Sesame Workshop has rolled out a new mobile application that centers around its popular Cookie Monster character.

The company partnered with Callaway Digital Arts on the mobile initiative. The Great Cookie Thief app is available in Apple?s App Store for $0.99.

?As with all of our books for children, in whatever format, the ultimate goal of this book app is to educate and entertain preschoolers,? said Betsy Loredo, executive editor at Sesame Workshop, New York.

?Who doesn't love to hear a 3- or 4-year-old just crack up as your read a story together?? she said. ?Cookie Thief is a classic title from our print canon, first published by Golden Books back in 1977, one that we know children respond to and love, so it seemed a terrific title to help introduce young readers to stories on the new generation of digital devices.

?This particular story also encourages children to use observation skills, building visual acuity that later will help them to distinguish between letters and numbers as they begin to read and learn in school.

Teaching this skill is a natural for a device like the iPad, where children can receive an immediate response to their interactions with the characters and storyline, which helped inform our decision to choose this story.?

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children?s television programming with the landmark Sesame Street.

Callaway Digital Arts publishes mobile and tablet applications for children and families.

Cookie for your thoughts
The interactive book app is set in an Old West town plagued by a mystery bandit who steals cookies from local bakeries.

When the town?s citizens spot a new guy who looks suspiciously like the cookie thief, they compare his characteristics to those featured in a ?Wanted? poster.

The Great Cookie app encourages young kids to piece together the clues and use evidence to solve the mystery.

According to Sesame Workshop, the app helps build visual identification and observation skills.

Additionally, the app features various story paths and comparisons providing alternate endings, so players will never have the same experience twice in a row.

There is also a ?create? mode lets players create, print and share unique ?Wanted? posters using a virtual photo booth and dozens of paintbrushes and stickers.

Users also have the option to purchase additional characters and art within the app.

?One promotional tool we're already working on is a short book trailer,? said Jennifer Perry, vice president of Worldwide Publishing. ?Not only will this help spread word, but it will also provide a helpful demo on specific elements of the experience, and alert kids' caregivers to the incredibly rich trove of Parent Tips that are included right in the app, offering families ways to get even more educational benefits from the Cookie Thief app.

Getting the word out
Sesame Workshop is using social media to let fans know about the app.

The company is also working with Callaway to try and come up with creative ways to promote the app.

?Sesame Workshop's goal has always been to create engaging and meaningful learning experiences for children,? Ms. Perry said. ?We reach our audience with this content in many ways, including television, books, learning toys, live performances, and now myriad digital technologies.

?To help educate children, you must be wherever they are and that means anywhere families can be found sharing time together,? she said. ?Today, that's why our book offerings can be found not only on wooden bookshelves in kids' rooms but also on tablets, ereaders, and mobile phones.

?When kids ask for a story, we want parents to be able to provide a quality book ? one that makes kids smile or nod in recognition of their own challenges and also offers them strategies that will help them navigate their world as they learn and grow. Since families are so often mobile themselves these days, digital platforms are a natural extension for our brand.?

Final Take