Overview: Use the visual clues in the unique art-quality photographs to solve the word puzzles in Muddyum’s WordPlay challenges. Three different game play modes offer a fun challenge for everyone. Compete with your friends for high scores in individual challenges, two-player mode, or in party game mode. WordPlay is also compatible with Apple TV. Additional puzzle packs are available through In-App-Purchase.

About this App: WordPlay is a game, art, and word play challenge. The gallery quality images found in WordPlay are original images created with hand-lettering and found-object typography.

Do you know your onions? Many of the WordPlay puzzles depict everyday household objects or phrases. Some are idioms or figures of speech. Some are easy, some are brain teasers, all are fun! To solve each puzzle, put the material used in the images and the word shown together to guess the answer to the WordPlay.

Benefits:

-Three levels of puzzle challenges

-Instructional tutorials

-Optional free hints for solving the puzzles

-Option to add additional puzzle packs with In-App-Purchase

-Game Center Enabled

-Party Mode which is compatible with Apple TV

Language: English

PicPocket Books is a member of Moms with Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking to promote quality apps for kids and families.

Recommended Ages: 6-9, 9-12, teens, parents

Subject: LANGUAGE ARTS

Debra Lazarus, the author and illustrator of “In the Middle of the Lake,” has crafted a picture book that is a meditative poem with detailed illustrations of trout and insects, informative facts, and suggestions for extra research and projects related to brook trout. Her story takes us away to a peaceful lake where the birds sing and the insects hum and where, for a moment or two, we can shake loose from our customary view of the world and glimpse the sunlight from the perspective of a brook trout. You can find the book app In the Middle of the Lake here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/in-the-middle-of-the-lake/id470891897?mt=8

Debra’s image “Above Below” juxtaposes these two views. What unusual perspective would YOU like to experience?

Above Below, by Debra Lazarus

Eye Candy – original image by Muddyum

really caught my eye, and I wanted to puzzle out more, and I wanted to show my friends and family. Working in partnership with Muddyum, we incorporated her extensive portfolio of images into a game app for the iPad, which can be played in single player mode, with two players, or more, with Apple TV. Muddyum’s WordPlay App will be available in the iTunes App Store in late May 2013.

Introducing Muddyum, the artistic talent behind WordPlay

Muddyum Choudhury

I recently asked Muddyum some questions about her work as an artist and her process in creating her WordPlay images. Below are her responses:

PPB: Where did you get your art training?

Muddyum: I received my B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2007. I moved to Georgia in 2008 to purse an M.F.A. in Illustration at The Savannah College of Art and Design. I graduated in 2010 and received the Outstanding Achievement Award in the SCAD Graduate Illustration Department. Currently, I take Continuing Education classes at School of Visual Arts in New York City, which is where I started my Wordplay project.

What was your inspiration for the WordPlay project?

I am inspired my puzzles, puns and typography. I started making letters with chocolate syrup and glue when I was developing concepts for my first line of greeting cards. In summer of 2011, I decided to take Gail Anderson’s Type Play workshop at SVA.  It was one full week of type and I wanted to spend some time experimenting with typography and hand lettering. One of the assignments was found object type and I new I wanted to write with condiments. That morning of the class I went to the grocery store and bought anything I could write in; jelly, sprinkles, ketchup etc. The only idea I had in mind was “Let’s Ketchup.” I figured out the rest on the spot in the workshop.

Where do you get your materials?

I buy materials from convenience stores, hardwares stores, flower shops, craft stores and I walk to the park to get materials such as grass, dirt, sticks etc.

Can you share some of the process of making the images? 

When I randomly think of new wordplays I write them in a notebook. I can’t really explain how they come to me. Sometimes I think of an object I can write with and google it to see what other words come up. When I get enough ideas I write a list of materials I need to buy or get for free and spend a couple days shopping for these. Shopping and looking at all the items in the stores only gives me more ideas. Then I spend a few days cutting the materials or biting the food into shape and then take a few photographs of each WordPlay. Then I take them into Photoshop and edit a few things here and there.

Do you have any funny stories about an image that didn’t work out or that got messy?

The salmonella image was hard to do because I am actually allergic to some seafood. I forgot to buy plastic gloves so I put plastic sandwich bags over my hands while I cut the salmon. I also had to cut the kiwi in one image with the plastic sandwich bags on because I am allergic to that also. Those were a couple foods that had to go to waste after I was done photographing it!

Do you ever eat your artwork after you’ve photographed it?

Usually I do eat my wordplays that are edible before, during and after I photograph it. For apple pie I had to eat one apple to the core because I wanted to use it as an an “i.” I am not actually not allergic to shrimp so I ate the shrimp scampi wordplay. I did not eat the wordplays made out of condiments. The rest of the items such as chain, string, pins, rope, etc. I keep just incase I need them for a future project.

What other art projects or products do you have?

Other art projects I enjoy creating are greeting cards, book design and textile design.

Where can people go to see more of your work? Do you have a website, Facebook Fan Page, Pinterest or Etsy store?

What are the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) all about, again? Here is a portion of the CCSS Mission Statement: “The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.”

Cyndie Seyborne, a retired teacher from Arkansas has created Apps With Curriculum, www.appswithcurriculum.com, an educational technology service to develop Common Core-aligned lesson plans for book app developers.  Apps With Curriculum makes educational apps better suited for classroom use. All curriculum is downloadable and free to access.

“Teachers are looking for quality educational apps that can provide more than an hour of entertainment to their students,” said Sebourn, a National Board Certified Teacher who was in the classroom for more than 20 years. “By pairing curriculum with apps, I provide teachers with another tool to integrate technology into education and to help kids be 21st Century Learners. Now through Apps With Curriculum, educators can easily find quality apps that can be quickly assimilated into classroom education.”

The site features book apps with curriculum that includes deeper-level Reading Strategies, and Project-Based Learning.

“Often book app developers provide only fun facts or simple recall questions,” Sebourn said. “Apps With Curriculum engages students with multiple reading strategies that prompt them to think critically, incorporate technology, reach the upper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, and align to Common Core State Standards.” “Combining the apps with Common Core-aligned curriculum and group activities allows teachers to use the app in class to foster critical thinking and communication.”

Apps With Curriculum’s Book App Library features popular and award-winning apps such as “Brush of Truth,” the “Treasure Kai” series, the “Human Body Detectives” series, and multiple apps from PicPocket Books.  Recently added to the collection is “A Troop is a Group of Monkeys” by Julie Hedlund, which teaches collective nouns.

Sebourn, a speaker at educational conferences and an educational consultant, has conducted case studies about using apps paired with curriculum to integrate technology in education.

After National Board Certified Teacher Cyndie Sebourn retired from the classroom, she founded Sascyn Publishing, Inc. to create educational apps. Her first book app “Smarty Britches: Nouns” was released on the iPad, Google Play, Kindle Fire, and NOOK in June 2012. “Smarty Britches: Verbs” will be released in 2013.  “Smarty Britches: Nouns” features a boy who owns a magical pair of britches that teach him the nouns in his life; it is set in Arkansas.  “Smarty Britches: Verbs” is also set in Arkansas but, in addition, educates students about the southern states of Louisiana and Texas.  She developed curriculum for her own app, then started offering the educational service to other book app developers. Apps With Curriculum offers free, downloadable Common Core-aligned curriculum.

Interested teachers and book app developers can view the free curriculum at www.appswithcurriculum.com/curriculum.

Mo Williams was at the museum to install his Red Elephant sculpture. Eric Carle was on hand to supervise. I think it is wonderful that these two great artists from very different backgrounds and different generations are friends. Here are some doodles they sent each other:

Whether or not YOU are a famous, published artist, how about sending a doodle to a friend? You might just make somebody’s day!

About this App:
PicPocket Books brings quality children’s picture book literature to digital media. Now, children can enjoy their favorites stories on-the-go, even when they do not have a physical book to read.

This interactive CHILDREN’S STORYBOOK app promotes EARLY LEARNING and helps your children develop READING skills by connecting the audio words and sounds with the written word on the page.

PicPocket Books offer a unique and new experience, combining the beauty of quality picture books with audio recordings and interactive visual text. This combination enables independent enjoyment for children regardless of reading level, subtle support for early readers, and nostalgic fun for adults.

Whether standing in a grocery line, taking a car trip, or waiting in a doctor’s office, PicPocket Books provide personal, interactive story experiences. The books can be downloaded with one click or tap, and provide educational and entertainment value to children and adults alike.

Your PicPocket Book is a perfect complement to regular story time with parents or grandparents, and a gentle alternative to flashy, fast-paced digital media time.

Benefits:
-high fidelity, full-color illustrations that stay true to the original print book
-high quality audio recording
-Animated details to support the storyline
-audio surprises for an added dimension of discovery
-turn pages with an easy swipe

Language: English

PicPocket Books is a member of Moms with Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking to promote quality apps for kids and families.

“This group of developers are trendsetters that are joining with Apps With Curriculum and classroom teachers to educate,” said Cyndie Sebourn, founder of Apps With Curriculum. “They recognize the immeasurable value of providing curriculum for their book apps and are excited about being a valued asset to education.”

Apps participating in the one-day sale are Smarty Britches: Nouns, Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold, Brush of Truth, and PicPocket Books apps: The Lucky Escape, Battle of the Bugs, A Heart Pumping Adventure, Penelope the Purple Pirate, Gerry the Giraffe, A Royal Pest, A Royal Pest Mine, Choco Gets a Check Up, and Tractor Mac You’re a Winner.

“Apps With Curriculum links book app developers with teachers to promote 21st Century Learning Skills, said Sebourn, a retired teacher who was in the classroom for 25 years. “With curriculum, book apps serve a higher purpose. They become educational tools that provide extended learning for the classroom. Educators are excited to see Project-Based Learning and reading strategies that align with Common Core Standards and incorporate Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy. It empowers them to teach with technology and saves them countless hours in lesson planning.”

Apps With Curriculum was formed by Cyndie Sebourn, a retired National Board Certified Teacher, to create curriculum for book app makers. Sebourn also owns Sascyn Publishing, Inc., which creates educational book apps.

Apps With Curriculum

A Royal Little Pest
Smarty Britches: Nouns
Tractor Mac Arrives
Tractor Mac Builds A Barn
The Lucky Escape
A Heart-Pumping Adventure
Battle With the Bugs
A Royal Little Pest: Mine!
Gerry the Giraffe
Tractor Mac You’re A Winner
Penelope the Purple Pirate

Located in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, Sascyn Publishing, Inc. develops children’s apps for education, and it creates custom-designed curriculum for other app developers that meets the needs of educators. Copyright (C) 2012 Sascyn Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Look for the CCSS tab on top bar of PicPocket Books’ website, and access the curricula via the links next to the app icons.

About this App:
PicPocket Books brings quality children’s picture book literature to digital media. Now, children can enjoy their favorites stories on-the-go, even when they do not have a physical book to read.

This interactive CHILDREN’S STORYBOOK app promotes EARLY LEARNING and helps your children develop READING skills by connecting the audio words and sounds with the written word on the page.

PicPocket Books offer a unique and new experience, combining the beauty of quality picture books with audio recordings and interactive visual text. This combination enables independent enjoyment for children regardless of reading level, subtle support for early readers, and nostalgic fun for adults.

Whether standing in a grocery line, taking a car trip, or waiting in a doctor’s office, PicPocket Books provide personal, interactive story experiences. The books can be downloaded with one click or tap, and provide educational and entertainment value to children and adults alike.

Your PicPocket Book is a perfect complement to regular story time with parents or grandparents, and a gentle alternative to flashy, fast-paced digital media time.

Benefits:
-high fidelity, full-color illustrations that stay true to the original print book
-high quality audio recording
-Animated details to support the storyline
-Audio surprises for an added dimension of discovery
-turn pages with an easy swipe
-Common Core State Standards (CCSC) Reading Strategies Activities included in the app

Language: English

PicPocket Books is a member of Moms with Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking to promote quality apps for kids and families.
Recommended Ages: 1-3, 3-6
Subject: BOOK, READING