How storybook apps help grow a reading culture in Kenya

Mary sits with her parents in a beautiful garden beneath the shade of a tree.

They share stories of a time when the environment was greener, with plenty of rain and trees filled gardens, lined the streets and flourished in parks and forests.

Unfortunately, deforestation has destroyed much of this beauty.

Saddened by the effects of environmental neglect, the little girl decides to take action by planting a tree, an initiative that inspires her classmates to plant even more trees, spreading an important message about environmental conservation.

This is a story in the book, Mary Plants a Tree, which teaches children the value of caring for the earth.

The book features beautiful, engaging illustrations that bring the story to life for young readers.

It also includes a vocabulary section at the end, introducing words such as atmosphere, carbon dioxide, and exhale, helping children expand their understanding of environmental concepts.

Mary Plants a Tree is one of more than 3,000 books available in the digital library on the BookSmart app, offering a purposeful alternative for children who nowadays spend significant time on smartphones watching TikTok, Instagram or playing games.

Developed by World Reader, the App helps address the limited access to physical books in many low-resource settings.

“By delivering books digitally, we overcome distribution barriers and dramatically expand access,” says Mark Castellino, World Reader board member and global development executive.

The digital library features storybooks exclusively and is designed for children below 12 years, with particular emphasis on the critical early years, from birth to around age five, when cognitive development is at its peak.

To him, family reading time is key: “Reading with children at this stage strengthens cognitive development, builds foundational literacy skills, deeper parent–child bonds and improved school readiness.”

BookSmart launched in Kenya two years ago and has already attracted tens of thousands of users nationwide, with particularly strong uptake in Nairobi and growing engagement in counties such as Kilifi.

Globally, BookSmart reaches approximately 22 million users in over 100 countries.

Margaret Mwende has two children using the app: a five-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl. She was introduced to BookSmart by a friend.

Before discovering the app, Mwende says her children spent much of their time online, her son playing racing games and her daughter following fashion content.

After downloading BookSmart, she began introducing digital books to her children. Mwende helps her son read, while her daughter reads independently.

“At first, it wasn’t easy shifting my children from games and TikTok to digital books. Gradually, everything changed, and today, they find books interesting and always ask for more stories,” she says.

The family has since developed a daily reading timetable, which helps keep the children engaged and productive.

Mwende commends the app, saying it gives her access to free books.

Without it, she says, she would have to spend a significant amount of money buying books. All she needs is the internet, which she finds more affordable.

In Kenya, Castellino says, they have collaborated with more than 100 local publishers to ensure the library reflects the local context.

Children see Kenyan names, settings and relatable images in the stories, along with topics that help them develop character, social awareness and curiosity about the world.

“We also include stories about important issues such as climate change and health, presented in fun, story-based formats rather than formal curriculum content. We deliberately focus on storytelling because stories engage children in meaningful and enjoyable ways,” Castellino says.

The app is completely free, and anyone with a smartphone can download it. Partnerships with companies and organisations have ensured that readers can access books for free.

Castellino credits the app’s adoption success in Kenya to high smartphone penetration, even in rural and economically challenged households.

The books in the app are available in five languages, including English, Swahili, Spanish, Arabic, and Hindi. Castellino says there are plans to expand into French to better serve Francophone Africa.

Although awareness remains one of the biggest challenges, Castellino says they continue to promote the app through partnerships and activations in malls and financial institutions, ensuring families know it exists.

They also run monthly reading challenges, inviting families to read 25 books in one month. Participants receive digital badges and sometimes small incentives from partners.

These challenges help families build consistent reading habits while making the experience fun and interactive.

Castellino notes that they are in the process of ensuring that the app is accessible for users with disabilities.

He explains, “Smartphones offer built-in text-to-speech functionality, and we are working to ensure compliance with Kenyan accessibility regulations.”

He adds that even parents with limited literacy skills can engage with the app.

Picture-based storytelling allows caregivers to create or narrate stories, reinforcing the parent–child bond and supporting early literacy development.