Winged Chariot is a website that offers downloadable books as iphone apps. Many people have been downloading novels and non-fiction to their ipods for a long time from sites such as Audible. I personally am a late adopter of the ipod and continue to buy CD's that we listen to together on car journeys. I am aware that you can plug something into your car stereo so that you can sit or attach your ipod to it and listen to your downloads together while driving. Let's just say that I am not a Luddite, I just haven't gotten there.
Winged Chariot has done something quite new in that it has downloadable picture books. The authors names look foreign, which is a plus for readers who might not come across these translated books. I used to rely on North South Books to bring me gems from abroad such as Massimo Mostacci's A Dog's Best Friend which seems to be out of print at the moment.
As The Guardian's article on the subject reveals, Winged Chariot has commissioned one of the first picture books, The Surprise, specifically for the iphone. I do remember schlepping a thousand pounds of books in my backpack when I used to take my 1, 3, 5 and 6 year olds on transatlantic vacations. Would I trade them for such an app? With my back in my current state, I think I would, especially if we were going to stay with friends or family who would have bookshelves waiting for me on the other end.
Recent Comments