Archive for the ‘Storybooks’ Category

A Bronies Tee Shirt Giveaway

Posted by ruckusholly on March 9th, 2012

Bronies Tee ShirtYesterday we announced that My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day won a Mom’s Choice Award®.  This app continues to amaze us as it also recently reached its one-millionth download.

To celebrate all its success, we have FOUR official Bronies tee-shirts to give away!

Here’s what we have to give away:

I’m a Dragon (size medium, pictured on left)

BroHoof (size medium, black, two ponies flying in air, touching hooves)

Pinkie Pie Express (size medium, grey color, pictured below)

Two Bronies Floating in the Air (size medium, black)

To enter, comment in the comment section below, Friend us on Facebook and let us know which shirt you want. Open to everyone everywhere, who enter by Saturday, March 16th at 11:59 AM EST. Winners will have 24 hours to claim their prizes, or we will have them offer it to the runner-ups.  There will be four winners, one for each shirt.

 

BONUS ENTRIES: Earn a bonus entry for each of the following that you do or have done. Leave a separate comment for each:

bronies shirt

  • Subscribe to Ruckus Media Group feed in a reader or by email, leave a comment telling us which way you subscribed.
  • Stumble the post, submit to Digg, delicious, Mixx, Reddit, Propellor, or other social bookmarking sites. Leave the URL in your comment.
  • Follow us on Pinterest.
  • Follow us on Google Plus.
  • Blog about the giveaway with a link back to this post. Leave a comment with the URL.
  • Follow The Ruckus Media on Twitter  and tweet this link: Win a Bronies Tee-Shirt from @RuckusMedia  http://bit.ly/z17YmN #giveaway

Good luck and happy entering!

An Award for My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day

Posted by ruckusholly on March 8th, 2012

Mom's Choice Award

My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day continues to surprise and amaze us.

Last month we were thrilled to learn that it achieved a huge milestone when it reached one million user sessions. That means that one million of you, or your child, have opened up the My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day app, produced with our partner, Hasbro.

And now we are proud to announce that our very own My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day has won a Gold Mom’s Choice Award® for Best In Family-Friendly Products (or Services)!  It joins three of our other apps in receiving this prestigious award – Chuck & Friends: Friend for the Long Haul, A Present for Milo and Spot the Dot.

The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) is an awards program that recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and services.  Parents, educators, librarians and retailers rely on MCA evaluations when selecting quality materials forchildren and families.  The Mom’s Choice Awards® seal helps families and educators navigate the vast array of products and services and make informed decisions.

We knew that we had a terrific app with My Little Pony, but it’s nice to know that everyone else agrees. Available for any I.O.S device, a child can learn and play at the same time while enjoying a brand they know and love.  They can tap and tilt the screen in fun activities that move the action forward—learning new words, playing activities and watching videos.  The app is an engaging way to learn to read, packed full with rich, educational entertainment for beginning readers.

So, head over to the iTunes store to pick up a copy of our award-winning My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day and wish everyone included in its creation and development a heart felt congratulations in the comments below.

Calling All Parents, Teachers, Librarians and more: Reading Tips Wanted

Posted by ruckusholly on February 27th, 2012

Teacher and Parent TipsCalling all parents, childcare providers, teachers, reading specialists and literacy professionals including librarians!

We at Ruckus Media Group, creator of award-winning interactive storybooks for children, are looking for reading tips to stimulate children’s love of reading, both inside and outside the classroom. Who better to write those tips than you, the expert? We know that you work with children day in and day out to find that “just-right” way for each child to develop a love of reading, whether they are your own children or your students.

Please email your creative reading tip and photograph to TeacherTips@RuckusMediaGroup.com (if you are a specialist) or ParentTips@RuckusMediaGroup.com (if you are a parent). If your tip is chosen, we’ll credit the submission with your name and image, and post a link directly to your site or school. And, you’ll also be eligible to receive a $10 iTunes gift card to select your choice of stories from our library.

Here are the rules, terms and conditions (make sure you read the fine print before entering):

  • You must be at least 18 years old to enter.
  • Photos (high-resolution jpegs at a maximum size of 100 KB) must accompany all submissions, and should include your name, title, school (if applicable), city and state. If you would like us to link to your blog or website, please send us your URL.
  • Reading tip minimum word count: 25 words.
  • Only authors of tips selected by Ruckus Media Group will receive a $10 iTunes card.
  • All submitted reading tips will be reviewed by an education adviser appointed by Ruckus Media Group.
  • If selected, you must fill out a consent form (to be provided by Ruckus Media Group) certifying that you are the individual in the photos, that you are the individual identified by the submitted name and contact information, that all submitted information is true and accurate and that you own the copyright interest in all submitted materials and have the right to consent to Ruckus Media’s Group’s use of such materials.  You also agree to indemnify RMG against any and all liability to third-parties arising from RMG’s use of your submission as described below.
  • You grant Ruckus Media Group permission to use the submitted: tip, photo, name, school name and location information for any and all promotional purposes related to Ruckus Media Group.
  • Ruckus Media Group reserves the right to end this campaign at any time and to refuse acceptance of further submissions without notice.

 

We can’t wait to work together to continue our mission to create experiences through mobile devices that educate children and stimulate literacy.

Start sending your tips (you can send as many as you like) today and let’s motivate the world to read!

Our Newest Partnership Promotes Science, Kids and the Universal Love of Dinosaurs!

Posted by ruckusholly on February 9th, 2012

Dino Dan

Do you have dinosaur-loving kids?  Then you’re certainly familiar with Dino Dan, a Canadian/American television series for children seen in 100 countries around the world.  The award-winning series was created by Sinking Ship Entertainment and follows the adventures of a paleontologist-in-training and his friends, who uncover clues about the past and secrets of dinosaurs.

After announcing our recent partnerships with Cyberchase, which combines digital media with math, SeaWorld, which delves into the wonders of the sea, The Wiggles, which teaches kids valuable skills through music and fun and Crayola, which offers kids creative tools to learn, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with Dino Dan.  The brand teaches kids how to use scientific methods to explore and identify everyday problems.  As you can, we’re onto something here!

We have been granted worldwide English language rights to develop interactive DINO DAN e-books, enhanced e-books, interactive storybooks and story-based applications.   The new Ruckus digital storybooks, designed for children ages 4-8, will expand kids’ knowledge of dinosaurs and develop their scientific thinking and problem-solving skills as they build their literacy skills.  The first three storybooks will be available for mobile devices in April 2012.

To find out more about our upcoming DINO DAN apps, please check out the press release and sign up for our newsletter to stay on top of all our latest news!

 

App Production 101: Words from Our Story Editor

Posted by ruckusholly on February 6th, 2012

In the upcoming weeks, we are going to delve more into the process of App Production, as requested by many of you on Twitter and elsewhere.  We heard direct from Patrick Dorey, our Art Director, about the creative process last week, as well as from Lynn Smith, our Director of Business Development, about how great ideas come to fruition.  Today we’re learning about the editorial process with words from Susan Hood, our Story Editor.  We sat down with Susan to find out more about the editorial process.  Here is what she had to say:

Susan Hood

As the story editor and curriculum advisor, I work very closely with our chief content director, producers, curriculum consultants and art department. So a variety of talents go into the editorial soup! Here’s the Ruckus recipe for cooking up a great digital storybook:

Gather the best ingredients

1. When we decide to do a new digital storybook, we meet with the creators—authors, illustrators and/or licensees (such as Hasbro, SeaWorld or Cyberchase). We learn all about their characters, brands and curriculum goals. We discuss art assets, voiceover talent, music, activities and video clips.

2. We hire appropriate authors and consultants to write original stories or adaptations. As with any story, we may have several drafts until we get a final, polished manuscript.

3. When the story is complete, we work with our curriculum consultants and designers to develop age-appropriate games and activities that go with each story.

4. Meanwhile, any original art is created. We review sketches, revisions and final art and ensure the art works with the text.

Combine and stir

5. The producers create basic storyboards combining text with art assets, video clips and ideas for activities and games.

6. Using the storyboards as a rough guide and working hand in hand with our producers, the art department designs final screens and activities.

7. Meanwhile, voiceovers are recorded and added.

Check the temperature

8. At various steps along the way, everything is reviewed by the creators, our publishing partners and our curriculum consultants and any necessary revisions are made.

9. We consult with our tech team at various stages to iron out any potential programming issues.

Add the special sauce

10. Sound effects, animations and music are added.

Simmer…

11. Rough builds are made and reviewed and refined by our editorial, production and art departments.

And serve!

12. Final builds are submitted to Apple and then released in the iTunes store.

Serves thousands!

 

Susan Hood was mostly recently the Children’s Content Director of Nick Jr. Magazine, published by Nickelodeon, and has been an editor at Scholastic and Sesame Workshop. She is also a children’s book author, whose first picture books will be published this fall.


Inspiring Kids and Families to Connect with Animals and the Natural World

Posted by ruckusholly on January 17th, 2012

It’s another exciting day here at Ruckus Media.  We told you that we had a lot in store for 2012 and today we want to tell you about our partnership with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.  Together, we are launching a multi-year licensing deal to create digital storybooks that will inspire kids and families to connect with animals and the natural world. The stories will be based on SeaWorld’s animals, attractions and education and conservation efforts.

With this partnership, we’re growing our list of brands and favorite characters — adding to Hasbro and Crayola — but branching into a subject that kids and families love — science, nature, the environment.

We are also continuing to expand our emphasis on Social Good, following up our campaign with St. Jude Children’s Hospital.  Reflecting SeaWorld’s commitment to conservation, a portion of all the proceeds from the digital interactive books will be donated to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. The Fund is a non-profit charitable foundation that supports wildlife research, habitat protection, animal rescue and conservation education around the world.

The first three books in the SeaWorld series will launch this spring, including three interactive storybooks for kids ages 3 to 8 thatSeaWorld appeal to emerging, beginning and independent readers. The interactive storybooks will connect kids with SeaWorld’s killer whales, penguins and sharks and will be available at the App store for Apple mobile devices. New children’s storybook apps will be released throughout the year.

For more information about our partnership with SeaWorld, read the press release that went out earlier.

Ruckus Media Strikes Gold Again with the Best App Ever Awards

Posted by ruckusholly on January 5th, 2012

Spot the DotWe’re excited to have learned today that THREE Ruckus Media Group story apps have been named Finalists for the 2011 Best App Ever Awards in the Best Infant’s Apps on IOS platforms. Three! This is particularly exciting because they are considered the best for kids to learn and play.

The nominees are:

A Present for MiloFinalist in the Best Infant’s App for IOS device

Spot the DotFinalist in the Best Infant’s App for IOS device

Chuck & Friends: Friends for the Long Haul: Finalist in the Best Infant’s App for Android

Started by the people behind 148Apps (and Android Rundown), the Best App Ever Awards have been run yearly since 2008.  The awards are a purely people’s choice awards — users nominate apps and vote for the winners.

A few stats:

  • 287,643 nominations were placed by users at the site between November 22nd and December 31st, 2011
  • 7,243 different applications submitted for nomination
  • 1,692 different application are final nominees
  • 1,336 different developers have apps nominated in the awards
  • 108 app / game categories in the 2011 awards
  • 76% of the nominations submitted were for iOS applications, 24% for Android applications
  • 42 Gameloft leads the pack with 42 nominations across both platforms
  • 20 nominations per category (10 for iOS, 10 for Android)
  • 1 Best App Ever category winner (it’s iOS vs. Android)

 

The winners will be announced at the 2011 Macworld Expo (January 28th) in San Francisco.  As you can imagine, we’d love to win.

Here is how you, as Ruckus fans, can help.  Voting is open now through January 26th, and you can vote for each to help us get big numbers!

Vote for A Present for Milo (IOS platform)

Vote for Spot the Dot (IOS platform)

Vote for Chuck & Friends: Friends for the Long Haul (Android platform)

 

Again, as always, thank you for your support.  Now go vote!

 

Day #10 of Holiday Free Family Fun with Jenn Jacura

Posted by ruckusholly on December 22nd, 2011

Advent CalendarWe are continuing 12 Days of Holiday Free Family Fun with our friends at ZiggityZoom.  Our tenth guest blogger is Jenn Jacura who  shares her over-opinionated view and tidbits about living with a special needs daughter at Princess Prose.  She leads a pampered, over-indulged life with her geek husband and is fairly certain that the world revolves around her.  You can also find her on Twitter at @PrincessJenn and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/theprincessprose.

When asked how she keeps her special needs child busy during the holidays, Jenn said:

Over the years we’ve created our own Christmas traditions to suit raising a special needs child. This means understanding that many things that are holiday related can simply be too overwhelming for our daughter (taking her to a mall during the month of December?  Ha!  Not a chance).  It also means learning to go with the flow, and leave behind some of the ‘holiday rules’.

We’ve incorporated an advent calendar to help manage the expectations around Christmas.  And part of the advent calendar is breaking that major Christmas rule “Don’t open presents before Christmas day!”.  I can hear you all gasping in shock.  Yes, it’s true.  We allow our daughter to open her presents early and throughout the month of December.  Once or twice a week, her calendar will hold a special card that allows her to open one gift that day.

I think it’s a great practice, that doesn’t have to be reserved for special needs kids, though.  Allowing a child to open one present a week allows them to spend days enjoying it and playing with it before they move on to the next one.  And then on Christmas morning our daughter still gets to enjoy opening her stocking and presents from Santa.

I encourage all parents to take a look at what part of their Christmas routine is stressing them (or their kids) out, and CHANGE it!  I promise that Santa won’t leave you a lump of coal in your stocking if you do.

Visit ZiggityZoom.com for today’s 10th Day of Christmas Free Family Fun Printable Snowflake WORD Worksheet and to win a FREE Ruckus app!ziggity zoom

 

Day #5 of Holiday Free Family Fun with Tonia Sanders

Posted by ruckusholly on December 17th, 2011

Tonia SandersWe continue  12 Days of Holiday Free Family Fun with our friends at ZiggityZoom.  Our fifth guest blogger is Tonia Sanders of TheChattyMomma.com.  Tonia is a wife and stay-at-home mom to two little girls. She enjoys social media and write as The Chatty Momma on her blog, Twitter, and Facebook..  You can also follow her over on Twitter at @TheChattyMomma.

When asked how she keeps her kids busy thinking about giving back during the holidays, Tonia said:

A few ideas that I have to do with your kids during the holidays are:

1. Building a gingerbread house
2. Taking evening trips around the local area to view Christmas lights
3. Taking time to stop at a home for seniors and drop off puzzles, CDs, and goodies all wrapped up.
4. Christmas caroling in the neighborhood
5. Baking

One activity that me and my girls are enjoying is making delicious treats. I love using opportunities to teach my girls how to make delicious snacks and we also create video how-to’s for kids on YouTube in the process. Recently we made Candy Cane Oreo Parfaits that we shared on my blog, The Chatty Momma

It’s so much fun to make snacks with my girls, and this months treats will all be holiday themed!

Visit ZiggityZoom.com for today’s 5th Day of Christmas Free Family Fun Printable- fun kids activity Holiday Wordsearch and head over to Ziggity Zoom’s blog to win a free Ruckus app today!

 

Day #2 of Holiday Free Family Fun with Shari Simpson-Cabelin

Posted by ruckusholly on December 14th, 2011

Shari Simpson-CablinWe are continuing 12 Days of Holiday Free Family Fun with our friends at ZiggityZoom.  Our second guest blogger is Shari-Simpson-Cabelin of DustyEarthMother.com.   Shari writes and rants in her rowdy red-haired way at “Earth Mother just means I’m dusty”, Aiming Low and NJ Mommy Poppins.  You can also follow her over on Twitter at @DustyEarthMom.

When asked how she keeps her kids busy thinking about giving back during the holidays, Shari said:

I try very hard to keep my kids busy with thinking about giving back to others during the holidays: we are helping to wrap gifts at a food pantry, and making care packages for homeless kids. And it’s possible that a tiny bit of this is actually sinking it, as evidenced by my daughter’s funny letter to The Man in Red: “Dear Santa, please bring gifts to poor kids. And when you’re done, I’d like—“ and the list goes on and on, of course. Yes, maybe my kids won’t be winning any humanitarian awards any time soon, but at least they’re thinking about others! A little bit. A very little bit. Hey, I’ll take it.

Visit ZiggityZoom.com for today’s 2nd Day of Holiday Free Family Fun Printable- adorable  Trendy Christmas Cupcake Wrapper, and head over to Ziggity Zoom’s blog to win a free Ruckus app today!