Stereobooks

By megret | November 19, 2009 at 2:47 pm | One comment | Books & Reading, For the Kids

True-to-life sound clips nestled within a book? That’s right! Chronicle Books released three Stereobooks titles this fall that are some of the coolest interactive books on the planet.

These aren’t your ordinary “talking books” with the sound panel on the side. These sturdy, hardback, bound adventures have a numbered button panel that corresponds to each page’s sound. There isn’t just one speaker….there’s two….which is why they’re called “Stereobooks.” When the book is opened, the sounds literally surround you and float from right to left, left to right. (And parents! There’s even a volume control!)

Chronicle Books sent over the Vehicles Stereobook by Ben Grossblatt for us to try out. This is been one of the favorite forms of entertainment around here as of late. After all that handling, button-pressing and page turning, the batteries are still holding up and the book is still in tip-top shape.

There aren’t just vehicle sounds….there are atmospheric sounds to boot. The passing locomotive is prefaced by a chorus of field crickets, so you feel like you’re actually standing by the tracks, waiting to see the train pass by. The space shuttle takeoff is complete with a countdown from mission control….and even spectator crowd cheers! The sound clips aren’t flimsy….their duration is sufficient enough to convey the full effect of each demonstration.

Here are my two, a few weeks ago, discovering the new Vehicles Stereobook for the first time:

G and the sound from Megret on Vimeo.

(**Bonus! Stereobooks run by AAA batteries….not those pricey watch-size batteries. What a pleasant surprise!)

If vehicles aren’t your child’s cup of tea, check out the Dinosaurs Stereobook with 15 action-filled prehistoric scenes….or the Wild Animals Stereobook with everything from wolves howling to whales singing.

You can buy each of these Stereobooks at Chronicle Books for $24.99 each.
(Click here for interactive sound clip samples….listen now!)

And….

Check out Chronicle Books’ FRIENDS AND FAMILY SALE! Now through December 4th, 2009, when you order any titles from ChronicleBooks.com, use the promo code ” FRIENDS ” at checkout for 35% off PLUS free ground shipping! Take advantage of this special sale to find something special for everyone on your Christmas list!