Novel Effect

THE FUTURE OF STORYTELLING. Free | www.noveleffect.com

This is truly a novel idea and makes storytime ‘magical’ for the kiddies. Novel Effect — currently available only on iOS with an Android version coming soon — uses voice recognition to add music and sound effects to a story being read aloud. The story can be read from a printed book, an e-reader or straight from the app, but the caveat is that the title needs to be part of the app’s library. At time of writing, over 100 titles are available with music and effects for children up to the age of 12, with more added every week.

Once you’ve chosen a title, you’ll be prompted to “read book” — dead easy, we can do that! Selecting this will start the soundscape and activate your device’s microphone. If you’re not reading straight from the device, you can set it aside — the soundscape will continue even when the home screen locks.

At the time of writing, Novel Effect was still in beta and free to download. The final product, however, may require a subscription, and we think it’s well worth the money so you and your kids can enjoy storytime together.