I have always loved reading with my kids. However, I’m not the best when it comes to sound effects. There are some parents that are amazing storytellers. I am just simply not one of them.
Recently Disney’s Little Golden Books and Google Home announced a collaboration that brings music and sound effects to the books as they are read aloud. To use the feature you need a compatible Disney’s Little Golden Book and a Google Home device. Activate the feature by saying “OK Google, let’s read along with Disney”
Your Google Home device will ask you what book you are going to read. Available books include new stories like Moana, Toy Story 3, Coco and Jack Jack Attack, as well as classics like Peter Pan, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, The Three Little Pigs and Mickey Mouse and his Spaceship. There is even a holiday title to help you get ready for the season, Mickey’s Christmas Carol. The companies will continue to add titles throughout the year.
Once you have told Google the book you will be reading, you simply need to start reading the book out loud. As you read through the pages the music and sound effects will match what you are currently reading. A bonus feature for all the parents out there… if you skip ahead in the story the Google Home will notice where you skipped to and pick up exactly where you are currently reading. I know you have all done it. Don’t even try to deny it.
You can also take your time reading the story too. If you stop to talk about what is going on in the story or have your children point out different parts of the pictures, the Google Home will just play ambient music until you pick back up in the story.
I was only able to try out a couple of the stories, but from what I heard, it keeps up with the story really well. I was hoping for a little bit more in the way of sound effects though. The music was great, but when drums were beating in the Moana story, I was hoping for a little bit of a stronger drum beat, and things like that. There was a faint drum in the distance, but it wasn’t super obvious.
What I really love about how this works is that you are still reading with your children, you just have backup now! Definitely check it out if you can. You can find the books at Target, Barnes & Noble and Walmart. Check out more you can do with a Google Home in our podcast Family Tech Talk.
Check out how it works as we go hands-on with Disney’s Little Golden Books and Google Home.
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