Kids can talk to the characters in the Readyland books via Amazon Alexa. | Source: Readyland

Reading is a powerful tool to open the gates of imagination, expand vocabularies, and teach kids about countless topics, all while keeping them entertained in an educational way. Some kids find reading more challenging than others, but Readyland will help them learn to love it with interactive stories that bring a world of adventure to every page.

There are currently three Readyland books to choose from, suitable for different age ranges. Kids ages 3-7 can read A Playdate with Rosie & Ricky to join two sibling foxes for a day of playing games, listening to music, making smoothies, and more. 3 Little Pigs gives a classic fairytale a new experience as kids ages 3-7 interact with the characters to outsmart the Big Bad Wolf, while also playing games and enjoying music. Jack and the Beanstalk is another twist on a well-known fairytale. Readers ages 5-8 can work together to outsmart the Evil Giant, explore the castle, escape an interactive maze, cast spells, and more.

Readyland Books | Source: Readyland

Readyland books require an Amazon Alexa device (sold separately). Before kids can begin reading, parents will need to set up Readyland by saying “Alexa, open Readyland” and completing a one-time parental consent. Readers can then follow Alexa’s prompts by turning to the correct page and saying “I’m ready.” Alexa will read the words on the page in different voices with special effects and background sounds, and then ask questions or initiate games to get kids involved in the story.

For example, A Playdate with Rosie & Ricky begins with Rosie getting home from school. As Alexa reads the first lines out loud, kids will also hear a school bus honking, birds chirping, and other realistic details that help paint a picture. Each page features different activities led by the characters in the story. When Rosie plays the piano or sings along with Ricky’s radio, kids can really hear the music. Kids can help the characters make smoothies by calling out ingredients they see on the page, and the characters will respond to turn it into a conversation. The characters will even remember facts about the reader, like what their favorite color is, to make kids feel like they’re part of the story.

Some interactive moments in Readyland stories | Source: Readyland/the Toy Insider

Some of the games include playing melodies of classic songs so that kids can guess what they are, like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider;” trying to guess which image the character is thinking of based on verbal clues; counting how many clouds appear outside of the window on the page; and more. Readyland combines audio and visual elements for an immersive, multi-sensory experience.

Related: Get Hungry for Storytime with Tonies’ Very Hungry Caterpillar Audio Figure

Each story features hundreds of recorded phrases, filling each page with multiple adventures so kids can read them more than once for new experiences. The books encourage active reading so kids can engage with the storylines, respond to questions, play games, and get to know the characters on a deeper level. Readyland also gives kids an alternative to watching TV or playing video games, offering a similar sensory experience without any screens.

There are more Readyland books in the works, including Dinosaur Adventure, Scary Stories Volume One, Music from Around the World, and more. Readyland will spark imaginations and help craft a lifelong love of reading that kids can take with them into adulthood.

About the author

Jackie Cucco

Jackie Cucco

Jackie Cucco was a Senior Editor of The Toy Book, The Toy Insider, and The Pop Insider. She covered toy trends, pop culture, and entertainment news, and made appearances on national and regional outlets, including CBS, WPIX, News 12, and more. Jackie spends her time watching horror movies and working her way through every Stephen King novel out there.

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