Two leading children's publishers will soon discover whether the laptop compares to the lap in the hearts of young readers.

Scholastic Inc. is officially launching BookFlix, an educational website pairing short films based on popular picture books along with nonfiction e-books that allow early readers to follow the text online.

For example, click on the bar that reads "People and Places" and you'll find a pair of offerings on Abraham Lincoln: an animated film of a storybook, Jean Fritz's Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln, and the animated image of a nonfiction work, Will Mara's Abraham Lincoln. Children will be able to turn pages, backward or forward, by clicking on an arrow on the lower right- or left-hand side.

"We're so lucky to live in an era when kids can have books in multiple formats. Each format offers something that the other doesn't," said Francie Alexander, Scholastic's chief academic officer.

Meanwhile, the Disney Book Group plans a similar project later this year, making favourites such as The Jungle Book and Cinderella available online.

While Scholastic is sticking to the school and library market for now, Disney will offer books to general consumers, charging a fee — still to be determined — for downloads.

"We saw a void in the marketplace and decided to act upon it," said Jon Yaged, U.S. publisher of the Disney Book Group, part of Disney Publishing Worldwide.

E-books a $35-billion US industry

E-books for early readers come as e-sales overall have been rising quickly, even if they remain a fraction of a $35-billion US industry. The market for trade releases nearly doubled from 2005 to 2006, from $11 million to $20 million US, and already totals $8 million US in the first quarter of 2007, according to the International Digital Publishing Forum, a trade and standards association.

'I'd be hard pressed to say there won't be a time when bedtime reading is with an electronic device.'—Suzanne Murphy, Scholastic

IDBF executive director Nick Bogaty said he had no statistics for the educational and library market but believed the numbers are at least triple those for commercial releases.

"It's starting to become real," Bogaty said of growth in the digital market. "Publishers are starting to take this seriously."

Children's titles have been a weak part of the e-book market. Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins are among those saying they have no plans for digital texts designed for young people, while a Penguin spokeswoman said e-picture books are "part of the long-term plan," but not "the immediate future."

The problem has always been a proper reading device; a laptop screen, a familiar sight for more and more children, could be the solution.

"We will look very carefully to see how this rolls out," said Suzanne Murphy, Scholastic's vice-president of marketing for trade books, when asked if the publisher would make e-picture books available for general release.

"We have to … look at parents today and what they're most comfortable with; and they're more and more comfortable with technology. I'd be hard pressed to say there won't be a time when bedtime reading is with an electronic device."