Will picture book apps help my child to read - or are they just gimmicks?

'It's too early to say what impact apps will have. Some are gimmicky, but they offer an exciting new route to good stories'

• Julia Eccleshare
• guardian.co.uk, Monday 9 January 2012 07.59 EST

New form for an old favourite - Rod Campbell's Dear Zoo

I was given an ipad for Christmas and my three-year-old is already fascinated by it. She instantly poked and prodded it and was delighted that it responded! I bought a picture book app to try and amazed at how quickly she picked up how to swipe to turn pages and got the hang of what to press to get a response. Will apps help her to develop a love of reading or are they just a gimmicky distraction?

I don't think I can predict what impact apps will have on developing a love of reading but I do think that right now they are an exciting way in which children can access good stories and particularly good illustrations.
Original apps or the app version of a familiar book look and feels different from paper books but can still contain all the quality of the original concept or execution. Apps also behave differently from books and can be creatively added to: that's an interesting characteristic that still has a long way to be explored.
At this early stage of their evolution, some of the additionality is good but much is a bit gimmicky. This will evolve so it's best not to get fixated on the pros and cons of it just yet. It's my view that apps offer exciting opportunities for new ways of enjoying stories – just as audio books and film do.
In particular, and as yet not developed, I think they may be going to offer a useful way of supporting children in learning to read. How the app is shared and how we adapt it to create a new kind of precious triangle of child, adult and 'content' will take time.