I just came across a new (to me) startup called Storybird. Storybird is a service that uses collaborative storytelling to connect two (or more) people. You can use the collaborative nature of this online storytelling application to create a Storybird in a round robin fashion by writing your own text and inserting pictures generously provided by a number of gifted illustrators/artists. You have the option to share a Storybird privately or publicly on the network. As the daughter of parents who were involved in publishing, I am intrigued by Storybird.
Some of the things I especially like about Storybird include….
- the ability to collaborate…great for bridging parents and their children.
- the ability to keep books private.
- the fact that collaboration does not equate to added chat features or public profiles (thank you Storybird).
- the fact that all Storybird books that are shared publicly are reviewed before appearing in the library.
- the marvelous talent shared by many of the artists/illustrators….Wow! (I’ll share links to some of my favorite illustrated books later in this post)
- the fact that library media specialists and elementary teachers can display public books in full screen mode as they read the books to students (the books are great for interactive whiteboards).
- the fact that you can easily add public books to your reading list or email friends with a link to the book (I know that elementary teachers will be anxious to share some of their great “finds” once they start to explore the books posted on this site.
- the fact that writers and artists can use this simple publishing platform to experiment, publish their stories, and connect with fans.
With so much to like, I really struggled to come up with suggestions that might make this already great product even better. The only ideas I could could come up with include…
- the ability to print a finished book (that feature is coming).
- the ability to embed a book on a teacher website or blog.
This site holds great promise (and opportunities for collaboration and public exposure) for young artists and writers alike. You simply must check out this marvelous application and take time to peruse the books that are available on the site. Then, put on your thinking cap, look through the art work and write a story of your own. Better yet…encourage a parent/child collaboration party. Ask parents to write a story with their child that can be shared during a show and tell story time. High school art teachers could encourage their students to create art work for this site as well. Once the art work is available, collaborations between high school students and elementary students could easily be facilitated using Storybird as a vehicle.
Here are a few of the books that enchanted me as I reviewed the books on the site (click on an image to go to the book)….
