"Weird Al" Yankovic's Bestselling Picture Book WHEN I GROW UP Comes to iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch

NEW YORK, June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- HarperCollins Children's Books, Bean Creative, and "Weird Al" Yankovic, America's leading satirist of popular music and culture, today announced that WHEN I GROW UP – an interactive app based on Yankovic's bestselling children's book – is available on the App Store for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.  

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110616/NY21080 )

With virtuosic narration by Weird Al, fans of all ages can explore the story like never before as young Billy catalogs his wildly improbable career choices in an unbridled celebration of creativity and possibilities.  With multiple interactions and animations on every screen, fun and challenging games based on the story, and the ability to personalize the app, users will eagerly consider what they want to be when they grow up.

"Ever since I was a small child, I dreamed of one day helping to produce a cross-platform app that would be sold in the iTunes Store.  I was a very prescient kid," says Yankovic.

Along with exclusive new art, the WHEN I GROW UP app contains all the dazzling wordplay, hilarious rhymes, and whimsical illustrations that readers have raved about since the book's publication in February.  Other fun and fabulous highlights from the app include:

EXCELLENT GAMES — 3 interactive games give users the opportunity to try their hand at unusual career options from the story.  Never shaved a tarantula before?  Well, here's your chance in the "Tarantula Shaver" game! Or test your job qualifications with "Extreme Snail Race" and "Gorilla Masseuse."

EXTENSIVE INTERACTIONS — Tap, swipe, pinch, and tilt your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to interact with the characters and settings.  Over 50 interactions engage users for hours on end.

PERSONALIZATION – Include your name in the app and see it carried through the entire story.

EXUBERANT NARRATION AND GREAT SOUND EFFECTS — Select "Read Myself" or check out the inspired "Read to Me" option performed by Weird Al himself.  

The WHEN I GROW UP app is available for $2.99 from the App Store on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, or at www.iTunes.com/AppStore.

"Weird Al" Yankovic is a comedian, singer/songwriter, music producer, actor, director, and bestselling author. He has won three Grammy Awards and has sold more comedy recordings than anyone else in history. On June 21st, Weird Al will release his long-awaited album, ALPOCALYPSE.  

ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS CHILDREN'S BOOKS

HarperCollins Children's Books is one of the leading publishers of children's books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality, award-winning books for young readers, HarperCollins is home to many timeless treasures — Charlotte's Web, The Chronicles of Narnia, Goodnight Moon, Where the Sidewalk Ends, the Ramona series, Where the Wild Things Are; and popular new classics — The Graveyard Book, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Warriors, and Fancy Nancy. Consistently at the forefront of digital innovation, HarperCollins Children's Books delights young readers through engaging storytelling in all formats, including ebooks and apps. HarperCollins Children's Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, one of the leading English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia/New Zealand, and India. You can visit HarperCollins Children's Books at www.harpercollinschildrens.com and HarperCollins Publishers at www.harpercollins.com.

ABOUT BEAN CREATIVE FUNKTIONAL WEB & INTERACTIVE DESIGN

Bean Creative is a studio of digital developers who fuse design and technology into immersive and incredible apps, websites and interactive environments. Bean Creative has brought countless beloved children's properties, such as Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, the Teletubbies and SUPER WHY, to life as immersive, interactive experiences. Since 1997, the interactive boutique has been renowned for its rare marriage of both front-end splendor and back-end technical wizardry for education, entertainment, cultural and non-profit initiatives. Bean Creative takes amazing brands – such as HarperCollins, PBS KIDS, Discovery Health, American Red Cross, National Geographic, Smithsonian Institution and the World Wildlife Fund – to even greater heights, turning every passerby into a participant. Visit Bean Creative at www.beancreative.com.

SOURCE Harper Collins Children's Books