Dynatech brings bedtime stories to life

Toronto-based toyco and distributor Dynatech is giving kids a reason to look forward to bedtime this fall. At Toy Fair in February the company unveiled its Storytime Theater, an easy-to-use projector that displays pages from specially designed storybooks on the wall or ceiling. The image changes as the pages are flipped and kids can choose to read the stories with their parents or use custom-made sound cards that the projector automatically reads aloud. Destined for mass-market retail in the U.S., the Storytime Theater will sell for US$39.99, and come bundled with one storybook. Additional books with viewer disks and sound cards will be sold for US$12.99 apiece. The line up includes classic and original licensed content. So far, Dynatech has Marvel’s Spider-Man and Friends on board to create book material, and a number of other top-tier licenses, which are expected to be announced soon.

A teddy bear-a-palooza in your own home

Making a teddy bear at home should be a simple task for kids in Q3 2006. No needle and no thread: Just turn the crank and Spin Master’s new Lil’ Luvables Fluffy Factory will pop out an ursine pal. Kids can choose between different teddy bear skins to attach to the machine before filling one up with fluff and making it grow. The factory (US$20) comes complete with three reusable skins, stuffing fluff, a few charms, and teddy bear birth certificates. Themed outfits such as pop star bear, sleepover bear and ballerina bear, as well as other yet-to-be determined accessories will also be made available.