THE ADVANTAGES OF PRINTED PICTUREBOOKS
- Can exist in larger size, enabling the reader to linger for a long time over each page. e.g. Animalia by Graham Base, Where’s Wally.
- No backlit screen, so possibly more suitable for bedtime reading, especially for children who are sensitive to light.
- Well-bound objects can be handed down to children and grandchildren, with no compatability issues.
- Don’t need to own an expensive device.
- Expensive device can be broken (though not easily) by young hands.
- No privacy risks to consumer.
- Any in-story advertising is the exception rather than the rule.
- Can try before you buy — even read the entire thing if you want.05
THE ADVANTAGES OF STORYAPPS
- Although an expensive device is necessary, the stories themselves are much cheaper than printed versions.
- Auto-narration. This helps younger readers or the visually impaired. While reading is undoubtedly best as a share experience most of the time, auto-narration can save parents from reading childhood favourites so many times they feel like they’re going crazy.
- No dog ears and ripped pages — the copy remains pristine (even if the screen doesn’t).
- The limitations of storyapps are dependent mainly on developer budget and memory usage, not on binding. So a storyapp doesn’t have to be 32 or 24 pages, unlike a printed version. This leaves more artistic freedom. A book ends where it needs to end.
- Dialogue can be rendered more succinctly. Instead of lengthy ‘He said’, ‘She exclaimed’ paragraphs, dialogue can pop out from characters, cartoon-style.
- Can get a refund from Apple for simply not liking the story, though this is not well-known, and requires a number of annoying steps.
See Also: Print Books Vs eBooks: a look at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center research.