<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
is	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
interactive	B-Application
read-along	I-Application
adventures	I-Application
aimed	O
at	O
children	O
aged	O
3	O
–	O
9	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Created	O
by	O
Mark	O
Schlichting	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
was	O
mostly	O
developed	O
by	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
for	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
and	O
published	O
by	O
Broderbund	O
for	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
decades	O
after	O
the	B-General_Concept
original	O
release	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
was	O
re-released	O
by	O
Wanderful	O
Interactive	B-Application
Storybook	I-Application
for	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
series	O
began	O
in	O
1992	O
as	O
a	O
Broderbund	O
division	O
that	O
started	O
with	O
adaptation	O
of	O
Mercer	O
Mayer	O
's	O
stories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1994	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
division	O
was	O
spun-off	O
into	O
its	O
own	O
children	O
's	O
multimedia	O
company	O
,	O
jointly	O
owned	O
by	O
Broderbund	O
and	O
Random	O
House	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
company	O
continued	O
to	O
publish	O
titles	O
based	O
on	O
popular	O
franchises	O
such	O
as	O
Arthur	O
,	O
Mercer	O
Mayer	O
,	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
,	O
and	O
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
next	O
few	O
years	O
saw	O
a	O
saturated	O
market	O
begin	O
to	O
squeeze	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
company	O
's	O
profits	O
;	O
in	O
1997	O
Broderbund	O
agreed	O
to	O
purchase	O
Random	O
House	O
's	O
50%	O
stake	O
in	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
and	O
proceeded	O
to	O
dissolve	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
,	O
Mattel	O
Interactive	O
,	O
and	O
The	B-General_Concept
Gores	O
Group	O
over	O
the	B-General_Concept
following	O
years	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
was	O
eventually	O
passed	O
to	O
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Harcourt	O
,	O
which	O
currently	O
holds	O
the	B-General_Concept
rights	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
series	O
was	O
kept	O
dormant	O
for	O
many	O
years	O
until	O
former	O
developers	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
acquired	O
the	B-General_Concept
licence	O
to	O
publish	O
updated	O
and	O
enhanced	O
versions	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
under	O
the	B-General_Concept
Wanderful	O
Interactive	B-Application
Storybook	I-Application
series	O
in	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
series	O
has	O
received	O
acclaim	O
and	O
numerous	O
awards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
initial	O
motivation	O
behind	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
came	O
from	O
a	O
childhood	O
fantasy	O
of	O
Mark	O
Schlichting	O
's	O
to	O
enter	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
picture	O
book	O
world	O
of	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
's	O
Horton	O
Hears	O
a	O
Who	O
!	O
</s>
<s>
;	O
to	O
visit	O
the	B-General_Concept
houses	O
of	O
Whoville	O
and	O
interact	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
weird	O
and	O
fantastical	O
instruments	O
and	O
contraptions	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
boy	O
he	O
was	O
enamoured	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
fantasy	O
worlds	O
of	O
children	O
's	O
picture	O
books	O
through	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
magic	O
of	O
animation	O
through	O
Disney	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
wanted	O
this	O
same	O
level	O
of	O
cognitive	O
involvement	O
with	O
something	O
more	O
substantive	O
,	O
matching	O
the	B-General_Concept
attention-grabbing	O
play	O
aspects	O
of	O
popular	O
games	O
with	O
meaningful	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
devised	O
a	O
concept	O
of	O
"	O
highly	O
interactive	O
animated	O
picture	O
books	O
for	O
children	O
"	O
that	O
would	O
"	O
delight	O
and	O
engage	O
kids	O
but	O
that	O
also	O
had	O
real	O
learning	O
content	O
as	O
well	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
evolve	O
into	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
entered	O
the	B-General_Concept
children	O
's	O
software	O
industry	O
in	O
1987	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
contracted	O
as	O
a	O
freelance	O
animator	O
and	O
digital	O
illustrator	B-Language
at	O
Broderbund	O
Software	O
for	O
early	O
floppy	O
disk	O
PC	O
games	O
including	O
games	O
within	O
the	B-General_Concept
Carmen	B-Device
Sandiego	I-Device
franchise	O
such	O
as	O
Europe	O
and	O
U.S.A.	O
By	O
1988	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
's	O
work	O
at	O
Broderbund	O
led	O
to	O
him	O
securing	O
a	O
full-time	O
position	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
later	O
admitted	O
that	O
he	O
accepted	O
the	B-General_Concept
job	O
offer	O
to	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
sell	O
his	O
concept	O
to	O
Broderbund	O
,	O
believing	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
best	O
way	O
to	O
talk	O
Broderbund	O
into	O
spending	O
$	O
1,000,000	O
on	O
a	O
product	O
for	O
a	O
market	O
that	O
did	O
n't	O
exist	O
was	O
from	O
within	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
"	O
deceptively	O
simple	O
"	O
premise	O
saw	O
Schlichting	O
take	O
the	B-General_Concept
children	O
's	O
story	O
,	O
computerize	O
the	B-General_Concept
artwork	O
,	O
and	O
offer	O
kids	O
the	B-General_Concept
choice	O
of	O
having	O
the	B-General_Concept
computer	O
read	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
to	O
them	O
or	O
"	O
play	O
"	O
inside	O
the	B-General_Concept
pages	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
title	O
'	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
was	O
chosen	O
to	O
represent	O
that	O
everything	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
environment	O
is	O
alive	O
and	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
player	O
to	O
experiment	O
with	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
then-unknown	O
designer	O
began	O
pitching	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM-based	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
around	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
"	O
to	O
anyone	O
who	O
would	O
listen	O
"	O
and	O
presented	O
his	O
prototype	O
to	O
demonstrate	O
the	B-General_Concept
concept	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
argued	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
driving	O
force	O
"	O
to	O
make	O
these	O
storybooks	O
interactive	O
was	O
due	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
natural	O
draw	O
and	O
deep	O
interest	O
"	O
that	O
children	O
experience	O
with	O
technological	O
interaction	O
like	O
games	O
;	O
he	O
therefore	O
wanted	O
to	O
offer	O
the	B-General_Concept
ability	O
to	O
"	O
explore	O
and	O
learn	O
through	O
discovery	O
at	O
their	O
own	O
pace	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
pitched	O
,	O
"	O
I	O
wanted	O
to	O
harness	O
some	O
of	O
that	O
natural	O
draw	O
that	O
computers	O
have	O
for	O
kids	O
...	O
You	O
know	O
how	O
flowers	O
follow	O
the	B-General_Concept
sun	O
?	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
"	O
lobbied	O
his	O
bosses	O
"	O
to	O
allow	O
him	O
start	O
a	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
division	O
that	O
would	O
"	O
add	O
a	O
new	O
dimension	O
to	O
children	O
's	O
books	O
"	O
,	O
pitching	O
to	O
increasingly	O
senior	O
staff	O
from	O
his	O
superior	O
Michele	O
Bushneff	O
,	O
to	O
her	O
boss	O
Vice	O
President	O
of	O
Broderbund	O
John	O
Baker	O
,	O
and	O
eventually	O
reaching	O
Broderbund	O
co-founder	O
and	O
CEO	O
Doug	O
Carlston	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
whom	O
offered	O
encouragement	O
in	O
different	O
ways	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Baker	O
felt	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
idea	O
of	O
talking	O
computer	O
books	O
was	O
"	O
obvious	O
and	O
simple	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
difficult	O
to	O
imagine	O
them	O
holding	O
the	B-General_Concept
interest	O
of	O
a	O
child	O
;	O
he	O
also	O
thought	O
that	O
animated	O
parents	O
could	O
create	O
the	B-General_Concept
same	O
amount	O
of	O
"	O
involvement	O
and	O
character	O
identification	O
"	O
as	O
an	O
onscreen	O
book	O
through	O
their	O
real-life	O
storytelling	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
he	O
conceded	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
medium	O
offered	O
an	O
opportunity	O
to	O
"	O
charm	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
user	O
through	O
its	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1989	O
Dutch	O
electronics	O
hardware	O
manufacturer	O
Phillips	O
happened	O
to	O
observe	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
prototype	O
while	O
on	O
a	O
tour	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Broderbund	O
offices	O
,	O
and	O
offered	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
$	O
500,000	O
to	O
produce	O
a	O
title	O
that	O
would	O
run	O
on	O
a	O
new	O
television	O
set-top	O
box	O
they	O
were	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
process	O
of	O
developing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
after	O
four	O
months	O
of	O
pitching	O
Schlichting	O
was	O
given	O
the	B-General_Concept
go-ahead	O
by	O
Carlston	O
to	O
put	O
together	O
a	O
prototype	O
using	O
an	O
early	O
version	O
of	O
what	O
became	O
MacroMedia	B-Operating_System
Director	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Carlston	O
was	O
drawn	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
idea	O
because	O
he	O
had	O
noticed	O
a	O
demographic	O
trend	O
of	O
births	O
among	O
Broderbund	O
staff	O
jumping	O
to	O
15	O
a	O
year	O
,	O
suggesting	O
a	O
"	O
demand	O
for	O
software	O
to	O
help	O
small	O
children	O
learn	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
married	O
this	O
demographic	O
trend	O
to	O
new	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
technology	O
that	O
Schlichting	O
was	O
interested	O
in	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Baker	O
was	O
put	O
in	O
charge	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
St	O
Louis	O
Post-Dispatch	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
"	O
persuaded	O
his	O
employer	O
"	O
to	O
"	O
spend	O
millions	O
of	O
dollars	O
on	O
his	O
notion	O
to	O
create	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1990	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Broderbund	B-Application
's	I-Application
Living	I-Application
Books	I-Application
group	O
had	O
less	O
than	O
5	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
few	O
months	O
of	O
development	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
fully-featured	O
prototype	O
for	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
complete	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
an	O
adaption	O
of	O
Mercer	O
Mayer	O
's	O
Little	O
Monsters	O
at	O
School	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
beta	O
version	O
included	O
two	O
pages	O
to	O
demonstrate	O
how	O
a	O
transition	O
might	O
work	O
,	O
had	O
the	B-General_Concept
main	O
character	O
narrate	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
,	O
and	O
included	O
highlighted	O
text	O
as	O
he	O
read	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
and	O
his	O
son	O
provided	O
the	B-General_Concept
voices	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
baby	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
young	O
protagonist	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
product	O
was	O
designed	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
reading	O
product	O
"	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
storybook	O
;	O
Schlichting	O
wanted	O
children	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
"	O
relationship	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
text	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
turned	O
off	O
the	B-General_Concept
mouse	O
cursor	O
until	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
was	O
read	O
so	O
they	O
had	O
to	O
watch	O
the	B-General_Concept
words	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
utilised	O
a	O
"	O
child-informed	O
design	O
approach	O
"	O
,	O
playtesting	O
the	B-General_Concept
game	O
for	O
children	O
and	O
listening	O
to	O
their	O
feedback	O
,	O
thereby	O
allowing	O
children	O
to	O
"	O
contribute	O
to	O
and	O
critique	O
product	O
development	O
"	O
He	O
wanted	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
to	O
not	O
only	O
be	O
made	O
"	O
for	O
kids	O
"	O
but	O
"	O
with	O
kids	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
offices	O
were	O
filled	O
with	O
toys	O
and	O
none	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
staff	O
wore	O
ties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
original	O
concept	O
saw	O
a	O
child	O
narrator	O
deliver	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
from	O
a	O
prosthenian	O
arch	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
text	O
above	O
their	O
head	O
,	O
but	O
upon	O
play-testing	O
Schlichting	O
discovered	O
that	O
children	O
's	O
eyes	O
were	O
fixated	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
narrator	O
's	O
mouth	O
and	O
they	O
were	O
n't	O
following	O
the	B-General_Concept
words	O
,	O
which	O
led	O
to	O
a	O
less-in-more	O
design	O
decision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
resolve	O
this	O
,	O
he	O
had	O
the	B-General_Concept
highlighted	O
text	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
only	O
animation	O
with	O
nothing	O
else	O
moving	O
,	O
so	O
users	O
focused	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
words	O
while	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
was	O
being	O
read	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
animated	O
action	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlicting	O
took	O
teacher	O
's	O
comments	O
seriously	O
and	O
"	O
incorporated	O
their	O
suggestions	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
designs	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
prototype	O
was	O
ultimately	O
successful	O
,	O
though	O
the	B-General_Concept
developers	O
also	O
noted	O
the	B-General_Concept
delayed	O
reactions	O
once	O
hotspots	O
were	O
clicked	O
which	O
affected	O
the	B-General_Concept
game	O
's	O
interactivity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Michael	O
Coffey	O
was	O
brought	O
in	O
as	O
their	O
first	O
programmer	O
to	O
help	O
the	B-General_Concept
team	O
work	O
out	O
the	B-General_Concept
technology	O
required	O
to	O
implement	O
their	O
ideas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
publicly	O
announced	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
project	O
of	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
animated	O
,	O
talking	O
children	O
's	O
stories	O
in	O
August	O
1991	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mercer	O
Meyer	O
's	O
popular	O
children	O
's	O
book	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
was	O
chosen	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
premiere	O
title	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
new	O
series	O
,	O
as	O
their	O
initial	O
attempt	O
at	O
"eras[ing]	O
the	B-General_Concept
line	O
between	O
learning	O
and	O
playing	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
because	O
he	O
owned	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
rights	O
outright	O
which	O
made	O
negotiation	O
easier	O
;	O
Meyer	O
opted	O
not	O
to	O
collaborate	O
directly	O
with	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
adaption	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
did	O
offer	O
approvals	O
during	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	B-General_Concept
support	O
of	O
Broderbund	O
management	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
team	O
evolved	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
Broderbund	O
division	O
;	O
they	O
moved	O
to	O
an	O
open	O
office	O
area	O
and	O
added	O
more	O
staff	O
who	O
were	O
allocated	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
commented	O
,	O
"	O
it	O
became	O
clear	O
that	O
I	O
was	O
not	O
selling	O
a	O
product	O
idea	O
,	O
but	O
creating	O
a	O
shared	O
vision	O
about	O
how	O
we	O
could	O
make	O
a	O
difference	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
shared	O
vision	O
influenced	O
how	O
the	B-General_Concept
entire	O
company	O
felt	O
about	O
our	O
work	O
together	O
for	O
years	O
to	O
come	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
storyboards	O
and	O
layouts	O
were	O
often	O
sketched	O
out	O
on	O
paper	O
,	O
most	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
animation	O
was	O
developed	O
straight	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
software	O
instead	O
of	O
being	O
scanned	O
first	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
the	B-General_Concept
creative	O
assets	O
were	O
developed	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Mac	O
,	O
as	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
believed	O
their	O
media	O
tools	O
were	O
the	B-General_Concept
most	O
advanced	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
team	O
used	O
Photoshop	B-Operating_System
for	O
basic	O
painting	O
and	O
Illustrator	B-Language
for	O
work	O
that	O
required	O
scaling	O
as	O
it	O
moves	O
;	O
meanwhile	O
the	B-General_Concept
animation	O
was	O
completed	O
in	O
Adobe	B-Operating_System
Director	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
followed	O
by	O
being	O
converted	O
to	O
a	O
special	O
format	O
using	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
proprietary	O
rendering/interaction	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Animators	O
like	O
Donna	O
Bonifield	O
worked	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
attic	O
with	O
rows	O
of	O
CRT	B-Device
screen	I-Device
computers	O
in	O
a	O
room	O
that	O
reached	O
120	O
degrees	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
first	O
full	O
time	O
sound	O
designer	O
and	O
musician	O
,	O
Joey	O
Edleman	O
,	O
wrote	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
theme	O
and	O
dance	O
themes	O
for	O
their	O
earlier	O
stories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edelman	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
at	O
Computers	O
and	O
Music	O
,	O
a	O
pioneering	O
audio	O
software	O
company	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
develop	O
the	B-General_Concept
sound	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
;	O
software	O
companies	O
Digidesign	O
or	O
Opcode	O
asked	O
Edleman	O
what	O
sounds	O
they	O
wanted	O
for	O
his	O
projects	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
upcoming	O
versions	O
of	O
their	O
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Roy	O
Blumenfeld	O
served	O
as	O
audio	O
engineer	O
for	O
The	B-Device
Cat	I-Device
in	I-Device
the	I-Device
Hat	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Schlichting	O
created	O
a	O
sound	O
effect	O
for	O
a	O
falling	O
leaf	O
,	O
he	O
named	O
it	O
"	O
Ode	O
to	O
Goofy	O
"	O
in	O
honour	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Disney	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
sought	O
colleagues	O
to	O
serve	O
as	O
voice	O
actors	O
,	O
and	O
this	O
process	O
helped	O
the	B-General_Concept
office	O
to	O
become	O
invested	O
and	O
champion	O
the	B-General_Concept
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Often	O
,	O
ancillary	O
characters	O
were	O
played	O
by	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
staff	O
;	O
Grandma	O
in	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
was	O
played	O
by	O
Schlichting	O
himself	O
and	O
his	O
son	O
played	O
Little	O
Creature	O
;	O
meanwhile	O
sound	O
designers	O
Bob	O
Marshall	O
and	O
Edelman	O
played	O
Tortoise	O
and	O
Hare	O
in	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
scene	O
containing	O
in	O
motion	O
cabbages	O
required	O
the	B-General_Concept
entire	O
staff	O
to	O
go	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
sound	O
studio	O
and	O
run	O
around	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
sound	O
designers	O
found	O
it	O
difficult	O
to	O
achieve	O
exact	O
sync	O
when	O
sound	O
,	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
,	O
and	O
animation	O
play	O
at	O
varying	O
speeds	O
on	O
different	O
CPU	O
machines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
animation	O
also	O
had	O
to	O
be	O
carefully	O
tuned	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
match	O
the	B-General_Concept
speed	O
limitations	O
of	O
low	O
end	O
machines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Issues	O
could	O
arise	O
with	O
assets	O
like	O
a	O
Bus	O
coming	O
onto	O
the	B-General_Concept
screen	O
with	O
a	O
large	O
part	O
missing	O
off	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
team	O
noted	O
any	O
times	O
that	O
child	O
playtesters	O
started	O
clicking	O
before	O
the	B-General_Concept
end	O
of	O
a	O
gag	O
,	O
as	O
this	O
was	O
a	O
sign	O
it	O
was	O
n't	O
working	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
cases	O
,	O
sound	O
is	O
emphasized	O
to	O
compensate	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
limits	O
in	O
animation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Graphic	O
technician	O
Rob	O
Bell	O
served	O
as	O
a	O
bridge	O
between	O
the	B-General_Concept
animators	O
and	O
programmers	O
,	O
editing	O
the	B-General_Concept
artists	O
 '	O
work	O
to	O
fit	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
and	O
advocating	O
for	O
program	O
edits	O
to	O
fit	O
the	B-General_Concept
artist	O
's	O
vision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Karl	O
Ackerman	O
worked	O
for	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
as	O
a	O
prototyper	O
,	O
doing	O
concept	O
and	O
programming	O
work	O
on	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Proposed	O
product	O
ideas	O
that	O
were	O
ultimately	O
unsuccessful	O
included	O
adaptions	O
of	O
Between	O
the	B-General_Concept
Lions	O
,	O
Eager	O
Ogre	O
's	O
Pet	O
Show	O
,	O
Nickelodeon	O
's	O
Rugrats	O
,	O
Sesame	B-Application
Street	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Sing	O
Along	O
:	O
Maggie	O
's	O
Farm	O
,	O
among	O
others	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
Story	O
Book	O
Maker	O
title	O
in	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
group	O
of	O
Broderbund	O
producers	O
–	O
Clair	O
Curtain	O
,	O
Todd	O
Power	O
,	O
and	O
Rob	O
Martyn	O
–	O
was	O
brought	O
in	O
to	O
help	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
stay	O
on	O
budget	O
and	O
schedule	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
Mickey	O
Mantle	O
was	O
hired	O
as	O
Broderbund	O
CTO	O
and	O
he	O
became	O
an	O
advocate	O
for	O
his	O
"	O
pet	O
project	O
"	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
,	O
working	O
closely	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
programmers	O
to	O
ensure	O
the	B-General_Concept
work	O
was	O
delivered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lucinda	O
Ray	O
joined	O
Brøderbund	O
from	O
1993	O
to	O
1999	O
as	O
Education	O
Product	O
Manager	O
,	O
where	O
she	O
managed	O
the	B-General_Concept
development	O
and	O
editing	O
of	O
more	O
than	O
60	O
Teacher	O
's	O
Guides	O
to	O
accompany	O
Brøderbund	O
and	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
School	O
Editions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
1990	O
,	O
Donna	O
Bonifield	O
began	O
in	O
production	O
roles	O
and	O
over	O
four	O
years	O
became	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
Technical	O
Creative	O
Director	O
in	O
1994	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
considered	O
as	O
a	O
skunkworks	O
project	O
by	O
its	O
team	O
,	O
which	O
they	O
believed	O
was	O
hidden	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
main	O
building	O
to	O
shield	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
one	O
point	O
Baker	O
who	O
by	O
this	O
point	O
had	O
championed	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
,	O
tried	O
to	O
raise	O
money	O
from	O
potential	O
investors	O
at	O
Sony	O
to	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
continue	O
the	B-General_Concept
fledgling	O
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edelman	O
jokingly	O
referred	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
working	O
conditions	O
as	O
a	O
sweatshop	O
;	O
meanwhile	O
Lawrence	O
shared	O
an	O
office	O
room	O
with	O
Schlichting	O
and	O
frequently	O
heard	O
his	O
disagreeable	O
phone	O
calls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	B-General_Concept
early	O
1990s	O
,	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
represented	O
a	O
"	O
dramatic	O
leap	O
forward	O
"	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
promise	O
that	O
computers	O
could	O
offer	O
immersive	O
,	O
interactive	O
experiences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Software	O
designers	O
such	O
as	O
Schlichting	O
looked	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
new	O
medium	O
as	O
an	O
opportunity	O
to	O
reinvent	O
the	B-General_Concept
classic	O
children	O
's	O
book	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
this	O
point	O
in	O
time	O
,	O
most	O
Broderbund	O
products	O
were	O
built	O
primarily	O
by	O
one	O
programmer	O
per	O
title	O
,	O
with	O
assistance	O
from	O
contractors	O
along	O
the	B-General_Concept
way	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
wanted	O
an	O
engine	O
that	O
would	O
allow	O
the	B-General_Concept
game	O
to	O
be	O
pre-emptively	O
designed	O
to	O
play	O
across	O
multiple	O
platforms	O
(	O
Mac	O
,	O
PC	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
)	O
,	O
thereby	O
allowing	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM	B-Device
to	O
become	O
more	O
interactive	O
than	O
it	O
had	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
past	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Programmer	O
Glenn	O
Axworthy	O
created	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
engine	O
,	O
which	O
made	O
it	O
possible	O
for	O
products	O
to	O
be	O
written	O
in	O
Macromedia	B-Operating_System
Director	I-Operating_System
,	O
then	O
to	O
edit	O
the	B-General_Concept
files	O
into	O
a	O
"	O
cross-platform	O
,	O
optimized	O
playback	O
format	O
"	O
that	O
slow	O
speed	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
could	O
then	O
play	O
into	O
limited	O
memory	O
computers	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
appropriate	O
speed	O
"	O
regardless	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
speed	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
CPU	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
computer	O
running	O
the	B-General_Concept
product	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
engine	O
"	O
served	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
foundation	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
entire	O
product	O
line	O
"	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
same	O
underlying	O
technology	O
was	O
still	O
being	O
used	O
in	O
1998	O
,	O
just	O
with	O
better	O
animation	O
and	O
interactive	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
playback	O
engine	O
was	O
designed	O
to	O
work	O
across	O
platforms	O
without	O
the	B-General_Concept
animation	O
needing	O
to	O
be	O
redone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
unique	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
playback/interaction	O
driver	O
required	O
three	O
years	O
of	O
development	O
using	O
a	O
core	O
team	O
of	O
three	O
programmers	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
to	O
resolve	O
issues	O
such	O
as	O
compression	O
,	O
cross-platform	O
operation	O
,	O
timing	O
,	O
and	O
device	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
cutting-edge	O
technology	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
make	O
pages	O
load	O
,	O
characters	O
dance	O
,	O
and	O
perfect	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactivity	O
without	O
much	O
tweaking	O
required	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Key	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
programming	O
was	O
in	O
devising	O
a	O
way	O
to	O
allow	O
for	O
instantaneous	O
mouse	O
responses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
"	O
crucial	O
"	O
,	O
as	O
without	O
it	O
playtesters	O
would	O
become	O
frustrated	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
delayed	O
response	O
to	O
their	O
mouse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
driver	O
applied	O
a	O
"	O
running	O
man	O
"	O
during	O
the	B-General_Concept
delay	O
between	O
book	O
pages	O
,	O
loading	O
the	B-General_Concept
animations	O
while	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
read	O
the	B-General_Concept
text	O
aloud	O
on	O
each	O
new	O
page	O
so	O
they	O
were	O
ready	O
to	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
driver	O
would	O
stream	O
sound	O
to	O
occupy	O
the	B-General_Concept
user	O
while	O
images	O
and	O
animation	O
were	O
being	O
loaded	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
"	O
trick	O
"	O
,	O
of	O
turning	O
off	O
ambient	O
movements	O
until	O
the	B-General_Concept
biggest	O
movement	O
had	O
finished	O
playing	O
,	O
allowed	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
to	O
squeeze	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
down	O
to	O
2MB	O
of	O
ram.Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
ended	O
up	O
using	O
128MB	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
available	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
space	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
,	O
graphic	O
technician	O
Rob	O
Bell	O
expanded	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
interpretive	O
language	O
S-Lang	B-Device
which	O
offered	O
even	O
greater	O
possibilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
driver	O
allowed	O
the	B-General_Concept
creative	O
team	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
quality	O
without	O
worrying	O
about	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
limitations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
considered	O
the	B-General_Concept
programmers	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
hidden	O
magic	O
"	O
behind	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
advancements	O
made	O
it	O
easier	O
to	O
play	O
;	O
in	O
1996	O
,	O
a	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
product	O
would	O
be	O
used	O
in	O
a	O
successful	O
demo	O
by	O
Narrative	O
Communications	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
Macromedia	O
ShockWave	O
compression	O
and	O
other	O
technology	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
compress	O
it	O
from	O
2.5MB	O
to	O
1.4MB	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1997	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
"	O
cram	O
"	O
eight	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
titles	O
onto	O
a	O
single	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
as	O
part	O
of	O
their	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
Library	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
run	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
,	O
a	O
computer	O
required	O
the	B-General_Concept
following	O
hardware	O
specifications	O
and	O
system	O
requirements	O
:	O
a	O
PC	O
with	O
an	O
80386	O
processor	O
and	O
512x384	O
,	O
four	O
megabytes	O
of	O
memory	O
,	O
a	O
VGA	O
monitor	O
and	O
adapter	O
capable	O
of	O
displaying	O
256	O
colors	O
or	O
a	O
386	O
"	O
MPC	O
"	O
machine	O
with	O
SuperVGA	O
,	O
a	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
(	O
compact	O
disk	O
)	O
drive	O
and	O
a	O
sound	O
card	O
compatible	O
with	O
Sound	O
Blaster	O
,	O
Pro	O
Audio	O
Spectrum	O
or	O
Tandy	O
sound	O
devices	O
,	O
plus	O
a	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
operating	O
environment.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Noting	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
market	O
for	O
Intel/MPC	O
machines	O
was	O
double	O
that	O
of	O
Mac	O
market	O
,	O
Schlicting	O
looked	O
into	O
alternative	O
systems	O
to	O
design	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
for	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
investigated	O
CD-I	B-Device
devices	O
like	O
Phillips	O
but	O
found	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
resolution	O
low	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
interface	O
clunky	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
format	O
difficult	O
to	O
work	O
with	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
was	O
mouse-driven	O
,	O
he	O
found	O
Nintendo	O
style	O
game	O
controllers	O
inappropriate	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
he	O
thought	O
the	B-General_Concept
3D0	O
Box	O
had	O
"	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
promise	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	B-General_Concept
end	O
no	O
alternative	O
systems	O
would	O
be	O
used	O
,	O
except	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
Tandy	B-Operating_System
Video	I-Operating_System
Information	I-Operating_System
System	I-Operating_System
and	O
Philips	B-Device
CD-i	I-Device
consoles	O
,	O
on	O
which	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
and	O
Little	O
Monster	O
at	O
School	O
were	O
released	O
within	O
a	O
few	O
months	O
of	O
their	O
respective	O
releases	O
on	O
PC/Mac	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
accompanied	O
Tandy	O
's	O
launch	O
in	O
October	O
1992	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
title	O
suited	O
Tandy	O
's	O
positioning	O
as	O
"provid[ing]	O
fun	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
process	O
of	O
learning	O
"	O
instead	O
of	O
being	O
a	O
video	O
gaming	O
console	O
;	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
users	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
engage	O
with	O
hotspots	O
used	O
their	O
remote	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
But	O
this	O
is	O
n't	O
the	B-General_Concept
case	O
for	O
CD	O
's	O
which	O
for	O
75	O
cents	O
hold	O
what	O
would	O
cost	O
$5	O
to	O
store	O
on	O
floppies	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
significant	O
margin	O
increase	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
lowered	O
cost	O
of	O
goods	O
in	O
a	O
$50	O
entertainment	O
product	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Doug	O
suggested	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
cost	O
to	O
produce	O
a	O
Living	O
Book	O
would	O
"	O
eventually	O
be	O
under	O
$	O
100,000	O
—	O
'	O
substantially	O
less	O
 '	O
than	O
a	O
typical	O
floppy-based	O
title	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
noted	O
,	O
“	O
At	O
this	O
point	O
,	O
we	O
're	O
building	O
engines	O
for	O
each	O
optical	O
platform	O
,	O
so	O
we	O
can	O
just	O
go	O
directly	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
data	O
stream	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
product	O
,	O
with	O
no	O
programming	O
at	O
all	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
“	O
When	O
we	O
started	O
this	O
project	O
two	O
years	O
ago	O
,	O
we	O
decided	O
the	B-General_Concept
‘	O
virtual	O
machine’	O
approach	O
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
only	O
way	O
it	O
seemed	O
to	O
make	O
sense	O
—	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
simple	O
programming	O
question	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Interactivity	O
was	O
vital	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
design	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
;	O
when	O
presenting	O
demos	O
to	O
corporate	O
executives	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
would	O
observe	O
them	O
fighting	O
over	O
the	B-General_Concept
mouse	O
and	O
suggesting	O
where	O
to	O
click	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
games	O
were	O
packed	O
with	O
interactive	O
hotspots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
chose	O
to	O
make	O
"	O
everything	O
that	O
looked	O
clickable	O
to	O
actually	O
be	O
clickable	O
"	O
,	O
saturating	O
each	O
page	O
with	O
hotspots	O
,	O
to	O
ensure	O
the	B-General_Concept
user	O
was	O
in	O
control	O
and	O
supported	O
in	O
their	O
decisions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
the	B-General_Concept
objects	O
,	O
characters	O
and	O
individual	O
words	O
were	O
"	O
alive	O
"	O
and	O
triggered	O
by	O
contact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
hotspots	O
were	O
related	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
average	O
,	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Computer	O
Adventure	O
has	O
23	O
hotspots	O
per	O
screen	O
,	O
while	O
five	O
activities	O
are	O
included	O
within	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
contained	O
around	O
seven	O
times	O
as	O
many	O
incidental	O
hot	O
spots	O
as	O
supplemental	O
ones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
gags	O
were	O
more	O
layered	O
in	O
Dr	O
Seuss’	O
ABC	O
such	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
user	O
could	O
click	O
the	B-General_Concept
same	O
hotspot	O
multiple	O
times	O
and	O
get	O
different	O
responses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arthur	O
's	O
Teacher	O
Trouble	O
had	O
secret	O
paper	O
aeroplanes	O
on	O
every	O
page	O
;	O
the	B-General_Concept
Broderbund	O
hint	O
hotline	O
received	O
calls	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
early	O
morning	O
asking	O
where	O
these	O
planes	O
were	O
hidden	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
title	O
also	O
contained	O
a	O
spelling	O
mini-game	O
,	O
separate	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
,	O
which	O
users	O
could	O
play	O
against	O
an	O
opponent	O
or	O
the	B-General_Concept
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Computer	O
Adventure	O
,	O
which	O
combined	O
a	O
storybook	O
with	O
an	O
activity	O
center	O
,	O
users	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
play	O
the	B-General_Concept
in-universe	O
title	O
Deep	B-Application
Dark	I-Application
Sea	I-Application
that	O
is	O
central	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
plot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
soundscape	O
was	O
important	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
;	O
each	O
title	O
consists	O
of	O
hundreds	O
of	O
digital	O
voices	O
and	O
sound	O
effects	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
waves	O
splashing	O
,	O
breezes	O
blowing	O
,	O
and	O
birds	O
chirping	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
case	O
of	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
sound	O
effects	O
were	O
"	O
clever	O
"	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
the	B-General_Concept
poppy	O
flowers	O
made	O
popping	O
noises	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
rocks	O
performed	O
rock	O
'	O
n	O
 '	O
roll	O
guitar	O
riffs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
later	O
titles	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
In	O
the	B-General_Concept
Dark	O
featured	O
an	O
all-original	O
soundtrack	O
featuring	O
bluegrass	O
musicians	O
,	O
including	O
Mike	O
Marshall	O
,	O
Sally	O
van	O
Meter	O
,	O
Tony	O
Furtado	O
,	O
and	O
Todd	O
Phillips	O
,	O
while	O
Stellaluna	O
had	O
a	O
soundtrack	O
with	O
original	O
music	O
interwoven	O
with	O
African	O
percussion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
band	O
'	O
The	B-General_Concept
Wild	O
Mangos	O
 '	O
provided	O
original	O
songs	O
for	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
,	O
while	O
Gary	O
Schwantes	O
produced	O
music	O
for	O
Dr	O
Seuss	O
's	O
ABC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Harry	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Haunted	O
House	O
came	O
with	O
9	O
original	O
songs	O
which	O
could	O
be	O
played	O
on	O
a	O
CD	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
original	O
songs	O
in	O
Sheila	O
Rae	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Brave	O
,	O
about	O
the	B-General_Concept
adventures	O
of	O
a	O
mouse	O
heroine	O
,	O
featured	O
lyrics	O
that	O
turn	O
into	O
pictures	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
things	O
they	O
describe	O
to	O
encourage	O
word	O
recognition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
written	O
by	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
composer	O
Pat	O
Farrell	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
released	O
their	O
first	O
sing-along	O
animated	O
storybook	O
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
previewing	O
a	O
gag	O
in	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
where	O
a	O
bird	O
swoops	O
across	O
the	B-General_Concept
screen	O
with	O
an	O
aeroplane	O
sound	O
effect	O
,	O
developers	O
noted	O
this	O
elicited	O
laughs	O
and	O
chuckles	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
developers	O
realised	O
that	O
with	O
their	O
visual	O
awareness	O
focused	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
animation	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
incongruent	O
audio	O
had	O
a	O
more	O
subconscious	O
cognitive	O
impact	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
discrepancy	O
between	O
sound	O
and	O
audio	O
created	O
a	O
"	O
brain	O
hiccup	O
"	O
where	O
users	O
would	O
find	O
the	B-General_Concept
moment	O
'	O
cute	O
 '	O
but	O
unsure	O
exactly	O
why	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
thumb|300x300px|The	O
decisions	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
'	O
Quit	O
 '	O
screen	O
are	O
presented	O
as	O
a	O
straightforward	O
'	O
yes	O
 '	O
or	O
'	O
no	O
 '	O
,	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
ease-of-use	O
design	O
philosophy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ease	O
of	O
use	O
was	O
another	O
important	O
design	O
philosophy	O
;	O
the	B-General_Concept
interface	O
was	O
designed	O
such	O
that	O
it	O
could	O
be	O
used	O
by	O
even	O
the	B-General_Concept
youngest	O
of	O
children	O
unaccompanied	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
wanted	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
as	O
easy	O
to	O
use	O
as	O
CD-audio	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dust	O
Or	O
Magic	O
,	O
Creative	O
Work	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Digital	O
Age	O
asserted	O
that	O
this	O
is	O
an	O
application	O
of	O
Brenda	O
Laurel	O
's	O
"	O
communities	O
of	O
agents	O
"	O
concept	O
in	O
which	O
'	O
helper	O
characters	O
engage	O
in	O
direct	O
dialogue	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
player	O
and	O
invite	O
complicity	O
"	O
;	O
it	O
notes	O
that	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Quit	O
screen	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
'	O
Yes	O
 '	O
character	O
nods	O
mischievously	O
as	O
if	O
to	O
say	O
"	O
Go	O
on	O
,	O
do	O
it	O
!	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
,	O
so	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
player	O
is	O
urged	O
to	O
ignore	O
the	B-General_Concept
'	O
No	O
 '	O
character	O
who	O
appears	O
anxious	O
and	O
forlorn	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
wanted	O
to	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
say	O
"	O
You	O
and	O
you	O
,	O
go	O
play	O
with	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
then	O
attend	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
children	O
needing	O
support	O
;	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
designed	O
to	O
have	O
no	O
install	O
and	O
play	O
as	O
soon	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD	O
was	O
inserted	O
and	O
users	O
clicked	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
icon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Schlichting	O
was	O
first	O
designing	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
,	O
he	O
visited	O
computer	O
stores	O
to	O
observe	O
how	O
software	O
was	O
displayed	O
and	O
marketed	O
,	O
and	O
noted	O
that	O
they	O
used	O
their	O
games	O
 '	O
assets	O
to	O
show	O
off	O
the	B-General_Concept
computer	O
's	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
he	O
developed	O
an	O
"	O
attract	O
mode	O
"	O
where	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
beginning	O
before	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
starts	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
main	O
character	O
direct	O
addresses	O
the	B-General_Concept
user	O
by	O
introducing	O
themselves	O
,	O
teaches	O
the	B-General_Concept
child	O
how	O
to	O
play	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
invite	O
them	O
to	O
participate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
narrator	O
Little	O
Critter	O
tells	O
the	B-General_Concept
user	O
,	O
"	O
To	O
have	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
read	O
to	O
you	O
,	O
press	O
this	O
button	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
play	O
inside	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
,	O
press	O
this	O
button	O
"	O
,	O
pointing	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
appropriate	O
button	O
onscreen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
of	O
repeating	O
the	B-General_Concept
talk	O
loop	O
,	O
he	O
opted	O
for	O
a	O
dance	O
loop	O
with	O
music	O
that	O
would	O
encourage	O
kids	O
to	O
dance	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
store	O
,	O
bringing	O
the	B-General_Concept
products	O
attention	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Important	O
to	O
his	O
design	O
was	O
to	O
never	O
leave	O
the	B-General_Concept
screen	O
static	O
;	O
to	O
always	O
have	O
a	O
piece	O
of	O
animation	O
playing	O
to	O
say	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
user	O
"	O
I	O
'm	O
alive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
had	O
the	B-General_Concept
option	O
to	O
flip	O
to	O
their	O
chosen	O
screen	O
directly	O
without	O
having	O
to	O
wait	O
for	O
preceding	O
pages	O
to	O
play	O
out.Living	O
Books	O
included	O
the	B-General_Concept
printed	O
versions	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
paperback	O
books	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
software	O
to	O
ensure	O
there	O
would	O
be	O
continuity	O
where	O
kids	O
could	O
play	O
between	O
the	B-General_Concept
two	O
and	O
to	O
encourage	O
non-digital	O
reading	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
children	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
follow	O
along	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
physical	O
book	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
read	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
,	O
and	O
parents	O
had	O
the	B-General_Concept
option	O
of	O
reading	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
child	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
old-fashioned	O
way	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
challenge	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
was	O
to	O
inviting	O
children	O
to	O
engage	O
with	O
"	O
black-and-white	O
abstraction	O
"	O
of	O
text	O
,	O
when	O
the	B-General_Concept
relatable	O
imagery	O
proved	O
more	O
inviting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
experimenting	O
with	O
'	O
living	O
 '	O
text	O
,	O
where	O
children	O
could	O
tap	O
on	O
any	O
word	O
and	O
hear	O
it	O
pronounced	O
or	O
build	O
the	B-General_Concept
whole	O
sentence	O
word	O
by	O
word	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
chose	O
to	O
highlight	O
the	B-General_Concept
text	O
because	O
he	O
"	O
found	O
kids	O
follow	O
anything	O
that	O
moves	O
...	O
we	O
could	O
get	O
them	O
to	O
follow	O
the	B-General_Concept
reading	O
if	O
that	O
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
only	O
thing	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
screen	O
that	O
was	O
moving	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
biggest	O
benefits	O
of	O
using	O
a	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
ability	O
to	O
store	O
lots	O
of	O
high	O
quality	O
speech	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Every	O
word	O
had	O
to	O
be	O
recorded	O
in	O
two	O
different	O
styles	O
,	O
once	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
and	O
once	O
as	O
individual	O
words	O
which	O
could	O
be	O
clicked	O
on	O
one-by-one	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
individual	O
words	O
were	O
recorded	O
with	O
fluctuation	O
to	O
fit	O
how	O
would	O
fit	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
larger	O
sentence	O
;	O
this	O
allowed	O
emerging	O
readers	O
to	O
map	O
the	B-General_Concept
language	O
and	O
construct	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
in	O
sentence	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
Kid	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Block	O
,	O
which	O
presented	O
a	O
collection	O
of	O
18	O
funny	O
poems	O
by	O
poet	O
Jack	O
Prelutsky	O
,	O
allowed	O
players	O
to	O
click	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
words	O
to	O
reveal	O
a	O
representative	O
animation	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
noun	O
or	O
verb	O
,	O
turning	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
into	O
a	O
"	O
living	O
dictionary	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
used	O
as	O
an	O
alternative	O
to	O
having	O
the	B-General_Concept
player	O
click	O
on	O
illustrations	O
directly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
two	O
titles	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
had	O
English	O
and	O
Spanish	O
language	O
settings	O
while	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
could	O
also	O
be	O
played	O
in	O
French	O
,	O
German	O
,	O
and	O
Japanese	O
,	O
all	O
featured	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
one	O
disc	O
;	O
this	O
multilingual	O
feature	O
would	O
be	O
explored	O
in	O
future	O
entries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
would	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
US	O
English	O
,	O
UK	O
English	O
,	O
and	O
Spanish	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
UK	O
English	O
versions	O
had	O
British	O
accents	O
for	O
all	O
the	B-General_Concept
characters	O
and	O
colloquial	O
words	O
changed	O
when	O
appropriate	O
(	O
i.e.	O
,	O
Mum	O
not	O
Mom	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
Kid	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Block	O
is	O
the	B-General_Concept
only	O
monolingual	O
Living	O
Book	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
British	O
English	O
dub	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
Brøderbund	O
from	O
1996	O
to	O
2000	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
French	O
dub	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
UbiSoft	O
's	O
Pointsoft	O
label	O
in	O
1996	O
While	O
not	O
released	O
in	O
Latin	O
America	O
the	B-General_Concept
Latin	O
Spanish	O
dub	O
was	O
created	O
in	O
1992/1993	O
-1996	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
US	O
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Delta	O
's	O
Livros	O
Vivos	O
saw	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
published	O
in	O
Brazilian	O
Portuguese	O
in	O
1998	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
German	O
dub	O
by	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
was	O
published	O
in	O
1998	O
after	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
acquisition	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Creating	O
the	B-General_Concept
localised	O
editions	O
often	O
involved	O
reworking	O
the	B-General_Concept
graphics	O
,	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
sync	O
the	B-General_Concept
voices	O
and	O
avoid	O
a	O
‘	O
dubbed’	O
movie	O
effect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
could	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
dual	O
language	O
learners	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
did	O
not	O
come	O
with	O
a	O
multilingual	O
dictionary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
team	O
also	O
aimed	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
culturally	O
correct	O
"	O
when	O
translating	O
to	O
other	O
languages	O
,	O
for	O
instance	O
the	B-General_Concept
Arthur	O
character	O
"	O
D.W.	O
"	O
was	O
renamed	O
"	O
Dorita	O
"	O
in	O
Spanish	O
after	O
realising	O
it	O
was	O
unusual	O
for	O
a	O
local	O
name	O
to	O
start	O
with	O
"	O
W	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
suggested	O
that	O
"	O
while	O
the	B-General_Concept
main	O
goal	O
of	O
developing	O
a	O
multilingual	O
program	O
was	O
more	O
than	O
likely	O
an	O
effort	O
to	O
increase	O
its	O
market	O
share	O
,	O
doing	O
so	O
also	O
enhances	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
's	O
educational	O
value	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
potential	O
as	O
a	O
learning	O
tool	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
software	O
never	O
replaces	O
the	B-General_Concept
place	O
of	O
a	O
good	O
teacher	O
,	O
but	O
there	O
are	O
times	O
when	O
the	B-General_Concept
teacher	O
needs	O
help	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
multimedia	O
products	O
"	O
are	O
great	O
ways	O
to	O
do	O
that	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
resisted	O
use	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
term	O
"	O
Edutainment	O
"	O
to	O
describe	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
were	O
more	O
substantive	O
than	O
Nintendo	O
games	O
and	O
described	O
them	O
as	O
"	O
invisible	O
education.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Marylyn	O
Rosenblum	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
vice	O
president	O
of	O
education	O
sales	O
and	O
marketing	O
for	O
Broderbund	O
,	O
commented	O
,	O
we	O
do	O
n't	O
make	O
claims	O
for	O
teaching	O
reading	O
...	O
we	O
encourage	O
children	O
's	O
natural	O
love	O
of	O
reading.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
designed	O
for	O
children	O
in	O
preschool	O
and	O
early	O
elementary	O
aged	O
three	O
to	O
eight	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
storybooks	O
found	O
audiences	O
ranging	O
as	O
young	O
as	O
two	O
and	O
some	O
programs	O
reached	O
kids	O
nine	O
and	O
older	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
noted	O
that	O
while	O
younger	O
players	O
would	O
click	O
the	B-General_Concept
words	O
in	O
sequence	O
to	O
"	O
map	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
"	O
,	O
older	O
players	O
will	O
click	O
the	B-General_Concept
words	O
out-of-order	O
to	O
build	O
their	O
own	O
silly	O
sentences	O
,	O
allowing	O
for	O
"	O
greater	O
language	O
play	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Harry	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Haunted	O
House	O
,	O
older	O
players	O
found	O
amusement	O
in	O
creating	O
the	B-General_Concept
sentence	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
zombie	O
has	O
a	O
stinky	O
but[t]	O
 "	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
user	O
was	O
provided	O
two	O
options	O
to	O
engage	O
,	O
a	O
passive	O
'	O
read	O
to	O
me	O
 '	O
mode	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactive	O
'	O
play	O
along	O
 '	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
offering	O
different	O
play	O
patterns	O
depending	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
user	O
's	O
level	O
of	O
reading	O
fluency	O
players	O
felt	O
able	O
to	O
"	O
own	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
by	O
"	O
playing	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
individual	O
pieces	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
series	O
included	O
moral	O
lessons	O
,	O
for	O
instance	O
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
Get	O
into	O
a	O
Fight	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
help	O
children	O
with	O
conflict	O
resolution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lucinda	O
Ray	O
,	O
Education	O
Product	O
Manager	O
at	O
Brøderbund	O
,	O
developed	O
the	B-General_Concept
concept	O
for	O
,	O
edited	O
,	O
and	O
produced	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
School	O
Edition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
School	O
Editions	O
were	O
developed	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
aid	O
of	O
classroom	O
teachers	O
,	O
reading	O
specialists	O
,	O
and	O
curriculum	O
experts	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
integrated	O
language	O
arts	O
approach	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
School	O
Editions	O
contain	O
:	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM	B-Device
,	O
a	O
print	O
version	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
title	O
book	O
,	O
Lesson	O
Plans	O
,	O
a	O
thematic	O
unit	O
with	O
activities	O
,	O
an	O
annotated	O
bibliography	O
of	O
relevant	O
literature	O
,	O
printable	O
worksheets	O
,	O
and	O
bonus	O
books	O
or	O
audio	O
cassettes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
designed	O
specifically	O
for	O
teachers	O
who	O
are	O
using	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
in	O
a	O
classroom	O
,	O
and	O
included	O
tech	O
tips	O
like	O
shortcuts	O
and	O
special	O
key	O
commands	O
to	O
help	O
guide	O
the	B-General_Concept
lesson	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1994	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
produced	O
a	O
supplementary	O
set	O
for	O
teachers	O
called	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
Framework	O
,	O
featuring	O
integrated	O
teaching	O
material	O
for	O
each	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
four	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
titles	O
for	O
$489.95	O
including	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
CD-ROMs	B-Device
;	O
presented	O
in	O
a	O
three-ring	O
binder	O
,	O
they	O
featured	O
the	B-General_Concept
original	O
picture	O
storybooks	O
,	O
several	O
other	O
books	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
tape	O
of	O
Jack	O
Prelusky	O
reading	O
his	O
'	O
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
Kid	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Block	O
 '	O
poems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
kits	O
also	O
contained	O
'	O
A	O
Book	O
Lover	O
Approaches	O
the	B-General_Concept
Computer	O
 '	O
articles	O
that	O
addressed	O
key	O
concerns	O
of	O
parents	O
and	O
teachers	O
,	O
technical	O
tips	O
,	O
a	O
curriculum	O
matrix	O
,	O
a	O
thematic	O
unit	O
,	O
and	O
classroom	O
activities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
released	O
their	O
reimagining	O
of	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
in	O
1992	O
,	O
and	O
while	O
there	O
was	O
an	O
initial	O
concern	O
whether	O
there	O
were	O
enough	O
customers	O
with	O
CD	O
drives	O
to	O
run	O
the	B-General_Concept
game	O
,	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
six	O
months	O
Broderbund	O
sold	O
over	O
10	O
times	O
more	O
copies	O
than	O
they	O
had	O
initially	O
projected	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MacUser	O
did	O
a	O
speed	O
test	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
storybook	O
to	O
check	O
the	B-General_Concept
loading	O
time	O
when	O
turning	O
pages	O
and	O
found	O
that	O
most	O
take	O
less	O
than	O
15	O
seconds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
not	O
having	O
his	O
hand	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
day-to-day	O
creative	O
process	O
of	O
that	O
work	O
turned	O
Mayer	O
on	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
idea	O
of	O
doing	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
himself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Teaming	O
up	O
with	O
GT	O
Interactive	O
,	O
their	O
first	O
two	O
titles	O
were	O
"	O
Just	O
Me	O
and	O
My	O
Dad	O
"	O
(	O
1995	O
)	O
and	O
"	O
Just	O
Me	O
and	O
My	O
Mom	O
"	O
(	O
1996	O
)	O
which	O
according	O
to	O
The	B-General_Concept
Fresno	O
Bee	O
"borrow[ed]"	O
their	O
design	O
from	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Big	O
Tuna	O
New	O
Media	O
would	O
be	O
approached	O
by	O
Disney	O
and	O
DreamWorks	O
for	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
development	O
deals	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
August	O
1992	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
title	O
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactive	B-Application
storybook	I-Application
's	O
"	O
first	O
big	O
hit	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
few	O
available	O
for	O
purchase	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
even	O
earlier	O
Canadian	O
pioneer	O
Discis	O
Knowledge	O
Research	O
's	O
Discis	O
Books	O
,	O
whose	O
16	O
Mac	O
titles	O
and	O
11	O
CDTV	O
titles	O
had	O
gained	O
widespread	O
classroom	O
acceptance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Founded	O
in	O
1988	O
,	O
Discis	O
acquired	O
the	B-General_Concept
rights	O
to	O
children	O
's	O
stories	O
and	O
published	O
them	O
as	O
CD-ROM-based	O
interactive	O
children	O
's	O
books	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
second	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
title	O
,	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Teacher	O
Troubles	O
,	O
was	O
debuted	O
at	O
Consumer	O
Electronics	O
Show	O
showcasing	O
its	O
first	O
12	O
screens	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
the	B-General_Concept
game	O
was	O
demoed	O
at	O
trade	O
shows	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
developers	O
observed	O
audience	O
reactions	O
which	O
proved	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
useful	O
learning	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
bought	O
300	O
disc	O
copies	O
and	O
sent	O
them	O
to	O
their	O
hardware	O
manufacturers	O
,	O
instructing	O
them	O
to	O
ensure	O
the	B-General_Concept
software	O
could	O
run	O
on	O
their	O
equipment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
a	O
prototype	O
was	O
shown	O
at	O
a	O
trade	O
show	O
where	O
a	O
teacher	O
in	O
attendance	O
noted	O
that	O
a	O
scene	O
where	O
Hare	O
picks	O
up	O
a	O
newspaper	O
,	O
rolls	O
it	O
up	O
,	O
and	O
stomps	O
on	O
it	O
was	O
encouraging	O
kids	O
to	O
litter	O
;	O
in	O
response	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
redrew	O
the	B-General_Concept
scene	O
,	O
which	O
now	O
showed	O
the	B-General_Concept
tortoise	O
scolding	O
the	B-General_Concept
hare	O
,	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
line	O
of	O
dialogue	O
"	O
Hey	O
Hare	O
,	O
did	O
you	O
forget	O
to	O
recycle	O
that	O
newspaper	O
?	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
,	O
who	O
picks	O
up	O
the	B-General_Concept
trash	O
and	O
disposes	O
of	O
it	O
properly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
success	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
few	O
titles	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
division	O
had	O
the	B-General_Concept
ability	O
to	O
add	O
additional	O
artists	O
and	O
musicians	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
team	O
relocated	O
to	O
a	O
new	O
Broderbund	O
office	O
in	O
Novato	O
,	O
California	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
was	O
demoed	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
1992	O
Computer	O
Game	O
Developers	O
 '	O
Conference	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
mesmerized	O
"	O
crowd	O
of	O
around	O
100	O
game	O
designers	O
"	O
spontaneously	O
erupted	O
into	O
enchanted	O
choruses	O
of	O
'	O
Ohhh!	O
 '	O
</s>
<s>
with	O
every	O
turn	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
page	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
expected	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
division	O
to	O
become	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
their	O
essential	O
businesses	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
years	O
ahead	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
planned	O
more	O
products	O
for	O
both	O
the	B-General_Concept
MPC	O
and	O
Mac	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
following	O
year	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
demoed	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
&	O
Me	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
two	O
new	O
products	O
,	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Teacher	O
Trouble	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
in-development	O
New	O
Kid	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Block	O
,	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
1993	O
ACM	O
SIGGRAPH	O
conference	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Dark	O
became	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
title	O
to	O
utilise	O
leveling	O
by	O
offering	O
three	O
different	O
degrees	O
of	O
difficulty	O
for	O
its	O
activities	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
to	O
employ	O
640	O
x	O
480	O
pixel	O
screen	O
size	O
(	O
formerly	O
512	O
x	O
384	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
early	O
successes	O
"	O
set	O
off	O
a	O
frenzy	O
of	O
imitation	O
by	O
other	O
companies	O
"	O
,	O
of	O
which	O
7th	O
Level	O
's	O
TuneLand	O
was	O
deemed	O
the	B-General_Concept
best	O
by	O
The	B-General_Concept
Washington	O
Post	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	B-General_Concept
American	O
Booksellers	O
Association	O
convention	O
,	O
Alberto	O
Vitale	O
,	O
head	O
of	O
Random	O
House	O
Publishing	O
(	O
then	O
owned	O
by	O
Advance	O
Publications	O
)	O
and	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
book	O
rights	O
holder	O
,	O
saw	O
a	O
demo	O
of	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
and	O
approached	O
the	B-General_Concept
team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vitale	O
became	O
impressed	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
and	O
decided	O
to	O
buy	O
half	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
her	O
role	O
as	O
Technical	O
Creative	O
Director	O
,	O
Bonifield	O
created	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
production	O
methodology	O
that	O
facilitated	O
the	B-General_Concept
$15	O
million	O
deal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
9	O
,	O
1993	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
Partnership	O
Agreement	O
was	O
signed	O
between	O
Broderbund	O
,	O
Random	O
House	O
,	O
Random	O
House	O
New	O
Media	O
(	O
a	O
new	O
division	O
set	O
up	O
by	O
its	O
president	O
Randi	O
Benton	O
)	O
and	O
Broderbund	B-Application
's	I-Application
Living	I-Application
Books	I-Application
,	O
forming	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
as	O
a	O
joint	O
venture	O
between	O
Broderbund	O
and	O
Random	O
House	O
to	O
publish	O
story-based	O
multimedia	O
software	O
for	O
children	O
and	O
was	O
50%	O
owned	O
by	O
each	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
shares	O
had	O
recently	O
decreased	O
,	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
time	O
analysts	O
were	O
concerned	O
that	O
this	O
was	O
due	O
to	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
older	O
titles	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
had	O
concentrated	O
its	O
growth	O
in	O
new	O
venture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
spun-off	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
into	O
its	O
own	O
independent	O
company	O
,	O
which	O
started	O
operations	O
in	O
January	O
1994	O
under	O
Broderbund/Random	O
House	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Broderbund	O
offered	O
the	B-General_Concept
already-published	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
product	O
line	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
resources	O
to	O
produce	O
more	O
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
,	O
Random	O
House	O
offered	O
additional	O
funding	O
and	O
access	O
to	O
its	O
library	O
of	O
children	O
's	O
book	O
authors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
new	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
took	O
over	O
research	O
and	O
development	O
,	O
manufacturing	O
and	O
marketing	O
associated	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
creation	O
of	O
its	O
products	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
distributed	O
through	O
Broderbund	O
and	O
Random	O
House	O
 '	O
respective	O
channels	O
under	O
an	O
affiliated	O
label	O
arrangement	O
for	O
Windows	O
and	O
Mac	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
relocation	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
offices	O
to	O
San	O
Francisco	O
was	O
announced	O
on	O
July	O
31	O
,	O
1995	O
,	O
which	O
Vitale	O
completed	O
in	O
October	O
of	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
staff	O
of	O
45	O
worked	O
out	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
new	O
site	O
to	O
develop	O
,	O
produce	O
and	O
market	O
the	B-General_Concept
software	O
,	O
while	O
assembly	O
and	O
shipment	O
of	O
final	O
products	O
would	O
continue	O
to	O
be	O
performed	O
at	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
facility	O
in	O
Petaluma	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unique	O
for	O
a	O
kid	O
's	O
software	O
company	O
,	O
this	O
meant	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
created	O
with	O
a	O
"	O
strong	O
,	O
in-house	O
foundation	O
of	O
experience	O
"	O
in	O
all	O
stages	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
business	O
,	O
including	O
product	O
development	O
,	O
production	O
,	O
marketing	O
and	O
publicity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
were	O
all	O
coordinated	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
headquarters	O
in	O
San	O
Francisco	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
were	O
promoted	O
via	O
Distributor	O
Softline	O
,	O
and	O
Broderbund	O
had	O
accounts	O
with	O
retail	O
stores	O
like	O
Musicland	O
's	O
Media	O
Play	O
and	O
Trans	O
World	O
Music	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
became	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
alliances	O
between	O
dominant	O
companies	O
in	O
their	O
respective	O
fields	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
deal	O
led	O
to	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
stock	O
gaining	O
$3.75	O
to	O
$41	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
while	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
's	O
equity	O
in	O
income	O
was	O
boosted	O
by	O
approximately	O
$3.9	O
million	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
joint	O
venture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
heads	O
Bonifield	O
and	O
Siegel	O
left	O
in	O
1994	O
to	O
form	O
digital	O
video	O
company	O
Genuus	O
,	O
later	O
commenting	O
"	O
at	O
one	O
time	O
Broderbund	O
was	O
exciting	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
became	O
big	O
and	O
lethargic	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jeff	O
Schon	O
,	O
former	O
Pee-wee	O
'	O
s	O
Playhouse	O
producer	O
,	O
was	O
brought	O
in	O
as	O
CEO	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
and	O
would	O
lead	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
for	O
four	O
years	O
until	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
November	O
1995	O
–	O
December	O
1996	O
,	O
Bobby	O
Yarlagadda	O
joined	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
as	O
VP	O
and	O
its	O
first	O
CFO	O
,	O
leading	O
IT	O
and	O
Business	O
Development	O
groups	O
;	O
during	O
this	O
time	O
he	O
doubled	O
the	B-General_Concept
capacity	O
for	O
content	O
production	O
by	O
setting	O
up	O
outsourcing	O
contracts	O
with	O
suitable	O
vendors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1997	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
was	O
accepting	O
product	O
submissions	O
from	O
professional	O
developers	O
,	O
and	O
third-party	O
outsourced	O
production	O
work	O
on	O
their	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Yarlagadda	O
's	O
departure	O
,	O
he	O
joined	O
forces	O
with	O
Schlichting	O
to	O
set	O
up	O
software	O
company	O
The	B-General_Concept
Narrative	O
Communications	O
Corporation	O
while	O
Schlichting	O
was	O
still	O
at	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
thumb|212x212px|Living	O
Books	O
became	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
company	O
to	O
create	O
multimedia	O
products	O
featuring	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
characters	O
after	O
securing	O
the	B-General_Concept
digital	O
rights	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1994	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
"	O
scramble	O
among	O
multimedia	O
developers	O
to	O
gobble	O
up	O
rights	O
to	O
intellectual	O
property	O
"	O
for	O
"	O
translation	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
new	O
medium	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
became	O
"	O
among	O
the	B-General_Concept
most	O
hotly	O
contested	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Author	O
Ted	O
Geisel	O
had	O
died	O
in	O
1991	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
multimedia	O
rights	O
to	O
his	O
works	O
had	O
become	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Broderbund	O
and	O
Random	O
House	O
formed	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
,	O
their	O
discussions	O
centered	O
around	O
which	O
books	O
would	O
be	O
the	B-General_Concept
best	O
to	O
adapt	O
;	O
once	O
they	O
discovered	O
the	B-General_Concept
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
rights	O
were	O
available	O
they	O
"	O
went	O
after	O
them	O
aggressively.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
But	O
Vitale	O
encouraged	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
to	O
present	O
to	O
Geisel	O
in	O
a	O
bid	O
to	O
acquire	O
the	B-General_Concept
digital	O
rights	O
;	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
created	O
a	O
demo	O
which	O
also	O
incorporated	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
paint	O
product	O
,	O
Kid	B-Application
Pix	I-Application
using	O
stickers	O
from	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
 '	O
book	O
I	O
Can	O
Draw	O
It	O
Myself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
showing	O
the	B-General_Concept
demo	O
in	O
front	O
of	O
Geisel	O
,	O
Baker	O
,	O
Carlston	O
,	O
and	O
Vitale	O
in	O
silence	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
decided	O
to	O
tell	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
of	O
being	O
inspired	O
to	O
enter	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
world	O
of	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
as	O
a	O
child	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
Geisel	O
telling	O
her	O
intellectual	O
property	O
lawyers	O
"	O
I	O
've	O
changed	O
my	O
mind	O
,	O
I	O
'm	O
going	O
to	O
work	O
with	O
him	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Geisel	O
was	O
not	O
impressed	O
with	O
this	O
first	O
presentation	O
and	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
demo	O
was	O
poor	O
,	O
she	O
chose	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
due	O
to	O
her	O
"	O
desire	O
to	O
honor	O
her	O
husband	O
's	O
50-year	O
association	O
with	O
Random	O
House	O
"	O
,	O
giving	O
them	O
a	O
second	O
chance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Random	O
House	O
had	O
been	O
the	B-General_Concept
sole	O
publisher	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
books	O
since	O
1937	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Brokered	O
by	O
Geisel	O
's	O
agency	O
International	O
Creative	O
Management	O
,	O
Random	O
House	O
ended	O
up	O
securing	O
the	B-General_Concept
digital	O
rights	O
to	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
for	O
a	O
deal	O
said	O
by	O
a	O
close	O
source	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
well	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
seven	O
figures	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
subsequently	O
provided	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
coveted	O
"	O
electronic	O
rights	O
to	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
books	O
along	O
with	O
other	O
best-selling	O
Random	O
House	O
children	O
's	O
authors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Signed	O
and	O
publicly	O
announced	O
in	O
April	O
1994	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
deal	O
saw	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
company	O
adapt	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
to	O
a	O
digital	O
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Variety	O
noted	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
deal	O
underscores	O
how	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
positioned	O
itself	O
as	O
a	O
front-runner	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
children	O
's	O
multi-media	O
market	O
"	O
,	O
managing	O
to	O
secure	O
a	O
deal	O
with	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
Enterprises	O
despite	O
"	O
competing	O
companies	O
offer[ing]	O
richer	O
financial	O
packages	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Their	O
first	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
title	O
Dr	O
Seuss	O
 '	O
ABC	O
was	O
previewed	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
1995	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
September	O
that	O
year	O
,	O
while	O
The	B-Device
Cat	I-Device
in	I-Device
the	I-Device
Hat	I-Device
was	O
in	O
their	O
future	O
slate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
aimed	O
to	O
publish	O
up	O
to	O
10	O
electronic	O
titles	O
the	B-General_Concept
following	O
year	O
,	O
including	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
titles	O
which	O
would	O
be	O
released	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
$40	O
–	O
$60	O
price	O
point	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Geisel	O
was	O
given	O
approval	O
rights	O
on	O
every	O
stage	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
products	O
 '	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Advertising	O
Age	O
saw	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
pending	O
release	O
of	O
their	O
first	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
industry	O
's	O
"	O
most-watched	O
developments	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Geisel	O
was	O
present	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
1996	O
E3	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
booth	O
to	O
inaugurate	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactive	O
version	O
of	O
Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Ham	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
due	O
for	O
a	O
release	O
that	O
Autumn	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
games	O
were	O
highly	O
financially	O
successful	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
low	O
price	O
point	O
and	O
large	O
development	O
costs	O
,	O
coupled	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
recentness	O
of	O
CD-ROMS	B-Device
,	O
made	O
it	O
difficult	O
for	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
to	O
turn	O
a	O
profit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
time	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
school	O
market	O
is	O
still	O
fledgling	O
,	O
and	O
schools	O
rarely	O
had	O
the	B-General_Concept
funding	O
to	O
afford	O
computers	O
for	O
their	O
students	O
;	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
most	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
sales	O
were	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
home	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1995	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
would	O
still	O
be	O
targeting	O
its	O
products	O
at	O
home	O
buyers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
half	O
of	O
1993	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
sales	O
jumped	O
69	O
percent	O
,	O
to	O
$73	O
million	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
Software	O
Publishers	O
Association	O
,	O
aided	O
by	O
Carmen	B-Device
Sandiego	I-Device
,	O
Kid	B-Application
Pix	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
debut	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
became	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
best-selling	O
CDs	O
for	O
children	O
on	O
its	O
release	O
in	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
August	O
1994	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
had	O
sold	O
tens	O
of	O
thousands	O
of	O
copies	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
year	O
pre-tax	O
profits	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
exceeded	O
$	O
6,000,000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
late	O
1994	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
simultaneous	O
success	O
of	O
best	O
seller	O
Myst	B-Application
(	O
1993	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
early	O
learner	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
had	O
given	O
the	B-General_Concept
relatively	O
small	O
Broderbund	O
dominance	O
in	O
two	O
market	O
segments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
's	O
success	O
allowed	O
it	O
to	O
continue	O
marketing	O
to	O
a	O
mass	O
consumer	O
base	O
,	O
publishing	O
software	O
for	O
entertainment	O
,	O
education	O
,	O
and	O
home	O
management	O
;	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
also	O
offered	O
a	O
creatively	O
free	O
environment	O
for	O
its	O
programmers	O
who	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
push	O
the	B-General_Concept
boundaries	O
of	O
computer	O
programming	O
through	O
titles	O
like	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM	B-Device
series	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
would	O
see	O
an	O
ongoing	O
release	O
of	O
new	O
titles	O
and	O
would	O
continue	O
to	O
have	O
respective	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
first	O
quarter	O
of	O
1995	O
saw	O
Broderbund	O
mark	O
an	O
initial	O
contribution	O
of	O
$1.7	O
million	O
in	O
nonoperating	O
income	O
from	O
its	O
50	O
percent	O
interest	O
in	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
1995	O
,	O
Rambabu	O
(	O
Bobby	O
)	O
Yarlagadda	O
was	O
appointed	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
position	O
of	O
vice	O
president	O
and	O
chief	O
financial	O
officer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	B-General_Concept
fiscal	O
1995	O
year	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
grew	O
approximately	O
50%	O
primarily	O
due	O
to	O
expansion	O
of	O
product	O
lines	O
and	O
contributed	O
13%	O
to	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
fiscal	O
1995	O
revenue	O
,	O
more	O
than	O
Carmen	B-Device
Sandiego	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
became	O
profitable	O
and	O
continued	O
to	O
expand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
December	O
1996	O
saw	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Ham	O
the	B-General_Concept
6th	O
best-selling	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Home	O
Education	O
(	O
MS-DOS/Windows	O
)	O
category	O
,	O
while	O
Dr.	O
Seuss’	O
ABC/Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Ham	O
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
8th	O
best-selling	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Home	O
Education	O
(	O
Macintosh	O
)	O
category	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
October	O
1996	O
to	O
January	O
30	O
,	O
1997	O
,	O
a	O
promotional	O
campaign	O
was	O
run	O
in	O
French	O
magazine	O
SVM	O
where	O
readers	O
could	O
collect	O
a	O
Broderbund-Living	O
Books	O
loyalty	O
card	O
by	O
finding	O
all	O
the	B-General_Concept
products	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
Broderbund	O
and	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
ranges	O
and	O
win	O
numerous	O
prizes	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
demo	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
to	O
Myst	B-Application
or	O
two	O
educational	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
No	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
2	O
with	O
12%	O
of	O
market	O
share	O
for	O
educational	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
in	O
December	O
1999	O
,	O
behind	O
Disney	O
's	O
13.2	O
%	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
credits	O
to	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
's	O
ABC	O
lists	O
over	O
100	O
names	O
,	O
including	O
additional	O
departments	O
like	O
musicians	O
and	O
choreographers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
had	O
a	O
Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Hamulator	O
Scavenger	O
Hunt	O
on	O
their	O
website	O
,	O
with	O
36	O
parts	O
scattered	O
across	O
the	B-General_Concept
Internet	O
;	O
the	B-General_Concept
winners	O
were	O
awarded	O
prizes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
company	O
would	O
grow	O
to	O
100	O
people	O
and	O
produced	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
20	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Trouble	O
was	O
brewing	O
;	O
from	O
1994	O
to	O
1995	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
competition	O
limited	O
retail	O
display	O
space	O
and	O
drove	O
down	O
"	O
family	O
entertainment	O
"	O
product	O
prices	O
by	O
more	O
than	O
11	O
percent	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	B-General_Concept
time	O
,	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
"	O
trend	O
toward	O
familiar	O
characters	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jason	O
Lippe	O
,	O
general	O
manager	O
at	O
multimedia	O
educational	O
store	O
Learningsmith	O
,	O
opined	O
that	O
newer	O
educational	O
programs	O
were	O
more	O
successful	O
in	O
capturing	O
children	O
's	O
interest	O
because	O
they	O
were	O
based	O
upon	O
characters	O
the	B-General_Concept
children	O
already	O
know	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
primarily	O
sourced	O
material	O
from	O
classic	O
literature	O
including	O
traditional	O
tales	O
like	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
,	O
and	O
enduring	O
children	O
's	O
picture	O
books	O
from	O
well-known	O
authors	O
such	O
as	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
's	O
Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Ham	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Device
Cat	I-Device
in	I-Device
the	I-Device
Hat	I-Device
was	O
released	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
40th	O
anniversary	O
year	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
original	O
book	O
's	O
publication	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
24	O
,	O
1994	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
acquired	O
worldwide	O
media	O
rights	O
to	O
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
 '	O
First	O
Time	O
Books	O
series	O
from	O
authors	O
Stan	O
and	O
Jan	O
Berenstain	O
;	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
rights	O
were	O
owned	O
by	O
Random	O
House	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
sought	O
to	O
secure	O
the	B-General_Concept
rights	O
to	O
stories	O
that	O
had	O
already	O
seen	O
"	O
success	O
and	O
acceptance	O
"	O
among	O
teachers	O
,	O
parents	O
,	O
and	O
publishers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stories	O
like	O
those	O
of	O
Mercer	O
Mayer	O
had	O
been	O
"	O
well	O
received	O
"	O
by	O
children	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
interest	O
in	O
adapting	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
material	O
touched	O
upon	O
ideas	O
familiar	O
to	O
children	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
in	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
Get	O
in	O
a	O
Fight	O
,	O
where	O
two	O
kids	O
squabble	O
and	O
their	O
parents	O
try	O
to	O
deal	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
problem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Animation	O
World	O
Network	O
named	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
as	O
a	O
series	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
1996	O
–	O
7	O
season	O
that	O
"hope[d]	O
to	O
cash	O
in	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
success	O
of	O
existing	O
animated	O
properties	O
"	O
,	O
alongside	O
Fox	O
Interactive	O
's	O
Anastasia	B-Application
:	I-Application
Adventures	I-Application
with	I-Application
Pooka	I-Application
and	I-Application
Bartok	I-Application
and	O
THQ	O
's	O
PlayStation	O
action	O
game	O
,	O
Ghost	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
Shell	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
,	O
Mark	O
Schlicting	O
was	O
going	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
Noddy	O
book	O
instead	O
of	O
this	O
one	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
loved	O
the	B-General_Concept
Arthur	O
story	O
so	O
much	O
that	O
he	O
decided	O
to	O
stick	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
latter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
thumb|302x302px|Living	O
Books	O
sourced	O
most	O
of	O
their	O
material	O
from	O
popular	O
children	O
's	O
books	O
,	O
though	O
they	O
also	O
adapted	O
the	B-General_Concept
classic	O
Aesop	O
's	O
(	O
pictured	O
)	O
fable	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
first	O
original	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
game	O
that	O
was	O
not	O
based	O
on	O
any	O
existing	O
books	O
featured	O
a	O
modernized	O
edition	O
of	O
Aesop	O
's	O
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
fable	O
focusing	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
'	O
slow	O
and	O
steady	O
wins	O
the	B-General_Concept
race	O
 '	O
moral	O
;	O
this	O
story	O
was	O
retold	O
by	O
Schlichting	O
and	O
illustrated	O
by	O
Michael	O
Dashow	O
&	O
Barbara	O
Lawrence-Webster	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ruff	B-Application
's	I-Application
Bone	I-Application
was	O
second	O
original	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
story	O
,	O
born	O
from	O
a	O
collaboration	O
between	O
Broderbund	O
and	O
(	O
Colossal	O
)	O
Pictures	O
 '	O
New	O
Media	O
Division	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
co-produced	O
by	O
(	O
Colossal	O
)	O
Pictures	O
and	O
written	O
by	O
(	O
Colossal	O
)	O
Pictures	O
head	O
Eli	O
Noyes	O
;	O
featuring	O
a	O
dog	O
in	O
search	O
of	O
his	O
bone	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
was	O
creative	O
directed	O
by	O
Noyes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
produced	O
for	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
by	O
an	O
external	O
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Noyes	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
upon	O
its	O
1992	O
release	O
,	O
having	O
realised	O
that	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
perfect	O
modern-day	O
medium	O
for	O
all	O
my	O
previous	O
experience	O
creating	O
children	O
's	O
projects	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Contrary	O
to	O
paper	O
publishing	O
projects	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
team	O
learnt	O
that	O
interactive	O
storytelling	O
relies	O
more	O
on	O
collaboration	O
like	O
in	O
film	O
production	O
,	O
and	O
appreciated	O
the	B-General_Concept
democratic	O
decision-making	O
culture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
1994	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
previewed	O
Ruff	B-Application
's	I-Application
Bone	I-Application
at	O
COMDEX	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
(	O
Colossal	O
)	O
Pictures	O
would	O
lay	O
off	O
one-third	O
of	O
its	O
staff	O
in	O
1996	O
;	O
Wild	O
Brain	O
,	O
which	O
largely	O
consisted	O
of	O
ex-employees	O
from	O
(	O
Colossal	O
)	O
Pictures	O
,	O
would	O
be	O
contracted	O
by	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
to	O
work	O
on	O
Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Ham	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
third	O
original	O
story	O
Harry	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Haunted	O
House	O
,	O
was	O
written	O
by	O
Schlichting	O
himself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Convinced	O
that	O
his	O
concept	O
for	O
electronic	O
books	O
would	O
work	O
,	O
he	O
had	O
written	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
in	O
1988	O
specifically	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
computer	O
but	O
never	O
published	O
it	O
in	O
paper	O
form	O
until	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
version	O
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
when	O
I	O
first	O
wrote	O
Harry	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Haunted	O
House	O
,	O
I	O
wanted	O
to	O
allow	O
kids	O
to	O
go	O
inside	O
the	B-General_Concept
pages	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
storybook	O
and	O
play	O
along	O
with	O
Harry	O
and	O
his	O
friends	O
as	O
they	O
overcome	O
their	O
imaginations	O
while	O
exploring	O
the	B-General_Concept
old	O
house	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1994	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
Peep	O
Show	O
creator	O
Kaj	O
Pindal	O
met	O
with	O
Schon	O
regarding	O
the	B-General_Concept
characters	O
and	O
films	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Peep	O
franchise	O
(	O
which	O
began	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
1962	O
short	O
film	O
The	B-General_Concept
Peep	O
Show	O
)	O
to	O
be	O
adapted	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM	B-Device
format	O
,	O
eventually	O
securing	O
a	O
publisher	O
's	O
contract	O
,	O
with	O
advance	O
payment	O
against	O
royalties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pindal	O
began	O
to	O
work	O
with	O
Derek	O
Lamb	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
prototype	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
summer	O
of	O
1996	O
,	O
though	O
the	B-General_Concept
project	O
would	O
eventually	O
be	O
cancelled	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
development	O
team	O
were	O
committed	O
to	O
,	O
as	O
often	O
as	O
possible	O
,	O
working	O
closely	O
with	O
each	O
author	O
to	O
ensure	O
a	O
faithful	O
rendering	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
original	O
story	O
and	O
its	O
intent	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
were	O
complete	O
,	O
animated	O
renditions	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
highly	O
edited	O
and	O
abridged	O
versions	O
"	O
from	O
other	O
companies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Museum	O
Guide	O
comments	O
,	O
"	O
it	O
's	O
no	O
coincidence	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
books	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
corresponding	O
software	O
are	O
both	O
popular	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
use	O
of	O
a	O
popular	O
character	O
like	O
Arthur	O
gave	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Computer	O
Adventure	O
"	O
significant	O
shelf	O
and	O
package	O
appeal	O
to	O
kids	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
page	O
illustrations	O
generally	O
replicated	O
those	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Stellaluna	O
,	O
a	O
story	O
by	O
Janell	O
Cannon	O
about	O
a	O
young	O
fruit	O
bat	O
who	O
becomes	O
separated	O
from	O
her	O
mother	O
,	O
varied	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
source	O
material	O
through	O
its	O
language	O
,	O
visual	O
perspectives	O
,	O
images	O
,	O
and	O
animations	O
which	O
affected	O
the	B-General_Concept
orientation	O
,	O
social	O
distance	O
,	O
and	O
tone	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reframing	O
research	O
and	O
literacy	O
pedagogy	O
relating	O
to	O
CD	O
narratives	O
writes	O
that	O
when	O
a	O
character	O
queries	O
Stellaluna	O
's	O
unusual	O
behaviours	O
,	O
they	O
gaze	O
directly	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
reader	O
and	O
demand	O
an	O
interpersonal	O
engagement	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
reader	O
,	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
version	O
where	O
the	B-General_Concept
character	O
's	O
gaze	O
is	O
directed	O
at	O
Stellaluna	O
as	O
an	O
offer	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
reader	O
looks	O
on	O
with	O
interpersonal	O
detachment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
narrated	O
,	O
highlighted	O
,	O
and	O
clickable	O
text	O
is	O
identical	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
,	O
though	O
the	B-General_Concept
characters	O
sometimes	O
have	O
"	O
conversational	O
asides	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
said	O
"	O
our	O
relationship	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
authors	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
original	O
books	O
was	O
that	O
we	O
would	O
be	O
taking	O
their	O
babies	O
,	O
their	O
stories	O
,	O
their	O
characters	O
,	O
and	O
bring	O
them	O
over	O
into	O
animated	O
media	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
time	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
(	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
1992	O
release	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Teacher	O
Trouble	O
predated	O
the	B-General_Concept
popular	O
TV	O
series	O
by	O
four	O
years	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
digital	O
outing	O
for	O
Mercer	O
Mayer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
asserts	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
designer	O
to	O
digital	O
life	O
the	B-General_Concept
works	O
of	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
,	O
Marc	O
Brown	O
,	O
Stan	O
and	O
Jan	O
Beranstain	O
,	O
Mercer	O
Meyer	O
,	O
and	O
Jack	O
Prelutsky	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
said	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
two	O
titles	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
Get	O
in	O
a	O
Fight	O
(	O
1995	O
)	O
and	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Dark	O
(	O
1996	O
)	O
were	O
preceded	O
by	O
several	O
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
titles	O
released	O
by	O
Compton	O
New	O
Media	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlicting	O
observed	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
often	O
had	O
a	O
"	O
profound	O
effect	O
"	O
on	O
their	O
original	O
authors	O
;	O
upon	O
seeing	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Teacher	O
Trouble	O
,	O
Marc	O
Brown	O
said	O
it	O
"change[d]	O
the	B-General_Concept
way	O
he	O
thinks	O
about	O
books	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
from	O
then	O
on	O
he	O
wrote	O
books	O
with	O
animation	O
and	O
interaction	O
in	O
mind	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kevin	O
Henkes	O
,	O
creator	O
of	O
Sheila	O
Rae	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Brave	O
,	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
for	O
someone	O
who	O
does	O
n't	O
own	O
a	O
computer	O
,	O
having	O
one	O
of	O
my	O
stories	O
on	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
is	O
amazing	O
...	O
I	O
realize	O
that	O
developing	O
children	O
's	O
software	O
is	O
very	O
different	O
from	O
telling	O
a	O
story	O
in	O
a	O
traditional	O
book	O
format	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
appreciate	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
commitment	O
to	O
quality	O
and	O
deep	O
concern	O
for	O
its	O
audience	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stan	O
Berenstain	O
,	O
co-creator	O
of	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
,	O
said	O
of	O
their	O
digital	O
adaption	O
,	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
team	O
from	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
understands	O
how	O
important	O
humor	O
and	O
great	O
visuals	O
are	O
in	O
communicating	O
information	O
to	O
children	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
spending	O
months	O
on	O
a	O
prototype	O
for	O
New	O
Kid	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Block	O
,	O
Schlicting	O
presented	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactive	O
version	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
author	O
Jack	O
Prelutsky	O
;	O
afterwards	O
he	O
turned	O
to	O
Schlicting	O
and	O
exclaimed	O
,	O
"	O
Will	O
you	O
marry	O
me	O
?	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Geisel	O
expressed	O
initial	O
concerns	O
about	O
the	B-General_Concept
quality	O
and	O
wanted	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
adaptions	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
absolutely	O
line-proof	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
books	O
"	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
relented	O
that	O
her	O
husband	O
would	O
be	O
"	O
enchanted	O
"	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
interactive	O
personal	O
creative	O
possibilities	O
"	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
new	O
form	O
of	O
communication	O
offered	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
supportive	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
hidden	O
learning	O
process	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Of	O
Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Ham	O
,	O
she	O
commented	O
,	O
"	O
I	O
am	O
delighted	O
,	O
as	O
I	O
know	O
Ted	O
would	O
be	O
,	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
conversion	O
of	O
his	O
most	O
popular	O
book	O
onto	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
by	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
was	O
Mercer	O
's	O
first	O
attempt	O
at	O
marrying	O
the	B-General_Concept
printed	O
book	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
computer	O
into	O
an	O
educational	O
and	O
entertaining	O
experience	O
for	O
children	O
;	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
's	O
success	O
he	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
It	O
was	O
kind	O
of	O
a	O
surprise	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
thumb|246x246px|The	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
series	I-Application
became	O
especially	O
popular	O
with	O
autistic	O
children	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
a	O
call	O
by	O
Alliance	O
for	O
Technology	O
Access	O
(	O
ATA	O
)	O
for	O
software	O
companies	O
to	O
design	O
products	O
that	O
were	O
accessible	O
to	O
users	O
with	O
disabilities	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
stated	O
their	O
commitment	O
to	O
addressing	O
accessibility	O
issues	O
by	O
designing	O
interactive	O
,	O
animated	O
storybooks	O
for	O
all	O
children	O
,	O
regardless	O
of	O
their	O
ability	O
levels	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
"	O
broaden	O
its	O
scope	O
of	O
access	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
collaborated	O
with	O
Alliance	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
design	O
process	O
,	O
inviting	O
them	O
to	O
test	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
software	O
with	O
various	O
assistive	O
devices	O
including	O
screen	O
enlargement	O
programs	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
inLarge	O
,	O
and	O
alternative	O
keyboard	O
access	O
programs	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
IntelliKeys	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Closed-captioned	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
were	O
virtually	O
non-existent	O
by	O
1996	O
and	O
there	O
was	O
n't	O
an	O
organized	O
effort	O
to	O
encourage	O
multimedia	O
companies	O
to	O
provide	O
subtitles	O
for	O
plot-intensive	O
products	O
;	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
mostly	O
circumvented	O
this	O
by	O
displaying	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
text	O
on	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
23	O
products	O
including	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
titles	O
went	O
through	O
the	B-General_Concept
Alliance	O
testing	O
process	O
,	O
and	O
Alliance	O
created	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
Broderbund	O
products	O
that	O
could	O
be	O
accessed	O
with	O
each	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
resulted	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
incorporation	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
ability	O
to	O
enlarge	O
the	B-General_Concept
standard	O
size	O
of	O
print	O
and	O
graphics	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
option	O
of	O
using	O
voice	O
commands	O
instead	O
of	O
keystrokes	O
or	O
a	O
mouse	O
,	O
thereby	O
assisting	O
users	O
to	O
access	O
the	B-General_Concept
'	O
read	O
aloud	O
 '	O
mode	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
settings	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1995	O
the	B-General_Concept
ATA	O
released	O
a	O
short	O
promotional	O
video	O
,	O
Quality	O
of	O
Life	O
:	O
Alliance	O
for	O
Technology	O
Access	O
;	O
production	O
costs	O
were	O
underwritten	O
by	O
IBM	O
's	O
Special	O
Needs	O
Systems	O
with	O
help	O
from	O
past	O
ATA	O
supporters	O
including	O
Broderbund	O
and	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ray	O
worked	O
with	O
companies	O
that	O
adapted	O
the	B-General_Concept
products	O
for	O
use	O
on	O
special	O
keyboards	O
designed	O
for	O
children	O
who	O
had	O
problems	O
using	O
a	O
standard	O
mouse	O
to	O
interact	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
stories	O
(	O
cerebral	O
palsy	O
,	O
muscular	O
dystrophy	O
,	O
autism	O
,	O
learning	O
delays	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
became	O
"	O
especially	O
popular	O
with	O
autistic	O
children	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
1997	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
donated	O
four	O
pieces	O
of	O
software	O
to	O
The	B-General_Concept
Children	O
's	O
Trust	O
after	O
attending	O
a	O
Children	O
's	O
Head	O
Injury	O
Trust	O
awareness	O
week	O
and	O
learning	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
Trust	O
had	O
donated	O
a	O
Compaq	B-Device
Presario	I-Device
computer	O
;	O
children	O
with	O
limited	O
abilities	O
played	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
via	O
a	O
tracking	O
system	O
produced	O
by	O
Scope	O
's	O
Microtechnology	O
Services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
move	O
was	O
praised	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
facility	O
's	O
cognitive	O
remediation	O
and	O
recreational/rehabilitation	O
departments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
created	O
the	B-General_Concept
division	O
Little	O
Ark	O
Interactive	O
as	O
a	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
imprint	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
project	O
was	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
direction	O
of	O
Doug	O
Carlston	O
,	O
co-founder	O
and	O
CEO	O
of	O
Broderbund	O
,	O
whose	O
father	O
had	O
been	O
a	O
priest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
joint	O
venture	O
's	O
new	O
division	O
was	O
created	O
to	O
develop	O
and	O
sell	O
children	O
's	O
titles	O
based	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Old	O
Testament	O
,	O
a	O
niche	O
market	O
with	O
competitors	O
like	O
Compton	O
's	O
New	O
Media	O
product	O
Children	O
's	O
Bible	O
Stories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Little	O
Ark	O
Interactive	O
then	O
sought	O
out	O
Red	O
Rubber	O
Ball	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
multimedia	O
division	O
of	O
Atlanta-based	O
Christian	O
television	O
and	O
interactive	O
music	O
video	O
producer	O
The	B-General_Concept
Nicholas	O
Frank	O
Company	O
,	O
to	O
develop	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
1996	O
,	O
Red	O
Rubber	O
Ball	O
,	O
signed	O
a	O
licensing	O
agreement	O
with	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
to	O
develop	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
titles	O
under	O
Red	O
Rubber	O
Ball	O
's	O
children	O
's	O
label	O
Little	O
Works	O
to	O
be	O
published	O
under	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
new	O
Little	O
Ark	O
Interactive	O
imprint	O
;	O
Red	O
Rubber	O
Ball	O
completed	O
writing	O
,	O
art	O
,	O
and	O
advisory	O
board	O
duties	O
while	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
with	O
special	O
effects	O
,	O
programming	O
,	O
and	O
marketing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Little	O
Works'''	O
The	B-General_Concept
Story	O
of	O
Creation	O
and	O
Little	O
Works	O
 '	O
Daniel	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Lion	O
's	O
Den	O
,	O
adapted	O
biblical-themed	O
Old	O
Testament	O
stories	O
through	O
"	O
art	O
,	O
music	O
and	O
characterizations	O
"	O
,	O
were	O
developed	O
under	O
the	B-General_Concept
direction	O
of	O
members	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
original	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
scripts	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
two	O
stories	O
were	O
written	O
by	O
children	O
's	O
author	O
Ruth	O
Tiller	O
while	O
musician	O
Mark	O
Aramian	O
created	O
compositions	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
two	O
stories	O
were	O
released	O
on	O
January	O
28	O
,	O
1997	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
of	O
a	O
planned	O
series	O
of	O
five	O
or	O
six	O
religious	O
titles	O
to	O
be	O
completed	O
throughout	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
ensure	O
they	O
reached	O
the	B-General_Concept
broadest	O
possible	O
audience	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM	B-Device
titles	O
were	O
screened	O
by	O
a	O
multi-denominational	O
panel	O
of	O
religious	O
experts	O
that	O
included	O
a	O
rabbi	O
,	O
two	O
pastors	O
and	O
a	O
theologian	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Little	O
Ark	O
Interactive	O
anticipated	O
a	O
huge	O
market	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
Bible	O
was	O
still	O
a	O
best-seller	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
United	O
States	O
centuries	O
after	O
its	O
first	O
publication	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
people	O
of	O
Jewish	O
,	O
Christian	O
and	O
Islamic	O
faith	O
all	O
looked	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
Old	O
Testament	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Little	O
Ark	O
also	O
aimed	O
to	O
tap	O
into	O
nonreligious	O
and	O
non-denominational	O
families	O
who	O
wanted	O
to	O
teach	O
their	O
children	O
about	O
the	B-General_Concept
Bible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
began	O
to	O
face	O
growing	O
competition	O
from	O
Disney	O
Interactive	O
(	O
Disney	B-Application
's	I-Application
Animated	I-Application
Storybook	I-Application
)	O
and	O
Microsoft	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
animated	O
storybook	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
companies	O
flooded	O
retail	O
outlets	O
with	O
low-cost	O
titles	O
,	O
reducing	O
the	B-General_Concept
market	O
value	O
from	O
$60	O
–	O
70	O
to	O
$30	O
–	O
40	O
off	O
an	O
$8	O
cost	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
difficult	O
to	O
complete	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
same	O
price	O
point	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
sales	O
dropped	O
while	O
costs	O
increased	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Little	O
Ark	O
Interactive	O
products	O
entered	O
the	B-General_Concept
market	O
at	O
around	O
$20	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
became	O
pressured	O
to	O
produce	O
games	O
at	O
a	O
faster	O
pace	O
while	O
retaining	O
their	O
superior	O
level	O
of	O
quality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
continued	O
into	O
fiscal	O
year	O
1997	O
,	O
where	O
the	B-General_Concept
market	O
for	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
children	O
's	O
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
continued	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
intensely	O
competitive	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
resulted	O
in	O
average	O
selling	O
prices	O
being	O
pushed	O
down	O
;	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
had	O
competitors	O
with	O
access	O
to	O
proprietary	O
intellectual	O
property	O
content	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
financial	O
resources	O
to	O
leverage	O
branded	O
media	O
through	O
film	O
and	O
TV	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Media	O
companies	O
began	O
leaving	O
the	B-General_Concept
multimedia	O
business	O
or	O
downsized	O
;	O
GTE	O
Entertainment	O
announced	O
it	O
would	O
shut	O
down	O
in	O
March	O
1997	O
,	O
while	O
Disney	O
Interactive	O
,	O
Philips	O
Interactive	O
,	O
and	O
Viacom	O
NewMedia	O
cut	O
jobs	O
and	O
even	O
entire	O
divisions	O
to	O
save	O
money	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Publishing	O
houses	O
that	O
had	O
previous	O
entered	O
the	B-General_Concept
multimedia	O
business	O
were	O
forced	O
to	O
downsizing	O
their	O
operations	O
or	O
exit	O
the	B-General_Concept
industry	O
entirely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
state	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM	B-Device
industry	O
was	O
often	O
put	O
down	O
to	O
"	O
inflated	O
prices	O
,	O
mediocre	O
titles	O
,	O
incompatibilities	O
and	O
bugs	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Salon	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
financial	O
struggle	O
of	O
even	O
a	O
reputable	O
company	O
like	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
demonstrated	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
current	O
woes	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
multimedia	O
b[usiness]	O
 "	O
could	O
n't	O
be	O
"	O
blamed	O
simply	O
on	O
bad	O
products	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schon	O
suggested	O
that	O
despite	O
the	B-General_Concept
children	O
's	O
software	O
segment	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactive	O
multimedia	O
industry	O
growing	O
by	O
18	O
percent	O
in	O
1996	O
,	O
with	O
total	O
revenues	O
near	O
$500	O
million	O
,	O
there	O
were	O
too	O
many	O
publishers	O
to	O
share	O
the	B-General_Concept
target	O
market	O
,	O
and	O
too	O
many	O
products	O
fighting	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
very	O
limited	O
shelf	O
space	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
two	O
quarters	O
of	O
1996	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
product	O
line	O
including	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
series	I-Application
amounted	O
to	O
9	O
percent	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
market	O
share	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
September	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
Daily	O
News	O
asserted	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
series	I-Application
was	O
"	O
currently	O
not	O
making	O
money	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Even	O
more	O
concerning	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
,	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
rapid	O
growth	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Internet	O
presented	O
a	O
profound	O
disruption	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
basic	O
production	O
model	O
"	O
as	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
growing	O
belief	O
that	O
content	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
internet	O
should	O
be	O
free	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
emergence	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
World	O
Wide	O
Web	O
had	O
diverted	O
investment	O
capital	O
and	O
development	O
talent	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM	B-Device
industry	O
and	O
broken	O
its	O
hold	O
on	O
consumers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
explored	O
partnerships	O
with	O
Internet	O
companies	O
such	O
as	O
Netscape	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
proposed	O
a	O
Netscape/Living	O
Books	O
collaboration	O
called	O
Netpal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schon	O
expressed	O
hesitance	O
with	O
exploring	O
web-based	O
titles	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
narrow	O
available	O
bandwidth	O
would	O
have	O
given	O
children	O
a	O
"	O
slow	O
,	O
dull	O
experience	O
"	O
;	O
he	O
was	O
also	O
uncertain	O
what	O
the	B-General_Concept
business	O
model	O
would	O
be	O
in	O
this	O
new	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
April	O
1997	O
a	O
brand	O
new	O
release	O
from	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
could	O
be	O
purchased	O
for	O
as	O
little	O
as	O
$19.95	O
with	O
coupons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Publishers	O
struggled	O
to	O
find	O
the	B-General_Concept
right	O
price	O
point	O
that	O
would	O
entice	O
parents	O
while	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
break	O
even	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
(	O
later	O
known	O
as	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
)	O
had	O
a	O
significant	O
impact	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Throughout	O
the	B-General_Concept
1990s	O
they	O
had	O
a	O
strategy	O
of	O
releasing	O
shovelware	O
discs	O
of	O
freeware	B-License
or	O
shareware	B-License
at	O
very	O
low	O
prices	O
,	O
purchasing	O
edutainment	O
companies	O
through	O
hostile	O
takeovers	O
and	O
reducing	O
them	O
to	O
skeleton	O
staff	O
,	O
while	O
retaining	O
only	O
a	O
small	O
development	O
team	O
to	O
keep	O
cranking	O
out	O
new	O
products	O
;	O
by	O
1998	O
Broderbund	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
few	O
independent	O
companies	O
still	O
standing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FundingUniverse	O
explained	O
,	O
"	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
elimination	O
of	O
elaborate	O
packaging	O
and	O
hard-copy	O
documentation	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
move	O
to	O
jewel-case	O
formats	O
with	O
CD-sized	O
booklets	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
CEO	O
Kevin	O
O'Leary	O
pioneered	O
a	O
budget	O
line	O
of	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
products	O
in	O
1995	O
,	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
's	O
"	O
Platinum	O
"	O
line	O
titles	O
carrying	O
retail	O
list	O
prices	O
of	O
$12.99	O
instead	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
mid-	O
$30	O
range	O
most	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
premiere	O
products	O
carried.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
direct	O
action	O
against	O
Broderbund	O
,	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
bought	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
that	O
made	O
PrintMaster	B-Application
,	O
a	O
rival	O
to	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
best-seller	O
The	B-Application
Print	I-Application
Shop	I-Application
,	O
and	O
sold	O
it	O
for	O
$29.95	O
with	O
a	O
$30	O
refund	O
which	O
Broderbund	O
could	O
n't	O
compete	O
with	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
had	O
a	O
big	O
effect	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
's	O
stock	O
price	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
began	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
defensive	O
strategy	O
of	O
preventing	O
the	B-General_Concept
remaining	O
edutainment	O
companies	O
from	O
being	O
acquired	O
by	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
,	O
a	O
factor	O
that	O
would	O
lead	O
them	O
into	O
re-acquiring	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
climate	O
affected	O
the	B-General_Concept
profit	O
projections	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
–	O
7	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
enlisted	O
Jeff	O
Charvat	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
troubled	O
series	O
and	O
making	O
it	O
work	O
;	O
Charvat	O
"charg[ed]	O
in	O
with	O
answers	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
questions	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
strategy	O
Charvat	O
later	O
admitted	O
"[wa]sn't	O
the	B-General_Concept
way	O
to	O
go	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
17	O
,	O
1997	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
Broderbund	O
and	O
Random	O
House	O
had	O
"	O
reached	O
preliminary	O
agreement	O
on	O
key	O
terms	O
"	O
to	O
transition	O
Random	O
House	O
's	O
stake	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
50	O
–	O
50	O
joint	O
venture	O
to	O
Broderbund	O
in	O
a	O
buy	O
back	O
,	O
though	O
it	O
would	O
need	O
to	O
be	O
approved	O
by	O
each	O
company	O
's	O
Boards	O
of	O
Directors	O
;	O
Random	O
House	O
would	O
continue	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
content	O
partner	O
for	O
future	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Under	O
the	B-General_Concept
new	O
arrangement	O
,	O
Random	O
House	O
would	O
continue	O
to	O
sell	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
via	O
their	O
bookstore	O
channels	O
,	O
help	O
Broderbund	O
acquire	O
content	O
licences	O
for	O
future	O
titles	O
,	O
while	O
royalties	O
would	O
be	O
determined	O
on	O
a	O
case-by-case	O
basis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	B-General_Concept
time	O
,	O
Joe	O
Durrett	O
,	O
Chief	O
Executive	O
Officer	O
of	O
Broderbund	O
noted	O
,	O
"	O
although	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
remains	O
a	O
small	O
portion	O
of	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
revenue	O
,	O
it	O
shares	O
our	O
focus	O
on	O
children	O
's	O
education	O
and	O
will	O
continue	O
to	O
play	O
a	O
central	O
role	O
in	O
educational	O
software	O
development.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Randi	O
Benton	O
,	O
president	O
of	O
Random	O
House	O
New	O
Media	O
,	O
felt	O
that	O
integrating	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
into	O
Broderbund	O
would	O
allow	O
it	O
to	O
better	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
's	O
sales	O
and	O
marketing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
agreement	O
was	O
signed	O
on	O
January	O
20	O
,	O
1997	O
,	O
and	O
Broderbund	O
hinted	O
at	O
a	O
management	O
reshuffle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
this	O
point	O
it	O
was	O
unsure	O
whether	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
would	O
be	O
folded	O
into	O
Broderbund	O
or	O
remain	O
a	O
separate	O
entity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
not	O
uncommon	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
time	O
for	O
book	O
publishers	O
to	O
revise	O
their	O
multimedia	O
strategies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Publishers	O
Weekly	O
attributed	O
their	O
market	O
failure	O
to	O
bookstores	O
,	O
their	O
traditional	O
distribution	O
channels	O
,	O
being	O
hesitant	O
to	O
embrace	O
new	O
media	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
publishers	O
having	O
to	O
fight	O
for	O
shelf	O
space	O
in	O
alternate	O
outlets	O
against	O
established	O
new	O
media	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Random	O
House	O
ultimately	O
sold	O
its	O
shares	O
in	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
back	O
to	O
Broderbund	O
for	O
$9.3	O
million	O
(	O
through	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
cash	O
and	O
restricted	O
stock	O
with	O
an	O
aggregate	O
purchase	O
price	O
of	O
approximately	O
$	O
18,370,000	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
excess	O
purchase	O
price	O
was	O
allocated	O
to	O
in-process	O
technology	O
and	O
charged	O
to	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
operations	O
account	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
time	O
of	O
acquisition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
group	O
became	O
acquired	O
as	O
a	O
wholly	O
owned	O
by	O
Broderbund	O
who	O
subsequently	O
folded	O
the	B-General_Concept
division	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
April	O
1997	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
had	O
reduced	O
the	B-General_Concept
number	O
of	O
titles	O
it	O
released	O
per	O
year	O
,	O
adopted	O
a	O
culture	O
of	O
parsimoniousness	O
,	O
and	O
relied	O
on	O
its	O
"	O
high-quality	O
back-list	O
of	O
classics	O
"	O
to	O
"	O
generate	O
steady	O
income	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
1997	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
halted	O
half	O
its	O
projects	O
and	O
underwent	O
a	O
staff	O
restructuring	O
of	O
which	O
more	O
than	O
half	O
its	O
workforce	O
including	O
Shon	O
were	O
laid	O
off	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
layoffs	O
came	O
after	O
consecutive	O
quarterly	O
losses	O
at	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
's	O
education	O
line	O
of	O
products	O
,	O
which	O
included	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
,	O
decreased	O
approximately	O
8%	O
in	O
fiscal	O
1997	O
as	O
compared	O
to	O
a	O
13%	O
increase	O
in	O
fiscal	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
purchased	O
both	O
Parsons	O
Technology	O
and	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
over	O
fiscal	O
year	O
1997	O
,	O
saw	O
its	O
shares	O
reduce	O
by	O
9.8	O
percent	O
after	O
reporting	O
a	O
second-quarter	O
multimillion-dollar	O
loss	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Channelweb	O
commented	O
that	O
Broderbund	O
had	O
"	O
burnt	O
its	O
fingers	O
"	O
with	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
,	O
which	O
had	O
"	O
turned	O
in	O
a	O
lacklustre	O
performance	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
explained	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
decline	O
in	O
unit	O
sales	O
and	O
net	O
revenues	O
over	O
fiscal	O
1996	O
and	O
fiscal	O
1997	O
as	O
"	O
an	O
increase	O
in	O
operating	O
expenses	O
reflecting	O
higher	O
marketing	O
and	O
development	O
costs	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
pricing	O
pressure	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
August	O
27	O
,	O
1996	O
saw	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
release	O
an	O
interactive	O
website	O
at	O
www.livingbooks.com	O
called	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
Corner	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Universe	O
;	O
Tortoise	O
from	O
"	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
"	O
guided	O
visitors	O
through	O
three	O
planets	O
:	O
the	B-General_Concept
Kids	O
 '	O
Planet	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Grown-Ups	O
'	O
Planet	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Corporate	O
Planet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Narrative	O
Communications	O
,	O
Enliven	O
streaming	O
technology	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
allow	O
demos	O
to	O
be	O
played	O
over	O
the	B-General_Concept
internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
bundled	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
titles	O
in	O
groups	O
of	O
four	O
and	O
re-released	O
them	O
as	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
Libraries	O
and	O
a	O
competitive	O
price	O
point	O
of	O
$30	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
contained	O
"	O
a	O
special	O
bilingual	O
component	O
that	O
includes	O
Spanish	O
versions	O
of	O
selected	O
student	O
reproducible	O
pages	O
and	O
a	O
discussion	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
special	O
needs	O
of	O
second	O
language	O
learners	O
"	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
Alive	O
video	O
demonstrating	O
the	B-General_Concept
practicable	O
application	O
within	O
the	B-General_Concept
classroom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
also	O
released	O
two	O
compilations	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
stories	O
under	O
the	B-General_Concept
line	O
"	O
Three	O
for	O
Me	O
Library	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
first	O
volume	O
contained	O
Sheila	O
Rae	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Brave	O
,	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
,	O
and	O
Little	O
Monster	O
at	O
School	O
,	O
while	O
the	B-General_Concept
second	O
volume	O
contained	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
Get	O
in	O
a	O
Fight	O
,	O
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
,	O
and	O
Harry	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Haunted	O
House	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
2.0	O
also	O
featured	O
a	O
Castilian	O
Spanish	O
dub	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
Latin	O
Spanish	O
dub	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
1.0	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arthur	O
's	O
Computer	O
Adventure	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
August	O
3	O
,	O
1998	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
in	O
a	O
"	O
new	O
evolution	O
"	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
which	O
"	O
fully	O
incorporate[d]	O
storybook	O
and	O
activity	O
center	O
elements	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
year	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
published	O
its	O
last	O
titles	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
based	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Arthur	O
children	O
's	O
book	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
1998	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
offered	O
ICTV	O
,	O
provider	O
of	O
high-speed	O
internet	O
services	O
and	O
interactive	O
multimedia	O
content	O
over	O
cable	O
television	O
networks	O
,	O
selections	O
from	O
a	O
suite	O
of	O
educational	O
and	O
entertainment	O
interactive	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
titles	O
including	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
two	O
years	O
of	O
negotiation	O
,	O
in	O
August	O
1998	O
Brazilian	O
publisher	O
Editora	O
Delta	O
secured	O
a	O
contract	O
to	O
translate	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
of	O
18	O
books	O
into	O
Brazilian-Portuguese	O
(	O
as	O
"	O
Livros	O
Vivos	O
"	O
)	O
;	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
had	O
previously	O
been	O
known	O
as	O
producer	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
encyclopaedia	O
"	O
Koogan	O
Houaiss	O
"	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Mundo	O
da	O
Criança	O
collection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Founded	O
in	O
1930	O
,	O
Delta	O
entered	O
the	B-General_Concept
multimedia	O
industry	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
1990s	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
importation	O
of	O
foreign	O
CD-ROMS	B-Device
;	O
product	O
localisation	O
was	O
necessary	O
for	O
these	O
titles	O
to	O
be	O
successful	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
such	O
Delta	O
employed	O
a	O
translation	O
process	O
that	O
adapted	O
the	B-General_Concept
content	O
,	O
localising	O
references	O
,	O
lip	O
syncing	O
the	B-General_Concept
mouths	O
,	O
and	O
altering	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
text	O
and	O
animation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
phase	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
was	O
launched	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
volumes	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
Livros	O
Vivos	O
"	O
collection	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
child	O
consumer	O
:	O
"	O
Só	O
Vovó	O
e	O
Eu	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Ursinhos	O
Brigões	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Aniversário	O
do	O
Artur	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Stellaluna	O
"	O
,	O
worked	O
on	O
from	O
1994	O
to	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Delta	O
secured	O
Sítio	O
do	O
Pica-Pau	O
Amarelo	O
actress	O
Zilka	O
Sallaberry	O
to	O
narrate	O
the	B-General_Concept
stories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
CD	O
for	O
O	O
Aniversário	O
de	O
Arthur	O
(	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Birthday	O
)	O
was	O
released	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
Spanish	O
and	O
English	O
language	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
1999	O
,	O
Delta	O
would	O
announce	O
the	B-General_Concept
release	O
of	O
Stellaluna	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2002	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
was	O
selling	O
for	O
$9.98	O
at	O
Children	O
's	O
Software	O
Online	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
et	O
al	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
31	O
,	O
1998	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
was	O
bought	O
in	O
a	O
hostile	O
takeover	O
by	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
,	O
in	O
a	O
stock	O
deal	O
of	O
$416	O
million	O
,	O
following	O
many	O
other	O
child-focused	O
companies	O
that	O
were	O
absorbed	O
throughout	O
the	B-General_Concept
decade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
company	O
had	O
been	O
formerly	O
known	O
as	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
until	O
it	O
acquired	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
in	O
1995	O
and	O
took	O
its	O
name	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
became	O
the	B-General_Concept
14th	O
Learning	O
Co	O
.	O
acquisition	O
since	O
1994	O
,	O
and	O
secured	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
40%	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
educational	O
gaming	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
was	O
known	O
for	O
aggressively	O
driving	O
down	O
the	B-General_Concept
development	O
costs	O
of	O
products	O
and	O
laying	O
off	O
employees	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
companies	O
it	O
acquired	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	B-General_Concept
Broderbund	O
brand	O
lived	O
on	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
was	O
disbanded	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
talent	O
found	O
new	O
opportunities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
rights	O
to	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
[	O
and	O
other	O
Broderbund	O
brands ]	O
began	O
to	O
bounce	O
from	O
corporate	O
owner	O
to	O
corporate	O
owner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
re-released	O
some	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1998	O
,	O
D.W.	O
the	B-General_Concept
Picky	O
Eater	O
was	O
upgraded	O
as	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Adventures	O
With	O
D.W.	O
with	O
a	O
new	O
menu	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dr	O
Seuss	O
 '	O
ABC	O
appeared	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
collection	O
Adventure	O
Workshop	O
:	O
Preschool-1st	O
Grade	O
,	O
and	O
Tots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1998-9	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
launched	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
into	O
German	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
released	O
a	O
reworked	O
version	O
of	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Reading	O
Race	O
as	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Reading	O
Games	O
(	O
1997	O
)	O
under	O
their	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
label	O
,	O
which	O
brought	O
the	B-General_Concept
reading	O
games	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
forefront	O
and	O
moved	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactive	O
story	O
to	O
a	O
bonus	O
feature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
13	O
,	O
1999	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
themselves	O
were	O
bought	O
by	O
Mattel	O
for	O
$3.8	O
billion	O
,	O
a	O
company	O
with	O
limited	O
experience	O
with	O
developing	O
software	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
acquisition	O
was	O
part	O
of	O
CEO	O
Jill	O
Barad	O
's	O
strategy	O
to	O
expand	O
Mattel	O
into	O
electronic	O
toys	O
and	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Broderbund	O
brand	O
names	O
were	O
brought	O
under	O
the	B-General_Concept
Mattel	O
Interactive	O
umbrella	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
their	O
1999	O
Annual	O
report	O
,	O
Mattel	O
noted	O
an	O
"	O
incomplete	O
technology	O
writeoff	O
of	O
$20.3	O
million	O
related	O
to	O
products	O
"	O
being	O
developed	O
by	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
,	O
Parsons	O
Technology	O
,	O
and	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
public	O
complaints	O
about	O
privacy	O
,	O
Mattel	O
Interactive	O
announced	O
that	O
starting	O
June	O
2000	O
they	O
would	O
provide	O
a	O
tool	O
that	O
removes	O
Mattel	O
software	O
called	O
Broadcast	O
which	O
was	O
surreptitiously	O
being	O
placed	O
inside	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
and	O
other	O
programs	O
to	O
transmit	O
and	O
receive	O
information	O
to	O
Mattel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broadcast	O
had	O
been	O
named	O
after	O
Broderbund	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
designed	O
the	B-General_Concept
original	O
software	O
as	O
a	O
marketing	O
technique	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
the	B-General_Concept
software	O
ended	O
up	O
discontinued	O
in	O
April	O
when	O
the	B-General_Concept
federal	O
Children	O
's	O
Online	O
Privacy	O
Protection	O
Act	O
went	O
into	O
effect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mattel	O
ended	O
up	O
selling	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
to	O
acquisition	O
and	O
management	O
company	O
The	B-General_Concept
Gores	O
Group	O
for	O
a	O
fraction	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
price	O
they	O
had	O
originally	O
paid	O
for	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mattel	O
's	O
acquisition	O
of	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
has	O
been	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
worst	O
acquisitions	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
"	O
by	O
several	O
prominent	O
business	O
journals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
taking	O
over	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
,	O
Gores	O
divided	O
it	O
into	O
three	O
groups	O
one	O
of	O
which	O
focused	O
on	O
educational	O
software	O
and	O
included	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
brand	O
name	O
;	O
Riverdeep	O
purchased	O
this	O
group	O
in	O
September	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
Riverdeep	O
mergers	O
and	O
acquisitions	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
rights	O
"	O
eventually	O
landed	O
with	O
publisher	O
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Harcourt	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Schlichting	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
turbulent	O
corporate	O
history	O
meant	O
that	O
"	O
many	O
great	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
titles	O
for	O
kids	O
were	O
forgotten	O
while	O
technology	O
and	O
operating	O
systems	O
moved	O
forward.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
asserts	O
that	O
,	O
"	O
for	O
years	O
,	O
former	O
team	O
members	O
and	O
fans	O
wished	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
way	O
"	O
to	O
resurrect	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
and	O
that	O
"	O
several	O
of	O
us	O
looked	O
into	O
it	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
had	O
experienced	O
a	O
"	O
decade	O
of	O
great	O
success	O
"	O
,	O
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Harcourt	O
would	O
not	O
release	O
new	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
stories	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
"	O
languished	O
without	O
updates	O
to	O
newer	O
operating	O
systems	O
for	O
PC	O
and	O
Macs	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multimedia	O
,	O
finding	O
that	O
"	O
young	O
children	O
who	O
did	O
not	O
know	O
how	O
to	O
speak	O
or	O
read	O
the	B-General_Concept
English	O
language	O
became	O
proficient	O
in	O
pronunciation	O
and	O
gained	O
a	O
high	O
level	O
of	O
understanding	O
by	O
playing	O
with	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
thumb|300x300px|Schon	O
was	O
inspired	O
to	O
revive	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
series	I-Application
in	O
2010	O
after	O
observing	O
the	B-General_Concept
capabilities	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
recently	O
released	O
iPad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM	B-Device
market	O
's	O
decline	O
in	O
1997	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
left	O
to	O
oversee	O
creative	O
development	O
for	O
an	O
early	O
online	O
children	O
's	O
network	O
called	O
JuniorNet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2010	O
he	O
presented	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
Dust	O
or	O
Magic	O
AppCamp	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
Panel	O
of	O
Legends	O
"	O
;	O
he	O
would	O
continue	O
to	O
present	O
at	O
these	O
conferences	O
over	O
several	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2010	O
,	O
Mantle	O
had	O
accumulated	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
ex-Broderbund	O
staff	O
at	O
Mantle	O
,	O
and	O
upon	O
the	B-General_Concept
announcement	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
iPad	O
,	O
he	O
felt	O
it	O
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
perfect	O
platform	O
to	O
bring	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
back	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
animation	O
,	O
graphics	O
,	O
sound	O
,	O
and	O
music	O
would	O
be	O
unchanged	O
,	O
and	O
only	O
product	O
platform	O
would	O
be	O
different	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mantle	O
identified	O
that	O
there	O
were	O
currently	O
no	O
products	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
market	O
that	O
were	O
designed	O
for	O
children	O
with	O
autism	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
a	O
key	O
demographic	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
enlisted	O
Axworthy	O
as	O
Senior	O
Systems	O
Architect	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
prototype	O
using	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
existing	O
assets	O
which	O
could	O
run	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
new	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
he	O
contacted	O
Baker	O
to	O
help	O
deduce	O
who	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
CD-ROM	B-Device
asset	O
rights	O
belonged	O
to	O
and	O
how	O
best	O
to	O
license	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
pair	O
worked	O
out	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
rights	O
were	O
owned	O
by	O
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Harcourt	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mantle	O
informed	O
Schlichting	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
"	O
getting	O
the	B-General_Concept
band	O
back	O
together	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
Schlichting	O
offered	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
"	O
requirements	O
and	O
suggestions	O
for	O
enhancing	O
the	B-General_Concept
products	O
"	O
after	O
reviewing	O
the	B-General_Concept
prototype	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
was	O
ultimately	O
brought	O
onto	O
the	B-General_Concept
project	O
as	O
Chief	O
Creative	O
Officer	O
,	O
as	O
was	O
Siegel	O
who	O
resumed	O
his	O
role	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ray	O
was	O
brought	O
back	O
to	O
update	O
the	B-General_Concept
materials	O
for	O
classroom	O
teachers	O
that	O
she	O
developed	O
initially	O
for	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
being	O
asked	O
to	O
return	O
,	O
graphic	O
technician	O
Rob	O
Bell	O
was	O
"	O
thankful	O
"	O
that	O
Mantle	O
had	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
resources	O
and	O
means	O
and	O
motivation	O
"	O
to	O
do	O
this	O
project	O
,	O
which	O
he	O
saw	O
as	O
"	O
bringing	O
these	O
products	O
back	O
to	O
life	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mantle	O
reached	O
out	O
to	O
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Harcourt	O
,	O
and	O
succeeded	O
in	O
acquiring	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
CD-ROM	B-Device
rights	O
and	O
assets	O
from	O
John	O
Bartlett	O
the	B-General_Concept
VP	O
,	O
Licensing	O
Consumer	O
Products	O
and	O
Solutions	O
,	O
who	O
used	O
to	O
work	O
at	O
The	B-General_Concept
Learning	I-General_Concept
Company	I-General_Concept
and	O
knew	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
as	O
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Harcourt	O
had	O
let	O
the	B-General_Concept
digital	O
rights	O
–	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
children	O
's	O
books	O
on	O
which	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
were	O
based	O
–	O
lapse	O
,	O
Mantle	O
would	O
have	O
to	O
secure	O
the	B-General_Concept
digital	O
publishing	O
rights	O
directly	O
from	O
each	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
authors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
receiving	O
a	O
mix	O
of	O
enthusiasm	O
and	O
skepticism	O
from	O
ex-Broderbund	O
founder	O
and	O
CEO	O
Doug	O
Carlston	O
,	O
he	O
enlisted	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
ex-Broderbund	O
staff	O
to	O
build	O
the	B-General_Concept
technology	O
and	O
data	O
assets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
Mantle	O
sought	O
to	O
secure	O
the	B-General_Concept
rights	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
authors	O
,	O
a	O
process	O
that	O
would	O
prove	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
almost	O
more	O
effort	O
than	O
producing	O
the	B-General_Concept
updated	O
products	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
digital	O
licenses	O
for	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
,	O
some	O
titles	O
from	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
,	O
and	O
Little	O
Critter	O
were	O
obtained	O
by	O
Oceanhouse	O
Media	O
,	O
who	O
owned	O
all	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactive	B-Application
storybook	I-Application
game	O
rights	O
and	O
had	O
created	O
their	O
own	O
iOS	B-Application
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
late	O
2011	O
,	O
Mantle	O
had	O
successfully	O
secured	O
the	B-General_Concept
exclusive	O
rights	O
to	O
all	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
storybook	O
assets	O
from	O
HMH	O
and	O
most	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
author	O
's	O
publishing	O
rights	O
,	O
and	O
began	O
active	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Harcourt	O
had	O
allowed	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
content	O
to	O
be	O
re-published	O
so	O
long	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
name	O
remained	O
theirs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
now	O
owned	O
the	B-General_Concept
'	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
brand	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
name	O
was	O
needed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
team	O
decided	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
new	O
monikor	O
while	O
including	O
an	O
attribution	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
stories	O
were	O
“	O
originally	O
published	O
as	O
a	O
Living	O
Book	O
by	O
Broderbund	O
Software	O
”	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
logo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
being	O
presented	O
with	O
30	O
potential	O
names	O
by	O
Anthony	O
Shore	O
,	O
Chief	O
Operative	O
of	O
branding	O
agency	O
Operative	O
Words	O
at	O
a	O
preliminary	O
screening	O
,	O
Wanderful	O
Interactive	B-Application
Storybooks	I-Application
was	O
chosen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
new	O
name	O
is	O
related	O
to	O
"	O
wonderful	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
wandering	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
games	O
"	O
about	O
being	O
inside	O
storybooks	O
,	O
exploring	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
magic	O
of	O
it	O
all	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wanderful	O
describes	O
the	B-General_Concept
books	O
 '	O
"full[ness]	O
of	O
joy	O
"	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
invitation	O
to	O
explore	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
free-form	O
play	O
"	O
from	O
their	O
"	O
expansive	O
and	O
non-linear	O
interactivity	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
their	O
"	O
whimsy	O
and	O
curiosity	O
,	O
delight	O
and	O
enrichment	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wanderful	O
's	O
aim	O
was	O
to	O
"	O
reinvent	O
and	O
reintroduce	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
titles	O
for	O
young	O
and	O
emerging	O
readers	O
(	O
and	O
their	O
families	O
)	O
everywhere	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
thumb|350x350px|20	O
years	O
after	O
their	O
release	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
''	O
Living	O
Books''	O
assets	O
were	O
extracted	O
from	O
customer	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
copies	O
,	O
and	O
arranged	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
''	O
Wanderful''	O
app	O
platform	O
with	O
improved	O
interactivity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
team	O
had	O
a	O
significant	O
hurdle	O
to	O
overcome	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
next	O
stage	O
of	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
they	O
had	O
secured	O
the	B-General_Concept
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Harcourt	O
rights	O
to	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
assets	O
were	O
not	O
readily	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	O
's	O
documentation	O
,	O
scripts	O
,	O
source	O
code	O
,	O
and	O
product	O
assets	O
(	O
graphics	O
,	O
animations	O
,	O
sound	O
,	O
and	O
music	O
files	O
)	O
had	O
been	O
saved	O
onto	O
a	O
set	O
of	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
and	O
placed	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
's	O
product	O
archives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
turbulent	O
company	O
history	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
turn	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
millennium	O
led	O
to	O
much	O
of	O
this	O
archive	O
being	O
lost	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
master	O
archives	O
of	O
assets	O
were	O
created	O
by	O
acquiring	O
customer	O
copies	O
of	O
original	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
products	O
to	O
extract	O
the	B-General_Concept
files	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROMs	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Axworthy	O
identified	O
not	O
having	O
the	B-General_Concept
source	O
code	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
biggest	O
challenge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
the	B-General_Concept
assets	O
were	O
retrieved	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
still	O
required	O
significant	O
modifications	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
optimise	O
their	O
"	O
interaction	O
and	O
responsiveness	O
"	O
;	O
this	O
involved	O
reprogramming	O
how	O
user	O
interactions	O
would	O
be	O
interpreted	O
as	O
actions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
page	O
introductions	O
and	O
animated	O
sequences	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
be	O
interruptible	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
key	O
to	O
making	O
the	B-General_Concept
product	O
work	O
on	O
tablets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wanderful	O
added	O
settings	O
to	O
allow	O
the	B-General_Concept
parent	O
or	O
teacher	O
to	O
"	O
modify	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactivity	O
to	O
customize	O
the	B-General_Concept
mode	O
of	O
operation	O
"	O
to	O
be	O
appropriate	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
child	O
,	O
being	O
able	O
to	O
choose	O
between	O
an	O
'	O
interruptible	O
 '	O
mode	O
(	O
where	O
clicking	O
triggers	O
an	O
action	O
–	O
useful	O
for	O
word	O
recognition	O
)	O
and	O
a	O
'	O
patience	O
mode	O
 '	O
(	O
where	O
players	O
must	O
wait	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
current	O
action	O
to	O
complete	O
–	O
useful	O
for	O
ADD	O
children	O
)	O
to	O
suit	O
different	O
child	O
learning	O
styles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Interruptible	O
mode	O
offered	O
language	O
exploration	O
opportunities	O
by	O
allowing	O
children	O
to	O
play	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
beginning	O
sounds	O
of	O
each	O
word	O
in	O
a	O
"	O
rapid	O
fire	O
"	O
;	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
new	O
option	O
benefited	O
users	O
through	O
self-paced	O
interaction	O
and	O
repetition	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
ability	O
to	O
click	O
a	O
particular	O
word	O
30	O
times	O
in	O
a	O
row	O
is	O
like	O
having	O
an	O
infinitely	O
patient	O
,	O
ever-available	O
teacher	O
or	O
parent	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
no	O
changes	O
were	O
made	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
user	O
interface	O
or	O
appearance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
upgrade	O
was	O
made	O
more	O
complex	O
through	O
the	B-General_Concept
addition	O
of	O
a	O
page	O
navigation	O
and	O
language	O
selection	O
system	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
synchronising	O
the	B-General_Concept
interruptible	O
2D	O
animations	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
audio	O
sounds	O
and	O
music	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
animations	O
and	O
sounds	O
had	O
to	O
be	O
interruptible	O
and	O
able	O
to	O
be	O
repeat	O
rapidly	O
if	O
the	B-General_Concept
user	O
chose	O
to	O
frenetically	O
interact	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
this	O
complexity	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
many	O
components	O
that	O
implement	O
these	O
capabilities	O
are	O
rolled	O
up	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
User	O
Interactivity	O
and	O
Action	O
Interpreter	O
boxes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
team	O
managed	O
the	B-General_Concept
display	O
of	O
ancillary	O
assets	O
in	O
HTML/JavaScript	O
,	O
while	O
the	B-General_Concept
graphics	O
and	O
layout	O
was	O
done	O
using	O
CSS	O
templates	O
this	O
process	O
added	O
many	O
months	O
of	O
effort	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
schedule	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
titles	O
were	O
presented	O
through	O
a	O
dynamic	O
language	O
function	O
that	O
allows	O
readers	O
to	O
switch	O
languages	O
whenever	O
they	O
want	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Titles	O
came	O
with	O
two	O
languages	O
(	O
either	O
US	O
English	O
and	O
Spanish	O
,	O
or	O
UK	O
English	O
and	O
French	O
,	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
user	O
could	O
toggle	O
through	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
offered	O
in-app	O
purchases	O
for	O
additional	O
languages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wonderful	O
announced	O
in	O
they	O
2012	O
that	O
upcoming	O
versions	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
would	O
also	O
be	O
available	O
in	O
Japanese	O
,	O
German	O
,	O
Italian	O
,	O
U.K.	O
English	O
and	O
Brazilian	O
Portuguese	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Touching	O
the	B-General_Concept
upper	O
right	O
and	O
left	O
blue	O
triangles	O
reveals	O
pop-up	O
page	O
navigation	O
thumbnails	O
,	O
and	O
pop-up	O
language	O
selection	O
buttons	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
was	O
also	O
an	O
option	O
to	O
show	O
where	O
the	B-General_Concept
hotspots	O
are	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
titles	O
included	O
interactive	O
features	O
for	O
multi-touch	O
devices	O
and	O
refreshed	O
art	O
work	O
for	O
higher-resolution	O
displays	O
than	O
was	O
available	O
at	O
their	O
original	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
could	O
buy	O
the	B-General_Concept
right	O
to	O
perpetual	O
updates	O
for	O
$7.99	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Deluxe	O
versions	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
were	O
made	O
available	O
for	O
teachers	O
with	O
bonus	O
features	O
including	O
the	B-General_Concept
30	O
page	O
curriculum	O
plan	O
Teacher	O
's	O
Guides	O
originally	O
made	O
for	O
classrooms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ray	O
opted	O
not	O
to	O
alter	O
these	O
much	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
originals	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
carefully	O
constructed	O
by	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
professionals	O
,	O
though	O
the	B-General_Concept
guides	O
were	O
cognisant	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
current	O
USA	O
Common	O
Core	O
State	O
Standards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
educator-focused	O
Classroom	O
Activities	O
Guide	O
were	O
available	O
for	O
$2.99	O
as	O
an	O
in-app	O
purchase	O
,	O
and	O
tied	O
each	O
storybook	O
to	O
reading	O
,	O
arts	O
,	O
math	O
,	O
social	O
studies	O
and	O
other	O
subjects	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
narrative	O
and	O
adhering	O
to	O
Common	O
Core	O
State	O
Standards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
included	O
printable	O
pages	O
of	O
puppets	O
,	O
activity	O
sheets	O
,	O
and	O
images	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
stories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Seven	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
updated	O
and	O
enhanced	O
storybooks	O
were	O
released	O
on	O
iOS	B-Application
throughout	O
2012	O
,	O
while	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
versions	O
were	O
added	O
from	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wanderful	O
's	O
first	O
four	O
titles	O
,	O
released	O
through	O
2012	O
at	O
a	O
price	O
point	O
of	O
$4.99	O
,	O
were	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Teacher	O
Troubles	O
(	O
originally	O
1992	O
)	O
,	O
Little	O
Monsters	O
at	O
School	O
(	O
originally	O
1993	O
)	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
(	O
originally	O
1993	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Harry	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Haunted	O
House	O
(	O
originally	O
1994	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Harry	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Haunted	O
House	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
October	O
to	O
coincide	O
with	O
Halloween	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
November	O
2012	O
saw	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
Get	O
in	O
a	O
Fight	O
released	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
fifth	O
title	O
(	O
originally	O
1995	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
Kid	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Block	O
was	O
released	O
October	O
29	O
,	O
2013	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
ninth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Mac	O
version	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
April	O
11	O
,	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
Samplers	O
,	O
standalone	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
which	O
had	O
been	O
given	O
away	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
original	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
for	O
free	O
in	O
magazines	O
or	O
as	O
built-in	O
catalogs	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
,	O
were	O
compiled	O
and	O
released	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
Sampler	O
free	O
app	O
with	O
an	O
interactive	O
one-page	O
sample	O
of	O
each	O
title	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
updated	O
as	O
more	O
storybook	O
were	O
re-released	O
;	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
Sampler	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
13	O
,	O
2012	O
on	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
April	O
25	O
,	O
2013	O
for	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
X	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
app	O
is	O
"	O
hosted	O
"	O
by	O
Simon	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
narrator	O
from	O
Wanderful	O
's	O
classic	O
version	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Aesop	O
's	O
fable	O
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
app	O
also	O
includes	O
Wanderful	O
's	O
Classroom	O
Activities	O
Overview	O
and	O
a	O
Classroom	O
Activities	O
Preview	O
for	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
storybooks	O
,	O
both	O
as	O
PDF	O
documents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
Sampler	O
contained	O
over	O
250	O
interactive	O
elements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
titles	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
affiliate	O
were	O
re-released	O
in	O
March	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
third	O
,	O
Noah	O
's	O
Ark	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
aimed	O
to	O
continue	O
releasing	O
titles	O
under	O
this	O
banner	O
"	O
to	O
help	O
children	O
discover	O
a	O
lasting	O
love	O
of	O
language	O
through	O
story	O
exploration	O
and	O
learn	O
important	O
lessons	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
Bible.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	B-General_Concept
ISTE	O
(	O
International	O
Society	O
for	O
Technology	O
&	O
Education	O
)	O
2014	O
conference	O
,	O
Software	O
MacKiev	O
and	O
Wanderful	O
Interactive	B-Application
Storybooks	I-Application
announced	O
the	B-General_Concept
availability	O
of	O
Stellaluna	O
for	O
iPad/iPhone/iPod	O
Touch	O
and	O
Mac	O
OSX	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Software	O
MacKiev	O
would	O
release	O
the	B-General_Concept
iOS	B-Application
versions	O
of	O
four	O
storybooks	O
:	O
Dr	O
Seuss	O
 '	O
ABC	O
,	O
Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Ham	O
,	O
Stellaluna	O
,	O
and	O
The	B-Device
Cat	I-Device
in	I-Device
the	I-Device
Hat	I-Device
,	O
though	O
Wanderful	O
's	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
titles	O
would	O
be	O
removed	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
App	O
Store	O
to	O
prevent	O
confusion	O
over	O
the	B-General_Concept
similarly	O
titled	O
Oceanhouse	O
Media	O
apps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Oceanhouse	O
Media	O
would	O
become	O
the	B-General_Concept
largest	O
interactive	O
books	O
publisher	O
on	O
Amazon	O
Fire	O
TV	O
by	O
2018	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
62	O
titles	O
including	O
versions	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
same	O
titles	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
had	O
adapted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2016	O
,	O
Schon	O
donated	O
to	O
The	B-General_Concept
Strong	O
museum	O
hundreds	O
of	O
materials	O
that	O
document	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
history	O
,	O
including	O
games	O
and	O
company	O
records	O
from	O
between	O
1993	O
and	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
date	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
title	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
has	O
sold	O
over	O
4	O
million	O
copies	O
in	O
seven	O
languages	O
,	O
while	O
Harry	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Haunted	O
House	O
has	O
sold	O
over	O
300,000	O
copies	O
in	O
six	O
languages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
series	I-Application
as	O
a	O
whole	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
sell	O
tens	O
of	O
millions	O
of	O
copies	O
in	O
multiple	O
languages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
titles	O
are	O
currently	O
available	O
through	O
Wanderful	O
Interactive	B-Application
Storybooks	I-Application
 '	O
series	O
of	O
app	O
re-releases	O
on	O
iOS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
rights	O
are	O
currently	O
licensed	O
from	O
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Harcourt	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
thought	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
would	O
drive	O
customers	O
to	O
purchase	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
players	I-Device
for	O
their	O
computers	O
to	O
run	O
the	B-General_Concept
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
1992	O
,	O
Kiplinger	O
's	O
Personal	O
Finance	O
wrote	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
,	O
"	O
there	O
's	O
not	O
much	O
demand	O
for	O
computer	O
CD	O
's	O
yet	O
,	O
but	O
I	O
like	O
that	O
fact	O
that	O
Broderbund	O
looks	O
ahead	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
month	O
,	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
wrote	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
notion	O
of	O
matching	O
children	O
's	O
books	O
to	O
CD	O
technology	O
is	O
nothing	O
short	O
of	O
inspired	O
"	O
though	O
noted	O
the	B-General_Concept
disk-access	O
and	O
data	O
transfer	O
limitations	O
of	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
;	O
nevertheless	O
the	B-General_Concept
magazine	O
anticipated	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
would	O
"	O
probably	O
go	O
down	O
in	O
history	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
Carmen	B-Device
Sandiego	I-Device
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
talking	O
book	O
genre	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
release	O
,	O
Wired	O
wrote	O
that	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
is	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
closest	O
thing	O
to	O
an	O
instant	O
classic	O
 '	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
relatively	O
new	O
arena	O
of	O
children	O
's	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Newsweek	O
suggested	O
that	O
Schtiling	O
could	O
"	O
end	O
up	O
serving	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
digital	O
age	O
"	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
had	O
an	O
"	O
ear	O
—	O
and	O
respect	O
—	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
tastes	O
of	O
kids	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Publishers	O
Weekly	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
company	O
was	O
formed	O
in	O
1994	O
"	O
amid	O
a	O
great	O
deal	O
of	O
fanfare	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
Michael	O
J	O
.	O
Himowitz	O
at	O
Tampa	O
Bay	O
Times	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
brought	O
back	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
old	O
'	O
Gee	O
whiz	O
"	O
reaction	O
that	O
he	O
had	O
lost	O
over	O
his	O
decade	O
spent	O
playing	O
and	O
reviewing	O
computer	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
asserted	O
in	O
1993	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
introduction	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
series	I-Application
saw	O
Broderbund	O
"	O
adding	O
yet	O
more	O
extraordinary	O
titles	O
to	O
an	O
already	O
superior	O
product	O
line	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
York	O
Times	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
post-modern	O
"	O
series	O
"	O
turns	O
traditional	O
beginning-to-end	O
narrative	O
on	O
its	O
head	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Newsweek	O
thought	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
demonstrated	O
Broderbund	O
was	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
companies	O
to	O
experiment	O
with	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Age	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
"	O
gave	O
children	O
's	O
stories	O
a	O
whole	O
new	O
life	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
caused	O
both	O
teachers	O
and	O
parents	O
to	O
reflect	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
value	O
of	O
such	O
a	O
format	O
for	O
books	O
"	O
;	O
it	O
felt	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
continued	O
output	O
and	O
sales	O
was	O
testament	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
view	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
majority	O
of	O
customers	O
believe	O
they	O
have	O
something	O
to	O
offer	O
to	O
young	O
readers.Compute	O
!	O
</s>
<s>
wrote	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
demonstrates	O
the	B-General_Concept
power	O
of	O
multimedia	O
computing	O
"	O
through	O
this	O
"	O
perfect	O
babysitter	O
"	O
,	O
ultimately	O
praised	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
"	O
virtuoso	O
performance	O
"	O
in	O
"	O
taking	O
the	B-General_Concept
lead	O
in	O
advancing	O
the	B-General_Concept
state	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
art	O
of	O
educational	O
multimedia	O
software	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Newsweek	O
dubbed	O
Schlichting	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
reigning	O
muse	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
business	O
of	O
converting	O
children	O
's	O
lit	O
into	O
interactive	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
discs	O
 [ that ] 	O
kids	O
squeal	O
over	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
Disney	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
were	O
considered	O
"	O
exemplars	O
of	O
how	O
best	O
to	O
create	O
engaging	O
,	O
enriching	O
,	O
digital	O
story	O
experiences	O
for	O
children	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Washington	O
Post	O
deemed	O
it	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
best	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
book-bound-read-along	O
genre	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
,	O
was	O
deemed	O
by	O
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
York	O
Times	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
standard-bearer	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
line	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
they	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
kind	O
of	O
multimedia	O
industry	O
gold	O
standard	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
wrote	O
"	O
These	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
delight	O
at	O
so	O
many	O
levels	O
they	O
'll	O
make	O
you	O
want	O
to	O
buy	O
a	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
player	I-Device
if	O
you	O
do	O
n't	O
already	O
have	O
one	O
for	O
your	O
home	O
computer	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
wrote	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
quality	O
is	O
"	O
unmatched	O
"	O
and	O
comes	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
highest	O
recommendation	O
,	O
and	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
acclaimed	O
series	O
"	O
should	O
be	O
"	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
very	O
top	O
of	O
any	O
parent	O
's	O
list	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1995	O
,	O
St	O
Louis	O
Post-Dispatch	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
almost	O
any	O
kid	O
with	O
a	O
home	O
computer	O
and	O
a	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
has	O
heard	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Anne	O
L	O
.	O
Tucker	O
of	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
Today	O
revealed	O
"	O
I	O
'm	O
addicted	O
to	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
,	O
and	O
wished	O
all	O
her	O
favourite	O
childhood	O
stories	O
could	O
be	O
adaption	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Magazine	O
wrote	O
that	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Teacher	O
Trouble	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
are	O
"	O
among	O
the	B-General_Concept
best-ever	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
"	O
.Emergency	O
Librarian	O
wrote	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
upheld	O
the	B-General_Concept
high	O
standards	O
of	O
Broderbund	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
TES	O
thought	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
owned	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactive	B-Application
storybook	I-Application
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
Educational	O
Technology	O
Handbook	O
wrote	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
"	O
running	O
away	O
with	O
awards	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inside	O
Education	O
thought	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
was	O
"	O
setting	O
a	O
standard	O
for	O
excellence	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
children	O
's	O
software	O
industry	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1997	O
there	O
were	O
at	O
least	O
eight	O
manufacturers	O
of	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salon	O
described	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
as	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
hot	O
companies	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
early-	O
'	O
90s	O
electronic	O
publishing	O
boom	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Seattle	O
Times	O
asserted	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
popularized	O
the	B-General_Concept
animated	O
storybook	O
format	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Strategy+Business	O
deemed	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
part	O
of	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
"	O
string	O
of	O
winners	O
"	O
including	O
Print	O
Shop	O
,	O
Where	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
World	O
Is	O
Carmen	O
Sandiego	O
?,	O
Kid	B-Application
Pix	I-Application
and	O
Myst	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
Interaktive	O
Geschichten	O
für	O
Kinder	O
und	O
Jugendliche	O
auf	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
noted	O
Broderbund	O
was	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
companies	O
to	O
convert	O
books	O
into	O
multimedia	O
form	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
's	O
child-informed	O
design	O
is	O
a	O
technique	O
which	O
by	O
1999	O
would	O
become	O
ubiquitous	O
in	O
both	O
the	B-General_Concept
industry	O
and	O
academia	O
almost	O
a	O
decade	O
after	O
its	O
use	O
by	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
were	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
to	O
use	O
both	O
"	O
read	O
to	O
me	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
let	O
me	O
play	O
"	O
modes	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
speech-driven	O
highlighting	O
;	O
both	O
techniques	O
have	O
since	O
been	O
widely	O
adapted	O
in	O
children	O
's	O
language	O
app	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Children	O
's	O
Tech	O
Review	O
featured	O
an	O
interview	O
with	O
Schlichting	O
in	O
their	O
March/April	O
1999	O
issue	O
entitled	O
A	O
Conversation	O
with	O
Mark	O
Schlichting	O
:	O
The	B-General_Concept
Guy	O
Who	O
Thought	O
Up	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
;	O
in	O
it	O
the	B-General_Concept
newspaper	O
opined	O
,	O
"	O
if	O
someone	O
asked	O
you	O
to	O
name	O
the	B-General_Concept
best	O
children	O
's	O
software	O
ever	O
made	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
would	O
surely	O
make	O
the	B-General_Concept
list	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Massenmedium	O
Computer	O
reflected	O
in	O
1999	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
'	O
virtual	O
pop-ups	O
'	O
received	O
"	O
surprisingly	O
good	O
"	O
reviews	O
despite	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
short	O
history	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
"	O
artistically	O
unappealing	O
design	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
pre-empted	O
the	B-General_Concept
popularity	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
industry	O
;	O
by	O
1995	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM	B-Device
market	O
had	O
"	O
exploded	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Museum	O
of	O
Play	O
wrote	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
leader	O
in	O
this	O
effort	O
to	O
upgrade	O
juvenile	O
literature	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
digital	O
age	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Interactive	O
stories	O
for	O
children	O
and	O
teenagers	O
on	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
agreed	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
companies	O
to	O
translate	O
books	O
into	O
multimedia	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gamasutra	O
designated	O
it	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
oldest	O
CD	B-Device
ROM	I-Device
series	O
for	O
kids	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
became	O
popular	O
and	O
encouraged	O
other	O
developers	O
to	O
follow	O
suit	O
and	O
copy	O
the	B-General_Concept
formula	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
teachers	O
had	O
already	O
been	O
buying	O
copies	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
game	O
for	O
their	O
classrooms	O
for	O
years	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
would	O
become	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
pieces	O
of	O
software	O
to	O
be	O
accredited	O
as	O
a	O
'	O
textbook	O
 '	O
in	O
several	O
states	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
when	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
was	O
first	O
released	O
in	O
schools	O
it	O
had	O
a	O
"	O
very	O
mixed	O
reception	O
"	O
Multiple	O
Perspectives	O
on	O
Difficulties	O
in	O
Learning	O
Literacy	O
and	O
Numeracy	O
noted	O
that	O
teachers	O
observed	O
children	O
crowding	O
around	O
the	B-General_Concept
screen	O
to	O
play	O
and	O
screaming	O
with	O
laughter	O
when	O
triggering	O
animations	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
children	O
agreed	O
they	O
were	O
not	O
paying	O
attention	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
text	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
series	O
won	O
many	O
awards	O
and	O
its	O
creators	O
received	O
letters	O
from	O
children	O
and	O
parents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
People	O
became	O
so	O
enamoured	O
by	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
authors	O
were	O
asked	O
to	O
autograph	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROMs	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
Inc.	O
'	O
s	O
John	O
Sculley	O
even	O
used	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
in	O
product	O
demonstrations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
seen	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
multimedia	O
de	O
facto	O
standard	O
"	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
shown	O
nationally	O
and	O
internationally	O
by	O
Bill	O
Gates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Huffington	O
Post	O
deemed	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
example	O
of	O
ebooks	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
precursor	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
eReader-tablet	O
pairing	O
that	O
popularised	O
digital	O
reading	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Children	O
's	O
Tech	O
Reviews	O
agreed	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
pre-empted	O
ebooks	O
by	O
15	O
years	O
,	O
deeming	O
them	O
"	O
children	O
's	O
e-books	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
has	O
frequently	O
been	O
used	O
in	O
research	O
papers	O
regarding	O
child	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	B-General_Concept
years	O
after	O
the	B-General_Concept
sale	O
of	O
Broderbund	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
struggled	O
to	O
reach	O
the	B-General_Concept
levels	O
of	O
fame	O
of	O
his	O
series	O
as	O
his	O
name	O
did	O
n't	O
appear	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
products	O
themselves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
n	O
2012	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
was	O
awarded	O
the	B-General_Concept
Kids	O
at	O
Play	O
Interactive	O
"	O
KAPi	O
"	O
Award	O
for	O
'	O
Legend	O
Pioneer	O
 '	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
Consumer	O
Electronics	O
Show	O
due	O
to	O
"	O
inspiring	O
a	O
generation	O
of	O
younger	O
designers	O
"	O
through	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
and	O
Noodle	O
Words	O
;	O
the	B-General_Concept
jurors	O
commented	O
,	O
"	O
it	O
's	O
about	O
time	O
this	O
guy	O
is	O
recognized	O
for	O
his	O
contribution	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
field	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Hyper	O
Nexus	O
noted	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
reputation	O
of	O
ease	O
and	O
functionality	O
led	O
to	O
consumers	O
testing	O
other	O
Broderbund	O
programs	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
achieving	O
a	O
strong	O
market	O
domination	O
,	O
a	O
phenomenon	O
they	O
had	O
earlier	O
observed	O
with	O
1984	O
's	O
The	B-Application
Print	I-Application
Shop	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2007	O
,	O
a	O
presentation	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
12th	O
Human-Computer	O
Interaction	O
International	O
Conference	O
asserted	O
that	O
there	O
is	O
a	O
"	O
cult	O
that	O
involves	O
millions	O
of	O
'	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
Freaks	O
 '	O
,	O
who	O
use	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
for	O
hours	O
every	O
day	O
,	O
both	O
in	O
groups	O
and	O
alone	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
French	O
site	O
Week-ends.be	O
asserted	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
were	O
"	O
 '	O
masters-choices	O
"	O
 '	O
that	O
are	O
"	O
unanimously	O
appreciated	O
by	O
children.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Jon-Paul	O
C	O
.	O
Dyson	O
,	O
director	O
of	O
The	B-General_Concept
Strong	O
's	O
International	O
Center	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
History	O
of	O
Electronic	O
Games	O
,	O
said	O
"	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
an	O
innovator	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
creation	O
of	O
interactive	O
books	O
and	O
became	O
a	O
leader	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
development	O
of	O
educational	O
and	O
entertaining	O
software	O
for	O
young	O
children	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
his	O
paper	O
Multimedia	O
Story-telling	O
,	O
Yoram	O
Eshet	O
deemed	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
most	O
powerful	O
and	O
widespread	O
expressions	O
of	O
multimedia	O
educational	O
environments	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
asserted	O
that	O
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
are	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
most	O
common	O
edutainment	O
genres	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Wanderful	O
project	O
addresses	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
challenge	O
of	O
overcoming	O
so-called	O
software	O
rot	O
"	O
in	O
which	O
computer	O
programs	O
become	O
incompatible	O
with	O
modern	O
hardware	O
as	O
contemporary	O
systems	O
become	O
discontinued	O
and	O
upgraded	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Igotoffer	O
wrote	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
"	O
perfected	O
the	B-General_Concept
art	O
of	O
creating	O
kids’	O
storybooks	O
on	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Storybench	O
described	O
Schlichting	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
forefathers	O
of	O
edutainment	O
due	O
to	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dust	O
Or	O
Magic	O
,	O
Creative	O
Work	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Digital	O
Age	O
thought	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
sole	O
exception	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM	B-Device
publishing	O
'	O
shovel-ware	O
era	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dust	O
or	O
Magic	O
,	O
a	O
digital	O
design-sharing	O
platform	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
and	O
produced	O
by	O
produced	O
by	O
Children	O
's	O
Technology	O
Review	O
asserts	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
early	O
success	O
of	O
Club	O
Penguin	O
,	O
Pokémon	B-Application
,	O
Minecraft	O
or	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
can	O
be	O
tied	O
in	O
part	O
to	O
their	O
clever	O
use	O
of	O
animation	O
and	O
humor	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
n't	O
used	O
randomly	O
or	O
without	O
purpose	O
"	O
;	O
it	O
writes	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
become	O
a	O
standard-bearer	O
of	O
quality	O
,	O
loved	O
by	O
children	O
,	O
parents	O
and	O
teachers	O
alike	O
for	O
their	O
emphasis	O
on	O
good	O
stories	O
and	O
entertaining	O
exploration	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Teachers	O
With	O
Apps	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
many	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
industry	O
to	O
be	O
the	B-General_Concept
benchmark	O
for	O
engaging	O
educational	O
multimedia	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlchting	O
acknowledges	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
became	O
a	O
household	O
name	O
,	O
but	O
"	O
only	O
after	O
a	O
struggle	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
him	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
became	O
the	B-General_Concept
industry	O
's	O
first	O
truly	O
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
and	O
"	O
defined	O
the	B-General_Concept
category	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
asserts	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
lack	O
of	O
install	O
and	O
its	O
automatic	O
play	O
feature	O
was	O
revolutionary	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
noted	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
attract	O
mode	O
"	O
was	O
so	O
popular	O
that	O
parents	O
would	O
write	O
in	O
to	O
say	O
that	O
their	O
kids	O
had	O
learnt	O
all	O
the	B-General_Concept
moves	O
and	O
would	O
dance	O
along	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
later	O
learnt	O
that	O
his	O
direct	O
address	O
technique	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
methodologies	O
of	O
Montessori	O
education	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
had	O
added	O
it	O
because	O
"	O
it	O
seemed	O
right	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schlichting	O
discovered	O
that	O
children	O
with	O
autistic	O
or	O
with	O
special	O
needs	O
felt	O
that	O
their	O
decisions	O
"	O
 '	O
made	O
 '	O
the	B-General_Concept
animation	O
happen	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
they	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
map	O
this	O
feeling	O
of	O
control	O
onto	O
the	B-General_Concept
real	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mickey	O
W	O
.	O
Mantle	O
,	O
president	O
and	O
CEO	O
,	O
Wanderful	O
reflected	O
""	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
has	O
such	O
an	O
amazing	O
legacy	O
,	O
remembered	O
by	O
children	O
,	O
trusted	O
by	O
parents	O
and	O
embraced	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
educational	O
community	O
"	O
through	O
"	O
elegant	O
,	O
rich	O
...	O
production	O
values	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Over	O
the	B-General_Concept
years	O
,	O
Schlichting	O
has	O
had	O
many	O
people	O
tell	O
him	O
that	O
they	O
learned	O
English	O
from	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
George	O
Consagra	O
,	O
executive	O
producer	O
of	O
Ruff	B-Application
's	I-Application
Bone	I-Application
,	O
thought	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
were	O
"	O
pioneers	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
art	O
of	O
interactive	O
storytelling	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
Ruff	B-Application
's	I-Application
Bone	I-Application
,	O
Noyes	O
had	O
been	O
inspired	O
by	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
,	O
subsequently	O
seeing	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
perfect	O
modern-day	O
medium	O
"	O
for	O
his	O
children	O
's	O
projects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Angie	O
Simas	O
,	O
who	O
ran	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
first	O
website	O
,	O
came	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
as	O
an	O
interim	O
job	O
while	O
seeking	O
a	O
teaching	O
position	O
,	O
though	O
after	O
observing	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
two	O
weeks	O
in	O
she	O
was	O
inspired	O
to	O
change	O
her	O
career	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
computing	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Axworthy	O
recalling	O
his	O
daughter	O
not	O
knowing	O
about	O
his	O
software	O
career	O
,	O
and	O
one	O
day	O
gushing	O
about	O
a	O
product	O
she	O
used	O
at	O
school	O
,	O
Sheila	O
Rae	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Brave	O
about	O
two	O
sisters	O
who	O
learn	O
to	O
love	O
and	O
depend	O
on	O
each	O
other	O
,	O
not	O
knowing	O
it	O
was	O
worked	O
on	O
by	O
her	O
father	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
recalled	O
Schlichting	O
as	O
being	O
difficult	O
to	O
work	O
with	O
,	O
but	O
appreciated	O
the	B-General_Concept
impact	O
he	O
had	O
on	O
children	O
's	O
lives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mantle	O
noted	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
were	O
"	O
pioneering	O
apps	O
on	O
Macs	O
of	O
a	O
generation	O
ago	O
over	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
over	O
the	B-General_Concept
years	O
they	O
'd	O
"	O
had	O
many	O
requests	O
from	O
Mac-using	O
teachers	O
and	O
parents	O
"	O
to	O
revive	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
so	O
he	O
was	O
"	O
excited	O
to	O
make	O
these	O
great	O
story	O
experiences	O
again	O
available	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
Mac	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
said	O
the	B-General_Concept
project	O
came	O
"	O
full	O
circle	O
"	O
.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2014	O
,	O
he	O
noted	O
"	O
Wanderful	O
Apps	O
have	O
been	O
long	O
been	O
favorites	O
of	O
special	O
needs	O
children	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
autistic	O
community.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Broderbund	B-Application
's	I-Application
Living	I-Application
Books	I-Application
series	O
was	O
perhaps	O
the	B-General_Concept
first	O
example	O
of	O
popular	O
children	O
's	O
stories	O
in	O
print	O
being	O
adapted	O
into	O
digital	O
storybooks	O
that	O
encouraged	O
interactive	O
learning	O
and	O
play	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
computer	O
,	O
or	O
at	O
least	O
popularized	O
the	B-General_Concept
animated	O
storybook	O
format	O
through	O
hits	O
such	O
as	O
1993	O
's	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
and	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Teacher	O
Trouble	O
which	O
were	O
based	O
on	O
popular	O
children	O
's	O
books	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
1980s	O
by	O
Mercer	O
Mayer	O
and	O
Marc	O
Brown	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Seattle	O
Times	O
asserted	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
encouraged	O
other	O
developers	O
to	O
follow	O
suit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Disney	O
copied	O
the	B-General_Concept
formula	O
through	O
Disney	O
Animated	O
Storybook	O
,	O
whose	O
interactive	O
screens	O
imitated	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
interactive	O
pages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
companies	O
combined	O
the	B-General_Concept
authors	O
 '	O
illustrations	O
and	O
stories	O
with	O
digital	O
activities	O
and	O
were	O
guided	O
by	O
a	O
narrator	O
—	O
each	O
screen	O
began	O
with	O
a	O
brief	O
animation	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
narrator	O
describing	O
the	B-General_Concept
action	O
;	O
after	O
the	B-General_Concept
conclusion	O
of	O
each	O
page	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
scene	O
became	O
an	O
"	O
interactive	O
mural	O
with	O
hot	O
buttons	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
player	O
could	O
click	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Project	O
LITT	O
:	O
Literacy	O
Instruction	O
Through	O
Technology	O
found	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
had	O
high	O
text	O
interactivity	O
and	O
minimal	O
extraneous	O
games	O
and	O
activities	O
,	O
while	O
Disney	B-Application
's	I-Application
Animated	I-Application
Storybook	I-Application
had	O
medium	O
text	O
interactivity	O
and	O
embedded	O
games	O
and	O
activities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
Media	O
notes	O
that	O
"	O
nothing	O
sells	O
like	O
a	O
character	O
"	O
that	O
has	O
already	O
been	O
proven	O
in	O
media	O
,	O
noting	O
this	O
strategy	O
used	O
by	O
Disney	O
creating	O
spin-offs	O
of	O
its	O
film	O
and	O
TV	O
projects	O
,	O
and	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
applying	O
this	O
to	O
a	O
lesser	O
extent	O
with	O
popular	O
books	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
suggested	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
only	O
negative	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
is	O
its	O
"	O
hardware	O
expectations	O
"	O
though	O
noted	O
it	O
would	O
"	O
encourage	O
people	O
to	O
upgrade	O
their	O
machines	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Shopper	O
negatively	O
compared	O
activities	O
in	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
titles	O
to	O
those	O
in	O
Disney	B-Application
's	I-Application
Animated	I-Application
Storybook	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Los	O
Angeles	O
Times	O
criticized	O
Disney	O
for	O
contracting	O
their	O
games	O
to	O
independent	O
studios	O
like	O
Media	O
Station	O
,	O
deeming	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
"	O
a	O
mere	O
imitation	O
of	O
Broderbund	B-Application
's	I-Application
Living	I-Application
Books	I-Application
format	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
study	O
Talking	O
Storybook	O
Programs	O
for	O
Students	O
with	O
Learning	O
Disabilities	O
found	O
that	O
"	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
programs	O
appeared	O
more	O
comprehensible	O
to	O
students	O
than	O
the	B-General_Concept
Disney	O
programs	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MacUser	O
felt	O
Slater	B-Application
&	I-Application
Charlie	I-Application
Go	I-Application
Camping	I-Application
by	O
Sierra	O
On-Line	O
was	O
a	O
"	O
pale	O
imitation	O
"	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
while	O
PC	O
Mag	O
thought	O
it	O
was	O
n't	O
"	O
quite	O
as	O
richly	O
animated	O
"	O
as	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
MacUser	O
wrote	O
that	O
series	O
like	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
and	O
Discis	O
 '	O
Kids	O
Can	O
Read	O
"	O
operate	O
on	O
two	O
levels	O
"	O
by	O
letting	O
players	O
follow	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
narrative	O
and	O
by	O
exploring	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
's	O
contents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
De-Jean	O
,	O
Miller	O
and	O
Olson	O
(	O
1995	O
)	O
study	O
found	O
that	O
children	O
preferred	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
over	O
Discis	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
latter	O
"	O
could	O
not	O
be	O
played	O
with	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Seattle	O
Times	O
compared	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
hunt	O
for	O
surprises	O
with	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
 '	O
Fatty	B-Application
Bear	I-Application
's	I-Application
Birthday	I-Application
Surprise	I-Application
and	O
Putt-Putt	B-Application
Goes	I-Application
to	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bloomberg	O
positively	O
compared	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
to	O
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
from	O
Packard	O
Bell	O
Electronics	O
subsidiary	O
Active	O
Imagination	O
,	O
deemed	O
the	B-General_Concept
latter	O
"	O
not	O
quite	O
as	O
rich	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Children	O
's	O
Technology	O
Review	O
thought	O
TabTale	O
's	O
2011	O
app	O
The	B-General_Concept
Ugly	O
Duckling	O
imitated	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
style	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Complex	O
asserts	O
that	O
Reading	B-Application
Blaster	I-Application
and	O
Science	O
Blaster	O
never	O
received	O
the	B-General_Concept
same	O
amount	O
of	O
attention	O
as	O
Math	B-Application
Blaster	I-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
due	O
to	O
"	O
failing	O
to	O
live	O
up	O
to	O
competition	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
likes	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
series	I-Application
"	O
,	O
and	O
wrote	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
could	O
"	O
hold	O
a	O
candle	O
"	O
as	O
a	O
Carmen	B-Device
Sandiego	I-Device
contemporary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Developer	O
Magazine	O
grouped	O
together	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
and	O
Big	O
Tuna	O
Productions	O
titles	O
into	O
The	B-General_Concept
Living	O
Book	O
Series	O
,	O
though	O
noted	O
the	B-General_Concept
latter	O
was	O
a	O
pale	O
imitation	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
former	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
reviewers	O
praised	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
as	O
a	O
learning	O
tool	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiple	O
Perspectives	O
on	O
Difficulties	O
in	O
Learning	O
Literacy	O
and	O
Numeracy	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
offers	O
children	O
a	O
narrative	O
context	O
to	O
explore	O
while	O
giving	O
them	O
authority	O
and	O
control	O
over	O
the	B-General_Concept
interface	O
to	O
motivate	O
them	O
to	O
learn	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
York	O
Times	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
reading	O
lesson	O
dressed	O
up	O
as	O
an	O
interactive	O
cartoon	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
felt	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
interaction	O
led	O
players	O
to	O
a	O
"	O
cartoon	O
fantasy	O
...	O
wonderful	O
,	O
witty	O
world	O
of	O
zaniness	O
"	O
that	O
was	O
both	O
fun	O
and	O
educational	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Children	O
's	O
Interactions	O
And	O
Learning	O
Outcomes	O
With	O
Interactive	O
Talking	O
Books	O
deemed	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
"	O
very	O
much	O
'	O
edutainment’	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Folha	O
appreciated	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
games	O
did	O
not	O
present	O
the	B-General_Concept
player	O
with	O
puzzles	O
to	O
solve	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiple	O
Perspectives	O
on	O
Difficulties	O
in	O
Learning	O
Literacy	O
and	O
Numeracy	O
asserts	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
software	O
had	O
been	O
"	O
cleverly	O
crafted	O
"	O
so	O
that	O
play	O
could	O
not	O
commence	O
until	O
after	O
the	B-General_Concept
page	O
had	O
been	O
read	O
with	O
each	O
word	O
highlighted	O
,	O
offering	O
a	O
narrative	O
context	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
children	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Educational	O
Technology	O
Handbook	O
praised	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
'	O
whole	O
language	O
 '	O
approach	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Technology	O
&	O
Learning	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
has	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
ever-present	O
message	O
that	O
reading	O
is	O
joyful	O
,	O
important	O
and	O
empowering	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Baltimore	O
Sun	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
was	O
"	O
educational	O
and	O
entertaining	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Guardian	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
was	O
"	O
well	O
suited	O
for	O
Years	O
1	O
and	O
2	O
,	O
and	O
provide	O
stories	O
with	O
patterned	O
and	O
predictable	O
structures.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Children	O
's	O
Trust	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
improves	O
short-term	O
memory	O
,	O
attention	O
and	O
organisational	O
skills	O
,	O
independence	O
and	O
accuracy	O
,	O
language	O
development	O
,	O
decision-making	O
and	O
problem-solving	O
,	O
and	O
visual	O
scanning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Exceptional	O
Parent	O
recommended	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
for	O
parents	O
wanting	O
to	O
"	O
develop	O
 [ their ] 	O
child	O
's	O
interest	O
in	O
words	O
and	O
reading	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Mag	O
highlighted	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
was	O
known	O
for	O
the	B-General_Concept
messages	O
they	O
teach	O
children	O
,	O
be	O
it	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
rewards	O
of	O
sharing	O
"	O
or	O
"learn[ing]	O
to	O
separate	O
fantasy	O
from	O
fact	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Multiple	O
Perspectives	O
on	O
Difficulties	O
in	O
Learning	O
Literacy	O
and	O
Numeracy	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
were	O
"	O
designed	O
by	O
cognitive	O
scientists	O
who	O
knew	O
about	O
the	B-General_Concept
psychology	O
of	O
both	O
learning	O
and	O
play	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Age	O
felt	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
activities	O
presented	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Framework	O
kit	O
were	O
"	O
quite	O
structured	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
would	O
be	O
welcomed	O
by	O
teachers	O
just	O
starting	O
out	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dan	O
Keating	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Logansport	O
Pharos-Tribune	O
wrote	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
was	O
"	O
interactive	O
,	O
entertaining	O
and	O
educational	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
product	O
line	O
"	O
pleased	O
 [ him ] 	O
every	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ACTTive	O
Technology	O
suggests	O
,	O
"	O
a	O
child	O
teaches	O
himself	O
to	O
read	O
a	O
book	O
like	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
independently	O
and	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
help	O
ONLY	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
computer	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
series	O
had	O
been	O
highlighted	O
for	O
its	O
incidental	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
2004	O
study	O
in	O
which	O
Grade	O
1	O
and	O
2	O
Spanish/Hebrew	O
speaking	O
immigrant	O
children	O
playing	O
the	B-General_Concept
English	O
version	O
for	O
2	O
months	O
,	O
recognised	O
and	O
pronounced	O
70%	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
's	O
words	O
,	O
suggesting	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
game	O
offered	O
a	O
"	O
massive	O
and	O
effort-free	O
'	O
incidental	O
learning	O
 '	O
"	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
children	O
reached	O
a	O
high	O
level	O
of	O
proficiency	O
in	O
understanding	O
and	O
pronouncing	O
of	O
English	O
words	O
just	O
by	O
intensely	O
playing	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
,	O
despite	O
not	O
coming	O
from	O
English-speaking	O
backgrounds	O
and	O
being	O
illiterate	O
in	O
English	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
study	O
found	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
engaging	O
and	O
motivating	O
design	O
of	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
creative	O
construction	O
approach	O
achieved	O
effective	O
incidental	O
,	O
unexpected	O
,	O
and	O
by-product	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Philadelphia	O
Inquirer	O
reported	O
that	O
children	O
with	O
autism	O
who	O
had	O
never	O
spoken	O
a	O
word	O
imitated	O
the	B-General_Concept
phrase	O
"	O
I	O
'm	O
sorry	O
"	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
after	O
playing	O
,	O
noting	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
assisted	O
children	O
with	O
neurological	O
problems	O
to	O
process	O
and	O
retrieve	O
information	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
critics	O
questioned	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
efficacy	O
as	O
a	O
learning	O
tool	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Age	O
notes	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
idea	O
of	O
presenting	O
a	O
book	O
with	O
interactivity	O
,	O
sound	O
,	O
and	O
music	O
was	O
a	O
"	O
whole	O
new	O
idea	O
"	O
that	O
"	O
left	O
many	O
unsure	O
as	O
to	O
its	O
soundness	O
"	O
;	O
reactions	O
from	O
teachers	O
were	O
mixed	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
believing	O
it	O
added	O
"	O
another	O
dimension	O
to	O
literature	O
"	O
,	O
while	O
others	O
felt	O
it	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
"	O
cheaper	O
and	O
more	O
worthwhile	O
"	O
to	O
buying	O
the	B-General_Concept
class	O
physical	O
copies	O
of	O
each	O
book	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Simson	O
L	O
.	O
Garfinkel	O
and	O
Beth	O
Rosenberg	O
of	O
Boston	O
Globe	O
Online	O
found	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
to	O
be	O
of	O
high	O
quality	O
in	O
a	O
market	O
flooded	O
with	O
"	O
questionable	O
"	O
releases	O
for	O
children	O
,	O
they	O
stated	O
that	O
not	O
all	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
lived	O
up	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
company	O
's	O
educational	O
claims	O
,	O
noting	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
 '	O
ABC	O
,	O
and	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Reading	O
Race	O
as	O
exceptions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
1995	O
study	O
Preparation	O
of	O
Teachers	O
for	O
Computer	O
and	O
Multimedia-Based	O
Instruction	O
in	O
Literacy	O
,	O
"	O
students	O
were	O
consistently	O
impressed	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
entertainment	O
value	O
of	O
such	O
software	O
,	O
but	O
extremely	O
dubious	O
about	O
their	O
classroom	O
usefulness	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
study	O
presented	O
to	O
American	O
Educational	O
Research	O
Association	O
in	O
1996	O
showed	O
that	O
"	O
jazzy	O
'	O
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
 '	O
like	O
Harry	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Haunted	O
House	O
...	O
promote	O
less	O
reading	O
comprehension	O
in	O
kids	O
than	O
moderately	O
interactive	O
,	O
more	O
fact-oriented	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
like	O
Discis	O
Books’	O
Thomas’	O
Snowsuit	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SuperKids	O
suggested	O
that	O
while	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
would	O
n't	O
teach	O
kids	O
to	O
read	O
,	O
it	O
may	O
"	O
enhance	O
a	O
pre-reading	O
child	O
's	O
interest	O
in	O
,	O
and	O
appreciation	O
for	O
books	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Independent	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
quasi-educational	O
material	O
"	O
due	O
to	O
being	O
"	O
designed	O
to	O
inject	O
fun	O
into	O
learning	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
York	O
Times	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
educational	O
content	O
seemed	O
like	O
an	O
afterthought	O
,	O
adding	O
that	O
they	O
were	O
"	O
horrified	O
"	O
that	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Computer	O
Adventure	O
activity	O
'	O
Deep	B-Application
Dark	I-Application
Sea	I-Application
 '	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
teaching	O
children	O
world	O
geography	O
or	O
ocean	O
life	O
,	O
was	O
"	O
pure	O
entertainment	O
"	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Washington	O
Post	O
wondered	O
if	O
children	O
would	O
learn	O
to	O
read	O
or	O
just	O
play	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
illustrations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Goldstein	O
,	O
Olivares	O
and	O
Valmont	O
(	O
1996	O
)	O
study	O
found	O
that	O
children	O
had	O
trouble	O
recalling	O
the	B-General_Concept
narrative	O
as	O
they	O
"	O
approached	O
the	B-General_Concept
reading	O
as	O
a	O
game	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
a	O
text	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Complex	O
questioned	O
whether	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
"	O
took	O
away	O
a	O
bit	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
imagination	O
inherent	O
to	O
reading	O
,	O
though	O
noted	O
they	O
were	O
"	O
undeniably	O
fun	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Age	O
wrote	O
,	O
I	O
'm	O
sure	O
they	O
entertain	O
more	O
than	O
educate	O
,	O
but	O
either	O
way	O
they	O
create	O
a	O
new	O
dimension	O
to	O
children	O
's	O
literature	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
series	O
has	O
been	O
praised	O
for	O
its	O
use	O
of	O
hotspots	O
and	O
interactivity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Age	O
noted	O
that	O
upon	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
original	O
release	O
,	O
"	O
some	O
people	O
saw	O
it	O
simply	O
as	O
a	O
form	O
of	O
interactive	O
cartoon	O
,	O
while	O
others	O
have	O
described	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
series	I-Application
as	O
little	O
more	O
than	O
a	O
talking	O
book	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Compute	O
thought	O
that	O
in	O
"	O
typical	O
Broderbund	O
fashion	O
"	O
,	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
goes	O
way	O
beyond	O
a	O
simple	O
storytelling	O
program	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CD-ROMs	B-Device
Rated	O
by	O
Les	O
Kranz	O
praised	O
the	B-General_Concept
number	O
of	O
clickable	O
areas	O
in	O
Little	O
Monster	O
at	O
School	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Independent	O
liked	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
hidden	O
cartoons	O
in	O
every	O
page	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
wrote	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
is	O
"	O
overflowing	O
with	O
one	O
enchanting	O
discovery	O
after	O
another	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Folha	O
appreciated	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
encouraged	O
players	O
to	O
discover	O
by	O
moving	O
around	O
the	B-General_Concept
screen	O
,	O
giving	O
movement	O
and	O
speech	O
to	O
objects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
York	O
Times	O
praised	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
for	O
its	O
interactive	O
"	O
distractions	O
"	O
alongside	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
text	O
and	O
illustrations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Technology	O
&	O
Learning	O
opined	O
,	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
developers	O
seem	O
to	O
have	O
delighted	O
in	O
creating	O
imaginative	O
events	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Seattle	O
Times	O
said	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
was	O
"	O
full	O
of	O
discovery	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SuperKids	O
felt	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
had	O
a	O
"	O
captivating	O
variety	O
of	O
exploration	O
opportunities	O
for	O
young	O
minds	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wired	O
thought	O
the	B-General_Concept
peripheral	O
elements	O
were	O
"	O
cleverly	O
"	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
playful	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
imaginative	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
sometimes	O
humorous	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Children	O
's	O
Tech	O
Review	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
combined	O
full	O
color	O
animation	O
with	O
a	O
"	O
crisp	O
,	O
responsive	O
design	O
"	O
that	O
"	O
stood	O
out	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
rest	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tampa	O
Bay	O
Times	O
reported	O
their	O
child	O
testers	O
willingly	O
forwent	O
Beavis	O
,	O
Butt-Head	O
and	O
WWF	O
Wrestling	O
to	O
play	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
,	O
arguing	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
secret	O
ingredient	O
was	O
"	O
creativity	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Mag	O
called	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
"	O
charming	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
delightful	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
engaging	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
entertaining	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Parent	O
's	O
Choice	O
wrote	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
thought	O
and	O
creativity	O
that	O
was	O
put	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
interactivity	O
in	O
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
Get	O
in	O
a	O
Fight	O
is	O
largely	O
unmatched	O
in	O
any	O
other	O
interactive	O
book.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Seattle	O
Times	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
game	O
's	O
simplicity	O
is	O
a	O
draw	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
lack	O
"	O
whizzy	O
technology	O
or	O
tortured	O
attempts	O
to	O
be	O
interactive	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Educational	O
Technology	O
Handbook	O
liked	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
"permit[s]	O
user	O
control	O
over	O
pace	O
,	O
sequencing	O
,	O
and	O
help	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Family	O
PC	O
noted	O
their	O
success	O
was	O
due	O
to	O
"let[ting]	O
kids	O
explore	O
and	O
find	O
a	O
cause-and-effect	O
relationship	O
between	O
clicking	O
the	B-General_Concept
mouse	O
and	O
having	O
something	O
happen	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
screen.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
Game	O
deemed	O
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Dark	O
a	O
"	O
useful	O
addition	O
to	O
any	O
child	O
's	O
library	O
of	O
computer	O
games	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Developer	O
Magazine	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
"	O
flunks	O
out	O
"	O
,	O
in	O
versatility	O
as	O
players	O
are	O
unable	O
to	O
"	O
abort	O
an	O
animation	O
"	O
despite	O
some	O
of	O
them	O
being	O
quite	O
long	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jim	O
Shatz-Akin	O
at	O
MacUser	O
suggested	O
,	O
"	O
they	O
're	O
not	O
as	O
interactive	O
as	O
they	O
could	O
be	O
...	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
Get	O
in	O
a	O
Fight	O
has	O
long	O
animations	O
during	O
which	O
all	O
a	O
kid	O
can	O
do	O
is	O
sit	O
and	O
watch	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
series	O
has	O
been	O
praised	O
for	O
its	O
graphics	O
and	O
animation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CD-ROMs	B-Device
Rated	O
by	O
Les	O
Kranz	O
praised	O
the	B-General_Concept
graphics	O
of	O
Little	O
Monster	O
at	O
School	O
Compute	O
!	O
</s>
<s>
deemed	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
a	O
"	O
new	O
style	O
of	O
storytelling	O
that	O
is	O
just	O
a	O
hop	O
away	O
from	O
a	O
fully	O
interactive	O
cartoon	O
"	O
;	O
the	B-General_Concept
magazine	O
praised	O
the	B-General_Concept
animation	O
sequences	O
as	O
"	O
topnotch	O
"	O
and	O
"approach[ing]	O
cartoon	O
quality	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
character-adding	O
facial	O
expressions	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tampa	O
Bay	O
Times	O
noted	O
the	B-General_Concept
animations	O
have	O
the	B-General_Concept
quality	O
of	O
Saturday	O
morning	O
cartoons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
York	O
Times	O
Guide	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
Best	O
Children	O
's	O
Videos	O
thought	O
the	B-General_Concept
characters	O
in	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Computer	O
Adventure	O
were	O
"	O
stiff	O
"	O
compared	O
to	O
those	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
TV	O
show	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sally	O
Fennema-Jansen	O
'	O
s	O
paper	O
,	O
Essential	O
tools	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
trade	O
notes	O
programs	O
like	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Early	B-Application
Learning	I-Application
House	I-Application
offer	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
visual	O
effects	O
which	O
are	O
essential	O
in	O
engaging	O
students	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CD-ROMs	B-Device
Rated	O
wrote	O
that	O
children	O
would	O
be	O
disappointed	O
by	O
other	O
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
like	O
Mud	O
Puddle	O
and	O
The	B-General_Concept
Paper	O
Bag	O
Princess	O
due	O
to	O
them	O
lacking	O
Living	O
Book	O
's	O
animated	O
illustrations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Mag	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
games	O
were	O
"	O
PC	O
's	O
answer	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
tradition	O
of	O
big	O
screen	O
animated	O
films	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
Straits	O
Times	O
thought	O
the	B-General_Concept
graphics	O
were	O
"	O
colourful	O
and	O
sharp	O
"	O
despite	O
being	O
on	O
a	O
256	O
color	O
display	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Baltimore	O
Sun	O
thought	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
had	O
"	O
delightful	O
animation	O
"	O
with	O
"	O
zany	O
surprises	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Washington	O
Post	O
described	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
electronic	O
equivalent	O
of	O
pop-up	O
books	O
"	O
;	O
it	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
animations	O
are	O
whimsical	O
enough	O
to	O
amuse	O
parents	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Children	O
's	O
Tech	O
Review	O
wrote	O
that	O
they	O
featured	O
"	O
state-of-the	O
art	O
graphics	O
and	O
sound	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tampa	O
Bay	O
Times	O
described	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
as	O
"[like]	O
a	O
cartoon	O
episode	O
of	O
Masterpiece	O
Theatre	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
series	O
has	O
been	O
praised	O
for	O
its	O
music	O
and	O
sound	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
York	O
Times	O
praised	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
for	O
offering	O
a	O
"	O
captivating	O
"	O
soundtrack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sally	O
Fennema-Jansen	O
'	O
s	O
paper	O
,	O
Essential	O
tools	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
trade	O
notes	O
programs	O
like	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Early	B-Application
Learning	I-Application
House	I-Application
offer	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
auditory	O
effects	O
which	O
are	O
essential	O
in	O
engaging	O
students	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
information	O
sheet	O
published	O
by	O
British	O
Educational	O
Communications	O
and	O
Technology	O
Agency	O
said	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
"work[ed]	O
well	O
with	O
children	O
who	O
are	O
unresponsive	O
and	O
who	O
avoid	O
conversation	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
become	O
involved	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
combination	O
of	O
sound	O
effects	O
,	O
spoken	O
text	O
and	O
visual	O
display	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
paper	O
'	O
Multimedia	O
materials	O
for	O
language	O
and	O
literacy	O
learning	O
 '	O
suggested	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
animation	O
and	O
special	O
effects	O
may	O
improve	O
the	B-General_Concept
quality	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
model	O
by	O
providing	O
multi-sensory	O
cues	O
to	O
children	O
with	O
language	O
and	O
literacy	O
disorders	O
who	O
might	O
otherwise	O
ignore	O
important	O
contextual	O
information	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SuperKids	O
felt	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
had	O
a	O
"	O
clear	O
presentation	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
thought	O
New	O
Kid	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Block	O
"	O
adds	O
a	O
new	O
dimension	O
"	O
to	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
series	O
has	O
been	O
praised	O
for	O
its	O
adaption	O
of	O
books	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tampa	O
Bay	O
Times	O
felt	O
that	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
"	O
demonstrates	O
that	O
even	O
a	O
timeworn	O
tale	O
can	O
be	O
revived	O
for	O
youthful	O
audiences	O
with	O
multimedia	O
dazzle	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Courant	O
felt	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
success	O
of	O
its	O
games	O
was	O
aided	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
opportunities	O
for	O
animation	O
and	O
fun	O
"	O
within	O
their	O
source	O
material	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Publishers	O
Weekly	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
review	O
of	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
 '	O
ABC	O
,	O
stated	O
that	O
,	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
producers	O
 '	O
fondness	O
for	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
and	O
their	O
fidelity	O
to	O
his	O
sense	O
of	O
refined	O
silliness	O
spill	O
into	O
every	O
sequence.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	B-General_Concept
other	O
hand	O
,	O
reviewing	O
two	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
titles	O
The	B-General_Concept
Washington	O
Post	O
criticised	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
for	O
"	O
re-purposing	O
content	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
exploiting	O
existing	O
media	O
franchises	O
"	O
,	O
adding	O
that	O
"	O
nearly	O
all	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
additions	O
mangle	O
or	O
simply	O
ignore	O
the	B-General_Concept
Seuss	O
sensibility	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Mag	O
felt	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Birthday	O
"	O
captured	O
all	O
the	B-General_Concept
charm	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
original	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Photographic	O
Image	O
in	O
Digital	O
Culture	O
thought	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
a	O
"	O
successful	O
reworking	O
of	O
children	O
's	O
literature	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Business	O
Standard	O
felt	O
Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Ham	O
was	O
"	O
faithful	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
original	O
"	O
while	O
MacWorld	O
felt	O
it	O
offered	O
a	O
"	O
charming	O
,	O
lighthearted	O
adaptation	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Educational	O
Technology	O
Handbook	O
praised	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
use	O
of	O
quality	O
literature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Allgame	O
felt	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Reading	O
Race	O
was	O
"	O
sure	O
to	O
delight	O
children	O
who	O
enjoy	O
the	B-General_Concept
adventures	O
of	O
Arthur	O
in	O
books	O
or	O
on	O
TV	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Complex	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
games	O
allowed	O
kids	O
to	O
"	O
live	O
out	O
their	O
personal	O
Pagemaster	B-Application
fantasies	O
"	O
Superkids	O
thought	O
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
"	O
does	O
the	B-General_Concept
old	O
story	O
justice	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Baltimore	O
Sun	O
liked	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
chose	O
to	O
adapt	O
a	O
"	O
well-written	O
story	O
with	O
a	O
morale	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Seattle	O
Times	O
noted	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
short	O
playtime	O
,	O
though	O
noted	O
it	O
replay	O
value	O
due	O
to	O
children	O
liking	O
to	O
revisit	O
favourite	O
books	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SuperKids	O
also	O
noted	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
replayability	O
,	O
as	O
their	O
kid	O
reviewers	O
engaged	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
even	O
if	O
they	O
had	O
read	O
it	O
before	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Conversely	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
Daily	O
Gazette	O
warned	O
that	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Computer	O
Adventure	O
would	O
n't	O
hold	O
kids	O
 '	O
attention	O
for	O
long	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mac	O
Observer	O
described	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
as	O
"	O
cognitive	O
dissonance	O
free	O
"	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
other	O
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
where	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
action	O
either	O
contradicts	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
or	O
adds	O
nothing	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
narrative	O
being	O
employed	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	B-General_Concept
other	O
hand	O
,	O
Len	O
Unsworth	O
's	O
paper	O
"	O
Reframing	O
research	O
and	O
literacy	O
pedagogy	O
relating	O
to	O
CD	O
narratives	O
"	O
noted	O
the	B-General_Concept
dissonance	O
between	O
text	O
and	O
action	O
;	O
in	O
Stellaluna	O
"	O
They	O
perched	O
in	O
silence	O
for	O
a	O
long	O
time	O
"	O
is	O
followed	O
with	O
incongruous	O
activity	O
and	O
noise	O
instead	O
of	O
a	O
reflective	O
pause	O
;	O
Unsworth	O
's	O
writes	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
actions	O
are	O
"	O
gratuitous	O
intrusions	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
and	O
which	O
do	O
not	O
appear	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
version	O
in	O
any	O
form	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Simson	O
L	O
.	O
Garfinkel	O
and	O
Beth	O
Rosenberg	O
felt	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
added	O
dialogue	O
supplementing	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
's	O
text	O
was	O
sometimes	O
"	O
out	O
of	O
character	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Of	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
,	O
Creighton	O
University	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
By	O
comparison	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
exciting	O
interactive	O
program	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
is	O
only	O
okay	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
critics	O
wrote	O
about	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
as	O
a	O
reading	O
tool	O
compared	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
physical	O
book	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
York	O
Times	O
questioned	O
the	B-General_Concept
addition	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
original	O
"	O
dead	O
"	O
book	O
"	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROM	B-Device
adaption	O
,	O
suggesting	O
"	O
most	O
children	O
never	O
get	O
around	O
to	O
opening	O
the	B-General_Concept
real	O
book	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hartford	O
Courant	O
opined	O
"[it]	O
just	O
is	O
n't	O
as	O
good	O
as	O
sitting	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
sofa	O
with	O
your	O
child	O
on	O
your	O
lap	O
and	O
a	O
stack	O
of	O
books	O
next	O
to	O
you	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salon	O
suggested	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
had	O
a	O
portability	O
problem	O
when	O
compared	O
to	O
traditional	O
books	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
they	O
did	O
n't	O
work	O
as	O
"	O
sleeper-friendly	O
software	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donald	O
R	O
Roberts	O
,	O
chairman	O
of	O
Stanford	O
University	O
Department	O
of	O
Communication	O
felt	O
there	O
were	O
important	O
"	O
social	O
dimensions	O
"	O
involved	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
parent-child	O
reading	O
process	O
that	O
could	O
n't	O
be	O
replicated	O
through	O
a	O
digital	O
book	O
,	O
including	O
contact	O
and	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
security	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	O
Village	O
felt	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
handsomely	O
realized	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
"	O
of	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
:	O
In	O
the	B-General_Concept
Dark	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
German	O
site	O
Rhein-zeitung.de	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
combination	O
of	O
CD	O
and	O
book	O
has	O
the	B-General_Concept
best	O
conditions	O
to	O
become	O
a	O
bestseller	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Mag	O
noted	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
offers	O
a	O
narrator	O
that	O
can	O
read	O
the	B-General_Concept
same	O
page	O
over	O
again	O
"	O
without	O
complaint	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
critics	O
praised	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
 '	O
humour	O
and	O
wit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Independent	O
thought	O
the	B-General_Concept
best	O
titles	O
were	O
"	O
amusing	O
"	O
with	O
funny	O
storylines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
deemed	O
Ruff	B-Application
's	I-Application
Bone	I-Application
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
funniest	O
Living	O
Book	O
so	O
far	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Children	O
's	O
Trust	O
lamented	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
n't	O
aimed	O
at	O
an	O
older	O
audience	O
,	O
but	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
storybooks	O
were	O
sufficient	O
for	O
their	O
patients	O
due	O
to	O
being	O
"	O
amusing	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Mag	O
thought	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
pack	O
enough	O
humor	O
and	O
tickle	O
adults	O
as	O
they	O
entertain	O
children	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Len	O
Unsworth	O
's	O
paper	O
"	O
Reframing	O
research	O
and	O
literacy	O
pedagogy	O
relating	O
to	O
CD	O
narratives	O
"	O
writes	O
that	O
Stellaluna	O
was	O
a	O
"	O
very	O
significantly	O
change	O
"	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
somewhat	O
serious	O
tone	O
"	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
due	O
to	O
an	O
"	O
almost	O
a	O
slapstick	O
approach	O
to	O
frivolous	O
humour	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Baltimore	O
Sun	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
activities	O
were	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
right	O
blend	O
of	O
humor	O
and	O
purpose	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Courant	O
felt	O
that	O
while	O
the	B-General_Concept
developer	O
had	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
formula	O
figured	O
out	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
previewing	O
the	B-General_Concept
second	O
title	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
,	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
wrote	O
that	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
was	O
"	O
not	O
just	O
a	O
creative	O
fluke	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
felt	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
"	O
may	O
have	O
the	B-General_Concept
wit	O
and	O
imagination	O
to	O
keep	O
the	B-General_Concept
magic	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
indefinitely	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Baltimore	O
Sun	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
games	O
"	O
vary	O
dramatically	O
in	O
quality	O
"	O
while	O
The	B-General_Concept
Independent	O
agreed	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
books	O
 '	O
quality	O
fluctuates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Superkids	O
felt	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Computer	O
Adventure	O
was	O
"	O
not	O
the	B-General_Concept
strongest	O
entry	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
product	O
line	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SuperKids	O
wrote	O
that	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Computer	O
Adventure	O
was	O
n't	O
the	B-General_Concept
strongest	O
entry	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
product	O
line	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
reviewers	O
praised	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
for	O
its	O
ease	O
of	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
noted	O
"	O
it	O
's	O
a	O
cinch	O
for	O
even	O
very	O
young	O
children	O
to	O
run	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
without	O
adult	O
assistance	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Spokesman	O
Review	O
described	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
as	O
"	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
software	O
version	O
of	O
training	O
wheels.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Simson	O
L	O
.	O
Garfinkel	O
and	O
Beth	O
Rosenberg	O
found	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
CD-ROMs	B-Device
played	O
better	O
on	O
Macs	O
than	O
on	O
PCs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
Straits	O
Times	O
felt	O
their	O
"	O
simple	O
and	O
interactive	O
interface	O
"	O
gave	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
and	O
"	O
edge	O
"	O
over	O
its	O
competitors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Engadget	O
deemed	O
it	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
young-kid	O
equivalent	O
of	O
Cyan	O
's	O
revolutionary	O
Myst	B-Application
immersive	O
world	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tampa	O
Bay	O
Times	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
were	O
"	O
crash-proof	O
"	O
with	O
"	O
rock-solid	O
reliability	O
and	O
kid-friendly	O
ease	O
of	O
use	O
"	O
,	O
adding	O
that	O
it	O
succeeds	O
in	O
"	O
encouraging	O
children	O
to	O
become	O
comfortable	O
using	O
a	O
computer	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
Game	O
noted	O
that	O
no	O
documentation	O
is	O
provided	O
but	O
that	O
"	O
everything	O
is	O
self-explanatory	O
and	O
intuitive	O
within	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Age	O
suggested	O
that	O
the	B-General_Concept
games	O
would	O
only	O
become	O
popular	O
in	O
Australian	O
schools	O
once	O
they	O
had	O
regular	O
access	O
to	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MacUser	O
felt	O
that	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
and	O
Edmark	O
's	O
Early	B-Application
Learning	I-Application
House	I-Application
overcame	O
the	B-General_Concept
issue	O
of	O
exclusively	O
Caucasian	O
characters	O
in	O
younger	O
children	O
's	O
programs	O
through	O
the	B-General_Concept
use	O
of	O
animal	O
and	O
friendly	O
monster	O
protagonists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
York	O
Times	O
Guide	O
to	O
the	B-General_Concept
Best	O
Children	O
's	O
Videos	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
use	O
of	O
a	O
female	O
role	O
model	O
in	O
Sheila	O
Rae	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
Brave	O
was	O
"	O
excellent	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
study	O
of	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
found	O
that	O
some	O
of	O
its	O
incidental	O
hot	O
spots	O
included	O
stereotypical	O
depictions	O
of	O
male	O
and	O
female	O
behaviours	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MacAddict	O
criticised	O
the	B-General_Concept
Little	O
Ark	O
Interactive	O
title	O
Daniel	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Lions’	O
Den	O
for	O
teaching	O
stereotypes	O
;	O
the	B-General_Concept
titular	O
protagonist	O
Daniel	O
is	O
thrown	O
into	O
the	B-General_Concept
lions’	O
den	O
by	O
three	O
"	O
not-so-wise	O
"	O
men	O
who	O
are	O
characterised	O
as	O
fat	O
,	O
hunchbacked	O
,	O
and	O
with	O
darker	O
skin	O
respectively	O
,	O
together	O
acting	O
like	O
the	B-Application
Three	I-Application
Stooges	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1994	O
,	O
Aktueller	O
Software	O
Markt	O
praised	O
two	O
entries	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
and	O
concluded	O
the	B-General_Concept
review	O
by	O
begging	O
for	O
a	O
German	O
translation	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
local	O
version	O
was	O
launched	O
in	O
1998	O
–	O
9	O
,	O
German	O
site	O
Feibel	O
noted	O
that	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
translation	O
was	O
done	O
by	O
people	O
who	O
have	O
no	O
idea	O
about	O
the	B-General_Concept
German	O
language	O
"	O
,	O
adding	O
that	O
"	O
particularly	O
disturbing	O
is	O
the	B-General_Concept
voice	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
grandmother	O
,	O
who	O
has	O
an	O
American	O
accent	O
"	O
;	O
the	B-General_Concept
site	O
argued	O
that	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
accent	O
alienates	O
the	B-General_Concept
text	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
significantly	O
reduced	O
the	B-General_Concept
quality	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Of	O
the	B-General_Concept
international	O
dubs	O
,	O
reviewer	O
Roger	O
Frost	O
commented	O
"	O
It	O
's	O
interesting	O
that	O
several	O
teams	O
of	O
experts	O
worked	O
on	O
these	O
,	O
just	O
to	O
'	O
dub	O
 '	O
them	O
so	O
that	O
lip	O
movements	O
matched	O
the	B-General_Concept
new	O
dialogue	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Seattle	O
Times	O
though	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
additions	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Version	O
2.0	O
re-releases	O
would	O
n't	O
be	O
enough	O
to	O
convince	O
customers	O
to	O
re-purchase	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Wanderful	O
re-releases	O
,	O
Engadget	O
questioning	O
whether	O
the	B-General_Concept
storybooks	O
would	O
hold	O
up	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
current	O
market	O
though	O
noted	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
effort	O
and	O
care	O
that	O
went	O
into	O
their	O
original	O
versions	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Children	O
's	O
Technology	O
Review	O
wrote	O
of	O
Wanderful	O
's	O
Ruff	B-Application
's	I-Application
Bone	I-Application
app	O
,	O
"[it's]	O
a	O
good	O
book	O
meets	O
solid	O
interactive	O
design	O
,	O
in	O
this	O
updated	O
iPad	O
edition	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
classic	O
Living	O
Book	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CNBC	O
deemed	O
the	B-General_Concept
dynamic	O
language	O
function	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Wanderful	O
re-releases	O
a	O
"	O
stunningly	O
simple	O
and	O
powerful	O
feature	O
unlike	O
anything	O
found	O
in	O
other	O
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
or	O
eBooks	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mac	O
Observer	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
Wanderful	O
upgrade	O
had	O
"	O
well	O
researched	O
curriculua	O
and	O
activities	O
aligned	O
with	O
the	B-General_Concept
Common	O
Core	O
State	O
Standards	O
Initiative	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Children	O
's	O
Tech	O
Review	O
noted	O
that	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
iPad	O
screen	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
graphics	O
look	O
"	O
bitmapped	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
fuzzy	O
"	O
as	O
if	O
they	O
have	O
been	O
"	O
directly	O
ported	O
"	O
,	O
though	O
noted	O
this	O
gives	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
a	O
"	O
retro	O
"	O
look	O
;	O
they	O
praised	O
the	B-General_Concept
hotspots	O
as	O
"	O
still-funny-after-all-these-years	O
"	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
sound	O
as	O
having	O
not	O
"	O
faded	O
a	O
bit	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
site	O
praised	O
the	B-General_Concept
modern	O
multi-touch	O
environment	O
that	O
"enhance[s]	O
a	O
child	O
's	O
feeling	O
of	O
control	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
noted	O
that	O
while	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
still	O
had	O
its	O
"	O
magic	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
unlike	O
the	B-General_Concept
'	O
90s	O
,	O
 [ children ] 	O
have	O
many	O
more	O
choices	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MacUser	O
felt	O
that	O
Little	O
Ark	O
Interactive	O
pair	O
of	O
titles	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
"	O
huge	O
assist	O
"	O
to	O
any	O
parent	O
struggling	O
to	O
answer	O
the	B-General_Concept
question	O
'	O
What	O
is	O
the	B-General_Concept
Bible	O
 '	O
from	O
a	O
religious	O
or	O
a	O
cultural	O
perspective	O
;	O
it	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
could	O
open	O
the	B-General_Concept
possibility	O
for	O
parent-child	O
discussions	O
on	O
alternative	O
races	O
and	O
religions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
magazine	O
praised	O
the	B-General_Concept
way	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
told	O
the	B-General_Concept
simple	O
story	O
through	O
fun	O
,	O
bright	O
colours	O
,	O
entertaining	O
music	O
adding	O
,	O
"	O
it	O
's	O
rare	O
to	O
find	O
such	O
enjoyable	O
music	O
in	O
a	O
kid	O
's	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MacAddict	O
chose	O
not	O
to	O
have	O
public	O
school	O
children	O
review	O
the	B-General_Concept
programs	O
so	O
as	O
to	O
maintain	O
separation	O
of	O
church	O
and	O
state	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
felt	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
were	O
"	O
charming	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
lacked	O
"	O
real	O
Bible	O
education	O
"	O
;	O
commenting	O
that	O
their	O
review	O
by	O
a	O
multidenominational	O
,	O
ecumenical	O
panel	O
during	O
developed	O
led	O
to	O
The	B-General_Concept
Story	O
of	O
Creation	O
being	O
"	O
watered	O
down	O
"	O
to	O
"	O
just	O
a	O
bunch	O
of	O
singing	O
and	O
dancing	O
 [ and ] 	O
cute	O
animations	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arizona	O
Republic	O
wrote	O
that	O
The	B-General_Concept
Story	O
of	O
Creation	O
presented	O
the	B-General_Concept
creation	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
world	O
in	O
a	O
"	O
very	O
basic	O
way	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
players	O
should	O
n't	O
"	O
expect	O
to	O
be	O
dazzled	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Larry	O
Blasko	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Associated	O
Press	O
noted	O
that	O
The	B-General_Concept
Story	O
of	O
Creation	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
most	O
well-known	O
Bible	O
stories	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
impressive	O
for	O
Little	O
Ark	O
Interactive	O
to	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
present	O
it	O
to	O
children	O
through	O
"	O
creative	O
"	O
software	O
in	O
a	O
"	O
clever	O
and	O
amusing	O
way	O
"	O
;	O
he	O
like	O
the	B-General_Concept
use	O
of	O
a	O
child	O
's	O
voice	O
was	O
a	O
"	O
nice	O
touch	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blasko	O
added	O
The	B-General_Concept
Story	O
of	O
Creation	O
"	O
shows	O
no	O
discernible	O
denominational	O
tilt	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
fact	O
that	O
God	O
is	O
never	O
pictured	O
means	O
it	O
"	O
should	O
pass	O
muster	O
for	O
all	O
flavors	O
of	O
doctrine	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Logansport	O
Pharos-Tribune	O
praised	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
 '	O
"	O
associated	O
group	O
of	O
titles	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Wanderful	O
re-releases	O
of	O
Little	O
Ark	O
,	O
Children	O
's	O
Technology	O
Review	O
wrote	O
"[these]	O
bible	O
stories	O
that	O
come	O
to	O
life	O
,	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
context	O
of	O
a	O
solid	O
'	O
Living	O
Book	O
 '	O
shell	O
"	O
due	O
to	O
their	O
"	O
effective	O
language	O
immersion	O
experience	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
suggested	O
their	O
use	O
of	O
slapstick	O
humor	O
"	O
could	O
actually	O
make	O
religion	O
fun.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Sunday	O
Software	O
noted	O
that	O
The	B-General_Concept
Story	O
of	O
Creation	O
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
only	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
"	O
in	O
existence	O
"	O
for	O
young	O
children	O
about	O
creation	O
,	O
and	O
commented	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
cute	O
"	O
program	O
had	O
"	O
good	O
graphics	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
reviewers	O
directly	O
recommended	O
their	O
audience	O
to	O
purchase	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Technology	O
&	O
Learning	O
wrote	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Weakness	O
section	O
of	O
their	O
review	O
,	O
"	O
it	O
is	O
hard	O
to	O
find	O
fault	O
with	O
a	O
program	O
that	O
is	O
as	O
well	O
thought	O
out	O
and	O
entertaining	O
as	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Seattle	O
Times	O
wrote	O
that	O
Just	O
Grandma	O
and	O
Me	O
is	O
"	O
the	B-General_Concept
best	O
program	O
I	O
've	O
seen	O
for	O
this	O
age	O
group	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Publishers	O
Weekly	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
review	O
of	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
 '	O
ABC	O
,	O
called	O
that	O
title	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
best	O
children	O
's	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
to	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Compute	O
thought	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
was	O
a	O
"	O
rare	O
piece	O
of	O
software	O
that	O
does	O
n't	O
suffer	O
at	O
least	O
a	O
minor	O
flaw	O
or	O
two	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Mag	O
felt	O
Ruff	B-Application
's	I-Application
Bone	I-Application
was	O
the	B-General_Concept
"	O
best	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
yet	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MacUser	O
opined	O
"	O
you	O
ca	O
n't	O
go	O
wrong	O
"	O
with	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
or	O
Humungous	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Mag	O
wrote	O
that	O
Broderbund	O
had	O
"	O
scored	O
a	O
major	O
hit	O
"	O
with	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
SuperKids	O
 '	O
review	O
of	O
Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Ham	O
wrote	O
that	O
they	O
"	O
highly	O
recommend	O
the	B-General_Concept
program	O
for	O
any	O
child	O
capable	O
of	O
grasping	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Of	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
,	O
All	O
Game	O
thought	O
children	O
of	O
all	O
ages	O
would	O
"	O
enjoy	O
this	O
story	O
a	O
great	O
deal	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewer	O
Roger	O
Frost	O
felt	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
,	O
along	O
with	O
Sesame	B-Application
Street	I-Application
titles	O
,	O
had	O
"	O
enough	O
plus	O
points	O
to	O
make	O
them	O
powerfully	O
magnetic	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Daily	O
Egyptian	O
thought	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
were	O
"	O
standouts	O
"	O
while	O
Deseret	O
News	O
called	O
them	O
"	O
excellent	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Parent	O
's	O
Choice	O
said	O
Arthur	O
's	O
Birthday	O
was	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
best	O
ways	O
you	O
can	O
spend	O
5	O
bucks	O
for	O
your	O
child.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
series	O
has	O
received	O
consistently	O
high	O
review	O
scores	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arthur	O
's	O
Teacher	O
Trouble	O
,	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
,	O
Ruff	B-Application
's	I-Application
Bone	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Little	O
Monster	O
at	O
School	O
all	O
received	O
a	O
very	O
high	O
score	O
of	O
over	O
90.00	O
in	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
Rated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
|	O
MacWorld	O
listed	O
as	O
a	O
runner-up	O
to	O
"	O
One	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
Year	O
's	O
Top	O
10	O
CD-ROMS	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
|	O
Little	O
Ark	O
Interactive	O
's	O
The	B-General_Concept
Story	O
of	O
Creation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
are	O
interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
–	O
effectively	O
a	O
blend	O
of	O
computer	O
games	O
and	O
hypertext	O
fiction	O
They	O
are	O
"	O
electronic	O
versions	O
of	O
either	O
narrative	O
or	O
expository	O
texts	O
that	O
combine	O
high	O
quality	O
animations	O
and	O
graphics	O
with	O
speech	O
,	O
sound	O
,	O
music	O
,	O
and	O
special	O
effect	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Primarily	O
using	O
classic	O
children	O
's	O
literature	O
source	O
material	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
series	O
adapted	O
these	O
stories	O
CD	O
and	O
dressed	O
them	O
up	O
with	O
music	O
,	O
animation	O
and	O
real-voice	O
narrations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
games	O
did	O
not	O
live	O
off	O
of	O
profound	O
aesthetics	O
,	O
but	O
from	O
the	B-General_Concept
sheer	O
joy	O
of	O
discovery	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
effect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
plots	O
are	O
faithful	O
to	O
their	O
respective	O
books	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
games	O
are	O
generally	O
adaptions	O
of	O
books	O
from	O
popular	O
children	O
's	O
franchises	O
such	O
as	O
Arthur	O
,	O
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
,	O
and	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
,	O
however	O
three	O
titles	O
exclusively	O
created	O
by	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
(	O
not	O
being	O
existing	O
book	O
adaptions	O
)	O
included	O
Ruff	B-Application
's	I-Application
Bone	I-Application
(	O
co-produced	O
by	O
Colossal	O
Pictures	O
)	O
,	O
Harry	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Haunted	O
House	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
retelling	O
of	O
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Interactive	B-Application
storybooks	I-Application
are	O
a	O
storytelling	O
device	O
that	O
encourages	O
kids	O
to	O
take	O
part	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
virtually	O
turn	O
the	B-General_Concept
pages	O
,	O
click	O
on	O
various	O
areas	O
to	O
get	O
sound	O
effects	O
and	O
short	O
animation	O
sequences	O
,	O
or	O
they	O
can	O
click	O
on	O
words	O
and	O
sentences	O
to	O
hear	O
them	O
read	O
aloud	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
games	O
allow	O
players	O
read	O
the	B-General_Concept
book	O
in	O
US	O
English	O
,	O
UK	O
English	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
languages	O
,	O
or	O
to	O
have	O
it	O
read	O
to	O
them	O
in	O
each	O
language	O
by	O
a	O
narrator	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
are	O
offered	O
two	O
ways	O
of	O
reading	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
:	O
Read	O
To	O
Me	O
(	O
only	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
flip	O
pages	O
)	O
and	O
Let	O
Me	O
Play	O
(	O
including	O
player	O
interaction	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
former	O
imitated	O
a	O
traditional	O
storybook	O
,	O
with	O
linear	O
progression	O
from	O
beginning	O
to	O
end	O
,	O
while	O
the	B-General_Concept
latter	O
offered	O
a	O
more	O
compartmentalized	O
experience	O
,	O
where	O
children	O
can	O
pause	O
to	O
investigate	O
the	B-General_Concept
various	O
worlds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
story	O
text	O
is	O
written	O
at	O
the	B-General_Concept
top	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
page	O
and	O
highlighted	O
as	O
each	O
word	O
is	O
read	O
by	O
the	B-General_Concept
narrator	O
,	O
however	O
some	O
additional	O
character	O
dialogue	O
is	O
not	O
printed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
screen	O
"	O
becomes	O
a	O
playground	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
scene	O
is	O
self-contained	O
and	O
players	O
can	O
navigate	O
page-by-page	O
using	O
the	B-General_Concept
forward	O
and	O
backward	O
cursor	O
keys	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
screen	O
fades	O
to	O
black	O
during	O
the	B-General_Concept
transition	O
between	O
scenes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
programs	O
came	O
with	O
built-in	O
customizing	O
features	O
to	O
include	O
,	O
exclude	O
,	O
sequence	O
,	O
and	O
vary	O
the	B-General_Concept
length	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
games	O
;	O
or	O
to	O
adjust	O
the	B-General_Concept
speech	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
the	B-General_Concept
titles	O
are	O
accompanied	O
by	O
teacher	O
guides	O
with	O
photocopiable	O
resources	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Little	O
Ark	O
Interactive	O
follow	O
a	O
similar	O
formula	O
,	O
either	O
the	B-General_Concept
player	O
can	O
choose	O
'	O
Read-to-me	O
'	O
and	O
have	O
the	B-General_Concept
narrator	O
tell	O
the	B-General_Concept
story	O
which	O
is	O
supplemented	O
by	O
animations	O
;	O
or	O
they	O
can	O
choose	O
'	O
Let	O
Me	O
Play	O
 '	O
and	O
explore	O
page	O
by	O
page	O
,	O
clicking	O
on	O
hotspots	O
to	O
reveal	O
sight	O
gags	O
and	O
music	O
cues	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
Tortoise	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Hare	O
,	O
1993	O
(	O
PC/Mac	O
)	O
(	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
original	O
)	O
12Living	O
Books	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
Kid	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Block	O
December	O
10	O
,	O
1993	O
(	O
PC	O
)	O
2014	O
(	O
iOS	B-Application
)	O
Jack	O
Prelutsky	O
and	O
James	O
Stevenson	O
's	O
The	B-General_Concept
New	O
Kid	O
on	O
the	B-General_Concept
Block	O
,	O
1984	O
17Living	O
Books	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
(	O
iOS	B-Application
)	O
Mercer	O
Mayer	O
's	O
Little	O
Monster	O
at	O
School	O
,	O
1978	O
(	O
Little	O
Critters	O
series	O
)	O
18Living	O
Books	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Eli	O
Noyes	O
's	O
Ruff	B-Application
's	I-Application
Bone	I-Application
,	O
1994	O
(	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
original	O
)	O
12Living	O
Books	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
(	O
iOS	B-Application
)	O
Mark	O
Schlichting	O
's	O
Harry	O
and	O
the	B-General_Concept
Haunted	O
House	O
,	O
1987	O
(	O
Living	B-Application
Books	I-Application
original	O
)	O
12Living	O
Books	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Stan	O
and	O
Jan	O
Berenstain	O
's	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
Get	O
in	O
a	O
Fight	O
,	O
1982	O
(	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
series	O
)	O
11Living	O
Books	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Kevin	O
Henkes	O
 '	O
Sheila	O
Rae	O
,	O
the	B-General_Concept
Brave	O
,	O
1987	O
12Living	O
Books	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Stan	O
and	O
Jan	O
Berenstain	O
's	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
in	O
the	B-General_Concept
Dark	O
,	O
1982	O
(	O
The	B-General_Concept
Berenstain	O
Bears	O
series	O
)	O
12Living	O
Books	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Ham	O
September	O
23	O
,	O
1996	O
(	O
PC	O
)	O
2016	O
(	O
iOS	B-Application
)	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
 '	O
Green	O
Eggs	O
and	O
Ham	O
,	O
1960	O
(	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
series	O
)	O
19Living	O
Books	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
 '	O
The	B-Device
Cat	I-Device
in	I-Device
the	I-Device
Hat	I-Device
,	O
1957	O
(	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
series	O
)	O
12Living	O
Books	O
:	O
</s>
