Tumble into reading!
With nearly 100 animated story books by well-known authors and illustrators, Tumblebooks is a free, fun way for kids to enjoy books online.
The Tumblebooks site has close to 100 animated story books by well-known authors and illustrators, including recent titles. Kids will also like the book-related puzzles and games. (Parents will like the fact that Tumblebooks is completely commercial-free.)
Most of the story books are appropriate for grades pre-K to 3. Children can choose a book based on its cover picture. For parents, there‘s a story summary and reading level shown for each book.
Children can read the text and turn the pages at their own pace (in manual mode), or listen and have the pages advance automatically. Some books feature “Word Helper,“ allowing kids to click on words and hear them sounded out.
Tumble Readables for older children
The “Tumble Readables“ collection offers about two dozen longer books, mostly classics, for older children. Need ways to teach your child about social or health issues? Tumblebooks‘ “Life Learning“ section has stories and nonfiction books that touch on issues from asthma to volunteering. Lastly, the “Language Learning“ link takes you to titles in French or Spanish.
How it works
Tumblebooks is provided by our library for Champaign library card holders. Tumblebooks work on most PCs or Macs, and there‘s no access code required. You‘ll need the Flash 6 plug-in on your computer; Tumblebooks will alert you if you don‘t have it and lead you to a free download.
There‘s no need to download each book; just click on the “View Online” button beside the book you want, and it opens right up.