On the App Store
Every parent can be a storyteller.
106 illustrated folktales, every one read aloud in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Estonian and English. Fourteen are free forever. You bring your presence. We bring the story.
Read, listen, understand
Reading language, listening language, and the language word meanings appear in are three separate choices. Read English, hear Cantonese, understand in Chinese.
Every word explained
Tap any word in any title or caption for a meaning written for a child, and a button to hear it said aloud.
A shelf that reads itself
Add favourites to the bedtime shelf and let the calm voice carry them through, fading the screen gently to black.
Start free, then one payment
Fourteen stories are free forever, one from every shelf. One purchase opens the other 92 and every story added later. No subscription, no advertising, no accounts, and no data collection of any kind.
Eleven cultures on one shelf
Japanese folktales, Grimm, Nordic tales, Hans Christian Andersen, Estonian legends, Korean folktales, Chinese chengyu stories, Greek fables and myths, Hong Kong folktales, Taiwanese folktales, and the Arabian Nights. Every page is drawn as full colour comic art.
Available in five languages today
The interface and all 106 stories are in English, 正體中文, Eesti, 日本語 and 한국어. Narration is recorded in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Estonian, Japanese and Korean. Want these stories in your family's language? Tell us which one.
Questions parents ask
What is Carry the Story?
Carry the Story is an app for iPhone and iPad with 106 illustrated folktales for children, and every one is read aloud in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Estonian and English, in a cheerful reading voice and a gentler sleep voice.
Can my child read in one language and listen in another?
Yes. Reading, listening and word meanings are three separate settings, so a child can read English, hear Cantonese and get word meanings in 正體中文 (Traditional Chinese). The reading languages are English, 正體中文, Estonian, Japanese and Korean. The listening languages are English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Estonian, Japanese and Korean.
Does it have Cantonese?
Yes. All 106 stories are narrated in Cantonese, and Cantonese comes two ways: read as the text is written, or in natural spoken Cantonese.
Is Carry the Story free?
The app is free to download. Fourteen stories are free forever, one from every shelf, with every voice, every language, the word meanings and the bedtime shelf working on them. One purchase opens the other 92 stories and every story added later, and it covers your Family Sharing group.
Is there a subscription, advertising or an account?
No. There is no subscription, no advertising and no account, and no data collection of any kind. There are no packs to collect and nothing else to buy.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Every story, illustration and recording is included in the app, so every story plays without an internet connection. Buying the full library needs one.
How big is the download?
Large, because every illustration and recording is included in the app: about 1.1 GB at version 1.2. Installing over Wi-Fi is best.
Is it made for children?
Yes. Kid mode hides the settings a child should not change, and buying sits behind a question only a grown-up can answer. There is no advertising, no account and no data collection.
Are the stories scary?
The retellings are gentle. Nobody is eaten in Little Red Riding Hood, Icarus is caught before the water closes over him, and Snow White simply wakes up.
Can I ask for another language?
Yes. The app and all 106 stories are currently in English, 正體中文, Estonian, Japanese and Korean. If you want another language, tell us on the support page. Japanese and Korean are here because families asked for them.
Which devices does it need?
An iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or later.