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More than 800,000 have already been sold this year: story boxes, small audio speakers for children broadcasting stories and songs, have established themselves as the screenless toy par excellence and will be a hit under the tree. “ When we launched our “Story Factory”, the idea was really to keep children away from screens at all costs, by offering them an object of their own to develop their imagination and return to the oral tradition of storytelling. », Summarizes to AFP Igor Krinbarg, co-founder of this pioneering storyteller on the market and developed by Lunii.
Since 2016, more than 1.6 million of these small turquoise-colored boxes, intended for 3-7 year olds and with simplified operation via its five buttons have been sold out. Made in France and sold at a price of 64.90 euros, they contain 24 stories for purchase, to be completed with other audiobooks offered in an online catalog.
Building on its success, Lunii launched Flam in October, a “ walkman” for the older age group (7-11 years) with longer “and more interactive stories offering several available endings, a bit like those books in which you are the hero. An album can thus generate up to 10 or 12 hours of content », underlines Mr. Krinbarg, who estimates that Lunii represents around 63% of sales of storytellers on the French market.
My Story Factory but also The Wonderful Storyteller, Merlin, Toniebox, My Hero Box, Max, Timio, Bookinou, Elio, Mon petit Morphée, Yoto, Le Conteur d’histoires, StoriKid, Once upon a time… the offer of he audio speakers for children have exploded in recent years. “ It is an annual market worth 30 million euros, with 800,000 storytellers sold over the last twelve months. » in France, explains Frédérique Tutt, toy market analyst for the firm Circana (formerly NPD). She emphasizes that this “ category is now essential on the market » of the toy, with “ very high penetration in families “.
The comeback of audio
The secret of this success? “ The audio must be as attractive as the screen, and in another way: we cannot be just an alternative, a plan B », highlights Coralie Piton, general director of the Merlin speaker (84.90 euros), the result of a joint venture between the publisher Bayard Jeunesse and Radio France which received funding of 1.4 million euros from the Caisse des Dépôts.
She mentions the “ rediscovery of audio » by children – alongside adults’ enthusiasm for podcasts – but also the fact that “ French parents are probably a little more vigilant than others about screen exposure » and as desired « to give a taste of something else “. The storyteller Merlin, who offers sound versions of Bayard’s successful collections (Little Brown Bear, Mortelle Adèle, SamSam, Anatole Latuileetc.), also allows you to regularly import new content, without paying: “We are the only ones to do it: each month, we have between 300,000 and 450,000 titles downloaded with the Radio France stream », bringing together some 300 stories or musical tales per year.
When the audio syncs with the book
Like Bayard, other children’s publishers have entered the story box market. Already having the content is “ a striking force (especially since) we have had the trust of families and teachers for over 50 years », recognizes Marie Pageault, responsible for the development of digital content at the École des Loisirs, whose Max speaker (59.90 euros) broadcasts emblematic titles The Three Brigands, Cornebidouille, Cacaboudin or Chien Pourri.
Beyond homes, the Bookinou “sound library” has also taken over schools: “labeled” by National Education, it notably allows audio reading synchronized with the handling of a book, which makes it “ an educational ally » for the more than 15,000 teachers who use it in class and “ additional exposure time to books ” for kids.
