# Upon A Time: Learn to Read — Phonics & personalized stories

> Phonics & personalized stories (iPhone/iPad app by Midhun Harikumar.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upon-a-time-learn-to-read/id6790227790 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Midhun Harikumar](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790227792)
- Category: Education, Books
- Price: Free
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 5 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-09-01
- Data updated: 2026-09-22
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upon-a-time-learn-to-read/id6790227790/reviews.md

## What is Upon A Time?

Once upon a time, your child asked for a story about a dinosaur who lost his roar — and got a whole illustrated book about it, starring them. Then they read it aloud, all by themselves.

  Upon A Time creates personalized picture books that teach young children to read. Tell it who your little one is, pick a story idea together, and in about a minute the app writes, illustrates, and binds a
  brand-new book onto your family's shelf — written at exactly the level your child can decode.

  BUILT TO GROW READERS
  • Choose a reading level from first-words to confident reader; stories are written with the rhythm, repetition, and refrains that early-reader books use to make reading click
  • Phonics highlighting colors the sound patterns inside words
  • Tap any word to hear it spoken — curiosity becomes practice
  • Read to Me: a warm storyteller voice reads each page while every word lights up in turn, connecting sound to print

  THE WHOLE FAMILY CAN STAR
  • Build a cast: your child, siblings, grandparents — even the family dog
  • Add a photo or a short description so each character looks like themselves on every page, in every book
  • Stories weave in each character's name, age, and the things they love
  • Every book gets its own cover art and ends with a classic "The End"

  A REAL BOOK FEEL
  • Page-curl turns, two-page spreads in landscape, illustrations painted right into the page
  • Pages never turn by themselves; little hands stay in charge

  BUILT FOR FAMILIES
  • Your first 2 stories are free; a Story Pack adds 10 more with a simple one-time purchase — no subscription
  • Books live on your iPad or iPhone and work offline once created; narration is saved on-device, so favorite books replay instantly
  • Watch new books being made right on the shelf, and keep reading while you wait
  • No ads, no links, nothing to wander into — and it works with Guided Access, so story time stays story time

  Five minutes to a new book. A shelf full of stories where your child is the hero. A little reader who can't wait for the next page.


## Version history (last 2 releases)

### 1.2.1 — 2026-09-05

Upon A Time is now free to try — your first 2 stories are on us! Keep the shelf growing with a one-time Story Pack (10 stories, no subscription). And if you bought the app before this update: thank you — a
  full Story Pack is already waiting on your shelf, on the house.

  Better stories: books now read the way beloved early-reader books do, with rhythm, repeated patterns, and refrains your child learns to anticipate — tuned to each reading level.

  Better pictures: every illustration is now checked against the story before your book is bound, characters stay true to their photos across every page, and finished pages get a soft watercolor look that melts
  right into the paper.

  A lovelier reader: story text is beautifully centered and sized to each page.

  Easier characters: spin a wheel to set ages (including Teen, Adult, and Grandparent), add gender if you like, and edit anyone right from the New Story screen — Done saves, Back safely discards.

  Thanks for reading with us! If your child is reading more, a review helps other parents find us.

### 1.2 — 2026-09-01

No release notes.

## Related topics

[once upon a time](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/once-upon-a-time)

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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 2026-09-22.*