Smell the book (or not)

Close your eyes and imagine you’re holding a book in your hands. What does it feel like? Smell like? Does it have years of dog-ears, coffee stains, worn edges? Now open it up. Are there annotations in the margins? Notes inside the front and back covers with phone numbers and lunch dates ?

If so, you’re crazy.

Books don’t look or feel anything like that, and they certainly don’t smell. That is, until someone creates a scratch n sniff app.

Well, ok, that might be a few years off, and I suppose some crazy antique book dealer in an alley in Evanston will make sure there will always be those things with pages that you turn and smell kind of dusty.

But as you well know, the digital book revolution is in full swing, and the latest reminder comes from Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, the guys who brought us JibJab. They have a new line of children’s books sold only on the ipad that allow you to customize a book and make yourself the star of the story.

This is what Gregg Spiridelli says about their new product:

"We see a huge opportunity to disrupt children's publishing and reinvent storytelling with new devices."

I love that. As much as I love the tactile experience of turning pages, I also love what the bros are doing. It’s smart and creative and makes reading more appealing for kids. It’s medicine inside a cupcake.

And if you’re wondering what the effect of tablet computers are on how kids are learning to read, according to USA Today, 47 of the top 50 iTunes book apps are kids’ titles.

Put that in your book and mark it.