There’s nothing quite like sitting down with a toddler and reading a Dr. Seuss book – except now, it won’t be the Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham.
And it might not be read from the pages of a worn hardcover book, either.
Seven short stories written by Dr. Seuss for Redbook magazine in the 1950s were released Tuesday for the first time in a book and digital application. The stories have never been published in either form.
The stories are available for download on Apple and Android devices. The apps are interactive, with the option to read aloud to the child, or simply be read by a parent. Children can also press a word and have it be read to them. In this way, it will help the child learn to read, said Michel Kripalani, president of Oceanhouse Media, Inc., the San Diego company that released the apps.
“Children are naturally inquisitive, and this will really help foster that curiosity,” Kripalani said of the app. “The app helps reinforce picture-word association. [Children] will learn that words are both written and spoken.”
Though the digital app is not intended to replace parent-child interaction, it may be a good alternative to television, Kripalani added.
The stories themselves were written before San Diego native Ted Geisel – more commonly known as Dr. Seuss – became famous for his children’s books.
Local
“It’s almost like getting a peek into his creative genius before he published such classic works as The Cat in Hat and Green Eggs and Ham,” said Susan Brandt, President of Dr. Seuss Enterprises in a statement.
Stories such as The Bippolo Seed include the original trademark illustrations to accompany the stories. The Bippolo Seed is about “a mischievous, greedy cat” who “leads a duck astray.”
Other stories include “The Bear, the Rabbit, and the Zinniga-Zanniga,” about the eyelash that saved a rabbit from a bear, “Gustav the Goldfish,” about a boy who overfeeds his pet goldfish and “Tadd and Todd,” about twins examining their identities.
What do you think about the Dr. Seuss app? Will it change parenthood as we know it? Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @nbcsandiego or add your comment to our Facebook page.
