 | This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. (April 2022) |
| Living Books | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre(s) | Edutainment, interactive storybook |
| Developer(s) |
|
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android |
| First release | 7 February 1992 |
Living Books is a series of interactive read-along adventures aimed at children aged 3–9. Created by Mark Schlichting, the series was mostly developed by Living Books for CD-ROM and published by Broderbund for Mac OS and Microsoft Windows. Two decades after the original release, the series was re-released by Wanderful Interactive Storybooks for iOS and Android.
The series began in 1992 as a Broderbund division that started with an adaptation of Mercer Mayer's Just Grandma and Me.[1] In 1994, the Living Books division was spun-off into its own children's multimedia company, jointly owned by Broderbund and Random House. The company continued to publish titles based on popular franchises such as Arthur, Dr. Seuss, and Berenstain Bears.[2]
The next few years saw a saturated market begin to squeeze Living Books company's profits; in 1997 Broderbund agreed to purchase Random House's 50% stake in Living Books and proceeded to dissolve the company. Broderbund was acquired by The Learning Company, Mattel Interactive, and The Gores Group over the following years, and the series was eventually passed to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, which currently holds the rights. The series was kept dormant for many years[3] until former developers of the series acquired the license to publish updated and enhanced versions of the titles under the Wanderful Interactive Storybooks series in 2010.
The series has received acclaim and numerous awards.
- ^ "1995 Online Annual Report". Broderbund. 1995. Archived from the original on April 11, 1997. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ^ Series Review "The Living Books Series by Living Books/Broderbund." McMath, Chuck. Game Bytes Vol 1. Num. 21. 1994. Retrieved March 24, 2007.
- ^ "Wanderful: The Story Behind the Name". Operative Words.