Amazon Rapids, Amazon's storytelling app for kids, is now available for everyone. Rapids was formerly priced at $2.99/month, but is now completely free. So if you have children aged between 5 and 12, you may want to check out Amazon Rapids ASAP.

Encouraging children to read is one of the most important jobs parents have. There is literally no downside to reading. It helps kids develop language skills, educates them, and even manages to keep them quiet when you need some peace.

All of which makes Amazon Rapids a Godsend.

Amazon Rapids Makes Storytelling Fun

Amazon Rapids is a storytelling app from, you guessed it, Amazon. It was originally launched in 2016 as a way of encouraging children to read, with the stories presented as text message conversations between the various characters.

Amazon Rapids, which is available on Android, iOS, and Amazon Fire devices, features hundreds of original short stories aimed at children primarily aged between 5 and 12, although older kids may find it entertaining as well.

These stories all have audio, with a cast of characters reading the stories aloud. Kids can then read the stories along with them. There's also a built-in glossary allowing kids to check the pronunciation and definition of words they don't recognize.

For parents keen to foster their children's love of reading, there's a parent dashboard. This shows recent activity, including what stories your kids have been reading, how many words they have read in total, and their favorite genre.

Chat Stories Apps Gain Momentum

Rapids was previously priced at $2.99/month, but it's now completely free to use. According to TechCrunch, "monthly subscribers will no longer be charged and annual subscribers will be refunded for the remainder of the year."

Amazon Rapids is just one of a number of chat stories apps to have popped up in the past few years. These all allow you to read short fictional stories on your smartphone, with the tales being broken up into bite-sized chunks.