Have you ever found yourself sitting at your computer searching for children's books online and wondering, "Is this a good book to give my grandchildren?" or "Would this title work for circle time at preschool?" Sure, you can read editorial reviews from the library catalog, see customer comments on sites like Amazon.com (which occasionally gives you several pages to browse from inside the book) or social reading networks like Goodreads and LibraryThing. But what if you really want to know what a book is like from cover to cover - without heading to the library or the bookstore first?
Lookybook.com allows you to flip through picture book titles from cover to cover online. Registered members are able to build virtual bookshelves and leave comments. Registration is free but limited to kids and adults over the age of 13. Or just browse the titles available anonymously. You can search by keyword, title or author, as well as by subject or genre. Of course, the virtual browsing doesn't replace the experience of the book-in-hand...but it's a great way to get a feel for what the book is like before you make that decision to check it out at the library or purchase a copy. Lookybook, which is still in beta, currently contains over 300 picture book titles and the list is growing daily.
Is this a useful feature? Let us know what you think!
Spotlighting early literacy, children's books and music, library and community events, and parenting information. Talking, Singing, Reading, Writing, Playing!
No comments:
Post a Comment