The new Ruckus Mobile Media unit, a part of Ruckus Media Group is offering high definition animated children’s story applications for mobile media platforms including the iPhone, iTouch, iPad and Android mobile devices. The company is putting together a new library of digital media that will combine touch screen technology with intellectual property from award-winning celebrities and bestselling children’s authors and illustrators.

“Our goal is to extend a child’s imagination through interactivity and to lead more and more kids to play and to read, regardless of the medium,” said Ruckus co-founder and CEO Rick Richter.

The company will have more than 26 apps available by the end of the year and 75 under contract. The Ruckus launch list of apps includes the award-winning Rabbit Ears Library of classic children’s tales told by top Hollywood celebrities including Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Robin Williams, Denzel Washington and many others, now digitally re-mastered and optimized for mobile applications and with several added interactive features. See samples of the stories available through www.ruckusmediagroup.com.

Disney has created a sophisticated book app with its release of the “Winnie the Pooh: What’s a Bear to Do?” puzzle book app at Apple’s App Store. In the app, Pooh is hungry, but his yummy honey is hiding! Children read along to help their favorite stuffed bear find his missing honey pots, and complete fun and challenging puzzles along the way. Parents can record their voice or their child’s voice reading the story and hear it played back as narration.

The book apps already mentioned here are for use on devices originally designed for adults. If you’d like to give your child a digital reading experience but would rather offer a device created specifically for kids, then look no further than the VTech V.Reader. This is the first animated e-book system developed for children. It was launched in June and has already won several awards. The V.Reader helps children practice reading comprehension, vocabulary, phonics and word-building. Software cartridge titles are available as well as book downloads to the V.Reader, including some free titles. Explore this interactive reading device through .