18 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ AUGUST 5, 2019
Department|LICENSING
kids away from their
screens, and foster com-
munication between
young children and their
parents and caregivers.
“We want to say very
strongly that we are con-
vinced it’s better to interact with a tangible book than a book
on the screen,” Bernstein says, explaining that each title has
hands-on play value. “We will have interactive elements to
bring the books to life, but they’re interactive in the sense of
fun features that really engage the senses and bring that spark
into the experience.”
The initial list includes three series from InnovativeKids
(whose assets are now owned by Melissa & Doug), which are being
released with reimagined content at lower prices. Bernstein
reports that she long admired InnovativeKids’ products, and that
some of Melissa & Doug’s most prolific designers came to the
company from Innovative. A few of those designers were even
involved in these series when they first launched, Bernstein adds.
Formats in the debut assortment include nine 20-page Poke-
a-Dot interactive board books, which have patented buttons
that can be popped; a Natural Play line, made from recycled and
recyclable materials printed with soy-based inks, consisting of
blocklike chunky board book towers, book bundles, and books
packed in a carrying case with a puzzle or game; a Bath Play line
that includes four themed bath books packaged with floating
toys, as well as seven soft foam books with removable foam
pieces that stick to the side of a bathtub; EZ Page Turners with
sculpted pages that are easy for little readers to manipulate;
Mask Books with built-in masks to encourage role-play; and
Tether Books that come with cardboard figures attached with
ribbons, which can be put into pockets on each page.
The program may eventually expand to include older age
groups. It is also possible that the line will integrate some book-
and-toy products at some point, although there are no plans to
base any books on specific toys or toy brands.
Melissa & Doug is committed to book publishing for the
long term. “We want books to be one of our biggest categories,
if not the biggest,” Bernstein says. ■M
elissa & Doug, a nearly $1 billion toy brand
cofounded by Melissa Bernstein and her hus-
band Doug more than 30 years ago, is
making its first major foray into children’s
publishing. The company is launching an
in-house-managed imprint that will release hands-on interac-
tive formats for kids up to five years old. The books will join the
2,400 unique toys already in the Melissa & Doug catalogue.
“It’s our mission to provide a launch pad to ignite the imagi-
nation and a sense of wonder in all children, and ultimately help
them discover who they are,” says Melissa Bernstein, co-founder
and CEO. “There’s no better way to do that than through books.
They’re the ultimate form of open-ended play.”
Melissa & Doug decided to oversee its publishing program
internally rather than work with an outside publisher, in
keeping with its custom. “We think we have a unique lens on
what we do, and no one can execute our vision better,” Bernstein
explains.
Sara Miller, former senior editor at Disney Publishing
Worldwide, joined the company in May as editorial director for
Melissa & Doug Books. She reports to Bernstein and helps write
the books, as well as shepherding the entire program.
Melissa & Doug’s initial list, which has just shipped to stores,
encompasses 32 titles, with another 60 to follow in 2020. The
books, like the company’s toys, will be sold widely, not just in
bookstores but in specialty book-and-toy shops, through online
booksellers, and in mass market book departments as well.
Melissa & Doug was built in the specialty market and has
17,000 independent-retailer customers.
“This launch brings us firmly into the book business,” says
chief strategy officer Julie DeLoyd. “This is our first foray into
products meant for book departments, but the books match so
closely with our brand message, we think buyers will embrace
them.” Noting that the company has done a few hybrid book-
toy products in the past, such as cloth books and activity pads,
and that its toys are sold in bookstores as sidelines, DeLoyd adds,
“Book buyers are very familiar with the brand.”
Reflecting Melissa & Doug’s reputation for creating tradi-
tional toys made from materials such as wood, fabric, and card-
board, the books are intended to be playful and imaginative, getMelissa & Doug Commits
To P u bl i s h i ng
The toy company has more than 90 titles
planned through 2020
By Karen Raugust
Books will incorporate hands-on
elements to encourage open-ended play.