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This Saturday marks National Tell a Story Day in the USA. Few UK publishers have adopted this relatively new event – although last year, World Book Day ran a countrywide #ShareAStory campaign – but now Google is hoping to extend its reach by launching its ‘Tell Me a Story’ feature for Android and iOS smartphones.
Children can now listen to a number of stories on the go – such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book Robot Rampage - by simply saying, “Hey Google, tell me a story.” The variation “Hey Google, tell me a bedtime story” will select a calmer evening tale.
It’s the tech giant’s latest voice-activated storytelling development since it launched its read along feature for Google Home smart speakers last October. Triggered by "Hey Google, let's read along”, Google Assistant now adds sound effects to selected Disney Little Golden Books, such as Coco, The Three Little Pigs, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Toy Story 3.
The read along feature is reminiscent of those offered by Seattle-based startup Novel Effect, which was a finalist in FutureBook’s BookTech Award in 2016 and has since been partnering with publishers such as Simon & Schuster to create customised soundscapes to accompany print books.
To encourage listeners on National Tell a Story day, Google has also announced the top US audiobook trends on its Play store. The five most popular genres are revealed as self-help; thriller and suspense; fantasy; autobiography and biography; and business and investing. Reflecting these trends, the top five audiobooks in the store are Becoming by Michelle Obama; Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis; The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson; 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling.
With a new book-related ‘day’ seemingly springing up, well, every day, it’s uncertain whether UK publishers will jump on this particular bandwagon. But Google’s reaction shows its continued investment in voice-activated storytelling, particularly when aimed at kids. The question is no longer: should we explore new reading opportunities with smart speakers and mobile devices? - but: who will we partner with?