‘Talking’ books draw crowds in Delhi Book FairSource: Financial Express

Want to turn the attention of your internet-crazy kid to books? Gift him a “custom-made” one that tells the story of his adventure with the Spiderman.
Feel like reading a book but not ready to tire your eyes? Buy a “talking book” that reads out the story for you.
These are some of the new concepts publishing firms have brought to the ongoing Delhi Book Fair to attract new-age readers.
“Children are more into internet surfing and television shows these days. Parents are eager to inculcate reading habit among kids. Personalised books are a unique way to pull your child towards books,” Manoj C Dalal, Vice President (Expansion) of Kolkata-based ‘My Personalised Mall’, said.
The firm has brought out some 13 titles, with stories of superheroes like Batman, X-men and Spiderman as also famous fairytale characters like the Little Mermaid. The books are printed in Texas, US after obtaining giving royalty to the publishers who hold the copyright.
“Custom-made books are printed after inserting your child’s name and the names of any three other persons who are known to him or her in the story. If you want to gift such a book to a child called Davinder, it will be like ‘Davinder and Spiderman fights Dr Octopus’. The child will feel the story has been written about him,” Dalal said.
The concept is already quite popular in the US but for the first time a firm had started it in India, he claimed.
The firm delivers books at the customer’s doorstep after taking orders and printing the books. The production work is done partly in the US and partly in Kolkata.

Source: Via Publisher’s Post
Photo Via: Kiddharma