How can I make a book that sings?

May 15, 2009 6:42 AM

How can I make a book with sounds for a baby?

I would like to make a book for a baby that plays a different sound on each page. It would have to be a sound that I can record. I have found very limited resources on the web but suspect it's because I'm not searching effectively.

What would be the best way to do this? Are they existing solutions out there already? Should I just build it myself from the ground up? I want to be able to have 8-12 sounds/clips per book (one per double-page spread) and be able to illustrate and write on the pages as well.

I have a number of different books that I want to make so I won't bore you with the details (animals, music, voices of distant family members etc) but I need to be able to record the sound and/or load it onto something.

I don't mind if we have to push something on the page to make the sound play rather than it playing automatically when we turn the page.

Thanks in advance.

posted by gwpcasey to media & arts (4 comments total)

What about getting a ton of those hallmark cards that record/play sounds and gutting them?
posted by bleucube at 7:24 AM on May 15

Yeah, I would think that tweaking something that already exists would be the easiest way. Get one of those books that already has sounds in it (with the plastic plate on the right side of the book w/ pictures that match up to pictures on the pages where you're supposed to listen), figure out what mechanism it uses to play the sounds, substitute your own, and attach it to your own book.

Sounds hard, but fun!
posted by nosila at 7:26 AM on May 15

Maybe something like this is what you want?

Recordable Slider Voice Module for < $3
posted by chazlarson at 8:01 AM on May 15

chazlarson, you are awesome.
posted by gwpcasey at 11:56 AM on May 15