Yesterday, March 31, 2010 at 5:53pm Cupertino time we were informed by Apple that that our brand new app – A Story Before Bed for iPad – was approved for launch and will be available for iPad customers at launch is available now!

YAY! :)

Back in November of 2009 we launched A Story Before Bed as the first and (still) only service that lets parents and grandparents record videos of themselves reading children’s picture books to their kids. As enjoyable as it has been for children to watch mom or grandpa read them a story on their computer, these cherished video memories can now also be played back over and over on the iPad.

In a recent keynote speech titled “The Future of Digital Distribution and Ebook Marketing” at the Tools of Change conference, Tim O’Reilly, Founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media described A Story Before Bed as a “fabulous product”. He went on to say that “A Story Before Bed is a specialty retailer. But it’s a specialty retailer that has figured out something really unique about social media. That social media is literally part of the product. You basically buy this product to share with someone else. And that’s a really powerful insight.”

This first of its kind app in the world is totally free and comes bundled with a pre-recorded version of the classic story “The Frog Princess” at no cost. A Story Before Bed for iPad customers can record their own stories from our library of high quality Children’s books including classics such as: The Itsy Bitsy Spider, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Brementown Musicians, Three Billy Goats Gruff, Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll, Hush Little Baby, The Princess and the Pea, Hansel and Gretel, The Farmer in the Dell, as well as The 12 Days of Christmas and Jingle Bells for the holidays, and many many more. There will soon be over 100 quality children’s books in our library with more being added every single week from publishers such as Charlesbridge, Immedium, Bubblegum, Gingerbread House, and Chronicle Books.

Also, customers who record and purchase a story in the first 24 hours after downloading the app will get a coupon for a free recording of their choice from our collection of classics. That’s two stories for the price of one.

Since we first shipped A Story Before Bed in the fall of last year we’ve always known that the experience wouldn’t be complete until you could really curl up in bed while grandma or dad read you a story as you drift off to sleep. As much as we love our laptops, the iPad is the first real bedtime computer that makes the experience of A Story Before Bed shine.

Customers of other iDevices fear not, we’re very close to releasing a version of A Story Before Bed for iPhone 3GS and iPod touches as well. Grandpa will be able to read little Timmy a story while you’re waiting in line at the supermarket. :)

Everyone at Jackson Fish Market is excited to help preserve the memories of parents and grandparents reading to their children as well as kids reading to their families. We hope A Story Before Bed can help make great memories in the years to come.