Available in the App Store

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With a story about a boy who smuggles a stray puppy into the house while trying to hide it from his mom might have you thinking that this app is just another e-book that allows you to record your voice. “You’re the Storyteller: The Surprise” is so much more than an e-book, not only is it a book creator that allows your child to be the author, it is also an ideal tool for expanding their oral and written language skills.

The story contains eight chapters; each chapter has a short animated clip that contains sound effects and adorable images. Your child can play the clip, and then add the narration and text. Play the child’s customized clip to hear their narration and see their text combined with the animation and sound effects of the original. Challenge words and questions are included for each chapter.

At the end of the book, you can choose to play the original story (with or without music) or your child’s customized story, email or print it. If e-mailing the story, it can be sent as just the narrated or written version, or both versions.

Intuitive and easy to use, kids and adults will quickly be immersed into creating their customized story. Navigation features make it easy to move through the story and app. An in-app help provides a lot of useful information, not only on how to create the story, but offers guidance in how the challenge words and questions can be used.

On the main page, the app contains an external link to additional apps; the app does not contain in-app purchases, social media buttons or ads.

A pro version of the app, which allows for 30 users, is available in iTunes. The home version allows only one. Both apps are iPad only.

Bottom line

Endless educational possibilities and reasonably priced; a parent’s dream come true!
You’re the Storyteller: The Surprise is a truly animated storybook that allows you to record or write your own story to accompany the animation. The story is a wordless animation that is told through gestures, body language and facial expressions. A perfect way to work on not only narrative language, but social cognition, articulation, syntax and writing.

You can email the written narration, voice recording or both!

Home version (single user): $3.99 iTunes link

Pro version (up to 30 users): $5.99 iTunes link

Regular Price: $3.99 for home version