Book Apps from Auryn Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2011

HARE AND TORTOISE

HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES, AND TOES

THE LITTLE MERMAID

VAN GOGH AND THE SUNFLOWERS

Kirkus Reviews - "App Developer to Watch - Auryn"

This was the first full calendar year after the introduction of Apple's iPad, and it saw tremendous growth in the market of storybook apps available for the tablet. Great new apps are aplenty out there, and we have highlighted many as the best of the year. But there is one developer that has distinguished itself by its innovative practices and dedication to quality...

Auryn wins Distinguished Developers Award

Distinguished Developer AURYN APPS

Reviewed by Lesley Taylor on Nov 24, 2011

Auryn apps develops consistently beautiful and stunning eBooks and so we have decided to present them with our first “Distinguished Developer” award.

Auryn has shown a commitment to excellence that is reflected by excellent reviews in the app store and several awards. We have reviewed a couple of their apps, but without hesitation I feel comfotable in recommending and of their titles that appeal to you...

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers wins App of the Month Award - November 2011

App of the Month, November

Posted by Jennifer

Each month I check our site traffic statistics and determine which app review had the most page views, and give that app our App of the Month award – a reader’s choice award determined by traffic!...

Miko Series - Highly recommended by Digital Storytime

Auracle – MIKO "Mom, Wake up and Play!" – HD

Miko's mom wants to sleep just a little longer ...

The Miko series, by talented author Brigitte Weninger, has been among my child's favorites in print for many years. This title was published in 2005 and features a story about little Miko (an adorable mouse) waking up too early and wanting his mom to get up and play with him. I was delighted to have this title for my digital library, since it is out-of-print. I especially love the beautiful illustrations of Stephanie Roehe that pair so nicely with the sweet stories in this series...

The elements that stand out within the pages of Van Gogh app are the interactive puzzles

Reviewed on  December 2nd, 2011 by Amy Solomon

Auryn - Van Gogh and the Sunflowers is a wonderful storybook based on the children's storybook of the same name and also includes fascinating interactive puzzle elements and an interesting use of Van Gogh's artwork seen throughout this application...

Auryn Inc. has outdone themselves with Van Gogh and the Sunflowers!

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers - Enjoyable Interactive Book

Details : Auryn Inc. has outdone themselves with Van Gogh and the Sunflowers! This is a story based on Laurence Anholt's book. Van Gogh makes friends with a young boy, Camille, and his family. But they are the only ones in town who welcome this stranger. The others make fun of him and chase him out of town...

Wonderful educational enhancements are the main perk of Winter Is iPad App

Auracle - Winter Is

Cute storybook about the excitement of a chilly Northwest winter by Puget Sound native and Alaska resident, Ann Dixon. Wonderful educational enhancements are the main perk of Auryn Apps digital re-imagining of this 2002 print title. Words highlight as narrated word-for-word & interactivity is strictly informational. Tap any word in the text to hear the audio again or tap any image to hear and see the word. Color-drenched illustrations & nice page-layouts in this digital title make for one very nice seasonal read...

Kids Apps reviews Miko - Mom, Wake Up and Play

Today Miko woke up early. I mean early, even before his mom woke. Even before the clock rang.He was getting boredand went to his mom's bedroom to wake her up. But she was so tired she couldn't wake up and asked Miko to let her sleep till the clock rang. Miko understood her but he had to find something to do till then. Time stays still when a child has to wait...

School Library Journal reviews Van Gogh and the Sunflowers

Posted on  November 18th, 2011 Daryl Grabarek

Laurence Anholt first published this story in a print version in 1994, and it's based on a real-life encounter the artist had with a village postman and his son. The app was developed by Auryn, Inc., the creators of the digital version of Edsel McFarlan's New Car, and the award-winning Teddy's Day. van Gogh and the Sunflowers is Auryn's first title to incorporate gaming elements. A free lite version of the app is available...

There is plenty of opportunity for discussion arising from the Miko Series

Auracle - Miko 'Mom, Wake up and Play!' and 'It was me, Mom!'

These two endearing apps from Auryn are based on the original Miko books by Brigitte Weninger and Stephanie Roehe. Through simple monologues and dialogues, Miko the mouse and his little stuffed friend Mimiki have to make some tricky decisions about patience, honesty and taking responsibility for their actions.

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers is art education at its best

Reviewed by Valerie Lauer on Nov 17, 2011

Price : $1.99

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers is art education at its best. This vivid app for iPad combines a thoughtful eBook story, challenging games and interactive educational activities to engage young learners for the long haul...

Auryn van Gogh and the Sunflowers: An Amazing Interactive Storybook App

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers

Posted by Jennifer

App Name: Auryn - Van Gogh and the Sunflowers

Overall Rating: 5/5
Mom's Rating: 5/5
Kids' Rating: 5/5
Recommended Grades/Ages: Kindergarten, Grades 1-6
Skills Developed: Picture Study, Art History, Coloring, Puzzles, Read Aloud, Reader

Gill Robins reviews Teddy's Day and Teddy's Night

Posted November 14th, 2011 by Gill Robins

When you were a young child, did you ever wonder what your toys got up to when you weren't around? Find out in this evocative app from Auryn, based on Bruno Hachler and Birte Muller's popular picture books What Does My Teddy Bear Do All Day? and What Does My Teddy Bear Do All Night?

Become a participant in the story as Teddy's owner peeps through the keyhole, climbs a tree to view him through a camera lens and completes a jigsaw puzzle. Help her to stack beakers, play hide and seek with Teddy and find a hidden harp to compose your own music...

Van Gogh App - The bar has been risen

The bar has been risen. This app is spectacular, and I'm excited for all of you to put this in your family's hands. Your child will grow a deeper appreciation for art and the masterpieces of Vincent Van Gogh with this revolutionary activity and storybook app, Van Gogh and the Sunflowers, by Auryn Apps...

If your child loves dogs like my child does, he or she will love Dr. Duncan Dog

Posted 10:00am Thu Nov 10th, 2011 by Beijing Kids

I'm looking at the slew of new apps on our iPad, and it occurs to me that I have been lax in my app review duties of late, so I'm doing another round-up of storybook apps from three of our favorite storybook app developers. I've checked with Reina, my four year-old co-reviewer, and she assures me that in these six stories, there is something for every kind of kid; even grown up ones...

Van Gogh App - This is by far and away, the most stunning storybook that I have seen to date

Posted 10:00am Thu Nov 10th, 2011 by Beijing Kids

My favorite storybook app these days is Auryn's next title, Van Gogh and the Sunflowers, written by Laurence Anholt. This is by far and away, the most stunning storybook that I have seen to date. The illustrations are marvelous and pop out like 3D pop-up interactive images. The story itself is insightful into the origins of Van Gogh's work and is a highly entertaining way of learning about this luminary of the art world and his magnificent works. The app itself has added features that allow the child (or parents) to re-paint each page and to reconstruct the mechanical workings of each illustration via a puzzle. Honestly, you have to see it to understand, and it is worth buying this app even if you don't have children...

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers - Art History meets Art Lessons in this one of a kind app.

This month our ultra popular children's iTunes app round-up feature returns with 9 more picks we hope you and your little ones will enjoy. Some are books and some are games, all are releases my three year old twins and I found entertaining.

Among our many favorites this month:

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers:  Van Gogh and the Sunflowers also from Auryn Inc. is based on Laurence Anholt's book by the same name.  It's not just a book though, it's an experience.  Kids become part of the story and find their inner artist along the way.  Art History meets Art Lessons in this one of a kind app...

Little Red Riding Hood - I loved the vintage illustrations and better still the twins liked them too

This month our ultra popular children's iTunes app round-up feature returns with 9 more picks we hope you and your little ones will enjoy. Some are books and some are games, all are releases my three year old twins and I found entertaining.

Among our many favorites this month:

Red Riding Hood:  Red Riding Hood is a part of the Auracle line from Auryn. The app is based on a famous fairy tale about a young girl and a big bad wolf.  In my book it is required reading for the preschool set much like King Lear is for the H.S. crowd.  I loved the vintage illustrations and better still the twins liked them too.  Auryn really does seem to have an eye for what will adapt beautifully...

Discover Beauty and Art in Auryn - Van Gogh and the Sunflowers

Auryn - Van Gogh and the Sunflowers is a lovely app based on the popular book by Laurence Anholt that is intended to be an "inspiring introduction" to the artist, Vincent van Gogh.

You might feel like you've seen a lot of interactive storybooks for your iPad, but I guarantee this one will blow your mind...

Auryn van Gogh and the Sunflowers: An Amazing Interactive Storybook App

Auryn van Gogh and the Sunflowers: An Amazing Interactive Storybook App

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers by Auryn is a unique and amazing iPad interactive storybook app that offers a great introduction for our kids to world famous painter van Gogh. Based on Laurence Anholt's book, the app presents the original, bright and cheerful illustrations from the book and thanks to Auryn expertise - showcasing watercolor illustration with top interactive features - kids are able to engage, interact and learn about some of van Gogh most well-known painting The Sunflowers and few others...

Love You to the Moon and Back - The artwork in this book is absolutely gorgeous

The artwork in this book is absolutely gorgeous. The scenes and characters change from page to page. At first I was unsure of how I felt about that but after reading the book again I decided I really liked it. It allows every reader to be able to relate to the story, and every reader can relate...

Love You App - The hand drawn art is such a treat and so refreshing after seeing so much clip art

Auracle - Love you to the Moon & Back, by Auryn, and based on the "art from the heart" work of Sue Shanahan -- This BEAUTIFULLY illustrated book app is a heart warming story about the unconditional love a mother has for her child. A familiar theme but done so well, it stands out among the rest. The hand drawn art is such a treat and so refreshing after seeing so much clip art. But, the feature we LOVE with this app, is that you can record your own voice to narrate the book. Between the gorgeous illustrations, the sweet storyline and the setting to record your own voice, this app will soon become a family favorite...

Trees Grin title lends itself nicely to teaching about the seasons, nature and poetry

This is a poem-like story with light interactivity and unique personalization settings. It is told in the first person by a little girl who is exploring a forest. Images depict each of the seasons while the little girl compares her own body to the trees around her, seeing the connectedness of nature...

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers - It will provide hours of enjoyment for children across a wide age range

This beautiful and evocative app from the creative developer Auryn is based on the classic children's book by Laurence Anholt. With great sensitivity, it tells the story of Van Gogh's 1888 visit to Arles, his empathetic friendship with the Roulin family and the period in which he painted the sunflowers which grew 'like burning yellow suns'...

Dr. Duncan Dog on Duty - Another app by Auryn in the Auracle line impresses me greatly.

Dr Duncan Dog on Duty is a beautifully illustrated picture book which is a heartwarming expression of bond between human companions and children. "My job is to go to school, ask questions, try my best, and have a good time," says the little girl who tells this story. Everyone in the family has a job, and their dog Duncan's job is to be a therapy dog at the nearby children's hospital. This is a children's book that affirms the idea that everyone (even the family pet) can be of service and has something to share. Children will be introduced to the healing and comfort brought to people of all ages by therapy dogs...

Winter Is - If you look closely, hidden on the pages is a little rabbit. Can you find him?

Winter Is is a part of the Auracle line from Auryn. The app is based on Ann Dixon's book by the same name, illustrated by Mindy Dwyer. Winter is white. Winter is cold. Winter is dark. Winter is bright. Winter is so many things, especially to a little one eagerly awaiting sledding, ice-skating, and other joys of the season. "Winter is" brings a child's anticipation of winter to life, with simple, evocative verse and delicate watercolor paintings of winter's wonders...

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers - I can't understate the beauty within this app.

I had the opportunity to review a beautiful app recently called Van Gogh and the Sunflowers. It's by Auryn, who make some really great apps for kids. This app is for a child who is probably 4+. This is a beautiful app, with a puzzle and drawing within each page of the story. As you play the puzzles, you can also unlock the characters so they move within the story, adding an additional level to the app...

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers is a must-have for any children's digital library.

Reviewed by Michelle on Oct 26, 2011

Teddy's Night, The Little Mermaid and Bunny Fun - Winners of Parents' Choice Awards

Posted 10:00am Thu Nov 10th, 2011 by dibeijing

The app is designed to appeal to both the right and left side of a child's brain

The beautiful Van Gogh and the Sunflowers storybook iPad app, based on Laurence Anholt's Camille and the Sunflowers book, launches today. Geared toward ages 4-11, it's not just a digital storybook - characters can be personalized to become part of the watercolor animation, and completing each page (view the gallery below) unlocks another exciting level...

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers is an extraordinary app with unique interactivity

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers is an extraordinary app with unique interactivity. The characters in this book, based on a gorgeous print title published in 2007, are all in motion. Characters in the story run, work and paint in scenes that can also be viewed (just tap the settings button) with their inner-workings exposed. You can see the mechanism behind the motion in a way that is very similar to Three Little Pigs and the Secrets of a Popup Book - a very cool effect...

This magical story implements reproductions of some of Van Gogh's most famous paintings

EDUCATE AND ENGAGE YOUR PRESCHOOLER

Download these entertaining apps to make your time with your preschooler on the iPad more educational and interactive.

If you have a preschooler and an iPad or an iPhone, chances are your little one knows how to swipe and tap his or her way into your device. Lucky for you, we have picked the must-have apps for your little sponge...

With Teddy's Night, explore an adorable story that preschoolers can relate to

TEDDY'S NIGHT

Does your preschooler ever ask you what her teddy bear does while she's away or asleep? With this storybook, she might just get some of her questions answered. Explore an adorable story that preschoolers can relate to, while marveling the detailed pictures on each interactive page. Your child can help stack blocks, play memory-matching games, customize wall drawings and even play a harp while reading this bedtime story...

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers - This one is something special

Where do I begin with Van Gogh and the Sunflowers? Saying that it is wonderful doesn't seem enough and I'm not sure that I can adequately describe the magic of this app. This one is something special. Van Gogh and the Sunflowers is the adaptation of Laurence Anholt's book of the same name. It tells the story of a boy named Camille who lives in a town filled with sunflowers. One day a painter comes to live in their town. That painter was Vincent Van Gogh and he was different, a man without many friends...

If you have an iPad you need to buy this Van Gogh and the Sunflowers

"Where Camille lived, the sunflowers grew so high they looked like real suns - a whole field of burning yellow suns." So begins Laurence Anholt's engaging picture book app about the relationship between the postman's son and Vincent van Gogh. As the story unfolds, Camille and his family befriend and help this strange painter...

Winter Is is a story all about winter, told through the eyes of children

Auracle - Winter Is This is the storybook app version of Winter Is by Ann Dixon. The story is all about winter, told through the eyes of children. What is winter? Winter is cold, long and white. Winter is here! The app has three reading modes: Read to Me, Read Myself and Auto Play. When children tap images on the screen they will see and hear the word that goes with the image. Requirements:Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later...

Dr. Duncan Dog is a great book about therapy dogs

Auracle - Dr. Duncan Dog on Duty Dr. Duncan Dog is a great book about therapy dogs. The story tells how everyone in the family has a job, even Duncan the dog. He goes to the local hospital to visit the children. Everyone in the family helps Duncan get ready and the book offers a peek at what a therapy dog brings to the hospital. This app also has the word association feature, children tap on the screen and they'll see and hear the word that belongs to the image. There are three reading modes: Read Myself, Read to Me and Auto Play. A personalization feature is also included if your family would like to record their own narration...

In Red Riding Hood, when you tap the characters on screen they will wiggle and bounce

Auracle - Red Riding Hood Here is Little Red Riding Hood, off to visit Grandma's house in the woods. What will she find there? Auracle's version of the fairy tale doesn't stray from the original but it tells the story in pleasant rhyme. The illustrations are simple and have a vintage feel about them. The moral of the story is clear, disobedience to parents can have unpleasant consequences! When you tap the characters on screen they will wiggle and bounce, my youngest enjoyed that feature...

Ideal title for children to re-write as a way to build their own storytelling skills

This short but cute storybook from Auracle is personalizable, with text and narration that can be customized. It features a story about a little boy who loves cars and gets a life-size model in the mail. Edsel McFarlan builds his car and then rides it all over town, scaring his neighbors and creating chaos along the way. Based on the popular print title published in July 2010, this book has a lot to offer in digital form...

iPhone Mom reviews The Trees Grin Beside Me

The Trees Grin Beside Me is one of the newest titles in the Auracle line from Auryn. The app originates from a book by Michelle Macdonald that was illustrated by Leah Davis. It tells of a young girl who compares herself to the trees around her. She asks questions like how strong can I be? As strong as a tree? How peaceful? How tall? As she does this she learns about the trees, nature and herself. The book's illustrations show different types of trees and depicts them throughout the changing seasons. My favorite pictures were of the fall trees. I love the colorful leaves...

Auracles revolutionize story time with interactive apps based on books with a meaningful purpose

Auracle, by Auryn Inc., revolutionizes story time with interactive apps based on books with a meaningful purpose, while focusing on the message, rather than distractions of interactivity bells and whistles. There are three  storybook apps that I'd love to spotlight by this unique, award-winning digital publisher, Auryn Inc...

Apptudes reviews 4 new Auracles

Aruyn, Inc. consistently produces apps that are works of art themselves. Their interactive books in their Auracle line contain beautiful illustrations, captivating music, and meaningful stories that will speak to children and parents. With readability options that allow for readers to grow and develop, as well as a kid-friendly interface these iPad children's stories are full of warmth and art, rather than lots of flashy features. The four titles we bring you today are all priced at $.99, but be sure to read below to see how you can win one of these great titles for the young people who share your iPad for free!...

Love You is a beautifully illustrated title that would be perfect for bedtime reading

This inspirational little book is filled with warm illustrations that evoke a simpler time along with lyrical text that reads like a poem or love letter. The book is very short but can be personalized with your own text and narration. It also features lovely narration that highlights as read and simple, but intuitive settings...

Best iPad / iPhone Book Apps for Kids (October 2011 Edition)

When I began making these round-up lists of best kid game and book apps for the many iPad and iPhone devices available to children these days, I thought this would be a difficult feature to keep going month to month once I'd covered all the "good ones" in likely the first few months. I was wrong. Great new apps keep popping up daily mingled with a few older ones I had yet to find, this monthly list of top kid apps currently has no end in sight...

The Trees Grin Beside Me is a gentle and dreamy storybook app that combats flashy, excitable apps

When you are tired of reading books about Elmo, Disney characters, or odd (and creepy) fairy tale characters, and are desiring to introduce some creative and poetic writing styles that are still suitable for preschoolers and elementary-aged children, look to this iPad app- The Trees Grin Beside Me.

The Trees Grin Beside Me is a serene and beautiful storybook app by Auracle (Auryn Apps), based on the book of the same name by Michelle Macdonald, illustrated by Leah Davis. The app is $.99, and is available for iPad...

Tails Toes Eyes Ears Nose review - Kirkus Reviews (9/15 print issue too)

A simple, easy-to-navigate app featuring an assortment of animals and the titular body parts they have in common is no-frills enough to please toddlers, though parents may wish it offered a little more.

In a unique approach, each of the app's pages shows an animal's tail, toes, eyes, ears and nose, but with the main body missing. Though the shapes of birds, elephants, cats and people aren't too difficult for even small children to figure out, the illustrations then fill in the blank once the body parts have been explored...

Love You to the Moon and Back - The app brings the stunning artwork

Love You to the Moon and Back iPad app which is part of the Auracle line byAuryn Inc is quite simply put a beautiful app which makes a lovely sleepy time story. The app is another of Auryn Inc's interactive books for the iPad, other apps include Teddy's Day and Teddy's Night which I previously reviewed. The app brings the stunning artwork by Sue Shanahan, a children's illustrator to life to tell the story of a mothers love for her child...

Teddy's Night wins Parents' Choice Awards 2011.

Review:

Though Teddy's Night may sound like a simple bedtime story, it is actually a rich book app with many opportunities to interact and play with the painted illustrations on each page. The premise is simple: A tired girl wonders what her sleep averse teddy bear does all night. She know that he does not become sleepy, even as her mother switches off her bedroom lights and the girl and bear lie down in bed...

The Little Mermaid wins Parents' Choice Awards 2011 - An elegant alternative to Disney's rendition.

Review:

Auryn's app presentation of Hans Christian Anderson's version of The Little Mermaid is an elegant alternative to Disney's rendition. The dreamlike illustrations by Lisbeth Zwerger look beautiful on the iPad's screen. There is minimal interactivity here, and that's just fine. A subtle rippling water effect makes readers feel as though the iPad's glass is the surface of a sea under which the Little Mermaid can be glimpsed...

Bunny Fun wins Parents' Choice Awards 2011 - It brings to life the work of author, Rosemary Wells.

Review:

Bunny Fun: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes brings to life the work of Max and Ruby author Rosemary Wells. In it, a bunny costumed according to the land he is in performs the preschool classic "Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes" in four languages: English (US), Spanish (Mexico), French (France), and Japanese (Japan). The singer clearly enunciates each word of the song as the bunny points to each of his body parts...

Teddy's Day appears in Top 10 Book Apps for iPad

For this new top 10 list, I've gathered some data from our google analytics to see which of our reviews of children's iPad book apps have been viewed the most by readers. The following apps are in order, showing off our most popular recommendations over the past year (2011)...

Giggle Apps reviews Auryn Ink

Auryn Ink Review

Auryn Ink is an interesting app for iPad which simulates watercolor painting, geared to those with an intermediate to high skill level. There are a multitude of options artists can utilize that will bring this experience as close to really painting with watercolors that one can get without paints and paper, my favorites being how the colors blend and overlap like one would find while working with water colors, as well as how gravity affects the paint, having it run if the iPad is tilted. Other options include selecting canvases with different textures which will affect how the paint is applied in terms of paint flow and brush strokes....

Hurray! For PreK's great feature is the ability for parents to record their own voice reading the texts!

Details

Hurray for Pre-K is an app based on the book of the same name by Ellen Senisi which shows kids aged 2-6 what goes on in a Pre-K classroom. This app will help parents reduce their child's anxiety about starting preschool.

The texts are simple sentences that will be easily understood by kids. It emphasizes different words like read, play, listen, sing, etc which are the activities that kids will do in the pre-k classroom...

Teddy's Day and Teddy's Night - Beautifully illustrated, cleverly interactive and pleasantly narrated

This week I want to tell you about not one but two apps called Teddy's Day and Teddy's Night by Auryn Inc which Ben loves. The apps, which are digital books are beautifully illustrated, cleverly interactive and pleasantly narrated. Both apps are based on storybooks by the author Bruno Hachler, Teddy's Day is based on 'What does my Teddy Bear do all Day?' and Teddy's Night is based on 'What does my Teddy Bear do All Night?'. The story is about a girl who imagines the various things that her Teddy might be getting up to while she is not around...

App roundup: Hurray! For PreK - AndTwinsMakes5

The countdown is on! Friday is the start of school for my oldest and the other four begin on Monday. Last chance to oil those rusty brains with a crop of education apps as we run errands in the loaded down minivan. Here's a list of scholastic minded apps we've recently been utilizing. You'll note the list starts with apps for the littlest of iDevice users and works it way up to apps for the older student.

Hurray for Pre-K by Auryn: This app is based off of a 32 page photo book of the same title. The intention is to familiarize your child with typical preschool happenings and surroundings...

Hurray for Pre-K - Once again this children's publisher hits the mark with youngsters with this timely title

Reviewed by Hillary Brumer on Aug 17, 2011

Auracle - Hurray For Pre-K (iPad only)is a children's book app byAuryn Inc. as part of their Auracle series, and once again this children's publisher hits the mark with youngsters with this timely title. The is a digital rendition of the paper book of the same name.

Users are taken through a typical day in a pre-kindergarden classroom. From entering the room, to activities, to snack, to finger painting, just about every activity of the day is covered...

Edsel's Car - Stunning HD presentation of the book's art inspires awe.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Edsel McFarlan's New Car - Auracle is a 32-page book app based on the print book by Max Holechek with illustrations by Darrell Toland. The story involves a boy who loves cars and orders one from a catalog. After assembling the car and taking it around (to the dismay and wreckage of the town), Edsel and his car end up in the junkyard. After that, Edsel decides that instead of cars he loves space rockets, and the whole cycle starts again. There are three reading modes, so kids can control the pace and narration, and when kids tap on objects in the illustration, the word for that object pops up and is spoken...

Auryn's "Neverending" Stories

Reviewed by Daryl Grabarek on Aug 5, 2011

Fans of Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story may recognize the reference to the amulet in that book in the Auryn name. As Umesh Shukla, founder of the Los Angeles-based company, notes, Auryn, Inc. is “all about creating neverending stories.”

Auryn burst onto the children’s digital scene picking up a 2011 Appy Award in the book category for Teddy’s Day, a production based on Brüno Hachler and Birte Müller’s picture book, What Does My Teddy Bear Do All Day? (Minedition/Penguin, 2005). The app answers that question in the way only an app can, adding delightful animation and a host of interactive options to the book’s images and text...

Auryn Ink - The splatter and paint flow was a nice surprise!

Date of purchase:

What are the best features of this app? 

Multiple Brush size and tip shapes, Realistic watercolor application ,Ease of use, Key features include choice of paper and canvas (wet or dry), Ability to blend colors, Working with wet and dry layer, Fixing paint which acts as a mask...

Top iPad / iPhone Apps for Kids (August 2011 Edition)

Our Kids Top iPad/ iPhone App List for August has Arrived!

This past month our family of 7 spent a good deal of time in the car driving to Colorado and back from our Chicago area home. It was our last hurrah before school begins later this month. Adding to the distance and time further were some planned stops along the way to visit various colleges for our oldest child...

The stunning HD presentation Edsel McFarlan's New Car's art inspires awe

We all know one-a child obsessed with cars. Around School Library Journal's office it's Sam Tuchman, our art director Mark Tuchman's son. Like Edsel McFarlan, though, Sam has recently developed some new interests. The last time I saw him, he had a plastic gizmo strapped to his wrist that has all sorts of mind-boggling functions. But, despite the appearance of that nifty new gadget, I know that there is still a room full of well-attended cars somewhere in Brooklyn.

This app's for you, Sam...

Bedtime Is Out Of This World With Love You To The Moon And Back

Reviewed by Hillary on Jul 27, 2011 in Contests, iPad, iPad Apps, iPad Apps - iBooks

Love You to the Moon and Back - Auracle,by Auryn Inc, is an interactive storybook that will take readers to the moon and back. Auracle is the new line of storybooks from one of AppTudes long-time favorite developers who make an amazing watercolor painting app, Auryn Ink, and have a several kid's book-app titles including a gorgeous retelling of the classic The Little Mermaid already on the App Store.

Auryn offers something truly amazing in this app. A simple story with 25 beautifully illustrated, full-size images give the reader the feeling of being loved, literally, to the moon and back. Sue Shanahan's illustrations comes to life on the iPad 2...

iPad Best of the Best: 25 essential Children's Book Apps featuring Teddy' Day

Now that the iPad has been around for over a year, the selection of quality book apps is large enough to justify creating a real library of titles, especially for children's picture book apps. And any library needs a good foundation.

In place of what would have been Digital-Storytime's 10th 'Top 10' list, this week I have whittled down my favorites to just 25 apps I would recommend for a well-rounded collection. This list represents just 10% of the 250 books reviewed on our site (and includes insights from previewing over 1000 book apps overall)...

Dive Into An Amazing Underwater World With The Little Mermaid

Reviewed by Lisa on June 23, 2011

The Little Mermaid - Auryn, by Auryn Inc. (iPad Only) is a minimally interactive, beautifully animated new e-book for iPad that tells the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, "The Little Mermaid," in a way you haven't seen before.

This app is absolute eye candy. Renowned children's book illustrator, Lizbeth Zwerger, whose art has decorated the pages of this whimsical undersea story for years, lent her work to this app, and the result is nothing short of spectacular...

Bunny Fun app takes a classic children's song to a whole new level.

Bunny Fun: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes by ... ($3.99) by Auryn Inc. takes a classic children's song to a whole new level. Or, should I say, three whole new levels. Let Bunny teach your children to sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" in three new languages: Spanish, French and Japanese.

Your child will have the option to choose which language he or she wants to hear first. Once chosen, Bunny will jump into the appropriate costume. After a few touches of the screen, you will hear an group of children singing in the chosen language while Bunny points to the parts of the body being sung about and the words will appear on the bottom of the screen...

Lunchbox review of Rosemary Wells' Bunny Fun App

Rosemary Wells: Its my belief that as a new generation of kids access the world of apps, they can connect to childrens literature and characters from their favorite books in ways they never imagined before.

Get ready to sing, dance, create and learn on the iPad! Celebrating the beloved preschool song, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes comes Auryns newest app called Bunny Fun: Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes. This fun app combines education and entertainment by featuring a bunny character singing and dancing to the song in four languages...

PCWorld lists Bunny Fun in their AppGuide

*Rosemary Wells: "It's my belief that as a new generation of kids access the world of apps, they can connect to children's literature and characters from their favorite books in ways they never imagined before."

**Get ready to sing, dance, create and learn on the iPad! Celebrating the beloved preschool song, "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" comes Auryn's newest app called Bunny Fun: Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes. This fun app combines education and entertainment by featuring a bunny character singing and dancing to the song in four languages...

Kirkus Reviews: Bunny Fun, a creatively imagined encounter

This toddler app revolves around the children's song of the same name, the first in a planned suite by the illustrator of the now-classic My Very First Mother Goose.

Once the app is launched, one of Wells' trademark sturdy bunnies appears wearing Western clothes, while an orchestral version of "Chicken Reel" loops in the background. Tap the animal, and the violins give way to a small group of children singing the nursery song, while the bunny points to his corresponding body parts. (Fair warning: You may never be able to get the tune out of your head.)...

USA today lists Bunny Fun in Top App Charts

The "Pat the Bunny" book app is based on Dorothy Kunhardt's 70-year-old classic, famous for being baby's first tactile book. - By Jinny Gudmundsen, Gannett

If you look at the top 10 book apps listed in iTunes under either iPad or iPhone, you may be surprised to see that a majority are children's books.

Some, like Nighty Night HD, are created from scratch to showcase the interactivity that is possible on devices like the iPad. Others, like Sandra Boynton's Moo, Baa, La La La!...

MSNBC choosing Bunny Fun as one of the top children apps

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Spanish, And French, And Japanese, Oh My!

Your child will have the option to choose which language he or she wants to hear first. Once chosen, Bunny will jump into the appropriate costume. After a few touches of the screen, you will hear an group of children singing in the chosen language while Bunny points to the parts of the body being sung about and the words will appear on the bottom of the screen.

Once your child has heard the song enough in any of the given languages and wants to try to sing the song their own, there is a fun "Record" option. The words will flash on the screen keeping tempo with the original recording. Once recorded, you can play back until your heart's content...

Interesting visuals highlight. A fun fable

Parents need to know that Aesop in Rhyme: Hare and Tortoise - Auryn is a retelling of the classic fable that uses a distinct and interesting animation technique. The scramble of still black and white lines on the screen never actually move, they only appear to when a series of black bars moves past them.

It's an optical illusion, which kids may be intrigued to learn about. Parents should be aware, though, that the free version of this app has constant banner ads across the top of the screen, which -- if clicked -- will take kids to a marketer's website. To remove the ads, you'll need to pay $.99. If you choose the free version, disabling Internet browsing while your kids are using the app will prevent accidental web surfing...

Rosemary Wells Teams with Auryn, Fourth Story to Develop Kids' Apps

Bestselling children’s book author Rosemary Wells is teaming up with app developer Auryn Inc. and the multimedia story producer Fourth Story Media to launch a series of entertaining and educational story apps for children. The new series, Bunny Fun, allows kids to listen to a song or sing along in different languages and will launch with Bunny Fun: Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes, featuring a new Wells character in an interactive app that will be offered for free download until April 15.

Bunny Fun: Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes will feature a new bunny character that dons a new outfit and sets out to travel singing the kids preschool song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” while the lyrics to the song appear on the screen...

The Little Mermaid - A digital book app that is a must download for a complete library of iPad books

The category of "Originality" is one that will appear and be sortable on the Digital-Storytime site by next month. In the meantime, I thought I'd put together my top 10 list of truly original, ground-breaking iPad Children's Books. These are books that have taken the medium of the iPad and really shaken up our notions of what a children's book can do...

Teddy’s Day wins 2011 Appy Award

2011 Appy Award winners announced

The 2011 Appy Award winners have been announced.  Created as a way to acknowledge outstanding applications regardless of OS, the Appy Award winners read as a best-of list for the app world.  This years overall winner goes to Flipboard.

"The Appys are all about acknowledging extraordinary Applications, whether they be mobile, social, or Web-based Apps living inside another Web site...

USA Today: iPad book apps make reading with kids magical

CyberSpeak By Jinny Gudmundsen

Reading books with children on an iPad can be a magical experience - if you download the right books. Here are some recent additions to the iTunes app store that deliver a high "wow" factor. These book apps create a true multimedia experience that your children will love and that will astound you as a parent.

All of these apps have earned our top star rating of 4 stars (out of 4)...

The Little Mermaid Launch Release

Auryn Teams Up With Artist Lisbeth Zwerger to Bring The Little Mermaid to Life on the iPad

Hans Christian Andersen's classic children's book to become underwater storybook experience

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Little Mermaid as told by Hans Christian Andersen and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger was released on the iPad today when Auryn, Inc., a leading digital publisher for children's storybook apps, unveiled the classic children's book as the first ever underwater storybook experience...

The iPhone App Review of the Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid Comes to Beautiful Life

Reviewed by Grace Light

Breaking News / Just Released: Introductory Price $.99

Score 9.5 / 10

I must first and foremost disclose my bias for this iPad app review. The Little Mermaid by Disney was my favorite movie as a young girl, and I knew every single word of the movie by heart...

Teddy’s Day make reading with kids magical

by Jinny Gudmundsen

Reading books with children on an iPad can be a magical experience - if you download the right books. Here are some recent additions to the iTunes app store that deliver a high "wow" factor. These book apps create a true multimedia experience that your children will love and that will astound you as a parent...

Auryn founder interview with Kirkus Reviews

Auryn: Honor the Storytelling Soul in the Digital Age

by Vicky Smith

There's a charming scene in app-developer Auryn Inc.'s Teddy's Night that finds the titular teddy bear, his adoring little girl and a pair of mischievous mice all sprawled on the floor reading. That pretty much says it all about the approach the young company takes in adapting and creating stories for the iPad and other electronic technologies: The story comes first. Company cofounders Umesh Shukla and Amit Agrawal, together with business partner Sangam Pant ("I'm the good-looking one," he jokes), recently took time to talk to Kirkus about their work...

Teddy’s Day featured on NPR

iPad Storybook Apps And The Kids Who Love Them

It's bedtime for my 3-year-old daughter, Lilly. She climbs into her little twin-size bed with Tinkerbell sheets. It's covered with dolls and stuffed animals. As she gets settled in, we choose tonight's bedtime stories...

Auryn Ink review: Today in Art

Auryn Ink iPad App Review

posted by Rainey

Teddy’s Day One of the Best of Children’s Book iPad Apps 2010

Since Apple's iPad launched in April of 2010, the iTunes app store has been flooded with picture books to read on the tablet device. Some are adaptations of well-loved classics, others may bring lesser-known, newer books to light and still others are entirely new stories, created to take advantage of the iPad's storytelling capabilities. We have submitted over 50 of these apps to rigorous review, and we can now proudly announce our Top 10 apps. Next week, there will be new apps available, and still others are being crafted even as I type. We'll keep reviewing them for you, so please check back...

Auryn Ink feature on Mashable

HANDS ON: A Paintbrush Stylus for iPad

This week, I had a chance to review the Nomad Brush, a beautiful, handcrafted stylus designed for painting and sketching on the iPad.

The stylus feels and looks like an actual paintbrush, complete with a 5.5-inch wooden handle and a mix of natural and synthetic fibers selected for their conductive properties. When I first came across this demo video of the stylus last week, I was skeptical that the iPad's touchscreen surface would be able to pick up the stylus's soft bristles, but I'm happy to report that the iPad easily responds to the touch...

Auryn Ink - One of the 7 Most Innovative Apps of 2010 according to Fast Company & Best in Art

The 7 Most Innovative iPad Apps of 2010

by Kit Eaton

The iPad arrived this year and changed the computer business forever. But it's the thousands of apps that truly bring this tablet computer to life. The catchphrase "there's an app for that" speaks to just how many different types of apps there are. Yet most are simply reproducing the functionality of a desktop computer in some way, while only a handful offer truly breakthrough experiences or functionality. We've trawled through the App Store for this year's cleverest and chosen seven of the best for your download consideration...