ABRAMS Is Now On Reading Rainbow

Okay, it wasn’t like that…

When RRKidz pitched us, we were ready for the “it’s the best app ever” and “we are so unique” and “your beautiful books will come alive…” chatter. Yeah, yeah, but what does “RR” stand for?

“Reading Rainbow, of course!”

Of course.

The RRKidz app made its debut on Apple’s iTunes in June 2012 and I joined representatives from Holiday House Books, Little Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group, and others for the launch party. Mr. Burton — oh, who am I kidding, he’s LeVar! — LeVar and I exchanged good wishes and he thanked ABRAMS for providing, yep, our beautiful books (and it should come as no surprise that I have a newfound interest in Star Trek: Next Generation 365).

The app itself is free, and includes the following:

•      Review of entire app and “field trip” videos (some from the original TV program, which ran on PBS from 1983 to 2006).

•      Check-out of one book to read/have read to you.

•      To check out more than one book, you must subscribe ($9.99/mo, or $29.99/6mo).

LeVar does an even better job of explaining the mission of RRKidz in this video:

These Abrams Books for Young Readers titles are currently available on the app (download it for free here), and there are more to come!

•       Blue-Ribbon Dad 

•       Diego Rivera

•       Crows of Pearblossom

•       Waddles

In the words of the illustrious Jason Wells (An Android version of the app is coming soon):

Kindle up in the sky
I can go twice as high!
Take a look,
It’s in a Nook:
A Reading Rainbow!

Bonus photo: Our blog-master Chris Blank and LeVar!

Lindy Humphreys is Director of Digital Assets & Publishing Technology at ABRAMS.