My kids love “writing books,” and I love that they’re being creative, but I don’t always love the Don Music-esque cries of, No, it’s supposed to be a yak and I can’t draw it right! I’ll never get it! Can you draw it for me? (Answer: No, I cannot draw a straight line. You’re out of luck, kid.)
Storybird is a great alternative to get kids writing creative stories. The first thing I love is the fact that they provide the artwork culled from artists around the world, like the colorful characters from Paul McDougall, or lovely watercolors from Budapest artist Irisz Agocs, shown here.
After you choose an artist, you’re guided through an ingenious template for creating a beautifully designed book, all with your kid’s own story. Drop in the illustrations you want, add the text, rearrange until it’s perfect. The resultant online creation can be saved, enjoyed and shared, all for free, and while creating custom digital books on Storybird will keep your kids busy for hours, you might find yourself trying your hand at it, too.
The ability to order hard copies of your creations is coming later this year, but I’m delighted just to let the kids go be creative without making a mess. -Mir
