My mom is always searching for the perfect gift for my three-year-old, James, but her finds usually end up forgotten in the garage.
This time, she came in with a plan. She had seen Luna StoryTime featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show and in the Toy Insider’s summer toy roundup on ABC News Now. She was convinced this one would be different. I wasn’t so sure.
Then James placed a character on top, pressed play, and a narrated picture book appeared on the ceiling – words and illustrations together, with small movements bringing each page to life.
1. It made him look forward to our bedtime routine
Getting my James to bed used to be the hardest hour of my day. He’d fight going upstairs, then fight lying down once he got there.
Within days of my mom giving him Luna, he was the one dragging me up the stairs because that was where “the movies” happened. Better still, he was already lying down when the story began.
It has become our favorite part of the bedtime routine, and the moment we both look forward to.
2. He’s three, and he does the whole thing himself
Luna has large controls, a carry handle, and a simple character-based system. There’s no app, account, or Wi-Fi connection for me to manage.
James places a character on top, chooses what he wants to hear, and presses play. He gets ownership over the routine without needing my phone or navigating a tablet.
During the day, he sometimes creates a makeshift “movie theater” under the dining table while I drink my coffee before it goes cold.
3. A 3-in-1 device that keeps bedtime portable
The first time we stayed at my mom’s house after Luna became part of our routine, James carried it into the guest room, chose his usual character, and lay down.
Luna projects stories on a ceiling or wall, works as an audio storyteller when the projection is switched off, and can serve as a nightlight with calming music before shutting itself off. We expected one mode – we use all three.
4. It added to storytime instead of replacing it
I was wary of bringing another device into bedtime. I did not want our books to disappear. They have not.
Some nights, James and I watch Luna together and talk about the pictures. On others, he chooses a story while I finish something nearby.
We still read together; Luna simply gives us another option – and means that “one more” does not always add another full book to the end of my day.
5. Each character includes more than one bedtime’s worth of content
I expected one short story; instead, each character includes five stories and five songs – around 30 minutes of content. The exact mix varies, but there is enough for James to develop favorites without hearing the same thing every night.
Each character also includes more than 700 images across its content (roughly 100 to 125 per story) so Luna can show the picture-book sequence page by page, with the words and illustrations together.
The growing collection includes characters and stories from Peppa Pig, Sesame Street, PAW Patrol, Mo Willems, Super Simple Songs, CoComelon, Disney Princess, Moana, Frozen and many more.
💡 Pro Tip: Bundle & Save
The Luna StoryTime projector costs $59.99, but you can save by buying characters at the same time: 15% off with three characters, and 20% off with five or more.
Build Your Bundle →6. It keeps him engaged with the story
As far as James is concerned, he is watching a story on the ceiling.
At the same time, he’s listening to the language used in picture books, following the illustrations, remembering details, and asking about unfamiliar words.
I like that the printed words appear alongside the pictures as the narrator reads. It gives him another way to listen to and engage with the story.
7. My mom finally found a gift she can keep adding to
This may be my mom’s favorite part!
As additional characters are sold separately (ranging from only $14.99-$17.99), so birthdays and holidays don’t have to mean another large toy. She can gift James something new for his Luna Storytime collection.
James still gets the fun of opening a present – and we don’t end up with another bulky toy taking over the house.
Luna regularly adds new characters to its collection, so the library of options is bigger every time we look. The growing range gives Luna room to keep pace with James’ interests as he grows too.
8. I already trusted the people behind it
Luna comes from Cottage Door Press, the children’s publisher behind several board books already sitting on James’s shelf.
That made it feel less like an unfamiliar gadget and more like another way to experience stories from people whose actual job is making children’s books.
The Bottom Line
Instead of giving James another gadget, my mom gave us a bedtime routine he genuinely looks forward to.
He carries Luna upstairs, selects a character, and settles down to watch the story overhead. Some nights we watch together; on others, it gives me a few minutes to finish what I’m doing nearby.
It hasn’t replaced the books we already love. It has simply made the hardest part of our evening easier by giving James a reason to want to go upstairs.
My mom wanted to find him a gift that would last. This time, she may have finally succeeded.