App review: Imagistory

Imagistory by Imagistory Publishing Ltd

Available for ipad.
Cost: Free

For ipad

Imagistory is a beautiful wordless picture book app that encourages children to create and/or listen to the story as it unfolds. You may have read my previous post "Wordless Picture Books tell Countless Stories".  It outlines how wordless picture books spark imagination and encourage your child to be the storyteller. The post also outlines how you can encourage your child over a number of sessions to work through a progression of facilitated story telling, joint story telling, child guided story telling to independent story telling.  Read more here.

Imagistory have published one free wordless picture book titled "The Little Red Bucket" and have several more in planning.  Inspiration for developing this app came from the developer observing a 3 year-old family member using her imagination to tell a story using some pictures.  

This app guides you with instructions (in a parents' section) about how to use wordless stories.  You can preview the pictures initially before creating your story.  The app then provides an opportunity for you or your child to create a story by taking your photo and then recording your voice for each page.  Once recorded you can select which "story teller" you want to listen to as you can store several recorded voices.

"The Little Red Bucket" has beautiful illustrations (see below) and will appeal to a wide range of ages.  It is a story about a girl at the beach who loses her red bucket in the ocean.  She ventures into the water to retrieve her bucket and she meets various creatures on her way. 

Miss 7 enjoyed recording this story independently and Mr 3 enjoyed watching and listening to it.  As with all wordless books, countless stories were told as each time a recording was made different details were emphasised. 

I asked a subscriber to trial "Imagistory" also.  She found that her Miss 3 and a half enjoyed looking at the app with her older 13 year old cousin.  They found it easy to use and thought it was a cool idea. The 13 year old was surprised to find Miss 3 and a half had something to say for every page.  They found it a great activity for the cousins to do together (despite the age difference).

I can envision using this app in therapy.  It may be used to help those who get "stuck" with ideas for story creation.  This app could be used as a prompt to discuss a story's beginning, problem and resolution.  You could also prompt your child to consider the setting (and how it changes), how the girl is feeling throughout the story and descriptions of the other characters (ie. water creatures).  After discussing the components of the story, a handwriting lesson may be incorporated too.  

Beautiful illustrations really make "Imagistory's The little Red Bucket" a lovely app.  It invites your child to go on this adventure and tell this story.   Try it with your child today and be on the look out for more stories by Imagistory.  Let me know what your child thinks. 

Note: I have received no remuneration for this post and all comments made are my own.