Every so often a book comes along that is meant to educate and help kids, not just on a “learn to read” level, but a deeper level that instills something that stays for life. One such book is “Grogan the Grateful Monster: What Do You Love?”
This book was written from the mindset of a man who is a scholar specializing in child psychology. He knows what’s going on in children’s minds and has dedicated some of his creations to making materials that help kids learn and grow.
Grogan the Grateful is an interactive iBook that helps kids learn how to read, and sends a meaningful message at the same time. Grogan is a baby monster. Once he hatches he starts to wonder and observe and learn. He begins to learn that there are so many wonderful things in the world and that they make this world a wonderful place to be in. He teaches the art of being grateful and happy for what’s around us.
Downloading the book requires use of iOS iBooks. It costs just $0.99 to download, but provides kids with a sense of accomplishment when they gradually learn sounds, words and how they come together to make a sentence.
You navigate through the book by swiping on the page, backward or forward. In various locations on each page, you’ll see a small icon for sound. This allows kids to tap on it and hear the sentence. So, kids can read on their own or just listen. If they are learning to read, they can say the sentence out loud and listen to see if they got it correct.
Another neat feature in this book is the ability to make notes in the book as you read. You can select as much text as you want. You tap on a word and extend the selection area as far as you want. Then you tap on the Note icon.
The book itself it very simple, as it should be. The illustrations are magical and enticing. They make kids want to turn the page and read more. Each character is unique in its own way, which stresses the idea of different is normal. We all are different and we all have our own characteristics, making the world an even better place to be in.
What’s even nicer about the book is that 25% of its proceeds goes towards a children’s hospital. It’s a win- win for so many.
What I would like to have seen in this interactive book is having each word light up as it’s being read by the app. That would really be a great starter for kids just learning to read. It connects the sound of the word with the appearance of the word.
Hopefully, we can see some small updates to the book sometime in the future, but until then, if you are looking for a book that helps children learn to read while offering them a bountiful chest of good feelings, then Grogan the Grateful Monster: What Do You Love? is a must to download.