A Delahey couple are celebrating after their storybook app was selected for tech giant Apple’s best new apps list.
Wenpo Sun, 28, and Stephanie Yap, 30, were thrilled when their second app, The tree that refused to shed, appeared on Apple’s best new apps list in the Australian and New Zealand app stores
last month.
“It was really exciting,” Wenpo says. “We actually found out the day before our wedding, so things were already really hectic.
“I guess I wasn’t as excited as I normally would have been because it was all happening at once.”
The couple started their storybook app business Striding Bird Productions last year, combining Wenpo’s computer smarts and Stephanie’s storywriting skills to create interactive apps for kids.
The tree that refused to shed is available on iPhone and iPad. It’s the story of a gorgeous tree which decides its leaves are too beautiful to shed during a cold, harsh winter.
“You have to submit every app that you’ve made for Apple to review,’’ Wenpo says.
‘‘They get hundreds of submissions a day, but through my work I’ve made contacts.
‘‘I forwarded it to my contact at Apple and they liked it, so they pushed it through to the editorial team.
“The app is mainly about beauty and transformation, and how change is really just a part of life.”
Stephanie says the couple’s stories are based on Buddhist philosophies and designed to inspire and motivate children.
“A lot of the messages that we hope will come through in our stories are inspired by being happy and how to deal with life’s little problems,” Stephanie says.
The couple, who work from home, are working on a new scary-story app they hope to release in time for Halloween.
