Vol. 17 No. 1 (2026): MEDIA EDUCATION – Studi, ricerche e buone pratiche
Articles

When stories go digital: Designing children’s reading for pleasure in digital storybooks

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  • Andrea Nardi
Andrea Nardi
INDIRE (Istituto nazionale di documentazione, innovazione e ricerca educativa), Italy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/me-19514

Published 2026-05-30

Keywords

  • e-storybooks,
  • reading for pleasure,
  • narrative experience,
  • design

Copyright (c) 2026 Andrea Nardi

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This critical literature review examines recent research on the pedagogical, cognitive, and usability dimensions of digital storybooks, with the aim of identifying evidence-based criteria for coherent and engaging narrative design. Drawing on cognitive load and multimedia learning theories, it analyses how personalisation, interactivity, and multimedia features can support comprehension, motivation, and narrative engagement while preserving narrative flow. The review highlights how design choices shape children’s reading for pleasure and broader literacy experiences, and discusses the educational potential of digital books as narrative spaces that foster authorship and narrative agency. The article concludes by offering pedagogically informed guidance for teachers and parents on selecting and using digital storybooks in age-appropriate ways.

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