Scruffy Kitty
Scruffy Kitty - a story app by Michael Slack produced by WingedChariot
07 OCTOBER 2010, LONDON, PORTO, PRAGUE.
Summary
Scruffy Kitty is the first kids' app to get all spooky just for Halloween! Unlock a whole new layer of visual fun with our Scruffy Kitty 'treat' feature - just by opening the app. The exact day is a surprise but you'll see as it's all magically built into this version of the app - no upgrade necessary.With this year's rapid pace of change in books and how we read them, one publisher - WingedChariot - has set the standard for reading apps for children. For the moment at least, Apple’s iPad is the new potential game changer for family reading (a rather different landscape from that of the general ebook market where the Kindle is currently king).
The app called Scruffy Kitty, from the American artist Michael Slack, has a new feature that gives us a glimpse of the future for children’s literature. And that future is both magical and simple. You buy the app as usual from the iTunes web store, read it, enjoy the animations and make the most of the digital stickers - to the delight of all. Then on a defined and secret date you open the story on your iPad and the app will unlock a whole new layer of images! In the case of Scruffy Kitty it's a special version of the story just for Halloween.
The app comes in 5 languages English, Dutch, French, Japanese and Spanish. It has beautifully rendered page curls and shadows, lovely animation, fun audio and a lovely digital sticker pad to play with pictures and learn words in the different languages.
Quotes
"Chris Meade director of if:book the London based future of the book think tank. "A small child finding his/her way around an iPad is fascinating to watch and demolishes the idea that there's no tactility and intimacy in digital reading. A picture book which speaks itself in different languages and changes each time you look at it, with landscapes that adapt to the seasons, feels like an exciting step in the evolution of children's literature, and challenges us to define what really matters about the imaginative sanctuary of storytelling as it reshapes itself in the digital realm”" Chris Meade director of if:book
"“I've been very excited about the possibilities of interactive story telling for many years, so I'm thrilled to be releasing my first e-story created exclusively for a digital format. "Scruffy Kitty", is an interactive bedtime story about a lovable, mischievous kitty. I wanted to create a story that mirrored the "going to bed ritual" in a playful yet tender way. Taking in a stray cat is a simple act of compassion, that everyone can relate to. With the enhanced features, readers tap and watch Scruffy Kitty walk in, see him in the bath, and watch him purr to sleep.A great feature in Scruffy Kitty is a "magic" halloween layer that will automatically change visual elements in the story right around pumpkin carving time. Every story, regardless of medium, needs to be engaging, and populated with interesting, character to which people can relate. The great thing is that now we can go beyond the still image, and a passive experience of words and text. We are able to incorporate interaction, animation, activities, and interesting navigation. The digital format allows us to reinvent how stories are told and consumed" Michael Slack Author of Scruffy Kitty
Images
About WingedChariot - storiestotouch
Connecting People and Stories