Little Hippo Books

What Little Hippo Books does

Little Hippo Books is a privately-held, U.S.-based children's book publisher founded in 2017 and headquartered in Melville, operating in the $11M-$50M-revenue SMB band with 11-50 employees. The company designs and sells interactive, multi-sensory books and adjacent products aimed at children ages 0-5, with a primary value proposition centered on tactile, auditory, and visual stimulation to support early childhood development. Its product portfolio spans touch-and-feel board books, silicone and wipe-clean books, sound books with embedded audio modules, finger puppet books, shaped board books, and the differentiated Fidgimals™ sub-brand that combines book content with attached pop-it fidget character heads. A secondary sub-brand, Brilliant Baby™, focuses on early-learning content such as ABCs, counting, and first words.

The underlying technology is primarily physical product design—specialty materials (food-grade silicone, fur-like textures, crinkle elements, plush attachments, pop-it fidgets) integrated with board-book manufacturing—rather than software. Distribution runs through an owned Shopify e-commerce store with subscription management, an Amazon marketplace storefront, a Faire-based B2B wholesale channel, and a dedicated wholesale program. The company monetizes via one-time book purchases priced $7-$27, a tiered monthly book subscription box ($24.49-$34.99/month on 3/6/12-month plans), Amazon sales, wholesale orders, and e-gift cards. Subscription pricing offers 20-30% savings versus one-time purchase to drive recurring customer relationships.

Customers are individual parents and caregivers of young children (primary), gift buyers for baby showers and occasions (secondary), and wholesale/retail partners stocking inventory (tertiary). Marketing relies on organic social across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube, supplemented by email, a Brand Ambassador program, and influencer partnerships. The company is founder-led by Jason Haug (Founder and Owner) with Craig Gallo as Executive Vice President; no institutional investors, parent companies, or disclosed funding rounds are evidenced in the source data.

Name

Little Hippo Books

Legal name

Little Hippo Books

Website

https://littlehippobooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Little Hippo Books is a privately-held U.S. children's book publisher designing multi-sensory board books, Fidgimals™ fidget books, and Brilliant Baby™ early-learning titles for ages 0-5, sold DTC via Shopify, Amazon, and Faire wholesale, with a tiered monthly subscription box.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Books

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Retail-Nonstore Retailers (5960)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Learning & Preschool Trade (Ages 0–5) (EDAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO), Educational & Learning Toys Retail (CRALAFAB), Children’s Books & Educational Readers Retail (CRALAAAD)

Keywords

• Children's book publishing
• Sensory development books
• Touch and feel books
• Subscription book boxes
• Interactive board books

Headquarters

HQ city

Melville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Book Sales: One-time purchases of individual books and multi-format children's books through owned e-commerce store. Products range from board books to sensory toys, priced between $7-$27 per item.
2. Subscription Boxes: Monthly recurring subscription boxes containing 3 mixed books for children ages 0-5. Available in 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year plans. First box billed at order; recurring billing on 16th of each month.
3. Amazon Marketplace: Sales through Amazon store presence, reaching customers through the Amazon e-commerce ecosystem.
4. Wholesale Distribution: B2B sales through wholesale program and Faire marketplace for retail and boutique store distribution.
5. E-Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available for purchase, enabling gifting occasions especially for baby showers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Little Hippo Books is a children's book publisher specializing in multi-sensory board books and subscription book boxes for children ages 0-5. The company designs and sells touch-and-feel books, sound books, Fidgimals™ sensory fidget books, finger puppet books, padded board books, and shaped books, with integrated tactile, auditory, and interactive elements. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via a Shopify storefront, with additional Amazon marketplace sales, wholesale through Faire, and a recurring monthly subscription box (Little Hippo Book Box) of three curated books.

Product overview

Little Hippo Books is a children's book publisher specializing in interactive and sensory development products for ages 0-5. The company operates primarily as a Shopify e-commerce platform selling various book formats and a subscription service. The product portfolio centers on Touch & Feel Books (board books with tactile textures), Sound Books (with embedded audio buttons), Fidgimals™ (sensory fidget friends combining pop-it characters with touch-and-feel books), and Padded Board Books for bedtime reading. Additional formats include Finger Puppet Books, Shaped Books, Silicone/Wipe-Clean Books, Lift-the-Flap Books, and interactive books with wooden puzzles, plush attachments, teether elements, sequins, and abacus components. The Brilliant Baby™ sub-brand offers educational early learning books focused on ABCs, counting, first words, and colors. The company also provides a monthly Little Hippo Book Box subscription delivering curated book selections, plus E-Gift Cards. Products are distributed through their direct e-commerce site, Amazon, and wholesale channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brilliant Baby™: A sub-brand of educational books for early learners featuring items like Learn & Draw Tablets and wooden letter/number sets for toddlers
• Fidgimals™

Products and services

• Touch & Feel Books
• Sound Books Board books with built-in sound modules playing real-world sounds (animal noises, vehicle sounds, music) for auditory stimulation alongside reading.
• Fidgimals™ Sensory Fidget Friends Multi-sensory books combining touch-and-feel textures with attached pop-it fidget characters and crinkle elements; includes characters like Little T-Rex, Little Cow, Little Elephant, Little Shark, and Little Pig at $12.99 per book.
• Little Hippo Book Box (Subscription Box) Monthly subscription box delivering three curated children's books (ages 0-5) in a mix of formats including Touch and Feel, Padded Board Books, and Finger Puppets; available as one-time purchase or recurring monthly delivery with free shipping.
• Finger Puppet Books Board books featuring an oversized, permanently attached finger puppet that engages children through interactive storytelling and hands-on play.
• Potty Training Books Interactive themed books designed to support potty training milestones, including Pottysaurus, Poopasaurus, and sound books with humorous effects.
• Brilliant Baby™ Books Educational early-learning books focused on foundational skills (ABCs, counting, first words, colors), often incorporating wooden letters, numbers, or sound features.
• Padded Board Books Soft-cushioned board books with rounded corners designed for durability and gentle handling by babies and toddlers, often featuring bedtime and nursery rhyme themes.
• E-Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase to give as presents for birthdays, baby showers, or holidays.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering littlehippobooks.com direct-to-consumer store. Provides website hosting, shopping cart, subscription management, and payment processing infrastructure.
• AmazonmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketplace distribution channel with dedicated Little Hippo Books Amazon store page. Products available through Amazon's retail and fulfillment infrastructure.
• FaireminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale marketplace connecting independent retailers with brands like Little Hippo Books for B2B purchasing and inventory restocking.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kids Preferred: Maker of character plush and plush-integrated children's products; directly comparable in combining character IP with tactile/plush features for the 0-5 age band, sold across mass and specialty retail.
• Baby Einstein: Brand focused on sensory, developmental, and early-learning products (books, toys, music) for children 0-3; directly comparable age band, sensory/educational positioning, and gifting-occasion use cases.
• Highlights for Children: Children's content brand offering books, activity products, and subscription boxes for early learners; comparable subscription commerce model, age band (toddler-preschool), and parent-driven purchase motion.
• Cottage Door Press: Independent children's publisher focused on board books, touch-and-feel, sound, and finger puppet formats for infants and toddlers; directly comparable in product format mix, age range, and DTC/wholesale distribution.
• Melissa & Doug: Well-known maker of educational toys, plush, and wooden learning products for young children; comparable in developmental play positioning, age band, and multi-channel (DTC, Amazon, wholesale) distribution.
• Usborne Books & More: Direct peer specializing in interactive children's books including touch-and-feel, lift-the-flap, and sensory formats for early childhood; comparable age band (0-5) and use cases (early literacy, parent-child bonding).

Broad incumbents

• Scholastic: Largest U.S. children's book publisher with broad catalog across all early childhood formats, including interactive and educational titles; competes across retail, school, and club channels.
• Workman Publishing: Independent publisher of activity books, brain teaser/puzzle books, and children's novelty titles; overlaps in interactive and educational children's book formats and themed collections.
• Penguin Random House Children's Books: World's largest trade publisher with extensive children's list including board, touch-and-feel, and licensed character books; competes in retail and online across the same age band but as part of a much broader catalog.

Emerging players

• Jellycat: Premium plush and sensory toy brand; partial overlap in tactile, sensory-positioned infant/toddler products and gift-occasion use cases, but is primarily plush rather than publishing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWXNJLvzRrrx05ST5QsbuHA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/LittleHippoBooks
• Instagraminstagram.com/littlehippobooks
• Pinterestpinterest.com/littlehippobooks
• TikToktiktok.com/@littlehippobooks
• Xx.com/littlehippobks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/little-hippo-books

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Little Hippo Books