If you have little kids, you're probably familiar with the Little Critter series. Mercer Mayer's books were immensely popular in our house; I believe I read "Just Go to Bed" approximately 1.7 million times.

Of course, with each paperback title costing $3.99, Little Critter can end up costing a lot. But if you own a smartphone or tablet, here's your chance to score a couple digital editions on the cheap.

For a limited time, Oceanhouse Media is offering "Happy Easter, Little Critter" and "Just Me and My Little Brother" for 99 cents each. (Those links are for the iPhone and iPad versions; you can also find them in the Google Play store for your Android device.)

The savings here aren't enormous--most of the Little Critter e-books usually sell for $1.99--but they're definitely a deal compared with the print editions, which cost $3.99 apiece.

If you've never tried a book like this on your phone or tablet, you're in for a treat.

The "Read It Myself" option lets you sit with your child and flip virtual pages, just as though you were reading a print version. But there's also a "Read To Me" setting that narrates the book, highlighting each word as it's read. (Readers can also tap individual words to hear them spoken.)

That's great for those times when, say, the kid's in the backseat and you can't really read to him, but still want him to be reading.

Even cooler, you can record your own voice in place of the narrator's, making it even more like you're "reading to" your critter.

These digital books really are exceptional; my only complaint is that my kids were too old for them by the time the iPad arrived.

If you like these, and I'm pretty certain you will, Oceanhouse also offers a bunch of Berenstain Bears and Dr. Seuss titles--not always for less than their print counterparts, but at least e-books can't get worn, ripped, or colored on.

Veteran technology writer Rick Broida is the author of numerous books, blogs, and features. He lends his money-saving expertise to CNET and Savings.com, and also writes for PC World and Wired.

(Source: Savings.com)