SEATTLE, April 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Peeka, the world's first platform for virtual reality (VR) children's books and content, has teamed up with HarperCollins Children's Books to bring beloved storybooks to life in virtual reality.

What's in store?

Peeka's fully immersive experiences use mobile phones and are accessible to families of all backgrounds. With a simple cardboard or plastic VR headset, families can jump into the pages of storybooks and let the stories happen to them.

Peeka's studio in Seattle, WA, has already begun production on HarperCollins Children's Books I Want to Be a Doctor by Laura Driscoll, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri, and will soon start preproduction on Zuri Ray Tries Ballet by Tami Charles, illustrated by Sharon Sordo, and the Christmas classic Peppermint Post by Bruce Hale, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis. These experiences are slated to hit the Peeka app later this year.

Why is this important?

In a recent Project Tomorrow research survey, 75 percent of parents and 71 percent of teachers expressed that effective use of technology is very important for the future success of students in a post-pandemic world.

In a screen-dominated world, Peeka helps bring kids back to books and reading using devices they love, with content that's comfortable and delightful for every family to dive into together.

Further, Peeka opens the doors to new mediums that publishers and authors can explore with their IP. For VR, this licensing deal fosters an understanding of how the VR ecosystem can contribute to building a love of book content.

Michael Wong, Peeka CEO, said: "I'm excited and honored to team up with HarperCollins in the wonderful world of immersive kids' entertainment. This is a milestone for Peeka, and for the VR industry."

Rachel Horowitz, Senior Director, Subsidiary Rights, HarperCollins Children's Books, said: "We are delighted that Peeka will be bringing three of HarperCollins Children's Books titles to life in a new and innovative way, and we are excited to be in this space with them."

ABOUT PEEKA

Peeka, a VR startup based in Seattle, WA, is the first and largest kid's VR company, primarily focusing on picture book-related and other educational, kid-friendly content to help motivate children to find a passion for learning and reading. A majority of Peeka's immersive content deals with important topics such as diversity, empathy, race, mindfulness, gender, and more. Find out more at peekavr.com.

ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS CHILDREN'S BOOKS:

HarperCollins Children's Books is one of the leading publishers of children's and teen books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality, award-winning books for young readers, HarperCollins Children's Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, which is the second-largest consumer book publisher in the world, has operations in 17 countries, and is a subsidiary of News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). You can visit HarperCollins Children's Books at http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com and http://www.epicreads.com and HarperCollins Publishers at corporate.HarperCollins.com.

Related Images

Image 1: Peeka in the Library

Two students in Seattle enjoying immersive storybooks.

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Peeka and HarperCollins Children's Books Team Up on a Virtual Reality Licensing Deal - GlobeNewswire