Skybrary – Kids Books & Videos

App Store Editors’ Notes

One of My Kids’ Favorites!

My kids love this app. My younger one loves listening to stories read to him and my older loves navigating the app on her own to find stories to read or videos to watch. We are a screen conscious family and this is one of the few apps I feel really good about them using because I feel like they’re really learning while using it (and love that there aren’t ads popping up distracting them and might have them trying to buy something)!

Blank Page issue???

We had this app some time ago and my little one LOVED it. We had to briefly cancel our subscription for financial reasons, but she kept asking for it back. We were finally able to download it again just recently but we found that every time she opened a book, the left page would be blank. When flipping to the next page, you can briefly see what’s supposed to be there, but then it just blinks away. Everything else works fine— the sounds, the interactivity, the animations (if they happen on the blank page, they pop in and go away when the animation finishes), but half the book being unreadable unless read-aloud is not good. My child still likes the app and just chooses to listen, but I’m disappointed that this issue is happening on a paid subscription and on the same tablet that was working just fine last year.

The app equivalent of Hotel California.

This app is great and my younger son loved it for a while. Then my kids stopped using it as much and I attempted to cancel the subscription. GOOD LUCK! You can start a trial any time you like, but you will never leave. When I attempt to cancel under my AppleID at the apple store, there is no “cancel subscription” button. When I attempt to cancel on the app itself, it takes me to the Apple store where, again, there is no “cancel subscription” button. If I go to the website, it tells me I don’t even have an account and to “start a free trial!” HA! It will never be free. I thought I had received help with this a while ago, but just today noticed I’ve been being charged for MONTHS. MANY, MANY months. I’ve contacted support from both Apple and Skybrary, I’ll just have to see how long it takes. Too bad, it’s an otherwise engaging reading app for kids, but this is very frustrating.

No Reading Rainbow

I was hoping, when we got this app, that it would contain all the classic bits like Toothpaste Millionaire from Reading Rainbow - where most of us know Levar Burton from. Sadly, due to legal disputes, he can no longer post that content and Reading Rainbow itself has no content to speak of. I would have loved to share with our kids some of these stories from my childhood. That said, the app has loads of books and videos. Kids can read or have stories read to them. I originally tried to access the Skybrary from my PC through my browser with my daughter and just about nothing worked properly- hence the missing star. The books would not open and it crashed repeatedly. Everything so far works as it should on the iPads.

Excellent!

I am thoroughly impressed! I wanted my granddaughter (5 yrs.) to use her iPad for something other than watching videos and playing games. There are a huge number of age appropriate (you choose the age) books which are wonderfully narrated. The app allows any five books to be placed in a backpack (downloaded) so children can ‘read’ even when offline. There are ‘stickers’ given as rewards after every book that is ‘read.’ This app is totally worth the money!

Reading made fun!

I highly recommend Skybrary. The interactive nature of the stories and the ability to also watch videos has really ignited a love of reading in my daughter. The new updates have been a game changer especially the fact that you can highlight the words as you read. I highly recommend this app to anyone who wants an interactive fun way to read with your kids. - Reading Mom and Daughter

Educational and Exciting

This is such a fantastic app for kids! So many of my peers work in the educational space, and I love sharing the virtues that Skybrary affords with them. My own younger cousins love how many titles they have access to, and how they can explore different islands themselves. This app is revolutionary in the digital sphere and really contributes so much great content to children and families. Highly recommend!

App nice but has a subscription requirement

Just as ABC Mouse does as well many games for kids they my call it premium membership or vip membership as well other names who knows maybe additional charges can be in game after sign up I have come across such apps. Reading rainbow belongs on tv unless it has streaming content from show as well books for no extra charge. Is only way such apps worth your time that what tutoring centers at libraries if it has one use it to avoid any unnecessary money spending.