Children’s Publisher Cottage Door Press Moves into the Toy Aisle with Luna StoryTime Projector

Cottage Door Press, the award-winning children’s publisher, announces the launch of Luna StoryTime Projector, a magical 3-in-1 device that turns storytime into an immersive, screen-free adventure. Celebrating 10 years of storytelling in 2025, the publisher behind beloved children’s board books, interactive sound titles, and activity books, continues its mission to inspire a love of reading and meaningful family connection. Luna, the company’s first official entry into the toy category, combines a projector, audio and music player, and night light in one, transforming playtime and bedtime rituals.

“To instill a lifelong love of reading, it’s important to meet kids where they’re at,” said Dick Maddrell, CEO and founder of Cottage Door Press. “Whether through the pages of one of our chunky board books or a new kind of interactive storytelling experience with Luna, our goal is to engage children with the magic of storytime. Moving into the toy aisle with Luna is a natural next step for us as a company, deepening our connection with today’s families.” Maddrell has been at the forefront of children’s publishing across his 30 year career, pioneering the sound book category during his time at Publications International where he served as president.

With vivid projections, expressive narration and sing-along songs, Luna is designed to spark imagination and encourage early literacy–without using any Wi-Fi, downloads or apps. The completely screen-free projector delivers trusted, educational content for children ages 3 to 7. Each Luna Content Character plugs in for big adventures with 30-70 minutes of edutainment.

Major children’s brands have long trusted Cottage Door Press to bring their beloved characters to life in book format, and now those licensing partnerships are expanding as characters leap from the physical page to magical wall and ceiling projections. More than a dozen original and licensed Luna Content Characters will be available in 2025, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, John Deere Kids, PAW Patrol, Sesame Street, and Thomas & Friends. As Luna continues to grow, Cottage Door Press is actively talking to new content partners interested in joining these family-loved brands.

Luna is being introduced at a critical time when modern families are navigating the challenge of balancing screen time with meaningful educational experiences. It is clear that creating a literacy-rich home environment has many benefits: 

• Early childhood literacy has been linked to everything from academic success and social-emotional skills, to physical and mental health, and longer life expectancy.
• Kids who are read to at least three times a week are more likely to recognize letters, count to 20, write their name, and start reading by kindergarten.
• Shared reading offers comforting routines, calming strategies and a sense of security to both children and parents, while boosting parents’ confidence.

Luna answers that call—offering an enchanting, read-aloud experience that makes storytime feel magical again. With Luna, parents can easily incorporate storytime in kids’ everyday routine, at home or on the go, allowing them to develop their language, concentration, imagination, creativity, and early literacy skills in a new engaging way.

“Parents and caregivers are juggling more than ever. While we want to instill a love of reading in our children, it’s not always easy to compete with digital entertainment, find time to read aloud to them or ignite genuine excitement for storytime,” said Melissa Tigges, VP of Strategic Initiatives at Cottage Door Press. “Luna reimagines storytime as a joyful, screen-free experience—fostering meaningful family connection or empowering independent play, while giving parents a well-earned break.”

Perfect for playtime, travel or stress-free bedtime, Luna has intuitive kid-friendly controls and three modes of use: 

• Story Projector: Watch, listen and read along as stories come to life with beautiful illustrations and gentle motion graphics, projecting clearly up to eight feet tall
• Audio and Music Player: Listen to stories and play songs in an audio-only mode, with adjustable volume 
• Night Light: Ease into bedtime with multicolor lights and soothing lullabies that automatically shut off after 15 minutes.

The Luna Starter Set (MSRP: $69.99) includes the Luna StoryTime Projector with carry handle, Owl Content Character with five classic stories and five songs, “Nest” stand, and USB-C cable. Also takes 4AA batteries (not included). Additional Content Characters are sold separately (MSRP: $17.99 each). Bundled Starter Sets with bonus Content Characters are also available.

The Luna collection is now available for purchase on LunaStoryTime.com and will be available on Amazon in July. The educational toy line has strong initial retail support, with Barnes & Noble, Kohl’s, Target.com and Walmart.com introducing Luna later this fall. Cottage Door Press continues to leverage its expertise in children’s publishing and proven book merchandising success as it expands its retail partners. 

Cottage Door Press introduced its first titles in 2015 and has rapidly grown, in just a decade, to be a $40 million publishing company with a robust 800-title catalog, selling tens of millions of books worldwide in more than 30 languages. Known for its award-winning Peek-a-Flap series featuring signature peek-through holes, some of the publisher’s best-selling titles include “Babies Love Colors,” “Grandma’s Wishes,” “365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes,” and “ABC & 123 Learning Songs.” The company has also reached millions of young readers through its popular Happy Meal Readers program at McDonald’s.