A global concern with declining literacy rates has inspired new, interactive creative from Rethink for Toronto-based publisher Penguin Random House.

The publisher has launched the free web app “Living Stories,” which is designed to help children better connect with reading, by making storytime a more immersive and multi-sensorial experience. The app uses smart home technology to pair with the sound of caregivers’ voices, as they read one of five compatible books, and active lights and sound effects at predetermined cues in the stories.

Penguin Random House vice president of marketing and communications Beth Lockley says that the idea behind the app was that instead of competing with technology that young people love, the brand wanted to leverage it to benefit reading and learning.

“We discovered that a good way for kids to learn and be engaged is to add an immersive component. When it comes to reading, sounds and light cues are wonderful ways to help them decode and remember words, and develop those critical skills,” Lockley says. She added that the brand worked with a special education teacher to determine what stimuli would be most beneficial to children.

Upon its launch, the app is compatible with five children’s books: Sharon, Lois and Bram’s Skinnamarink, The Darkest Dark by astronaut Chris Hadfield, The Good Little Mermaid’s Guide to Bedtime, Bubbles and Blankie. Penguin Random House plans to further expand the amount of books and smart home technology that’s compatible with the app as it develops.

The app was designed to make reading more appealing for students, as declining literacy rates become a greater global concern. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) survey, published in December, found that global reading scores dropped 10 points from 2018 to 2022. The drop is the equivalent of half a year of learning.

“We are actively addressing a digital reality that is not only affecting reading habits but also school results and scores,” Lockley says. “[Reading] is an essential way for children to learn about the world around them and build empathy and an appreciation for others.”

To promote the app, Penguin Random House released an online video that includes real families during storytime. A campaign for the app is also supported by TV, social media and digital elements. Lockley says the launch video and visual assets are being pushed organically through the brand’s social platforms.