Califa: Product Reviews / TumbleReadables

TumbleReadables Review

Product Description:

Critical Review:

Search interface:

Consider the functionality and ease of use of the interface. Is it intuitive or is an excessive amount of training required? Are any crucial features missing from the search interface?

Scores: 4, 3, 2, 4
Average: 3.25
Overall, the group felt that the search interface was intuitive and easy to use. Sample comments are below.

It is quite intuitive and simple to use. I don’t believe an excessive amount of training would be needed to use the site. I would like to see simpler overall directions about accessing and trouble shooting-such as if the book is taking a long time to load, etc. The interface is easy to navigate with little prior knowledge of the product. There is a search box to easily find a specific title or author, however, the box is below the fold on many screens and can be difficult to find. It is also difficult to distinguish the read-along titles with those that must be read independently. The format is also very inconsistent across titles and publishers making it more difficult to use.

Books with ambiguous cataloguing may cause confusion. For example, Tom Sawyer is in the children’s classics. A teen would probably not look in a “children’s” category (especially with the very juvenile Wizard of Oz book cover icon). Within the categories, the titles are in alphabetical order. If you want to search by author, you must return to the main screen. This is not stated anywhere. The search box is at the bottom of the screen and could easily be missed. There is a tab for the INDEX on top, but too is in alphabetical order by title (with no author).

The user interface is streamlined and very easy to navigate. Large, wide-spaced font and bold headings eliminate the need for verbose instructions as do the easy-to-click and colorful book covers that clearly delineate between eight different links to various collections. There is also a Search option on the homepage with a drop-down menu allowing the user to quickly search for books by title, author, publisher, and even reading level. It might be useful if an FAQ’s section was offered to answer questions such as how Tumble Readables books are selected for the collection and who to contact for technical support.

Quality of information and sources provided:

Consider its functionality, the appropriateness of format, the content of the information, and the adequacy of coverage.
Scores: 3, 3, 2, 4
Average: 3
The reviewers were mixed on their assessment of the quality of the content. Classic literature was seen as the most compelling titles.

I think the quality of the books available on the site is high, amazingly diverse, and contemporary.

Many of the Early Reader, chapter book, middle school, and high school titles are not popular authors or works. Most children would not recognize these offerings.

With the exception of the Classics, the books are all from Orca Publishing. Tweens and teens not interested in angst subjects will be disappointed here. The titles for beginning readers are limited as well. There is a good range of Classics, which boosted my rating from a 1. Although of all Agatha Christie books, I wondered about the inclusion of The Mysterious Affair at Styles; and also, Fitzgerald’s Tales of the Jazz Age but not Great Gatsby in the Classics.

Except for the Classics, many of the book titles in the various online collections are not widely known. For example, in the Picture Book category there are not any award-winning titles nor are there many reviews to accompany the titles which can make it difficult to evaluate quality and appropriateness. In fact, out of 11 picture books, there are only reviews for three of the books. There are several multicultural titles resulting in a diverse and well-rounded online collection. There is even an option for Hannah is My Name, a story about a Chinese family moving to America, to be read in either English or Chinese. Several books for middle school and teen readers include Lesson Plans for teachers looking for curriculum-appropriate activities. One of the best features of Tumble Readables is the Shakespeare collection. Due to their dramatic format, Shakespeare plays are often best understood when performed. The combination of written text and audio is perfect for all students, but especially those who are having difficulty with comprehension of the text on its own.

Help and User Support:

If documentation is required for successful use of product, is it available, comprehensive, and well written? Is online help adequate and user friendly? Does vendor supply training if it is needed? Is a telephone helpline available?
Scores: 1, 2, 1, 4
Average: 2
Reviews on help were also mixed, with only one reviewer recommending the help documentation.

I would like to see much more documentation of what to do if something is not quite right. I did not see a telephone support number or an online support system.

There is no noticeable help or support. There is contact information, but that is mostly designed for those interested in purchasing the product, not technical support. There is a help button once you have accessed specific titles that explains the buttons to navigate the books, but it is buried with the other buttons.

There is a CONTACT US tab at the top frame. However, there is no toll-free telephone number nor does it state if the number given is for sales or user questions. There are different interfaces for the Teen books and Classic books. This can create confusion as the Teen interface is not intuitive. For example, there is an option for font size. However, audio is only available if the largest font is selected. This information is buried.

TumbleReadables offers multiple means of contacting them including mail, phone, fax, and email. There are two email addresses offered, one for General Information and the other for Orders. However, it is unclear as to who to contact for Technical Support.

Accessibility of service:

Is access/connection to product reliable and stable? Is response time adequate?
Scores: 2, 3, 3, 5
Average: 3.25
Three of the four reviewers reported problems with accessibility.

The first few books loaded quickly and smoothly. The third and fourth books did not load at all or took an interminable amount of time to load. I quickly went from full blown enchanted to mute and discouraged. I took the time to rove around the site looking for any information or help and then gave up entirely.

The product runs well, although some of the titles take some time to load. The majority load for a few seconds before the audio is ready to be heard.

Load time is very fast. However, several times the text and the audio were not in sync. The text did not advance but the audio continued or the text would be a page behind the audio.

The connection speed when accessing a TumbleReadables book is quite fast, with less than a 30 second download waiting time using high speed internet. While there may be some buffering during the online reading experience, there is no interruption or delay to the audio portion of the reading experience.

Cost:

If cost is available, does it seem reasonable in terms of comparable products?
Scores: 1, 2, 2, 4
Average: 2.25
The cost was less expensive than some other databases, but must be weighed against the content and accessibility concerns.

The cost is inexpensive, yet it is clear with a nonfunctioning site the cost is irrelevant.

I believe that this cost is high. The standard Tumblebooks picture book product is less expensive and a better value.

Annual cost is $499 per branch, which is inexpensive compared to other databases. However, for the limited recreational reading titles, libraries will have to decide whether the need to supplement their classics collections justifies the cost.

PLEASE NOTE: CONSORTIA PRICING IS AVAILABLE. TUMBLEBOOKS IS PLEASED TO OFFER CONSIDERABLE ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS TO REGIONAL CONSORTIA.

While the TumbleReadables pricing proposal seems appropriate for the breadth of collection options, it does seem to be priced on the high end for the number of titles that are actually included in the individual collections. One comparable product is DearReader which is $375.00 annually for a single library, versus the TumbleReadables cost of $499.00 per library per year. DearReader offers 10 different online bookclubs, plus an Audio Book club for readers who would enjoy the listening experience. DearReader emails the user a daily 5-minute sample from a book, so while the reader needs to obtain a physical copy of the book in order to finish the story, DearReader does offer the service of emailing and thereby makes the reading experience more efficient for the user.

Overall assessment

Scores: 2, 2, 2, 4
Average: 2.5

With more work the TumbleReadables database site could be an excellent tool. Children and young adults would enjoy the content and the ease of reading or listening to a wonderfully illustrated and well narrated book. However if it takes over 5 minutes for a book to load if it loads at all then you will only frustrate your public at the library as time is usually very limited at public computers and the site would be abandoned quickly or not used at all.

I like the idea of this product, and would highly recommend the Classic and Shakespeare titles, but this product is a disappointment. The promotional materials suggest that ESL students and those learning to read will be able to track along with the audio, but there is no audio for at least half the titles. In addition, not all titles that have audio allow for readers to track as they read. Most of the titles that are included are not from popular authors, or authors that the users will recognize and look for.

TumbleReadables online read-alongs are great for emergent, struggling, and reluctant readers, as well as being an excellent tool for ESL. The read-alongs can also be enjoyed by children who are excited to follow along to the narration of their favorite books. With the increasing number of online bookclubs and the advent of Kindle, the wireless, portable reading device by Amazon, there is a growing market for readers who prefer an online reading experience.

TumbleReadables online read-along are an example of intuitive, innovative technology that will be an effortless transition for people who are already adept at email, iPods, and text messaging. At the same time, in order to compete with comparable products, TumbleReadables may want to add more quality titles to their collections and add more features, such as downloadable capabilities and an optional email service not unlike the one offered by DearReader.

Response from Tumblebooks