Virtual Author Visit tool · Free to try

Virtual Storytime

Present picture book PDFs with beautiful page turns, a movable camera, drawing tools, celebration effects, and more. Try it free on the web, Mac, or Windows. One $19 license unlocks every version when you're ready.

Try it out See the features

Feature tour

A full presenter toolkit for picture book read-alouds

Present the book

  • Beautiful page turns give your PDF a polished feel instead of a static slideshow.
  • Flexible layouts show one page at a time, a two-page spread, or a spread with the cover on its own — whatever matches your book.
  • Visual page picking lets you jump to the right spread from thumbnails during Q&A.

Stay connected

  • Movable camera overlay keeps your face on screen while you read.
  • Resize and reposition your video so it does not cover important art or text.

Make it interactive

  • Quick zoom controls help you highlight illustration details that kids should notice.
  • Draw and annotate live with scribbles, circles, and arrows.
  • Confetti, fireworks, and emoji bursts make big reveals and interactive moments feel special.

Video demo

See it in action

See Virtual Storytime turn a picture book PDF into a perfect live read-aloud—with page turns, camera overlay, drawing tools, zoom, page picker, and effects all in one window.

A quick demo of Virtual Storytime in presentation mode.

Try it for free

Choose web or desktop

Every version is free to try with a DEMO watermark. One $19 license unlocks all versions.

Web

Use it on the web

No install. Best for a quick test, a borrowed computer, or checking whether Virtual Storytime fits your author-visit flow.

Open web app
Mac & Windows

Download for desktop

A dedicated presentation window with no browser toolbar or tabs. Available for macOS (Apple Silicon or Intel) and Windows.

Download for desktop

Unlock every version for $19

Free sessions show a DEMO watermark over the pages. When you're ready, a one-time $19 USD license removes the watermark everywhere.

$19 one-time · yours forever

  • One license key works on the web app and the Mac & Windows desktop apps
  • No subscription and no account — just a key you paste in once per device
  • Keeps working offline and never expires
Buy a license — $19

Secure checkout by Lemon Squeezy. Your license key is emailed to you right after purchase.

Already bought? Enter or find your key

Enter your key

In Virtual Storytime, open ⚙️ Setup in the control bar, paste your key under License, and click Apply. The watermark disappears. You only do this once on each device.

Lost your key?

Your key is in the purchase confirmation email from Lemon Squeezy — search your inbox for “Virtual Storytime”. You can also reopen the receipt from that email to copy it again. Still stuck? Contact me and I'll sort it out.

Desktop download details

Pick the installer that matches your computer. We've highlighted the best match for the device you're on right now.

Download for Mac (Apple Silicon) ~110 MB

Most Macs from 2020 on use Apple Silicon. Have an older Intel Mac? Download the Intel version.

All desktop versions

Need a different installer? Pick from the full list below.

macOS

Mac (Apple Silicon)

For most Macs from 2020 on: M1, M2, M3, or M4.

Download ~110 MB
macOS

Mac (Intel)

For older Macs where About This Mac shows a Processor line that says Intel.

Download ~117 MB
Windows

Windows x64

For current Windows laptops and desktops.

Download ~94 MB

Why are the install steps a little weird?

Virtual Storytime is made by an independent creator, so it is not notarized by Apple or signed with a Windows code-signing certificate.

On macOS, that means the first launch can be blocked with a message that Apple could not verify the app is free of malware. On Windows, SmartScreen may ask you to confirm before running it.

The steps below are the one-time approval flow for apps installed outside the App Store or Microsoft Store. Once you approve it, Virtual Storytime opens normally.

Install steps

You only have to do this once. After that, Virtual Storytime opens normally.

macOS DMG installer
  1. Download the Mac version that matches your computer, then double-click the downloaded .dmg.
    • Apple Silicon (most Macs from 2020 on—About This Mac shows a "Chip" line like "Apple M1/M2/M3"): Virtual-Storytime-mac-apple-silicon.dmg
    • Intel (older Macs—About This Mac shows a "Processor" line that says Intel): Virtual-Storytime-mac-intel.dmg

    Not sure which you have? Click the Apple menu → About This Mac. If this page picked Apple Silicon for you, that's the best default for most newer Macs; the Intel download is still above if you need it.

  2. In the window that opens, drag the Virtual Storytime icon onto the Applications folder.
  3. Open your Applications folder and double-click Virtual Storytime.
  4. You'll see a message that says "Apple could not verify 'Virtual Storytime' is free of malware...". Click Done (do not click "Move to Trash").
  5. Open the Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security.
  6. Scroll down to the Security section. You'll see a line that says "Virtual Storytime was blocked..." with an Open Anyway button next to it. Click Open Anyway.
  7. Confirm with Open Anyway again, and enter your Mac password or Touch ID if asked. The app opens—and from now on it opens with a normal double-click.

Prefer a one-step shortcut? Open the Terminal app and paste this, then press Return:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Virtual Storytime.app"

Note: On older macOS (Sonoma 14 and earlier) you can instead right-click the app → Open → Open. On macOS Sequoia (15) and macOS 26 and later, use the System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway steps above.

Windows EXE installer
  1. Download Virtual-Storytime-windows.exe and double-click it.
  2. Windows may show a blue "Windows protected your PC" box.
  3. Click the small More info link.
  4. Click the Run anyway button that appears.
  5. The installer runs and Virtual Storytime opens. You won't see this warning again.

If your browser warns that the file "isn't commonly downloaded," choose Keep / Keep anyway to finish the download.

Updating later: the desktop app lets you know when a new version is ready and downloads it for you (you can also use Help → Check for Updates… in the app's menu). Install an update the same way as above — each new version is a fresh download, so your computer may show the same one-time approval again. Your license and settings are kept.