Back, way back in time (well, January 2012) we raved about an app called Numberlys by developer Moonbot Studios.

It was great: a storybook-app about the origins of the alphabet, inspired in its visual style by films like King Kong – the original, obviously – and Metropolis. Well, two years on, it’s now been turned into a printed book. And also another app.

The app is called IMAG-N-O-TRON: Numberlys Edition, and it uses augmented reality (AR) technology in a way that’s designed to complement the book.

“While reading your physical book, use this app to follow friends 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 as they explore their world where there is no alphabet – only numbers. One day, they decide they want something different and set out to create each letter of the alphabet, bringing color, creativity and jellybeans to their world,” explains its App Store listing.

“Point your device’s camera at the pages of the book to discover letters, numbers and toys. Assemble letters and numbers to learn their shapes and sounds. Play with toys like floppy pizza, jiggly food gloop and whirring helicopters in your Toy Box. Learn words like jellybean, piston and clock with your found letters.”

The app only works if you have a copy of the book, which as far as we can tell is available already from online booksellers like Amazon – and presumably in real-world stores too. Here in the UK, it costs just over a tenner.

IMAG-N-O-TRON: Numberlys Edition costs £0.69 for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, and £0.59 for Android from the Google Play store.

It’s the second time Moonbot Studios has dabbled in augmented reality, following IMAG•N•O•TRON: ‘The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore’ Edition in June 2012, incidentally.

Read about more augmented reality apps for kids on Apps Playground, and check out our 100 Best iPad Apps of 2013 e-book – £1.99 from Apple’s iBooks Store