Little Boola Books
Frequently Asked Questions
Need a hand? You're in the right place.
I'm Mark — Jen's husband, and the one who handles all the technical stuff in our little publishing business. Jen writes about a brave cat finding her way across Africa; I make sure the files open. We both agree she got the better job.
Technology should never stand between a child and a story, so below are the questions readers ask us most, with step-by-step answers. And if you don't find yours, just email me at info@littleboolabooks.com — I read every message, and I'll happily walk you through it.
Mark
Co-Founder | Little Boola Books
Jump to what you need
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Getting your books — downloads, "damaged" files, and reading on any device
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Listening to the audiobook — MP3 vs M4B, and playing it in the car
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The activity packs — printing and sharing
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Adventure codes — what they are and entering yours
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Casper's Review Team — how the books arrive, download windows, and leaving reviews
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Email troubles? — missing welcome emails, and "what's the catch?"
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Still Stuck? — can't find the help you need?
Section 1: Getting your books
I clicked the download button — where did my book go?
It downloaded! It's just hiding. Where to look:
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On an iPad or iPhone: open the Files app and look in Downloads. (Or tap the download arrow at the top of your Safari screen.)
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On an Android phone or tablet: open your Files (sometimes called "My Files") app and look in Downloads.
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On a computer: look in your Downloads folder, or check the bottom of your browser window — most browsers show the file there when it finishes.
Found it? Wonderful — the next question explains how to open it.
My book won't open — it says the file is "damaged" or "can't be opened"
Don't worry — your book is perfectly fine, I promise. The file is an ePub (the standard ebook format used by bookshops everywhere), and when a device doesn't have a reading app set up, it sometimes says "damaged" when it really means "I don't know what this is."
The fix is usually one tap — find your device in the next question.
How do I actually read the book? (Step by step, for every device)
On an iPad or iPhone — the reading app is already on your device:
1. Tap the downloaded file (in Files → Downloads, or from the Safari download arrow)
2. If it doesn't open straight away, press and hold the file, choose Share, then choose Books
3. The book opens in Apple Books and stays in your library forever
On an Android phone or tablet:
1. Install Google Play Books from the Play Store (free, made by Google)
2. Open the downloaded file and choose Play Books when asked
3. It's now in your library — tap the cover any time
On a Kindle:
1. Go to amazon.com/sendtokindle in any browser
2. Sign in with your Amazon account and drag the book file in
3. It appears in your Kindle library within a few minutes, just like a purchased book
On a Mac: double-click the file — it opens in Books, which is already installed.
On a Chromebook: install Google Play Books from the Play Store and open the file with it.
Review Team families: your books work on Kindle, Apple Books and Thorium too. See "Can I read them on my Kindle?" in the Review Team section.
I still can't read the ePub — is there one free app that just works?
There is, and it's the one I use myself: Thorium Reader.
It's completely free, has no adverts and no sign-ups, and it's made by a European non-profit whose whole mission is making reading accessible to everyone. It runs on every kind of computer — Windows, Mac, and Linux — and it reads our books beautifully: big clear pages, and it always remembers where you stopped.
1. Go to thorium.edrlab.org and click Download (it picks the right version for your computer)
2. Install it like any other program
3. Open Thorium, click the + button, and choose your downloaded Casper book
That's the whole job — the book stays in your Thorium library from then on.
(On phones and tablets, you're actually best served by what's already there: Apple Books on iPad and iPhone, Google Play Books on Android — see the step-by-step guide above.)
Why isn't the book a PDF, like the activity pack?
A fair question! The colouring pages are PDFs because they're made for printing. The book is an ePub because it's made for reading: it opens in a proper reading app with real page turns, keeps every illustration exactly where the illustrator placed it, and sits in your library like a real book rather than a document. And, between us, it also helps keep Casper's story a little safer out in the world.
Can I print the book?
The book is designed for screens and shelves (the paperback!), so it isn't printable — but the activity pack absolutely is. And if you'd love pages you can hold, the paperbacks are available on Amazon and other retailers — there's something about a real book at bedtime.
Section 2: Listening to the audiobook
There are two audiobook files — which one do I want?
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MP3 — the safe choice. It plays on everything: phones, tablets, computers, in the car. If you're not sure, pick this one.
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M4B — the fancy choice, for Apple devices. It opens in Apple Books as a proper audiobook with chapters and a bookmark that remembers your place.
You don't need both — they're the same lovely narration.
How do I play it?
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iPad/iPhone: tap the M4B file and open it in Books — it appears under Audiobooks. (The MP3 works too — it plays right in your browser or from Files.)
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Android: tap the MP3 and it plays in your music or files app. For chapter support, the free Smart AudioBook Player is a favourite.
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Computer: double-click the MP3 — it opens in your music player (Media Player on Windows, Music on Mac).
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In the car: if your phone connects to the car (Bluetooth or CarPlay/Android Auto), just press play on your phone. Casper does the voices; you do the driving.
The audiobook file is large and slow to download
It is a whole book, after all! Best to download on home Wi-Fi rather than mobile data, and give it a few minutes. Once it's saved, it plays without any internet at all — perfect for road trips.
Section 3: The activity packs
How do I print the activity pack?
1. Open the downloaded PDF (it opens on almost anything — no special app needed)
2. Choose Print
3. Tip: you don't have to print all 100 pages! Choose just the pages your young reader wants today — colouring pages print beautifully in colour or black and white (they're for colouring in, after all)
No printer at home? Most libraries, and print shops like Staples or your local equivalent, will print a few pages for pennies.
Can I share the pack with my family?
Please do! Print pages for every grandchild, cousin, and classroom. The pack is our gift to your family. If friends outside the family would love Casper too, the nicest thing you can do is send them to LittleBoolaBooks.com — they can start their own free adventure and get the whole pack themselves.
Section 4: Adventure codes
What's an adventure code?
It's a short code printed in the back of a Casper book, on the "Until Next Time" pages after the story. Enter it on our website and it unlocks that book's free bonuses as our thank-you for reading: the full audiobook and the 100-page Adventure Activity Pack. Each book has its own code, and each code unlocks the bonuses for that book only.
Our newest books (7, 8 and 9) carry codes in every edition. The rest of the series is being updated with codes of its own, and every book we send to Casper's Review Team has one.
Where do I find my code?
In the "Until Next Time" section near the back of the book, just after the story ends, alongside a QR code that takes you straight to the unlock page.
Where do I enter it?
Right here: LittleBoolaBooks.com/unlock. Enter your name, email and the code, and your bonuses arrive by email within a few minutes. The email has the audiobook (MP3 and M4B; see Section 2 for which to choose) and the activity pack.
My code isn't working!
Our codes are built so they can't be misread: they never contain a vowel or the numbers 0 and 1. So there's no letter O to mix up with a zero, and no letter I to mix up with a one. If you think you see one, it's a different character.
Two more things:
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Don't worry about the dash or capital letters. The form sorts those out for you.
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Check you're copying the code from the book you actually want the bonuses for. Each code only works for its own book.
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Still stuck after a second try? Email me the code and which book it came from (info@littleboolabooks.com) and I'll sort you out personally.
I entered a code but the email hasn't arrived
Give it ten minutes, then check Spam, Junk and (in Gmail) the Promotions tab. If it's still missing, email me (see Section 5).
Section 5: Casper's Review Team
What is Casper's Review Team?
A group of families who read Casper books ahead of, or alongside, their publication and share honest thoughts about them. Team members receive the books free, to keep, and we invite them whenever there's something new to read. From time to time we open places to new families, and members of Casper's Reading Circle hear about it first.
How do the books arrive?
By email, with a download button for each book. Tap it and a page opens telling you your book is on its way. The download starts by itself a moment later. You'll find the book in your Downloads folder.
Can I read them on my Kindle?
Yes. Review Team books open beautifully on:
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Kindle: send the file to your Kindle with Amazon's free Send to Kindle (amazon.com/sendtokindle). Every page appears exactly as it does in print, illustrations and all.
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iPhone or iPad: Apple Books. Tap the file and choose Books.
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Computer: Thorium Reader, which is free (thorium.edrlab.org).
Turn your tablet sideways to see two-page spreads, just like an open book.
Why is my email address at the bottom of every page?
Each Review Team copy is prepared just for the person it's sent to, and your email address in the footer is how we do that. It stays on your own device, and it's there to gently discourage sharing. Please don't pass your copy on. If a friend would love Casper, send them to LittleBoolaBooks.com instead, where they can start their own adventure.
My download link has stopped working
Download links stay open for a while (the email says until when), so please save each book to your device when it arrives. Once it's downloaded, it's yours to keep for good.
If a link has closed before you got to it, just click it anyway. You'll see a Reopen my download button that gives you another seven days, no need to write to anyone. If you've already used that once and still need the book, email info@littleboolabooks.com with the title and we'll sort it out.
The link says "not quite yet"
Each book opens on its delivery day. If you click a link early, the page tells you the date. Your email will arrive that morning.
Do Review Team books have adventure codes?
Yes. In Review Team copies it's on the welcome page just inside the cover (not at the back like our other books), together with a QR code you can scan. Enter each one at LittleBoolaBooks.com/unlock for that book's audiobook and activity pack. See Section 4 if one misbehaves.
How do I leave a review?
Our emails include direct links for each book, one for Amazon and one for Goodreads, that take you straight to the page where you write your review. You'll also find every book in one place at LittleBoolaBooks.com/review-casper.
A few sentences is plenty: what your reader thought, a favourite moment, who you'd recommend it to. And wherever appropriate, please mention that you received a complimentary copy as a member of Casper's Review Team. Something like "I received a complimentary copy of this book" is enough.
Amazon won't let me post a review
Amazon only accepts reviews from accounts that have spent around $50 on a card in the past twelve months, and free books don't count towards it. It's their rule, not ours, and it catches lots of people out. Goodreads has no such rule, so that's a perfect alternative. Or use the Tell us button on the review page to send your thoughts straight to us.
Why can't I review a book on Amazon yet?
If you're reading a book before it's published, Amazon won't open reviews until its publication day. Goodreads usually accepts reviews straight away, so you can share early thoughts there, and we'll let you know when the Amazon page opens.
Which Amazon should I use?
Whichever one you shop at. Amazon keeps reviews separate in every country. The links in our emails point to your store, and the review page picks it for you (you can change it if it guesses wrong).
Do I have to review every book?
No. Not every book, and not any book. The books are yours to keep whether you review them or not. Honest thoughts on one or two books are hugely helpful, and an honest three stars helps other families more than a kind five.
What's the "Tell us your favourite" form?
Now and then we ask which book, character and moment your family has loved most. It's entirely optional and just for us, and it helps us understand what families love about Casper.
Am I part of Casper's Reading Circle too?
Yes. Being on the Review Team includes membership of Casper's Reading Circle, Jennifer's email list for families. If it's ever not for you, every email has an unsubscribe link at the bottom.
How do I stay on the team, or leave it?
When a round of books finishes, we'll ask whether you'd like to be invited again. One click says yes, and doing nothing simply means we won't send future invitations. You can leave at any time using the unsubscribe link in any of our emails.
Section 6: Email troubles
I signed up but never got my welcome email
Check your Spam or Junk folder, and in Gmail, the Promotions tab — welcome emails love to hide there. When you find it, drag it to your main inbox and add info@littleboolabooks.com to your contacts, and we'll never be separated again. Nothing after ten minutes? Email me and I'll send your pack directly.
On the Review Team? Your Review Team emails come from readingcircle@littleboolabooks.com. Please add that address to your contacts too, so your books land in your inbox and not your spam folder.
Is the free pack really free? What's the catch?
Really free, no catch. The book, audiobook, and activity pack are our welcome gift when you join Casper's Reading Circle — Jennifer's email list, where she shares new adventures, activity pages, and notes from the real African journey behind the stories. If it's ever not for you, every email has an unsubscribe link at the bottom, and your pack is yours to keep regardless.
Section 7: Still stuck?
Email me at info@littleboolabooks.com and tell me what device you're using and whats the problem — I'll walk you through it personally. No question is too small. Truly.
Mark
Co-Founder | Little Boola Books