Shelf Control: The New Epic! iPad App Is The Netflix For Children's Books
February 3, 2014
Since its launch five months ago, Oyster has been making good on its promise of being sort of a "Netflix for books," offering as it does unlimited access to its collection of classics and bestsellers. Now, there's a newly released app that's something of a "Netflix for children's books," with its library of titles especially for kids. It's called Epic! - Books for Kids.
Does Epic! live up to its name? After a few hours of trying it out, I can already say that yes, it does. But read on to learn more about the app in this week's edition of Shelf Control.
"It didn't make sense to us that games and videos were so easily accessible, while books required a parent to make a purchase every time a child wanted to read a new one," notes the folks behind developer Epic! Creations. "So we rounded up some friends and got to work building the first 'epic' reading experience designed for kids."
And "epic" it is, indeed, especially for kids who like to read or are yet to discover the joy of reading.
Epic! offers unlimited access to, instant streaming of, and even offline reading support for its library of high-resolution digital editions of books selected by children’s publishing experts, teachers, and parents. These include well-known titles (e.g. "Mr. Popper's Penguins"), classics (e.g. "Julie of the Wolves"), and books from award-winning authors and illustrators (e.g. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs").
While Epic! doesn't seem to have a search function yet, it does provide easy browsing of titles across a number of categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Humor, Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Sports, Adventure, Fantasy, Comics & Graphic Novels, and Mystery. The selection can also be filtered by age-appropriate recommendations: 4 & Under, 5-7, 8-10, and 11-12.
In addition to offering a simply "epic" and smooth e-book reader, Epic! lets kids rate books, create collections of their favorites, earn badges, and unlock rewards for customizing their reading experience.
Compatible with iPad running iOS 6.0 or later, Epic! - Books for Kids is available now in the App Store for free.
If you can't see the video embedded above, please click here.
Epic! is free to try for 30 days. After the free trial period, parents may continue offering kids unlimited access to the Epic! library by purchasing a subscription for $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.
As always, if you have suggestions for Shelf Control, please feel free to email me at aldrin@appadvice.com or simply leave a comment below.
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