General Mills Brand Gives Storytime a Twist

Yoplait Kids and iStoryTime, a library of narrated children’s books for digital devices, have formed a partnership to offer six free children’s books for a limited time on the iPad and iPhone. Parents can view and download the free titles at www.iStoryTime.com.

A brand of Minneapolis-based General Mills, Yoplait Kids has 25 percent less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt, as well as the calcium, vitamins and protein children need.

“Our goal is to offer exciting titles that make storytime enjoyable for the entire family, and we believe this new partnership reinforces this message,” noted Woody Sears, co-founder of iStoryTime, whose parent company is Playa Del Rey, Calif.-based FrogDog Media LLC.

iStoryTime brings children’s books to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The stories are illustrated and narrated, so children can enjoy them even when parents are busy, and the apps are easy to use because they are designed for kids 2 years and up. Users can have the pages turned automatically or turn them manually, depending on age and preference. Readers can also select the style of narration: an adult voice, child voice or none at all.

The six free titles are My First Day of School, written by Ricki Booker and illustrated by Selena Kassab, which follows Charlie as he gets ready for his first day of school; Invisible Alligators, written and illustrated by Hayes Roberts, about an imaginative young monkey named Sari who encounters the title creatures; Peanut Butter Bob, written by Duke Christoffersen and illustrated by Tricia Tharp, which enables young readers to find out whether Jellyfish Jay can save the title character, who has caught a wave and can’t swim; Wiener Dog, written and illustrated by Roberts, which relates crazy monkey Kiki Marie’s kooky adventures with a magnetic wiener dog; Nate’s Big Hair, written by Christoffersen and illustrated by Dick Truxaw, about a boy whose mother finds a way to get him to try and enjoy new foods; and Binky the Pink Elephant, written by Sonowa Jackson and illustrated by Jaclyn Mednicov, which tells the story of little pachyderm who learns that being different can also be admirable.