If you’re looking for quality iPad ebooks for kids either to read with your kids or just for your own enjoyment, you can’t go wrong with the new iPad. If you ask me, the iPad’s prowess as an e-book reader lies not in pulp fiction, but in kids’ books. Think about it: the most recent Grisham novel is only raw text, that any old Kindle may deliver. However children’s books are about big, splashy pictures and wild colors–elements perfectly suited to ipad screens.

And useless to say, the ipad may do a much more that only display static pages. It can read tales out loud; it can enrich a classic story with touch-powered extras; and it may even render pages in 3 dimensional. Let us take a look at five dazzling e-books for the kids, starting with an eye-popping rendition of “Alice in Wonderland.”

1.”Alice for the iPad” This lavishly illustrated 52-page abridgment of the classic tale incorporates animation just like not one other e-book to date. Readers can tilt the ipad to make Alice grow and shrink; shake it to observe the Mad Hatter’s bobblehead bobble; and so on. The anxiously paced demo video (above) is a little over-the-top, nevertheless there’s no question it is a showpiece ipad application. Thankfully, there is a free of charge Lite version you can try just before splurging on the .99 full version.

The classic “Jack in the Beanstalk” gets an awesome apple ipad makeover.

(Credit: Ayars Animation)

2. Dr. Seuss books Already among my favorites (uh, I mean, my kids’ favorites) on the apple iphone, Oceanhouse Media’s three Seuss titles–”Dr. Seuss’ ABC,” “The Cat in the Hat,” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”–are just that much bigger and better on the apple ipad. Each interactive story costs .99–quite a little less than their respective hardcovers (as it should be). Oh, and stay tuned: certainly one of my all-time favorite Seuss titles, “The Lorax,” will make its iPad/iPhone debut in about a week.

3. “Jack and the Beanstalk Kid’s Interactive Storybook” I think that the title says it all, no? The “interactive” part comes in the form of games, activities, hidden Easter eggs, and the like. Gorgeous artwork, read-along text, and a reasonable price tag of .99. What’s not to like?

4. “Toy Story Read-Along” The model for how kid’s e-books ought to be done, Disney’s very interactive application leverages the iPad’s potential like few others. Not only does it read the tale out loud, it also permits your kid to record his / her voice and become the narrator. Every animated page features tap-to-play sound effects and character voices, and some can morph into coloring pages, complete with simple onscreen coloring tools. Songs, movie clips, and mini games round out the experience. Astonishingly, the application costs nothing (meaning it’s a must-have), although “Toy Tale 2 Read-Along” (and, presumably, future Disney titles) will run you .99.

5. “The Wrong Side of the Bed in three dimensional” This is interesting. Children’s book author-illustrator Wallace E. Keller founded See Here Studios, turned his own out-of-print title into an e-book, and gave it a 3 dimensional makeover. (Narration and musical accompaniment, too.) Any traditional red/cyan three dimensional glasses will do (you may order a pair from the publisher for ), though do not expect “Avatar”-level imagery: the result is fairly minimal. Do expect a cute little story (that may be also viewed in 2D) together with beautiful figures. The High-definition version of the app costs .99; iphone and iPod owners may snag it for 99 cents.

What is your opinion of the ipad as being a children’s e-book reader? Have you found some other titles worth mentioning? Share your ideas in the remarks. (And don’t miss the incredible Marvel Comics program, which proves that comics are equally well-suited to the iPad’s generous display.)

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