Children’s e-book subscription service launches

Technology business Moondog Books has launched a subscription service for children's e-books with titles from HarperCollins, Bloomsbury and Disney.

Ebookadabra offers unlimited digital titles for children aged 3-7 for £5.99 per month. Founder Tom Grayson said he set up the service because he couldn’t understand why publishers were not using a digital subscription model to compete with Amazon and Apple, as well as increase their product discoverability.

“Print books are great and here to stay [but] we see our offer as complimentary to the world of print reading and likely to have a positive impact on print book sales,” he told The Bookseller. “It is a fun and rewarding library in your pocket – ideal for a train trip or bus journey home from school. All those moments where a parent might allow a child to play a game, we want to capture for stories.”

The company is also looking to offer more diverse titles and is hoping to strike deals with North American publishers for multi-cultural stories.

The service currently offers 650 titles from 15 confirmed publishers such as Parragon, Oxford University Press and Andersen Press. Grayson declined to say how many subscribers it has but said the service is “building traction” since coming out of beta last month.

As well as access titles, readers can also send messages to each other, post reviews and record audiobooks. Children are rewarded with digital stickers every time they read, which gives them access to educational games.

Ebookadabra is currently available in the UK on Apple and iPad. An Android launch is scheduled for later this year.