Vancouver, Canada – Loud Crow unveiled their latest interactive children’s app this morning, launching a Richard Scarry inspired Busytown Mysteries educational experience across Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. Presented in a series of full-length interactive adventures called ‘toontales,’ each Busytown mystery is designed with an educational objective to challenge a child’s deductive reasoning skills in a fun and informative way.
The Busytown Mysteries app is based on the well-known television property of the same name. Inspired by Richard Scarry’s original series of children’s stories, the Loud Crow digital application provides parents with a fun, kid-friendly introduction to basic pre-reading concepts. Developed in close consultation with kids and early childhood educators, Busytown Mysteries is the first truly hybrid children’s application to offer educational objectives alongside interactive games, engaging story sequences and entertaining karaoke song snippets.
“Busytown Mysteries provides children with more than just something to watch on their tablet screen,” explained Loud Crow President and CEO, Calvin Wang. “It encourages participation, interaction and engaged learning.”
Free to install, the Busytown Mysteries app follows Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm and a crew of colorful characters as they scour Busytown in search of the answer to each toontale’s mystery. Learning tools, such as touch-to-speak technology, character-specific word highlighting and speech bubbles help children grasp important concepts about print, while an interactive summary at the end of each toontale strengthens deductive reasoning.
There are currently two toontales available inside the Busytown Mysteries app; consumers are encouraged to stay ‘tooned-in’ for additional content. This includes one episode that is unlocked and available for you and your child to enjoy in “freeview” mode:
The Strange Ski Tracks Mystery – available in freeview mode:
Uncover the clues and test your memory to discover who’s been leaving tracks on the Busytown ski slope!
Educational Objective: Memory Development and Recall
The Mystery Present:
Use your counting and matching skills to help Huckle solve the mystery behind the misplaced gift.
Educational Objective: Number and Color Recognition
The Missing Pirate Gold (coming soon):
Put your search and discovery powers to the test at Busytown beach and help Huckle unravel the mystery of the missing pirate gold.
Educational Objective: Shape and Image Association
Richard Scarry books have sold over 150 million copies and this year celebrated an incredible 50 years of success. There are over 300 titles translated into 30 different languages. Five Richard Scarry books also made Publishers Weekly’s Top 100 List of All-Time Bestselling Children’s Books. DHX Media represents the property for licensing as well as distributing the animated TV series Busytown Mysteries / Hurray for Huckle! (104 x 11′) worldwide.
About DHX Media:
DHX Media is a leader in the creation, production and licensing of family entertainment rights. DHX Media owns, markets and distributes 9,500 half hours of children’s entertainment content, and exploits owned properties through its consumer products licensing business. DHX Media is recognized for brands such as Yo Gabba Gabba!,Caillou, Teletubbies, In the Night Garden, Inspector Gadget, Johnny Test and Super WHY!. DHX Media’s full-service international licensing agency, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group, (CPLG), represents numerous entertainment, sport and design brands. DHX Media has offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Halifax, London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Munich and Amsterdam and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
* Requires iOS 5.0 or later
* 60.7 MB
Pricing and Availability:
Busytown Mysteries 1.0 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Education and Kids categories. One toontale is always available in “freeview” mode within the app. Additional toontale episodes can be purchased and permanently added to your device for $2.99 (USD) each.
Loud Crow Interactive
Busytown Mysteries 1.0
Download from iTunes
DHX Media
Screenshot
App Icon
Loud Crow Interactive Inc. is a Canadian digital book publisher based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company was founded by a group of former video game developers with over three decades of experience in interactive media. Loud Crow is currently exploring partnerships to expand its PopOut! series of interactive children’s books and to build new lines of interactive e-book products. Visit the company’s website for more details. Copyright (C) 2013 Loud Crow Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.