Nook Color: Reading Goodness for the Whole Family

Barnes & Noble recently announced the new Nook Color, a 7″ lightweight touchscreen reader in gorgeous color. Color! Imagine the possibilities, as you probably already have since the first time you held an eReader. Newspapers and magazines are going to look great, as will books full of photography and illustration… like, for instance, kids’ books. I’ll get my bias out of the way right up front: I’ve been working on Barnes & Noble’s new picture book line, Nook Kids.

The Nook Kids line is more than simply viewing picture books on the electronic screen. A tap on any text enlarges it for easy reading, and you can also zoom the page and move it around to get a closer look. For books that include narration, kids can either choose from two modes: “Read by Myself” and “Read to Me”. And coming soon will be books with story-related interactive activities and games. You can get a sneak peek of these on the Nook Kids website.

Will this replace all printed books in your life? I hope not, because that’s a reading experience that kids should still have – great big illustrations, page turns, the feel of a book in their little hands. But it’s a great option if there’s a Nook Color in the house. Last night we did story time completely on the Nook Color (yes, I might have been testing books while trying to parent), and it was still cozy laptime. Quite handily, when the plea came for one more book, we just popped open the digital library and had a new one going in short order.

While others have done great one-off eBooks for kids, Nook Kids has an advantage of a gigantic library that will continue to grow. Books in the library will include a mix of classics, new, and licensed books like Olivia, Splat the Cat, Go, Dog! Go!, Skippyjon Jones, Berenstain Bears, Little Golden Books, and Thomas the Tank Engine. Plus, there’s already a library of chapter books available.

Oh, and the Nook Color itself? So beautiful. The screen quality is fabulous, and it’s slim and lightweight – something super easy to slip into your purse and not feel the crushing weight of it. Imagine always having some picture books at the ready when you’re out and about. The Nook Color will let you lend and borrow books, and has built-in Wi-Fi. It will be a great web surfing device.

I have an iPad. I love my iPad. But at a fraction of the size and a fraction of the price, I think there’s a place in my life (and my bag) for the Nook Color, too. (The Nook Color retails for $249, and currently has an expected ship date of November 26.)

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