NEW DIGITAL CHILDREN’S BOOK SERVICE ENABLES FAMILIES
LIVING APART TO SHARE STORY TIME TOGETHER
INTRODUCING READEO.COM:
BRINGING STORYTIME ONLINE
“Anyone who has ever tried to talk to a two year old on the phone knows what
a short and hard-to-understand experience this can be. With Readeo my two
year old and I can interact around picture books that keep his attention. He
loves to call me and beg ‘Grandma, read to me.’ and now I can!
Thanks for bringing me a new way to enjoy my grandkids!”
– Proud grandmother and new Readeo.com member
CHICAGO — March 4, 2010 — Readeo has officially announced the launch of its patent-pending web application, www.readeo.com, featuring an innovative BookChat&reade; functionality that allows families to share story time even when far apart. Whether away on business, deployed far from home, or as a way to see more of their grandkids, BookChat uses beautifully digitized picture books with a seamless webcam integration to enable people to see, read, and interact with children that they may be separated from.
“BookChat combines the video chat experience with digital children’s books to create a shared reading experience” said Coby Neuenschwander, founder of Readeo. “Many people use video chat to connect with children and family that we are separated from — Readeo takes that a step further by combining it with children’s books to create real interaction. My son and parents now enjoy story time face to
face even though we’re separated by 1500 miles.”
With titles from well-known publishers including Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Candlewick Press, Blue Apple Books and Chronicle Books, subscribers have a diverse online library to choose from. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Readeo for their launch,” said Sarah Williams, Executive Director of Chronicle Books. “We believe their platform will be both exciting and helpful to children and their parents or loved ones who want to share the joy of reading together, even from afar.”
Extremely user-friendly, Readeo is packed with useful features including:
- Face-to-face story time from anywhere in the world
- Award-winning and popular titles hand-picked for the site by Readeo’s editor
- Personalized “bookshelves”
- A library that is searchable by age, gender and subject matter
- A Book of the Month that is free to read for all users
Kip Jacobson, Director of Publishing at Blue Apple Books remarks, “Our books have a very distinct visual style and we’re excited that this quality comes across so clearly on Readeo. This is a case of the right product at the right time.”
By connecting families who live apart—including grandparents, divorced families, military families, and professionals who work long hours or travel often for work—Readeo helps promote children’s literacy and create experiences that strengthen families and children.
John Mendelson, Senior Vice President, Sales and Digital Initiatives, Candlewick Press finds their relationship with Readeo particularly
rewarding, “The idea that a father stationed abroad or a mother on a business trip can read his or her child a bedtime story from hundreds or even thousands of miles away represents a wonderful use of electronic books. Candlewick Press is proud to be a part of bringing families together through reading.”
About Coby Neuenschwander, Founder of Readeo:
Prior to starting Readeo, Coby worked with Sandbox Industries, a Chicago-based business incubator. While at Sandbox, he co-founded and built two web-based companies. Prior to that, Coby was a consultant at the Monitor Group, a Boston-based business strategy consulting firm. He graduated cum laude from Brigham
Young University with a B.S. in accounting and received his M.B.A. with majors in marketing and strategy from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
