Magic School Bus: Dinosaurs iPad App
The Magic School Bus 25th Anniversary!
The Magic School Bus: In the Time of Dinosaurs was one of my favorite books growing up, combining my love for some Frizzle Sizzle and absolute obsession with dinosaurs (Is there anything cooler?). So imagine how excited I was when I found out that Scholastic was turning it into an interactive book app for the iPad, The Magic School Bus: Dinosaurs
But what goes into turning a beloved book into an app?
Q: This is the second Magic School Bus interactive book app you’ve produced for the iPad. What is it about them that kids love?
Megan: We think kids love apps for all the same reasons adults do. Apps allow you to take books and games on the go for fun and learning wherever you are!
Q: What do you think readers can learn from an interactive book app that is different from what they can learn from the original book?
Megan: A great book app must take key parts of the original book and bring them to life. We started with the beloved Magic School Bus books and added features that cannot work in print: photos, videos, games that introduce and reinforce science concepts, and voices for the characters. The end result is a personalized experience with the book, and hopefully one you want to read again and again!
Q: How did you decide which features to include when you were developing The Magic School Bus: Dinosaurs app?
Megan: We thought deeply about the content of the original book, The Magic School Bus: In the Time of Dinosaurs, and app users. We selected topics and games that brought the core ideas of the original book to life in engaging and interactive ways. Then we tested the ideas with kids. We tested the interface, the functionality, the leveling, even the game directions, to make sure the book and games work as we intended. The end result is the app you see today.
Q: What is your favorite?
Megan: My favorite feature is definitely the collectable dinosaur cards. I don’t want to give too much away, but as you read the book, you will have the opportunity to go on countless dinosaur digs, build dinosaur skeletons from the fossils you find, and then collect cards with facts and pictures of the dinosaurs you discover.
Q: What’s the coolest fact you learned about dinosaurs from making the app?
Megan: Well, we all know the typical diet of a Tyrannosaurus Rex is meat, but I was interested to learn that most Tyrannosaurus skulls discovered by paleontologists have holes in the jawbones from mouth infections!
— Caitlin, Scholastic Media Staffer
I love it.
Comment #1 | Posted by: Squishy on October 03, 2011 at 02:06 AM
The other elementary got IPads ( for studying haha)
That's alright I got Obama ( tee-hee we're cooler
Comment #2 | Posted by: fireflamer5 on October 03, 2011 at 06:16 PM
love ittttt lol
Comment #3 | Posted by: study on October 03, 2011 at 06:25 PM
how old are you? (not you)
Comment #4 | Posted by: dolphinfairy49 on October 05, 2011 at 03:45 PM
WHAT?!It is the 26th aniversary?i did see that.LOL!
Comment #5 | Posted by: Conner S on October 05, 2011 at 07:33 PM
magic school bus is are very great shows and books when i was in 4th grade our teachers would let us watch those for education now its an app on an i pad that's fantastic
Comment #6 | Posted by: randi on October 11, 2011 at 11:56 AM
Do the Magic School Bus apps cost anything? Also, would they be good for 2nd grade students or would they be too young? My wife teaches 2nd grade and is looking for ipad school apps for her kids to play as a reward in class. Thanks!
Comment #7 | Posted by: josh on December 03, 2011 at 04:52 PM