About ActivePads
ActivePads was a studio of interactive books and games for iPad, active from 2012 to 2020. It was a time of experiments: we wanted to show how beautiful and convenient an e-book can be. Our books are still read on Apple Books, and our games and books are coming back — now in the browser.
Our Books
Thumbelina
Hans Christian Andersen · illustrated by Maryna Dzmitrakovich · Apple Editor's Choice, 2013
Thumbelina is a well-known character from the fairy tale loved by people of all ages. With our book Thumbelina your children can read and re-read the story as many times as they want. Our Thumbelina with beautiful images helps children develop a sense of aesthetics and beauty, as well as kind-heartedness, love for nature and belief in a bright future.
The Snow Queen
Hans Christian Andersen · illustrated by Uladzimir Shapavalau
Dive into the captivating magic story about true love and devotedness. Our edition of the famous story of the struggle between good and evil written by the great Danish author and poet Hans Christian Andersen is available on Apple Books. Our beautiful illustrations bring the characters to life and help children connect with and understand the storyline better.
The Ugly Duckling
Hans Christian Andersen · illustrated by Maryna Dzmitrakovich
One of the most touching fairy tales written by Hans Christian Andersen is The Ugly Duckling, a story about a poor little harmless nestling that lived a life of misery and humiliation for not looking like the others at his birth. When creating the illustrations for The Ugly Duckling, we aimed at making the reading engaging and fascinating on the one hand and educational and informative on the other.
The Tinder Box
Hans Christian Andersen · illustrated by Uladzimir Shapavalau
The Tinder Box is one of the first and most extraordinary fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen, based on a Scandinavian folk tale. Our version of The Tinder Box is full of colorful handmade illustrations, which create a clear vision of the story line. The plot is very dynamic, cultivating creativity in children’s minds. While reading The Tinder Box children learn one of the most important lessons of life — never give up your dreams!
The Flax
Hans Christian Andersen · illustrated by Jann Zhvirblia
The Flax is a very insightful fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen. All the illustrations perfectly convey the nature and the 19th-century lifestyle. Our artworks mirror everyday life in such detail that a young reader is able to follow the plot better; besides, they are simply a joy to look at. The Flax teaches children that being optimistic regardless of all the troubles and hardships one faces helps one get to a better place.
To London Right Now
Text by Leo Moore · producer, idea and publisher — Kanstantsin Strausau
“To London Right Now” is our exclusive interactive electronic guidebook to the capital of Great Britain, created to help London visitors organize their sightseeing at best. The book supplies the reader with tips on getting around England and gives practical advice, such as where to have dinner and buy souvenirs in London. We gathered information about the most remarkable places to satisfy the most sophisticated traveller.
Unicorn Silva and the Embarrassing Horn
Text by Mary Pignon
Unicorn Silva and the Embarrassing Horn is the first of our cartoon electronic series about the adventures of Unicorn Silva. Fragments of the pages come alive with classic animation. Our interactive book has a special interface developed for easier perception by a child: the type and the size of the letters suit children’s eyesight. Besides, the adventures of Unicorn Silva are a great way to learn about friendship as one of the true values of life.
Our Apps
New Year: Find Your Presents!
A 2012 iPad game: Emma and Alex get ready for New Year and look for hidden presents. It disappeared from the App Store long ago and is now back — in the browser, as part of the game Find the Gifts. It also includes The Princess’s Holidays and Silva’s Room with Silva the unicorn from our book: we made that game in 2015 but never released it. The heart of the game is multi-touch: move an object with one finger and pull out a present with another. Coming soon: a level editor and a phone version.
The Dragon Stone: The Princess’s Holidays
Based on a story by Alex Akamen (Alexander Kamenchukov)
The Dragon Stone: The Princess’s Holidays is a game based on the original story by Alex Akamen. Our entertaining “hidden objects” game helps children improve visual memory and attention to detail, coordination and fine motor skills. Are you ready to travel to the mysterious castle and help Princess Snow and her friends find treasures? The game is no longer in the App Store — you can now play it in the browser, in Find the Gifts.
The Dragon Stone
Alex Akamen (Alexander Kamenchukov)
If you like adventures and adore solving mysteries, you'll love the philosophical tale about glorious times when dragons lived on Earth, rulers asked the bravest warriors for help, and children were taught to be victorious from a very early age. The tale is designed like an ancient book and gracefully illustrated. Each chapter is accompanied by a unique sound track and beautiful light effects. The book is back as a web version: read it in the browser on a computer or a phone.
