Zoog: Magical Storytime
By Mieke VanderBorght,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Make, send story recordings to far-away loved ones.
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Zoog: Magical Storytime
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What’s It About?
A short tutorial video introduces how to record a story with ZOOG: MAGICAL STORYTIME. After creating a profile picture and name, swipe through the available books to choose one to read. Tap Glimpse for a preview of the book, or tap Let's Start. As you look into the camera, you'll see yourself adorned with silly AR filters related to the book's theme. Tap the red record button to start recording yourself reading the text that appears on the screen. When finished, choose re-record the same chapter, continue to the next chapter, or share the recording. The share option opens up your device's share menu; send the link of your recording through email, text message, or any other sharing option available on your device. The recipient can then click on the link to view the recording. If they also log in, they can comment, record a video response, tag the video as a favorite, share it with someone else, or make a request for a recording of any of the books in the Zoog library.
Is It Any Good?
This easy-to-use video story time platform can be a fun option for supplementing grownups' desire to stay present and meaningful in the lives of young kids who may be far away. The target audience for Zoog: Magical Storytime is clearly grandparents, but could also work for parents who might travel for work, or any other loved one who wants to connect with the special kids in their life. The library of available books isn't all that big, but there are a few cute options. The silly AR filters and music spice of the stories, but it would be nice to have the option to turn those off if wanted. Though Zoog: Magical Storytime is accessible and fun for making story recordings, it isn't the right option for facilitating live real-time interactions. Story receivers (aka, kids) can record a response to the recording if their parents help them sign in to the app. And they can request the sender to record and send a particular story. But, that all happens asynchronously, on each person's own time. And, for those who record, there's not much that would give them satisfaction of seeing or interacting with kids. For that reason, Zoog: Magical Storytime is best as just one tool of many for helping to create and maintain a two way bond between kids and their far away loved ones.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it's like to see your loved ones reading the stories in Zoog: Magical Storytime. Does it make you feel happy? Does it make the story more interesting?
Talk about the stories. Which stories did you like? Why? What do you think the character will do next?
Help your kids maintain connections with far away loved ones in a variety of ways, on and off the screen. For example, families can video chat, write cards, or send drawings.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Mac
- Subjects: Language & Reading: storytelling, vocabulary
- Skills: Communication: friendship building
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: September 28, 2021
- Category: Books
- Topics: Book Characters, Fairy Tales
- Publisher: ZOOG.A.I LTD
- Version: 1.3.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 14.1 or later
- Last updated: October 4, 2021
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