“The idea was triggered during a conversation with Christian Moore about creating digital versions of educational material but it evolved into fairy stories, as they have proven their worth over many years and are sort of mandatory in nature for children,” Klaus Lovgreen, the Chairman of Giving Tales told Digital Trends.
“I asked Christian if he thought his father [Sir Roger Moore, the famous actor and UNICEF ambassador] would read a story for the project, ‘Let’s find out,’ he said and he called his father right there and then — and Sir Roger Moore immediately accepted. The support by Sir Roger has been invaluable, and he was also instrumental in getting the other celebrities involved in the project.”
The GivingTales app features the voices of actors such as Ewan McGregor (The Little Match Girl), Stephen Fry (The Ugly Duckling), Dame Joan Collins (The Emperor’s New Clothes), and Sir Roger Moore (Princess and the Pea). In each illustrated story, the text on the screen is highlighted, so children can read along with the narrator. An animated version of each story plays before children’s eyes, to add a fun, visual element to the reading experience.
Sir Roger Moore told Digital Trends that he choose to narrate the Princes and the Pea because he has a special connection with Denmark. “The Crown Prince of Denmark came to the bi-centenary HCA event, at British Museum in London, where I was appointed an Ambassador. I, therefore, thought it appropriate that my first ‘Tale’ should incorporate the Royal patronage my first HCA event received.”
While the GivingTales app is available for free download, each additional story after the Princess and the Pea will cost $4. Of course, much of the money raised from the app will go to charity.
Since Sir Roger Moore is an Ambassador for UNICEF, Lovgreen said he wanted to commit to helping children from around the world through “education from these incredible tales and the learnings that come with them by donating 30 percent of the revenue to UNICEF U.K.”
GivingTales is available for download on the App Store, Google Play Store, and Windows Phone App Store.
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