Karen Flores, the children’s librarian at the Willard Branch Library and mother of two youngsters, was at home surfing the Internet when she “tumbled” upon TumbleBook Library. Her daughters, Lauren, 9, and Isabella, 3, loved the interactive product.

Now, upon her recommendation, TumbleBook Library, an online collection of animated, talking picture books, is available on the Springfield-Greene County Library District’s web site, thelibrary.org. You can access TumbleBooks from computers at any of the eight branches or from your home computer with a valid library card.

The product is awesome, says Flores. “The animation and quality of the selections are wonderful. It’s up-to-date and loaded with current titles that every kid wants to read.”

The site contains e-books for kids in three formats:

• Audio books in which your child can listen to classics such as “Aesop’s Fables, “Alice in Wonderland” or “Black Beauty.”
  
• Books of on-screen text, such as “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp,” “The Adventures of Pinocchio” and “Anne of Green Gables.”
  
• Interactive, flash-animated books.

That last category is the one that pops. Take “Doors” by Roxie Munro. The “lift-the-flap” technology ushers children into a playful and fantastic world where, with a click of the mouse, doors open to a space station, a train, stage door and refrigerator.

“Although I don’t recommend plopping kids unsupervised for long hours either in front of a tv or computer, this TumbleBook Library is a great resource for learning and a fine tool for teaching,” says Nancee Dahms-Stinson, the library’s youth services coordinator. “Sitting down with your child and going through the links improves and helps reading and also advances his or her technology skills.”

Find TumbleBooks by clicking on KidSpace and then on Book Planet. The graphic icon is on the upper left-hand corner.

ANIMATED STORY BOOKS ONLINE AT THELIBRARY.ORG

“50 Below Zero” by Robert Munsch

“Abra Cadabra and the Tooth Witch” by Nurit Karlin

“Ace Lacewing: Bug Detective” by David Biedrzycki

“Bad for Them, Good for Me” by Aaron Zevy

“The Best Excuse” by Ellen Feinman Moss

Jeanne C. Duffey, community relations director for the Springfield-Greene County Library District, can be reached at jeanned@thelibrary.org.