My name is April Peter, my partner Daniel Shneor and I decided to start creating animated storybook apps, after working for a long time in the animation industry and feeling secure in our skills and talent. Our main motives were a shared desire to put our unique voices out there, to appeal to our audience directly, and to offer them something that is high-end and beautiful, which would bring joy to children and leave a lasting fond memory. We remembered having favorite toys and storybooks in our childhoods, and realized the impact they’ve had in making us the creative people we are today. We want to do the same for future creative adults.
Our first app “Look At All The Animals” was released in June 2011, and “A Leaf In My Hair” followed closely in July. Those first two apps took a few months to create, during which we familiarized ourselves with this new format and its demands. After the first push we became interested in making our stories and art more complex, and we turned our attention to building our brand – we came up with the name “Light Sleepers”, and designed a catalog website and cohesive app interface to create a recognizable look for our collection. The next two apps “Ann Can’t Sleep” and “Koto Go Silence” were both released in November 2011. After that we wrote a new adventure for our existing character Koto the guard dog, which was released at the end of 2012 as “Koto Go West”.
Our favorite feature of the storybooks is probably the design, and the progress we make from one book to the other in terms of look and story. We have several pages that we love and take great pride in – the big white cat in “Look At All The Animals”, the merry-go-round in “A Leaf In My Hair”, the airplane in “Ann Can’t Sleep”, the lantern-lit porch in “Koto Go Silence”, and the kitchen in “Koto Go West”.
We create our apps as storybooks, not learning toys, but of course each story has its specific message which it intends to teach. “Look At All The Animals” is about finding interest and entertainment in everyday situations. “A Leaf In My Hair” is about turning petty annoyances into fun games. “Ann Can’t Sleep” is more of a classic bedtime story which also talks about games and friendship, and the Koto stories challenge our readers to make connections between sounds and real-life objects, as well as teaching them about facing fears.
At the end of the day, we believe that providing children with creative and challenging toys and stories will encourage them to discover their own creativity and open the door to their own artistic nature.
Our stories are meant for pre-schoolers, but we have had feedback from children as old as nine and ten who enjoy them as well.
In the near future we are looking to create more original stories, as well as new Koto adventures. We are also exploring more complex formats, such as learning games.
“Koto Go West” is a new beautifully animated storybook app that throws users into the adventurous world of Koto, as a tenacious sheriff dog in a Wild West town. Following the chases he embarks on, through tracking down mysterious noises, Koto encourages the reader’s cognition between sound imagination and real life objects.
You Tube:
Specifications:
App: Koto Go West – HD
Category: Book
Updated: Dec 19, 2012
Version: 1.0
Language: English
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later.
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Ann Can’t Sleep
Description:
“Ann Can’t Sleep” is an animated book about companionship, friends, and a little girl who just can’t fall asleep. Which of her toys will help her get to slumberland?
The storybook utilizes basic, easily comprehendible words and audio narration, that kids can use if they have trouble reading through certain sections, or if they simply want to sit back and enjoy the app’s story.
You Tube:
Specifications:
App: Ann Can’t Sleep
Category: Book
Updated: Sep 18, 2012
Version: 2.0
Language: English
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later.
The Appy Ladies 