APP ANNOUNCEMENT – Scholastic Media’s “Magic School Bus: Oceans” App Makes Splash on iPad

Despite more than 350,000 apps available in the iTunes App Store, a 25-year-old children’s brand focusing on science has been making a big splash on the iPad this month. Scholastic Media’s new app The Magic School Bus: Oceans was released Jan. 3 as part of the company’s new “Touch & Tilt” line of iPad storybook apps. “Oceans” entered the Top 10 on the App Store’s Top Paid iPad Books in its first week, and has remained there since.
Based on the popular science-based book series “The Magic School Bus” by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen that debuted in 1986, as well as the animated television series it spawned several years later, “Oceans” takes young readers on a wild ride with iconic teacher Ms. Frizzle and her class – a field trip straight to the bottom of the ocean. The app embodies the “open exploration” essence of “The Magic School Bus” brand, which encourages kids to “take chances, make mistakes…and get messy!” Combining a story with more than 20 characters, virtual science experiments, live video of ocean creatures and secret games that enhance the narrative, “Oceans” is the only science-based book app among the App Store’s top sellers.
Consumers have rated the app 4.5 out of 5 stars; critical reviews of the “Touch & Tilt” line have been positive too: “A polished storybook app featuring an exceptional amount of interactive content. The range and depth of content makes it worthwhile; kids are likely to come back to this one frequently.” – Common Sense Media
The popular and critical embrace of “Magic School Bus: Oceans” comes amid plans for a mid-2011 re-launch of the brand on its 25th Anniversary. “The Magic School Bus” series is enjoying a popular run on the kid-based Qubo channel, which began re-airing episodes last fall.