'The Cat in the Hat' comes back...to the iPhone

It's a good time to be a Dr. Seuss fan--and an iPhone or iPod Touch owner. Hot on the heels of last year's criminally overlooked "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and thoroughly entertaining Dr. Seuss Camera, Grinch Edition, Oceanhouse Media just dropped three new Seuss apps, starting with a spectacular e-book edition of "The Cat in the Hat."

Like "Grinch" before it, this book is animated, narrated, and interactive. Children can choose either "Read to Me" or "Read It Myself" mode, both of which produce the original book's artwork and text--but with a little panning and zooming to lend an animated feel.

"The Cat in the Hat" is not only a great diversion for bored children (and their harried parents), but also a learning tool. In "Read to Me" mode, each word gets highlighted as it's read. When the narration finishes, readers can tap different areas of the accompanying picture to hear the corresponding word spoken and see it "zoom up."

The same is true of "Dr. Seuss's ABC," another children's classic brought to e-book life. While not as story-driven, it's definitely more educational--perfect for younger children still learning their alphabet.

Finally, there's Dr. Seuss Camera--The Cat in the Hat Edition, which uses your iPhone's camera (Touch owners can tap their photo libraries) to create fun, Seuss-inspired images you can easily share with friends.

Does this sound familiar? It's a lot like the aforementioned Grinch Edition (which my children are still enjoying, even six weeks after the holidays), but with "Cat in the Hat" characters. It's $2.99.

As for the books, they cost $3.99 apiece. (Are you paying attention, Apple, Amazon, and book publishers? That's a reasonable price for an e-book--and these are narrated!)

All I can say is, keep 'em coming, Oceanhouse Media. I'm still waiting on "Yertle the Turtle," and while you're at it, how about "The Lorax"?

How about you, fellow Seuss fans? What titles would you like to see get the e-book treatment?