Welcome, Mom’s Choice readers! Today we’re delighted to have with us once again author Allen Brokken, who developed the hugely popular six-volume Towers of Light adventure series. Allen has recently garnered another Mom’s Choice Award for a sleep aid that’s perfect for help young children effortlessly drift off at bedtime or nap time. Called the Sleepy Tiger Soothing Sounds Wildlife Story Teller, this ultra-soft plush toy has a secret pouch that holds the MegaVoice Soothing Sounds audio Bible player—offering Bible stories appropriate for children ages 3 to 7, plus soothing sounds to help kids sleep. In addition, research shows that stuffed animals with audio Bible inside can bring physical and emotional comfort to both children and adults who have experienced trauma and pain—and help them get a good night’s sleep.

MCA: Welcome back, Allen, and thanks so much for joining us again. Won’t you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am the CEO of Towers of Light and a Technology Strategist with over 25 years of experience working with some of the biggest corporations in the world, a regular speaker at technology and homeschool conferences, and the Mom’s Choice award-winning author of the Towers of Light Series.

I wrote my book for my own kids as they were growing up and now that they are grown I’m always looking for new ways to entertain, inspire and educate children.

MCA: As a successful published author, can you tell us about the journey that led you to create your award-winning plush toy and audio player?

I regularly speak at homeschool conferences on various parenting topics and run sessions just for the kids. One of the most common questions I received from parents—What about my littles?—asking if I have things for their children ages 3-7. For the most part the answer was no, but then I learned about the MegaVoice Wildlife Storytellers and I realized there was a real need that could be met with these plush toys.

MCA: Tell us about the research involved in the development of your product.

One of the big challenges in developing something for children 3-7 was finding something that met demanding requirements most moms have. Then, the toy can’t have common allergens, must be machine washable, plus anything electronic needs to be impact- and water resistant. So to really put the MegaVoice devices to the test I sent them to a friend of mine with an 8- and a 10-year-old boy, and told them to take them to the playground and do their worst. After throwing the players off slides, kicking them across the gravel and generally being rough on them, the device kept playing.

Beyond that we wanted content that could both entertain and soothe an anxious child. The dual channel setup of the Solar+ Player for Kids provides a story channel for playtime or drive time, but then it can be switched to the soothing sounds channel for mother’s heart beat, rain, or ocean waves to calm your child to sleep at naptime.

MCA: How does your product address a need or solve a problem for families?

Research shows that stuffed animals with soothing audio can bring physical and emotional comfort to children and adults who have experienced trauma and pain. They can soothe anxiety and help restless sleepers to calm down and get a good night’s sleep.

MCA: What sets Sleepy Tiger apart from other similar products in the marketplace? What unique features or benefits does it offer?

There are many audio players on the market for young children, but they tend to be locked in to that age range. In addition to the unique feature of being solar charging, the device has a microSD card slot to allow parents to add content of their choosing—making the device the child’s first MP3 music player for their own music as they get older.

MCA: Can you share any memorable stories or feedback from customers who have used your product?

Our young friend Abe was always anxious and worried at bedtime. It caused sleepless nights and dull days. A family friend heard about Abe’s concern and gave him a wildlife storyteller to ease his fears. For the first time in months he fell asleep effortlessly to the sound of the soothing voice. He was so excited and awake the next day he eagerly shared the amazing story he had heard the night before. Now he carries his wildlife storyteller everywhere and has earned the nickname “Preacher” for his newfound ability to retell Bible stories!​

MCA: Quite an endorsement! Tell us, how do you ensure safety and suitability for your target audience?

We work closely with MegaVoice to ensure that our products receive the necessary testing and certificates. We have certified both our plush toys and our audio players for children of any age.

MCA: What challenges did you encounter during the product’s development, and how did you overcome them?

We had originally chosen a different audiobook player device, but a specific feature of that device didn’t meet safety standards at the time. So MegaVoice recommended the Solar+ player which also had larger buttons and easier channel navigation, which made for an overall easier to use product that met safety standards.

MCA: Allen, can you tell us what’s next for Towers of Light?

We plan to continue to expand our offerings of Storytellers with unique content built in, and we are also working on providing microSD card upgrades for the device with unique new content.

MCA: Please be sure to keep us posted!