We’re thrilled to share with you the arrival of the cutting-edge enhanced eBook editions of First Lady Michelle Obama’s book AMERICAN GROWN: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, published by the Crown Publishing Group division of Random House, Inc.
Emerging from a creative collaboration between Crown, the Random House eBook Development team, and Smashing Ideas, the digital edition of AMERICAN GROWN is now available as an iBook on Apple’s iPad, an eBook on Barnes & Noble’s Nook, Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Google.
We believe that the iBook version of AMERICAN GROWN is the most sophisticated digital book product released by a major publisher to-date. As an eBook it has the functionality of an app, pushing the boundaries of Apple’s iBooks platform.
In the iPad version, we produced the book in iBooks Author, taking advantage of its navigation systems and slide shows, as well as its ability to include HTML5 widget code. This enabled us to include many app-like features in the “Explore” section of the book and throughout the text, including 30 widgets that allow readers to interact with the content in an unprecedented way.
Below are some of the highlights in the iBook version including:
Exclusive video of First Lady Michelle Obama, along with original music and sound effects
Bonus lush photography and historical images
Timeline of the White House grounds through the years and an interactive satellite view of the White House Garden
Sixteen bonus recipes created by the White House chefs and inspired by ingredients picked from the White House garden
Tips for healthy living including information on creating nutritious meals on a budget
Helpful tips for gardeners tailored to various climates including composting and container gardening, a starter kit and seasonal to-do lists
A section for families with a bio of Bo, “Bo’s Vegetable Quiz,” slide-puzzle games, additional photographs, details on easy plants for kids to grow, great snack ideas
Interactive seasonal garden plans that show what is growing in each bed throughout various seasonal periods
