Pickatale: 200+ Interactive Children’s Books for the Holidays! A Perfect Gift for the Kids

Pickatale contains hundreds of children’s stories that users can purchase and then download to their iPad. (Please note: The app does offer users three free stories.) From its main page, users can search for stories by age (0–2, 2–4, 4–6, and 6–8) or subject (Action, Animals, Classics, Fairy Tales, Family, and more). Once users find a story that interests them, they can download it and then read it on their iPad. Before beginning the book, users can choose the “Read Myself,” “Read to Me,” or “Auto Play” options. Once selected, users can read the book or follow along as the app reads the book. Plus, while the book is being read, users can tap the objects and characters in the illustrations, and Pickatale will pronounce the name of the object or character that was tapped.

Instructional Ideas

1. Teachers can allow students time to read a book independently. Afterward, teachers can have students retell what happened in the book to them or a classmate.
2. As a homework assignment, teachers can have students and their parents read a book together in this app. For accountability, teachers can require parents write a brief note or send an email documenting that they read the book together.
3. In small groups, teachers can have students read a book together. Afterward, teachers can have students complete a reader’s theatre activity in which the students in the group act out a key scene from the book that was read.
4. Teachers can connect their iPad to a projector and lead the class through the reading of a book. Afterward, teachers can review the book by asking: (1) What happened in this story? (2) What was the book’s most exciting part(s)? (3) Where did the story take place? (4) What do you think will happen next to the characters? (5) If you were going to rewrite part of this story, how would you do so?

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