Kindle (Android) Books as Apps for Toddlers
I got through many-a-late nights reading books on my Android phone while nursing JW as an infant. Then last year, my husband got me a Kindle Fire (now they make Kindle Fire HD) for Christmas. Electronic books are so much easier for me to read in the dark while everyone else is sleeping. I should probably be sleeping too, but it’s my only time to myself all day.
JW probably has a couple hundred board books, but he also enjoys books on the Kindle. Some books are just words and illustrations, but some are apps which makes them interactive with some cool bonus features. Here’s the book apps we’ve tried so far. These are all available in the Amazon Appstore for Android, and can be used on a Kindle or any Android device. The benefit of buying these in the Appstore is that they are available on all Android devices tied to your account. So I pay once, and can use them on my Kindle Fire and Droid X.
 Meet Biscuit |
The Biscuit books offer Auto Play, Read to Me, and Read to Myself options, as well as a coloring book, sticker book, and memory game. | |
 Biscuit’s Birthday |
Biscuit’s Birthday is the second Biscuit book we got, and the first one that we paid for. My husband was complaining about reading Biscuit’s Valentine’s Day every night, so we got this one to add some variety. | |
 Biscuit’s Valentine’s Day |
This is the first Biscuit book I got for JW when it was the free app of the day in the Kindle store on Valentine’s Day. We liked it so much, that I was willing to pay for the next two books. | |
 Blue Hat, Green Hat – Boynton |
I love the Sandra Boynton books! We didn’t have this board book yet, so thought we’d try it when it was half off in the Amazon Appstore. The reading options include “The Big Guy Reads It” and “I Want to Read it Myself.” Lots of fun interactive stuff. | |
 Green Eggs and Ham – Dr. Seuss |
How can you go wrong with Dr. Seuss? I actually ate green eggs and ham once. Salty, but otherwise, pretty good! Anyway, the Dr. Seuss books have lots of great sound effects and when you touch anywhere on the screen, a word pops up along with the pronunciation of whichever object you put your finger on. | |
 I Just Forgot – Little Critter |
This is the first The Mercer Mayer Little Critter book we tried. It has “Read to Me”, “Read it Myself” and “Auto Play” options. Like the Dr. Seuss books, you can touch anywhere on the screen, and the word pops up with the correct pronunciation. Almost every page has a spider or a mouse to find. At the end it tells you how many you found out of the total possible. | |
 PopOut! The Tale of Peter Rabbit |
My mom got his for JW on her Nook, and I just had to have it for the Kindle when I saw it come up as the Free App of the Day. Lot of cute interactivity, like making leaves fall and smushing berries. | |
 The Candy Factory HD |
Reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this book is about kids that get magically carried off to the candy factory where strange creatures run the machines. There are a few too many words for young kids to want to listen to the whole thing. I got this when it was offered for free, so it’s worth keeping in the cloud until JW is ready to better appreciate it. (Looks like it’s still FREE!) | |
 The Going to Bed Book – Boynton |
This was one of my favorite board books to read to JW, especially at bedtime. I was a little skeptical about buying the electronic version, but it was so worth it. With all of the interactivity, the story becomes even more magical. Just like Blue Hat, Green Hatt, the reading options include “The Big Guy Reads It” and “I Want to Read it Myself.” | |
 The Lorax – Dr. Seuss |
I first read this book to JW while he was still in my belly, so of course I had to get the Kindle version. Just like other Dr. Seuss books, there are “Read to Me”, “Read it Myself”, and “Auto Play” options. | |
 The Moon Secrets HD |
This is just a pretty book. JW loves to look at the moon, and this book gives some cute explanations about why the moon changes. Cute interactivity, including seeing parts of the moon by looking through a telescope. “Read to Me”, “Read by Myself”, and “Autoplay” options available. This looks like it’s still a FREE book! | |
 The Three Little Pigs |
I wasn’t sure I liked this book at first, but JW loves it! My favorite part of this one is that when you get to the end it just loops back to the beginning. Sometimes he will play with it until he passes out for nap time. Spanish version also available. | |
 The New Potty – Little Critter |
This Little Critter Book is the same set up as I Just Forgot as far as reading options and finding mice and spiders. This is a cute book that shows the stages kids go through with a potty such as playing with it before actually sitting on it or going potty. Perfect timing for JW who is just starting to use the potty. |
About Emily Carpenter
Emily is a Web Whiz, Blogger, Speaker, Student, and Mom. She is the owner of WhizBang! Web Solutions LLC, and the founder of Marvy Moms. She loves working from home so that she can be there for every possible moment with her son, JW. Learning as she goes, Emily breastfed, bought cloth diapers (but never used them), made her son’s baby food, had a family bed for nearly two years, and loves spending time with her son. Emily is a certified Level II Reiki practitioner and offers her services both in-person and remotely to people interested in this energetic healing modality. Emily is currently enrolled as a student at the American Academy of Homeopathy to become a Certified Classical Homeopath and has earned a diploma in botanical medicine at Botanical Medicine Institute. She is also a Certified Aromatherapist, and received her training from Aromahead Institute.