The Waterhole by Graeme Base is one of six stories included in The Graeme Base Collection created as a digital edition (Base, 2020). It is available as an app for IOS or Android as well as via download with Mac or Windows. Some public libraries have this collection available for download using a library membership card.
The Waterhole would be considered an enhanced e-book, a print book that has been made into a digital edition with a few enhancements. The original images and text have been used, with the same pagination, making this text feel very similar to its paper-based version.
Graeme Base is a popular children’s author/illustrator and many children and adults would already be familiar with his particular style of picture books. They are often classified as Junior Literature rather than Picture Books, due to the rich language and themes pertaining to important issues such as conservation of wildlife and the environment. This does not stop younger children from enjoying the pictures and language, but shows how the author has managed to connect with a wide age range.
In creating the digital text, Graeme Base has made his original picture book even more accessible to a younger audience. One of the main features is the narration of the story by the author, making it possible to enjoy the story without reading skills or an adult to read the words out loud. When clicking on the tab “Read the Waterhole”, the title is announced and Graeme Base informs us that he is reading the story. This creates a sense of connection with the author, almost like he is personally reading the story in a one on one situation. The words are not highlighted as he reads which seems to invite the reader to relax and enjoy the narration, rather than suggesting that this is a ‘learn to read’ application. This may also be appealing to older readers who have the choice of just listening or of reading along with the author.
There is beautiful background music which changes subtly on each page. African drums can be heard on the Rhino page and the Pandas have a more recognisable Asian melody. Upon reaching the page where the waterhole has dried up and the animals have gone there is a haunting, sad tune – although this gives way to a cheerful and upbeat backing track when the animals reappear after the rains. The music is beautifully matched to the images and the explanatory text provides the information that the “instruments and styles are true to the geographic regions featured in the book”. This is not explained in the narration so a non-reader would not explicitly be aware of this detail – however I do not think this would detract from the experience in any way. The soundtrack is a valuable addition, “increasing the young reader’s engagement with the story by supplementing the meaning and information they understand from the pictures” (McDowell, 2014, p.15). This text has cleverly made use of digital features beyond what is possible in print (Yokota & Teale, 2014, p. 580).
The other main feature of this digital version of The Waterhole is the interactive elements. Again, this is outlined in the written text and not explained by the narrator or indicated via other visual clues. Although the target audience are “digital natives” it could still be helpful to make this more explicit (McVicker, 2019, p.731.)
Hidden frogs appear on each page and each have a distinctive call when tapped. This encourages exploration of the page and paying attention to the detailed images, a feature that readers would be used to from the print version. The use of frogs links to the wildlife theme and makes sense within the context of the book.
A second, similar feature is the ability to ‘count’ the animals on each page by taping them and hearing a note from an instrument from the corresponding region of the world. This reinforces the counting aspect of the text and allows the reader to play a tune once the number of animals increases on the page. This is a fun, playful feature which adds an extra element to the reader experience.
There are a few aspects of this text which could be improved for an even better experience. The book could have taken up the whole screen (Yakota & Teale, 2014, p. 580) and the instructions could have been more explicit. It is unfortunate that on the final page, where all the animals are gathered together for the joyful climax, that no interactivity is provided where it is expected most. However it is still an enjoyable transformation from print to digital , incorporating interactive features which will appeal to Graeme Base fans and attract some new ones as well.
References
Base, G. (2020). The Graeme Base Collection [Mobile App] https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/Community/Library/Services/Kids-amp-Parents/Online-Fun/Animalia-the-Graeme-Base-Collection
McDowell, S. (2014). Comparing Craft in Picturebooks and Storyapps: evaluating Movement, Sound, Nonlinear Elements, and Interactivity (Unpublished master’s thesis). Vermont College of Fine Arts, VT.
McVicker, C.J. (2019). Plugged and Unplugged Reading: Studying the Preferences of Readers. The Reading Teacher, 72(6), 731– 740. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1002/trtr.1791
Yokota, J. & Teale, W. H. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6). Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/3886534/Picture_Books_and_the_Digital_World_Educators_ Making_Informed_Choices