An Illinois-based kids book publisher with 800 titles in its catalogue has expanded into consumer products for the first time with a portable projector system that makes storytime more cinematic—and it’s looking to forge entertainment brand partnerships to stock up its catalogue.  

Cottage Door Press launched its Luna StoryTime Projector (US$69.99) on June 23. It will be available in Barnes & Noble, Kohl’s and online via Target and Walmart later this fall. It’s also about to roll out on Amazon this month. The product is designed to display illustrated storybooks for a three-to-seven audience on at-home surfaces like household walls and ceilings or white sheets strung up in the backyard. 

Similar to audio players like Toniebox and Yoto, Luna’s business model is to also sell collectible character-based toy figures that each unlock between 30 and 70 minutes of stories when placed on a Luna device. 

The company has already cut licensing deals to feature major kids brands including Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop), Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (Fred Roger’s Production), Thomas & Friends (Mattel) and PAW Patrol (Spin Master) in its storytime experience. And VP of strategic initiatives Melissa Tigges says Cottage Door is keen to add more IPs to its portfolio.

The plan is to launch new licensed and original figures every month, while also working to expand retail distribution and the Luna content library. Cottage Door handles all editorial development, art direction and audio production on behalf of its licensors, coming to them regularly for feedback and approvals in the process.

Tigges explains that the company made this business pivot in response to two major challenges the children’s publishing industry is facing at the moment—declining reading rates among kids, and a growing demand for audio stories. 

Many parents want to incorporate more reading and storytime into their daily family routines but are too overwhelmed with other tasks to sit down and read a book at bedtime, she notes. Luna’s projector is designed to stand in for them and tell stories with “expressive narration, gentle motion graphics and music” that serve the ultimate goal of building early-reading skills. “Luna meets families where they are—bringing stories to life in a way that’s intuitive for kids and comforting for parents—and it’s developmentally aligned with what children need most in their early years,” says Tigges. 

It’s worth noting that MGA’s Little Tikes brand released a similar projector product in 2023 called the Little Tikes Story Machine, which also projects storybooks. Its catalogue includes licensed titles for Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop); Kung Fu Panda and Trolls (Universal Products and Experiences) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (The World of Eric Carle).