Member Article

Introducing, Watabus, the first fully customisable children’s book

Watadventure, a new publishing company stemming out of Manchester, specialising in interactive children’s books, makes reading to your kids a more personable and captivating experience. People are able to create their own avatar, to match the special child in their life, to star as the main character in their story. All aspects of the book’s protagonist can be personalised to fully resemble that chosen child, which includes their name, gender, ethnicity, physical features, as well as their outfit. Even the supporting characters, that share the expedition, are picked by the customer. This takes customisation to a whole new level, beyond the capabilities of any other kids book on the market. The owner of Watadventure, Mark Gray, recalls what prompted this unique concept:

“The idea came together from my personal experience with children, and noticing they are more likely to be interested in a book if they’re actually involved in the story somehow. This was affirmed by looking at the most popular books and how they often transport the reader into a place full of fantasy and excitement. I combined that observation with my professional experience of owning a printing and binding company and working alongside book authors. I was privy to insider information in regards to how digital printing is progressing and saw an opportunity to give every child the chance to star in their stories since there is nothing on the market that fully does this.“

To put the idea into motion, Mark took his vision of a story to a number of children’s book authors to write the story and then tested them in nurseries to gain children’s feedback. He then sourced a talented illustrator, Ilana Exelby, to work alongside him to support the chosen text with bright and engaging graphics, which are first hand-drawn and painted before getting digitised. To bring the book online, Mark sourced a digital agency, e3creative, to give the functionality for customers to create their avatar in a fun, interactive way. It has taken years for Watadventure to reach the point they’re at now, and the biggest obstacles were all in production, as Mark predicted starting this venture.

“In the initial stages, I researched logistical information and possible limitations. I was aware, a common problem associated with personalised books is that they’re printed as one-offs, and only certain machines can give you the quality and flexibility you need. I also fixated on the actual size of the book, ensuring that it was big enough for children to handle in all situations, such as in bed and on the floor, as well as being comfortable enough to hold by a parent/reader yet have the impact in size in relation to that child. I then focused on the personalisation of the front, back and spine of the hardback book itself – something that would be handy for when further adventures are released.“

In Watadventure’s first book, Watabus, the reader travels to India on a magical bus with a quirky conductor and a friendly dog. On the expedition, the reader gets a taste of life on the other side of the world by experiencing the culture of the street markets, meeting the native animals, touring main attractions and partaking in local dance. Watabus is just the beginning for Mark, as he already has his eye on expansion.

“We’re looking to enrich the reader’s experience, creating and reading the book, by providing, even more functions for them to personalise the story. We will also be adding several new books to the Watadventure series; there are so many wonders of the world for Watadventure. Thinking more long-term, I want to keep progressing the books. I am aiming towards augmented reality where characters come out of the page, with the use of a smartphone or tablet, as well as personalised cartoons. My dream would be to have portals in large stores where people can experience virtual reality, as they create characters of themselves and print the books there and then.”

Watabus books cost £19.99, are hardcover, 38 pages long and are printed on high-quality 170 gram silk FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) paper. Watadventure has partnered with two charities to further their objective of bringing joy to all children through literacy. With every book purchased £0.50 is donated to Rainbow Trust, a national charity, that supports families with children that suffer from life-threatening or terminal illnesses and another £0.50 donated to Once Upon a Smile, a Manchester-based regional charity that assists bereaving families. To start creating your custom book, visit their website: www.watadventure.com or keep up to date with Watadventure’s latest happenings on social media; Twitter and Facebook.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by e3creative .