Storyline Online

Storyline Online features real, recognizable actors -- Kathy Bates, Gary Oldman, and Bryan Cranston are among those who've contributed -- reading real picture books cover to cover, with the camera simply following along the illustrations as the story gets read aloud in full from start to finish. There's no animation added, no interruptions for commentary, and nothing extra layered on top of the original book: it's about as close as anything on YouTube gets to the experience of being read to by a genuinely skilled storyteller who knows how to bring a story to life through voice alone. It's a genuinely simple, well-executed format, and it's best aimed at slightly older toddlers and up, kids who have the patience to sit through a complete picture book.