Google has unveiled its Little Golden Books update for its Home Mini device. The update brings with it three read-along stories; The Lion King, Aladdin, and Frozen. The stories, which come free with the device, can be accessed by anyone who currently owns a Google Home Mini. But here’s the neatest part – the Home Mini is able to recognize where a reader is in each of the stories when they’re reading out loud, and it will play appropriate sound effects as they read along.
On top of the sound effects, the device will also play music, both of which can be activated by saying, “Hey Google, let’s read along with Disney.” The music will continue to play in the background should a user stop reading for a short period, with the sound effects coming to a halt until they resume. To restart, parents (or anyone reading) simply need to begin reading out loud again.
The software is specifically designed for parents reading to their children, although Google has noted that children under 13 can have a parent-run Google Assistant account through its Family Link. To do so, parents will need to link their account and voice to Google Home, which will then allow children to read along with the Little Golden Books unsupervised.
Google Home also features a variety of child-appropriate games for children under 13. The Google Mini Hub retails for $49.