Are you sitting comfortably?
When I was a kid, I watched a BBC TV show called Jackanory. Each week, a celebrity would sit in a comfy chair and read a story aloud. That was it; cheap, entertaining kids TV.
Storynory is Jackanory for the iPod generation. The British team behind the web site have posted loads of children's stories, many of them old classics like the Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood. Each is available in plain old MP3 format, so you can listen direct in your browser, download for later, or (and this is the point of the site) download and stick on an iPod for the little ones to enjoy.
What I love about Storynory is the way they're putting established web tools to use. Many of the stories have been recorded using Odeo. Stories can be grabbed, podcast-stylee, with an RSS feed.
My three-year-old has not yet developed an understanding, nor a care in the world, about what format audio arrives in. He is just as happy choosing a tape from our ancient cassette collection (yes we still have them, and we still use them) as he is browsing though iTunes (with Daddy's help, I should point out) and picking out a song.
But as he gets older he's going to be one of the digital generation, and I'd be surprised if he ever buys a CD in his life. For him, sites like Storynory are going to be the norm; especially if I introduce him to them now.
Labels: writing
