Kiwa launches Chinese language eBooks on iPad

First Chinese QBook launched at the Hong Kong Book Fair on July 21st

The addition of Chinese Mandarin translation to Milly, Molly and the Bike Ride HD and Zoo You Later - Monkey Business follows the recent releases of QBooks in Japanese.

The New Zealand-based company responsible has already been selected in the British press for producing one of the best iPad Apps when it comes to kids eBooks. The touch enabled digital format known as QBook, is available through iTunes and is available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French, Portugese, Spanish and German with many more languages coming.

Founder and chief executive Rhonda Kite says Kiwa has established relationships with major and independent publishers.

“Our company is at the forefront of children’s digital publishing in multiple languages across many countries,” she says. “Our ‘Milly, Molly and The Bike Ride’ QBook transcends cultures and is the first of many we will release with Chinese Mandarin.”

Kiwa’s QBook is an interactive, touch enabled digital format for Apple devices. The format allows users to read the book, run their fingers across the text to have the story read to them, or to touch any word to hear it spelt, all in multiple languages. Parents and children can record their own narration and save it in the book. QBook also offers a 'paint' function, meaning children can colour-in and use their paintings while reading the book.

Published using the true type fonts and original illustrations, QBook offers publishers a faithful digital reproduction of their children's catalog on touch screen devices.

Kiwa’s technology will be demonstrated at the Hong Kong Book Fair from July 21 – 27 and Rhonda is expecting to meet fellow publishers there.

Kiwa’s Vice-President Luke Tomes says that with around 20% of all book sales being eBooks by 2012, Kiwa is looking forward to expanding production using its QBook format.

“The iPad, and its full colour touch screen is proving to be a game changer.” he says “It certainly allows QBook to be more interactive than any other format.”