We love children’s author Julia Donaldson’s books: not just The Gruffalo, but A Squash and a Squeeze, Chocolate Mousse for Greedy Goose, Sharing a Shell, Room on the Broom and many more are well-thumbed in our household.

Exciting news today, then: Room on the Broom has an official app for iPhone and iPad. It’s called Room on the Broom Games, and has been released by Magic Light Pictures – the company that did The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child animated films.

As its name implies, this isn’t a digital book version of Room on the Broom, the book about the airborne adventures of a Witch, dog, bird and frog. Instead, it’s a collection of eight mini-games based on the story and characters.

Aimed at 3-7 year-olds, the games include drawing pictures in the sky, catching flying objects, retrieving items that the Witch has dropped, helping a dragon eat his favourite food, and catching letters in the sky.

It looks lovely, drawing on the marvellous illustrations by Axel Scheffler in the book, so all the characters are instantly recognisable.

Donaldson actually gave an interview a couple of years ago outlining some reservations about apps: she was concerned that the interactivity in book-apps may often distract children from reading, rather than enhance it.

A collection of mini-games sidesteps that worry, and may encourage kids and parents to go back to the book (or buy it if they’re new to the story) to do their reading separately.

Who knows, perhaps if this does well, there’ll be a chance of an official Gruffalo app in some form. Well, we can hope! Room on the Broom costs £2.99 for iPhone and iPad on Apple’s App Store.