# Bob Books Reading Magic #1 — Learning to read with Phonics

> Interactive phonics game for early readers to learn letter sounds and words. (iPhone/iPad app by Bob Books Publications LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bob-books-reading-magic-1/id405995002 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Bob Books Publications LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/706044387)
- Category: Education, Games, Family, Word
- Price: $2.99
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 599 App Store ratings · 90 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 175 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2010-12-06
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bob-books-reading-magic-1/id405995002/reviews.md

## What is Bob Books Reading Magic #1?

- Winner Editor's Choice Award, Children's Technology Review
- 15 Great Apps for Kids, Babble.com
- Parenting Magazine “Best App for Kids”
- Parents Choice Approved

Millions of kids have learned to read with the Bob Books beginning reader series. Kids can watch their favorite Bob Books stories and characters come to life with Bob Books Reading Magic #1!

Start your child reading with this phonics-based interactive game. Even very young children love the simple drag-and-drop interface. Your favorite Bob Books characters and full-color animations encourage kids along the path of learning to read.

Bob Books Reading Magic continues Bob Books’ commitment to bringing children a satisfying, successful first reading experience, with easy first steps, wholesome values, authentic hand-drawn illustrations, and beautiful full-color animations.

Bob Books Reading Magic will show your child how to:
-Make the connection between letters and sounds.
-Sound out simple words.
-Spell the words they’ve read.

The game includes twelve scenes for a total of 32 words. Four game levels provide increasing learn-to-read challenges to children as they play.

Bob Books Reading Magic follows the same method and principles as the #1 best-selling Bob Books series. Bob Books were created to lead children to the ah-ha moment when letters first turn into words. By slowly introducing new letter sounds, using consistency, repetition and stories that fit short attention spans, your child will quickly find his or her own ah-ha moment. This is the reading magic of Bob Books. Soon your child will join over 10 million children who can proudly say, “I read the whole book!”®

Parents and educators rave about Bob Books apps:
"Bob Books #1 - Reading Magic is an excellent introduction to phonics for young children... This app will grow with your learning child, and keep their interest as they read and re-read the sentences on each page."
--- Common Sense Media

"A fantastic tool for a pre- or early reader -- and a fun way to occupy your toddler during a doctor's visit."
--- Infant Bibliophile

"Bob Books #1 - Reading Magic is a top learning app for toddlers and for sure one of the best apps for toddlers and preschoolers to learn how to read."
--- Fun Educational Apps

"One of the best learning app for kids."
--- Everything Mom

Bob Books respects your privacy! We do not collect, store, or share any personal information or location data. All our apps are ad free, without in-app purchases and are safe for young children. Read more at: https://bobbooks.com/privacy-policy

*** We love getting feedback from our users. If you have questions or comments, please send them to info@bobbooks.com. ***

For more information about Bob Books, visit https://bobbooks.com

## Key features

- Phonics-based interactive game
- Letter-sound connection
- Sounding out simple words
- Spelling practice
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Full-color animations

## What do users think of Bob Books Reading Magic #1?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Fun and interactive learning
- 💡 Great for special needs children
- 🚀 Keeps kids engaged
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Excellent teaching tool

**Cons**

- 🐛 Sound issues
- 💰 Expensive for limited content
- 🤔 Repetitive scenes and activities
- 🤔 Not enough progression in difficulty

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Sound not working
- Inability to progress to higher levels
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Most requested features**

- More books and content
- Ability to vocalize letter sounds
- Varied word choices and sentence structures
- British English voice option

## Recent user reviews (10 of 90)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bob-books-reading-magic-1/id405995002/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Eight sentences

*2024-11-06*

You are paying $3 for eight sentences

### 5/5 — Science of reading reading practice

*2024-03-03*

Love this! Would love classroom students get access to these wonderful fun games!

### 1/5 — This app needs a lot of work

*2024-01-30*

Don’t waste your money like I did. There are no arrows to move on to next page so your just stuck there. Not user friendly for 5 yr old. This is just a lead in to make you buy the books.

### 5/5 — Sam in Magics 1 & 3 & Spin & Spell

*2023-08-02*

Change Sam please! He does not look like from Bob Books book sets!

### 1/5 — Overcharged - no help!!

*2022-07-15, version 3.4*

I was charged $29.99 for this app when it clearly says $2.99 ! I would never have bought it for near $30! I am upset, I have emailed and nobody is getting back to me. No refund... nothing. Not happy!!!! Don’t purchase !

### 1/5 — Are you kidding me?

*2022-02-03*

My kid blew through this in less than five minutes. Should have 10x the content or be free. Do not buy.

### 5/5 — My daughter loves this app!

*2022-02-02*

My 5 year old is using Bob books to learn how to read. She loves that this app features the same characters. She’ll read me one of the books, then excitedly tell me ‘Mama, the cat is orange on my iPad! Let’s play that game now so I can show you!’. The books and this app have really made her excited about reading. As a parent, I love that it’s simple, slow paced, and not overstimulating.

### 1/5 — $2-3 for 12 pages?!

*2021-09-29*

Only 12 pages in reading magic #1. I thought I was paying for the app/digital equivalent of a box set. 

So disappointed

### 4/5 — Getting to different levels

*2021-09-16*

There seems to be a bug because I set level 2 or 3 in adult mode and it keeps showing only level 1. It is frustrating in an otherwise great app.

**Developer response:** Hi there, We're sorry to hear that you are having an issue with the app. Keep in mind that level 2, 3, and 4 show all the same story pages as level 1. What is different about each level is the level of difficulty for spelling the words on the page. It's possible you didn't realize that when you first opened level 2, but the difference between level 1 and level 2 is that in level 1 you can spell the word by placing letters in any order, and in level 2 you have to place the letters down in the correct order to spell the word. I hope that solves your issue but if not, please contact us at apps@bobbooks.com for further help.

### 5/5 — Fantastic for special needs children

*2021-06-11*

Children with ASD or Down’s Syndrome excel with this app. It is staged excellently - matching letter to letter (with visual context) then progressing to sentences.
Highly recommended 
Specialist Speech & Language Therapist

**Developer response:** We're so glad to hear that you are enjoying the app!

## Frequently asked questions about Bob Books Reading Magic #1

### What does Bob Books Reading Magic  1 do?

This app is an interactive phonics game designed to help young children learn to read. It teaches them to make connections between letters and sounds, sound out simple words, and practice spelling. The game uses a drag-and-drop interface and engaging animations to make learning fun and successful.

### What are the key features of this reading app?

Key features include a phonics-based interactive game, teaching letter-sound connections, sounding out simple words, and spelling practice. It also offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and full-color animations to keep children engaged.

### How much does Bob Books Reading Magic  1 cost?

Based on the provided information, this app is a paid application. It is ad-free and does not include any in-app purchases, ensuring a safe and uninterrupted learning experience for young children.

### Who is the target audience for this app?

The app is intended for young children, specifically toddlers and preschoolers, who are at the beginning stages of learning to read. It is also suitable for parents and educators looking for a tool to support early literacy development.

### What are common use cases for Bob Books Reading Magic  1?

This app can be used as a primary tool for teaching children the fundamentals of reading through phonics. It's also a great way to supplement classroom learning, provide educational entertainment during travel, or keep young children engaged and learning during downtime.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.5 — 2022-10-08

UI updates

### 3.4 — 2021-04-09

updated parent gate
bug fixes

### 3.3 — 2020-01-24

minor bug fix

### 3.2 — 2020-01-16

Bug fixes

### 3.1 — 2019-11-07

Bug fixes

## Apps similar to Bob Books Reading Magic #1

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Learn to Read - Reading.com](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-to-read-readingcom/id1534938305) | 4.7 (66,281) | Free | Education |
| [SplashLearn: Kids Learning App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/splashlearn-kids-learning-app/id672658828) | 4.5 (32,002) | Free | Education |
| [Read-Along: Books For Kids App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-along-books-for-kids-app/id1459753862) | 4.6 (1,804) | Free | Education |
| [Splash Reading: Games for Kids](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/splash-reading-games-for-kids/id492885924) | 4.3 (2,447) | Free | Education |
| [Bedtime Stories: Learn To Read](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bedtime-stories-learn-to-read/id467067115) | 4.5 (16,764) | Free | Education |
| [Bob Books Reading Magic #2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bob-books-reading-magic-2/id437922992) | 4.6 (161) | $2.99 | Education |

## More apps by Bob Books Publications LLC

- [Bob Books Reading Magic Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bob-books-reading-magic-lite/id408873050)
- [Bob Books Reading Magic #2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bob-books-reading-magic-2/id437922992)
- [Bob Books Reading Sight Words](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bob-books-reading-sight-words/id980639828)
- [Bob Books Sight Words Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bob-books-sight-words-lite/id1069454090)
- [Bob Books Spin and Spell](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bob-books-spin-and-spell/id1176560483)

All apps by Bob Books Publications LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/706044387

## Related topics

[toddler books read](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/toddler-books-read)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*