Kids brands get the iPad treatment this holiday

December 16, 2010 by Wendy Goldman Getzler

The iPad continues to close in on its youngest of users with a slew of new interactive offerings from Classic Media, Random House, HIT and Novel Entertainment launching just in time for Christmas.

Ludia and Classic Media have released a follow-up to last year’s Where’s Waldo app, dubbed Where’s Waldo? In Hollywood, which now features a two-player mode specifically for the iPad platform.

And in a new venture, Random House Children’s Books has teamed with Seattle-based digital media agency Smashing Ideas to release a book-based children’s app for the iPad. Wild About Books for iPad, based on the children’s picture book Wild About Books by Judy Sierra, is now available in the iTunes store. The popular picture book is now broken down into 16 animated and interactive scenes where kids can tilt, swipe and tap along to the rhymed story. This is the first product produced under the Random House and Smashing Ideas partnership, with more interactive digital books based on properties such as Pat the Bunny, Little Golden Books, and others scheduled to follow in the coming months.

For its part, HIT Entertainment has commissioned iPad publisher Callaway Digital Arts to launch a Thomas the Tank Engine app designed specifically for the iPad. Misty Island Rescue is now available in Apple’s App Store and is the first in a series of applications the two companies will be rolling out for the Thomas & Friends brand. The app tells the story of Thomas with multi-touch animation and narration and also includes engine and story-related sound effects, games, CG animated video and art activities.

CITV-commissioned animated series Horrid Henry, meanwhile, will be getting the iPad treatment via an app that features nine of Henry’s most popular sounds and sayings, a Purple Hand button which plays one of seventeen random sounds, a video as well as links to Henry’s website where users can play games, win prizes and join Henry’s Purple Hand Gang. The Horrid Henry app is available on iPhone and iPod Touch devices as well.