The language of home
Our shelves are full of picture books, and most of them are in English. At home, we speak another language. I wanted my children to hear these stories in our own words, even when we didn’t have the book in the “right” language.
Every story, read by the voices they love.
In the language of home.
Photograph the picture books on your shelf. Record the people your child loves reading them, in any language your family speaks, or let the AI voice read the English ones. Your child holds the real book and turns the page when the chime rings.
- 3 books free+1 every month
- No adsfree or Plus
- No accountopen and start
- On your phonebooks and voices
Why I made Two Little Ears
I made this app for my own children.
Grandparents far away
My children’s grandparents live far away. Whenever they visit, the children climb onto a grandparent’s lap and ask for one more story, and then one more. Now their voices stay with us after they go home.
Dad at work
On the days when Dad is at work, our children can still open a book and read along with his voice.
So I made Two Little Ears for our family, and for every family that wants to tell stories in its own language, in the voices a child loves.
A parent, and the maker of Two Little Ears
While a book plays
Eyes on the book, not on a screen.
Your child holds the real book and turns the real pages. The phone reads each page aloud, then rings a soft chime when it is time to turn.
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The screen goes dark
When a story starts playing, nothing on the phone moves. Your child looks at the book.
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Your chime, your pace
Choose the chime, and how long the app waits before the next page.
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From the lock screen
Pause, go back or skip a page without unlocking the phone.
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No internet needed
Books play anywhere, in the car or at Grandma’s house.
How it works
Three simple steps, with the books you already have
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1Photograph the book
The cover first, then each open page. The app keeps the pages in order, and you can take any page again.
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2Choose who reads it
Record a voice your child loves, one page at a time. You can stop and finish later. Or use the AI voice for books printed in English.
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Mia & Leo’s BookshelfNina’s Moon ND The Puddle Parade TKites on the Hill D Pip’s Red Boots YN+3Ten Little Boats LParents3
Your child chooses and listens
The book appears on your child’s bookshelf, with the faces of the people who read it. A child who can’t read yet can still choose a book, and who reads it.
In the language of home
Any book, in any language your family speaks
The person reading holds the book and reads it their way. Yiayia can read an English book in Greek, and Dad can read a Chinese book in English.
- Ciao
- 你好
- Xin chào
- مرحبا
- नमस्ते
- Kumusta
- Γεια σου
- 早晨
- Hola
- ਸਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ
- Hello
- …and yours
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A voice you record
Any language your family speaks. The person reading holds the book and reads it in their own words.
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The AI voice
Books printed in English. It reads the words on each page, for any book you have not recorded.
More languages coming with Premium
Hear it before you download
One page, three voices
“Nina could not sleep. The moon was too bright, and her bear was too far away.”
Made for children aged 0 to 5
Simple enough for little hands
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Faces, not words
Your child chooses a book by its cover, and who reads it by their face.
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Grown-up things stay with grown-ups
Adding books, recording, settings and purchases are behind a parents’ screen. You press and hold for three seconds.
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No ads
Nothing pops up, and nothing in the app tries to sell to your child.
Private by design
Your family’s voices stay with your family
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It all stays on your phone
The photos of your books, their words and your recordings. We have no server to send them to.
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No account
Nothing to sign up for, and no password to remember. Open the app and start.
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Made on your phone
The words on each page are read, and the AI voice is made, right on your phone.
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Yours to keep
Export a copy of your books and recordings whenever you like.
From families
The voices they ask for
Draft: these three are examples of the stories we hope to collect. They will be replaced with real families’ words before this page goes live.
Example
Teta · العربية
“My mum recorded six books when she visited from Beirut. Now my son asks for Teta’s voice every night, and he knows which books are hers.”
Example
Nani · हिन्दी
“All our picture books are in English, but we speak Hindi at home. Now Nani reads them to her in Hindi, the way she tells stories.”
Example
Dad · English
“I work late most nights. My daughter still hears me read her favourite book, and she turns the pages herself when the chime rings.”
Pricing
Start free. Add more books with Plus.
Start with free books. When you want more, Plus lets you add as many as you like.
Free
A$0
Start with your child’s favourite books.
- Your first 3 books free
- Then 1 more free book every month
- Recorded voices, in any language
- The AI voice, for books printed in English
- Free for as long as you like
Plus
- Monthly A$7.99 a month A$95.88 over a year
- save 58% Yearly A$39.99 a year About A$3.33 a month
- Add as many books as you like
- Recorded voices in any language, and the AI voice for books printed in English
- Every book you made stays yours, even if you stop Plus
The app is free to download. Choose Plus inside it whenever you are ready. Paid through Google Play.
Coming soon
Premium
- More natural AI voices
- AI readings in more languages
- No ads, free or Plus
- No account to make
- Cancel Plus any time in Google Play
Prices are in Australian dollars. Google Play shows the price in your own currency before you pay.
Questions
Questions parents ask
Does it come with books?
No. Two Little Ears reads the picture books you already own. You photograph the pages, and they stay on your phone.
Does my child need to read?
No. It is made for children aged 0 to 5. A child who is old enough chooses a book by its cover, and who reads it by their face, then turns the pages of the real book when the chime rings. For a baby, you choose, and you turn the pages together.
Which languages can it read?
A recorded voice can read in any language. The person reading holds the book and reads it their way, so an English book can be read in Arabic, Greek, Hindi, Mandarin or any other language.
For now, the AI voice reads books printed in English. AI voices in more languages will come with Premium.
The app’s menus are in English, 繁體中文 and 简体中文.
Can Grandma record from her own phone?
Not yet. In this first version, everyone records on the phone the app is on, for example when Grandma visits. Recording from another phone is something we want to add.
Is the AI voice made on the internet?
No. The words on each page are read on your phone, and the AI voice is made on your phone. Your photos and recordings are not sent to us or to anyone else.
What happens if I stop Plus?
Every book you made stays on the bookshelf, with all its voices. You go back to the free plan, with 1 new free book each month.
Is there an iPhone version?
It is coming soon. Two Little Ears is on Android first.
Do I need the internet?
Not to play a book. You need the internet to buy Plus, and your phone may need it once to download a voice.
Still have a question? Our help page has more answers, and a way to write to us.
Start with the books you already have.
Your first 3 books are free.