SkyVu Pictures releases 'Storyboy' on iPhone and iPod today

SkyVu Pictures, a US-based animation studio with a Singapore presence that specializes in computer-generated animation for entertainment markets, today announced the introduction of StoryBoy, a pioneering e-book reader and elibrary application for iPhones and iPod touch devices that promises to set the new standard in literary animation for pre-school and young school-age children ages 1 through 7.

Reinventing the pop-up-book for the e-book generation, StoryBoy brings books to life by melding digital animation with the creative genius of SkyVu's globally-positioned artistic team and was funded by the Media Development Authority of Singapore. The project was developed and created by the Singapore studio with a largely local team.

With StoryBoy, children can watch a comet fly through space as they learn about different stars, or touch a dog to hear it bark. Additionally, users can simply touch the "e-Book Store" button and instantly connect to an online e-book store, where they can browse titles, purchase new ebooks using iTunes credits, and wirelessly download the stories directly to their device.

"StoryBoy is more than an e-reader," said Benjamin Vu, SkyVu Co-founder and President, "It is a portal to an entire library of educational and entertaining content designed specifically for children. We envision StoryBoy pleasing parents, and entertaining children everywhere." SkyVu Co-Founder and StoryBoy Project Manager Hoa Vu said, "We are at the edge of a new wave of mobile media. With the Internet and mobile technology we, as content creators, can now reach audiences directly." Indeed, SkyVu Pictures creates and publishes original content for StoryBoy e-books as well as adapts classics from the public domain for inclusion in the e-library. There will be nine titles available at launch and new titles will be added monthly.

As an added bonus, StoryBoy provides parents invaluable tools and tips in the form of free parenting e-articles that can be downloaded on-the-go for a quick read. It is already partnering with other organizations like the US-based GREENGUARD Environmental Institute to provide parents with tips on indoor air quality for kids' rooms in an upcoming e-article. Best of all,

StoryBoy is 100% pocketbook-friendly, with the application available for free download along with two complimentary e-books. Additional titles retail for just $0.99 to $1.99. For a limited time, many launch titles can be downloaded for free. "We've always wanted to entertain audiences," said Hoa, "By combining entertainment with educational content in an application that can be used virtually anywhere, StoryBoy is a wonderful tool for both parents and young children." Projections from Bernstein Research predict that Apple will sell more than 50-million iPhones per year by 2011. Parallel this with the explosion of the e-book market - with sales projected to reach $550 million in 2011 - and the growth of young children as a key user demographic, and StoryBoy is strategically positioned to redesign the paradigm of the e-book industry and raise a new standard in children's interactive reading.