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Hairy Maclary debuts at #1 on iPad chart

Written by Tema Kwan | 27 July 2010

Penguin Group NZ in partnership with New Zealand company Kiwa Media is delighted to announce that the QBook of Lynley Dodd’s iconic bestseller Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy has reached #1 on the iTunes App Store books chart in New Zealand since its release last Friday.

This celebrated children’s classic, from a series that has sold over 6.5m copies worldwide, is about to reach a new generation of readers. The QBook revolution offers young readers a new way to experience their favourite books on the iPad. This format has some unique features including touchable text and the ability to colour-in each page.

"I am very excited by this marvellous new development for Hairy Maclary. The possibilities are endless. I can’t wait to show it to my two granddaughters."
- Lynley Dodd

CNN Brings You QBook Live From Hong Kong

Written by Tema Kwan | 27 July 2010

The first, Kiwa Media of New Zealand, sells Q Books, interactive children's books that can be downloaded onto the iPad (which was launched this week in Hong Kong), iPhone and iPod Touch.

Derek Judge, creative director for Kiwa, demonstrated how a child can "read" a book on an iPad. He opened up a digital children's book titled "Milly, Molly and the Bike Ride." There's a drop down language menu which gives you the options of English, Chinese, Spanish or Italian. He selected Chinese for text and narration. All of the text turned into Chinese characters.

When he put a finger on one character, a computerized voice pronounced that word in Chinese. There's also a color palette from which a child can choose colors to fingerpaint the story's images on the touchscreen.

Read full article here:

http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/25/digital-books-turn-page-on-publishing-biz/?iref=allsearch

Hairy Maclary on the iPad

Written by Luke Tomes | 23 July 2010

Lynley Dodd's hugely popular children's story Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy is now a QBook for iPad.

David Tennant (Dr Who) narrates this enthralling story and brings all the fantastic characters to life!

A brilliant first reader for kids of all ages. Kids can colour in all the pictures and record their own narration into the book as well.

Check out the book trailer here.

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy is available on the iTunes App Store

Hairy Maclary has entered the NZ App Store Book charts at Number 1!

Check out a review at wired.com

QBook Grabs Attention From The New York Times

22 July 2010

From the New York Times:

Kiwa Media, a New Zealand company, was showing QBook, an iPad application that converts children’s print books into multilingual, interactive digital versions.

Rhonda Kite, a company representative, clicked a screen with colorful cartoon characters to gain access to a pull-down menu offering English, Mandarin, Spanish, Italian and other languages. The text is automatically translated.

Readers can point at a written word and have the machine pronounce it. They can also use their fingers to color in the books’ illustrations.

“It’s very exciting,” said Ms. Kite, who added that it was her first time at the Hong Kong Book Fair. “Almost a million people will walk through these doors, and the entire population of my country is only four million.”

Read full article here: The New York Times

Kiwa launches Chinese language eBooks on iPad

Written by Roger Shakes | 15 July 2010

First Chinese QBook launched at the Hong Kong Book Fair on July 21st

The addition of Chinese Mandarin translation to Milly, Molly and the Bike Ride HD and Zoo You Later - Monkey Business follows the recent releases of QBooks in Japanese.

The New Zealand-based company responsible has already been selected in the British press for producing one of the best iPad Apps when it comes to kids eBooks. The touch enabled digital format known as QBook, is available through iTunes and is available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French, Portugese, Spanish and German with many more languages coming.

QBook now speaks Chinese!

Written by Tema Kwan | 15 July 2010

QBook™ is already available in a multitude of languages including English, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Maori and many more. Now available in traditional and simplified Mandarin QBook defies another language barrier, opening up QBook learning to another culture, another nation, another people.

QBook is an interactive read-along colour picture book format for kids. QBook is a state of the art eBook, iPhone and iPad app that combines the latest technologies to enhance reading comprehension and develop literacy amongst kids all over the world. Children can simply swipe their fingers over the words to hear the story. Double tapping a word prompts QBook to spell the word out, it’s as simple as that. Find out more about the QBook in Mandarin release at Hong Kong Book Fair.

Traditional and simplified Mandarin will be available in the upcoming release of the popular Milly and Molly QBook:

Milly, Molly and the Bike Ride HD.

QBook™ is up to some Monkey Business

Written by Tema Kwan | 02 July 2010

Kiwa Media’s Monkey Business: Zoo You Later QBook™ has come out on top as the pick of the bunch. Apple New Zealand Staff has selected Zoo You Later as their favorite Book app. Kiwa Media’s Marketing editor TemaKwan comments,

“It’s great to see this app up there with the best of the best. This particular QBook has starred in the New & Newsworthy, Apps for Kids and What’s Hot categories at the iTunes apps store too! Good on that little monkey!”

More QBook’s were released recently (http://itunes.com/apps/sallyslothsavestheday) and more to come in early July, expect to see more QBook’s headlining the iTunes apps store, with more Monkey Business.

Sally Sloth is here to Save the Day – for FREE!

Stuck inside with the winter blues? Need something new and exciting to amuse the kids? Well… Sally Sloth is here to save the day! Kiwa Media presents the latest QBook™ release for IPad, Sally Sloth Saves The Day in US English, Spanish and Maori. Join Sally Sloth on a magical, rhyming adventure to find the special talent that can save her furry friends.

QBook is a state of the art eBook, iPhone and iPad app that combines the latest technologies to enhance reading comprehension and literacy amongst kids all over the world. Kids can simply swipe their fingers over the words to hear the story. Touch any word to hear it read or double tap on the words to have QBook spell the word out, it’s as simple as that. Kids can also record their own narration into the book and have their parents check it! This adventurous book combined with the interactive QBook features equals a whole lot of learning and fun for those days stuck in doors.

You can now check out Sally Sloth Saves The Day LITE for FREE! Download this free QBook for iPad now, and let Sally Sloth save your day.

Don't have an iPad? Watch the book trailer...

Writing for the iPad

24 June 2010

Will the iPad change the way we read – and who makes a living from writing? Mark Iles talks to Kiwa Media to find out.

Kiwa Media are an award winning media company based in New Zealand, developing iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad Apps, digital content for books, film, TV and the mobile music industry. The company has seen rapid growth since Apple launched the iPad, opening offices in America principally to service the Latin American market, and another in Bristol to deal with the UK market before moving on to the rest of Europe. Things are looking very good indeed for them. But are the opportunities as good for us writers?

http://www.profwriting.com/articles/writing-ipad

iTunes - Apps for Kids

16 June 2010

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Zoo You Later - Monkey Business has been sitting at Number 1 in the Featured Apps section of the iTunes App Store for the last couple of weeks!

This popular animated QBook by Christopher Cheng can be downloaded from iTunes now.

Watch the Book trailer here.