Augmented reality (AR) is revolutionising children’s books not only in entertainment but also within education titles. The concept behind it is simple - take a physical book, download the books app and using a tablet, smartphone or computer with webcam and bring the pages to life! 

With children spending an average of only 40 minutes per day reading and a whopping six hours a day in front of a screen it is important that we keep the idea of traditional reading alive. This is why the idea of AR integration with books has been created - to give the classic book a 21^st century twist!

What are the best AR books for my children?

Carlton Books has won several awards for its AR books and has created a range of entertaining books about nature and science just look out for the iExplore series. The titles immerse children in many exciting adventures, from the ocean depths to deep space, introducing them to life-size lions, dinosaurs and more incredible animals. Every iExplore title promises to take young explorers on scientific adventure they will never forget. The publisher has also teamed together with brands such as Universal, Dreamworks and Hasbro to create fantastic titles like “Jurassic World: Where Dinosaurs Come to Life”, “Transformers: Robots in Disguise” and “My Little Pony: Where Equestria Comes to Life”.

What can I expect from an AR book?

iExplore: Bugs by Hannah Wilson is available now and you can check out all the amazing reviews from the Toppsta reviewers here. It is jam-packed full of astonishing facts about the extraordinary insect world and you can turn a bug over, inspect its belly, see it from every angle.

You can watch the video!

Just download the free app from ITunes or Android and open it on a mobile device. You will then be ready to bring some of the most awesome creepy crawlies to life. Flicking through the pages you will find the incredible facts and stats about 11 of the most awe-inspiring bugs on the planet including the Hercules Beetle, Japanese Giant Hornet and even a Goliath Bird-Eating Spider! 

You can make the bugs bigger or smaller and move them around room, plus you can take pictures. Some bugs have exclusive features - the Japanese Giant Hornet has the ability to fly around rooms and the Hercules Beetle has a dual user mode where you can grab a friend with a second device and battle your beetles. Each page features a combination of “bug data” as each bug comes to life you can read interesting facts about their history, life cycles, body, senses and eating patterns. The iExplore books mean that children can have fun whilst reading, so they to learn important facts too.

iExplore books are published by Carlton Kids and are available to buy from the Carlton Books website.