Review & Giveaway ~ IBW Books (closed)

My boys love to read.  They also love to play on the computer (much to my husband’s dismay).  So when IBW-Books contacted me and asked me to review one of their new interactive books, I agreed.

From the company:

IBW titles use a new storytelling process that combines an actual print book with the interactivity of online animations. Here’s how it works: You read a chapter.   At the end of the chapter, you find a weblink.   When you go online to the weblink, you find an animation or other multimedia called a webscene that’s part of the story.   After you view the webscene, you go back to the book to read another chapter, find another weblink and so on.   There are seven or more webscenes included in every IBW book.

The most effective way to read IBW books is with a computer nearby.   This helps improve your child’s focus and reduces distractions.

We received “A Day at the Zoo” which is part of their KA Reader series.  The KA Reader series is aimed at beginners and helps teach phonetics and basic word patterns.  The book itself is a very simple paperback book.  No animations and is printed English on one page and Spanish on the next.  After you read 1-2 pages, you get a URL address that takes you to that chapter’s webscene.

Here’s a snapshot image of one of the animations from A Day at the Zoo.  If you’d like to experience the full animation that includes pop-up words to reinforce the vocabulary in the book, go to www.KA-Reader.com/3-1

The webscenes are short and colorful animations.  Not a lot of “talking” but there is sound effects.  The webscenes reinforced the chapter and pointed out the words along with descriptions.  This particular story focused on the word patterns for -ap, -ath, and -up.  Using words like:  cap, gap, trap, scrap, bath, cup.

The story was generally easy to read and my 4yo understood it well.  I asked him today if he remembered me reading him the story and he said “yeah, they were having a silly day.”  (The theme of the story was being silly at the zoo).  So he retained it and that made me happy.

I only found one thing that if improved, would make this product better.  When it came time to visit the webscene, you had to put the address URL into the web browser.  When it was time to move on to the next webscene, you had to change the URL address.  It would have been much nicer to have a “NEXT” button at the end of the webscene to progress the story.  My 4yo really wanted to participate but could not due to this.  But it was a minor “problem” and not enough to make me not want to read the stories.

Here is the response I got from my sponsor regarding why they don’t use the “next” button.  I think she has a good point…

While we appreciate your thoughts about having a “next” button, the webscenes are purposely designed without it for educational reasons:

· If there were a “next” button, a child would be less inclined to return to the book to read more of the story. It would be simple to just “click forward” to see what’s coming next, rather than make the effort to read the book. The webscenes would then become less of a learning tool and more of a toy.

· The process of typing in a URL helps a child learn necessary 21st century computer basics.

· Having a single address without the ability to click anywhere else is a built in protection for the child. The parent knows exactly where the child will go online when entering a webscene address. The parent need not be concerned that the child will “wander” around the web to other random sites.

IBW-Books even has a way that mom’s (or dad’s, too) can use this product to make some extra money.  IBW-Booksellers host story-time reading parties for invited guests and their children and earn commissions of books that are sold from the party.  For a small start up fee ($25), the bookseller receives 10 books, instructions on hosting parties and an immediate 20% commission from sales.  So if you are looking for a way to earn some money from home, you might want to check out this program.

Buy it!

You can visit IBW-Books to purchase your own unique and interactive books.  You can also check out IBW-Booksellers if you are interested in making some extra money for yourself!

Win it!

IBW-Books is offering one monkey reader their choice between two amazing prize packs:

The Busy Preschooler’s Guide to Learning – fun activities built around the 26 letters of the alphabet, with step-by-step help to guide parents in how to use everyday situations to teach 105 skills their kids need before they walk in the kindergarten door. (Retail value $60.)

THREE (3) KA Readers – beginning readers that use a new kind of storytelling where kids see an animation unfold at the close of every chapter! Dr. Seuss-like rhyming hooks kids on the fun of words. Online activities help parents assess a child’s reading and comprehension. (Retail value $60.)

First Mandatory Entry Requirement

Visit one (or both) IBW websites and then in a comment tell me something you find interesting.  It can be one of the stories that you think your kids would like, information about the Booksellers Program, a fact that you learned.  Just so I know you checked them out!

IBW-Books.com

IBW-Booksellers.com

Bonus Entry for this Contest Only

Become part of the IBW-Booksellers Program.  If you sign up for this at home money maker, you will earn 10 (TEN) extra entries!!  You must leave 10 seperate comments in order for them to count.

Click Here for my Usual Extra Entry Requirements and Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of the US only.  Contest ends Thursday July 30, 2009 at 10pm Pacific Time.  I will email the winner and they will have 72 hours to reply before prize is forfeit.  Good luck!