Crayon Crunch Launches on Kickstarter

Berkeley, CA

What happens if you mix high-tech with traditional children's book printing? You get the first-ever printed picture book, in which the lead character can look like the child reading it.

Every child loves an adventure, and Crayon Crunch is here to make that happen. The Berkeley based children's entertainment startup launched a Kickstarter campaign (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/685327576/crayon-crunch) to fund the most technologically advanced children's picture book ever printed. For the first time, anyone can customize the lead character of a printed book to resemble any child, regardless of ethnicity or disability.

"We're combining new technologies with an original story to reinvent the picture book," said Tim Osterbuhr, Chief Executive Officer. "Instead of working with a publisher, we are using in-house technology and expertise. This gives us full control over the creative as well as the operational site."

Studies show that reading of personalized books encourages language development in young children. "While some companies allow readers to customize character names, no one has yet provided the way for them to help their children identify with characters by effectively customizing their appearance," said Kai Schmittat, Crayon Crunch's director of print operations.

"If you're a parent of a child with special needs or of color, finding relatable children's books can be challenging" said Friederike Geiken, lead engineer and creative director. "We have an opportunity to create a first-of-its-kind product and start pushing harder on diversity in books."

The process will be as easy as changing features of characters in a video game. Readers will customize the lead character using the company's website by choosing between a variety of features from hairstyle and skin tone to clothing and disabilities such as limb differences. Readers can see a preview of the book before they submit the design to Crayon Crunch. The company will then print the book and ship it anywhere in the world.

Great characters need great stories, and Crayon Crunch will send your young reader on a gender-neutral journey to find a key for a mystical box in an imaginary world. As a bonus, inside the box is a personalized letter from a parent, family member or friend.

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