then you have the opportunity to purchase a further ten titles for £1.99 each, from Animals and Dinosaurs to Jack and the Beanstalk and Chicken Licken. Each book has hidden hotspots that you tap to reveal sounds (lions  roaring etc) and narration from well-known names, including Adam “Adam and Joe” Buxton and Josie Lawrence.
Alternatively, you can record your own readings of the book – Alfie is going to love hearing his grandma’s retelling of The Three Little Pigs even when she’s not visiting – or, if they’re a little bit older, your child’s. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch at the App Store, this is a great way of bringing the frankly rather wonderful Ladybird series to a new generation.
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