What Lake Press does

Lake Press is an independent Australian book publisher headquartered at 117 Church St, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria. The company publishes a broad catalogue of children's books spanning board books, padded board books, picture books, sound books, wind-up music box books, colouring and activity books, puzzle books, jigsaws, flash cards, and craft kits (including Loopy Crochet Book & Kits and Markerific Jr. carry cases), alongside a smaller adult line of colouring titles and non-fiction. A substantial portion of the catalogue consists of officially licensed titles from global entertainment IP holders — Disney (Frozen, Lion King, Moana, Winnie the Pooh, Stitch, Iron Man, Fairies), Marvel (Spidey and His Amazing Friends), Nickelodeon (PAW Patrol), Sanrio (Hello Kitty), Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Hasbro (L.O.L. Surprise!, My Little Pony, Tonka, Transformers), Spin Master (Octonauts), and Moonbug Entertainment (Blippi, CoComelon).

The company operates a dual-channel go-to-market. The consumer-facing channel is a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce site (lakepress.com.au) with AUD pricing, free Australian shipping for orders over $100, and a global country/region selector indicating cross-border fulfillment readiness. The B2B channel runs through a dedicated retailer login portal offering wholesale distribution to bookstores and gift shops, with 30-day payment terms. Marketing is executed primarily through organic social on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, supplemented by an annually published print/PDF catalogue used for trade engagement. There is no publicly disclosed revenue, funding, headcount, or ownership structure; the company appears to be a privately held, independently operated business governed by Victorian law, with no documented AI, app, or proprietary technology platform beyond its Shopify storefront.

Name

Lake Press

Legal name

Lake Press

Website

https://lakepress.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lake Press is an independent Australian children's book publisher headquartered in Hawthorn, Melbourne, selling licensed (Disney, Marvel, PAW Patrol, Hello Kitty, Dr. Seuss and others) and proprietary titles across board, sound, activity, colouring, and craft formats via a Shopify D2C site and a wholesale retailer portal serving Australian and international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313), Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Books & Educational Readers Retail (CRALAAAD), Puzzle Books & Brain Teasers Retail (CRALALAL)

Keywords

• Children's book publishing
• Licensed character books
• Board books
• Activity and colouring books
• Independent publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Hawthorn

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

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: Lake Press generates revenue through direct sales of physical books and products via their e-commerce website. Products include board books, picture books, sound books, activity books, colouring books, and craft kits sold at various price points ranging from $3.99 to $34.99.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lake Press is an independent Australian publisher that creates and sells physical children's books and activity products, including board books, picture books, sound books, colouring and activity books, puzzle books, craft kits, and pop-up books, alongside select adult titles. The catalogue combines proprietary content with licensed properties from Disney, Marvel's Spidey, PAW Patrol, Dr. Seuss, Hello Kitty, CoComelon, Blippi, My Little Pony, L.O.L. Surprise!, and Octonauts. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via lakepress.com.au and wholesale to retailers through a dedicated B2B portal.

Product overview

Lake Press is an independent Australian book publisher operating primarily as an e-commerce retailer through its Shopify-based website (lakepress.com.au). The company publishes a diverse portfolio of children's books and activity products, organized across multiple product formats including board books, picture books, padded board books, sound books, wind-up music box books, colouring and activity books, puzzle books, jigsaws, flash cards, and craft kits. The product line includes both proprietary titles and licensed products featuring popular children's franchises such as Disney (Frozen, Winnie The Pooh, Stitch, Moana, Lion King, Iron Man, Fairies), PAW Patrol, Spidey and His Amazing Friends, Dr. Seuss, Hello Kitty, L.O.L. Surprise!, My Little Pony, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Toy Story. Notable product series include the Story Time padded board book series, Treasury of Stories collections, the 10-Button Sound Book series, Good Morning! sound books, Wind-Up Music Box Books, Loopy Crochet craft kits, and Markerific Jr. colouring carry cases. The company also publishes select adult titles including memoirs. Products are sold directly through the website with free shipping in Australia for orders over AUD $100 and distributed through retail partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Padded Board Books Soft-covered board books with padded front covers, designed for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Series include the Story Time collection of heartwarming stories about love, gratitude, friendship, and family bonds. Priced from AUD $9.99.
• Picture Books Illustrated story books for children in hardback and paperback formats, including licensed and proprietary titles across multiple themes. Standard picture books priced at AUD $19.99.
• Sound Books Interactive board books with sound modules featuring buttons that play sounds corresponding to the story. Includes 10-button sound books, 10-button carry-along sound books (Good Morning! series themes: On the Farm, Things That Go, Baby Animals, In the Jungle), and large sound books. Priced AUD $24.99–$29.99.
• Wind-Up Music Box Books Board books with built-in wind-up music boxes that play familiar tunes, designed to encourage interactive reading and musical appreciation. Priced at AUD $19.99.
• Chunky Felt Board Books Shaped board books with tactile felt elements designed to engage young readers and encourage motor skill development. Priced at AUD $24.99.
• Puzzle Books Puzzle books including word searches, crosswords, sudoku, and trivia for mind-sharpening entertainment for children and adults. Priced AUD $12.99–$14.99.
• Loopy Crochet Book & Kits Craft kits containing books and materials for crocheting amigurumi characters, including yarn, hooks, and step-by-step instructions. Priced at AUD $19.99.
• Markerific Jr. Colour Me Carry Cases Colouring activity kits packaged in carry cases containing colouring pads, stickers, and markers for creative play on the go. Priced at AUD $24.99.
• Adult Colouring Books Adult colouring books featuring designs like Cosy Colouring themes for relaxation and mindfulness, marketed under Mindful Colouring and Cosy Colouring categories. Priced AUD $12.99–$17.99.
• Alex Fevola - Silver Linings Adult memoir by Alex Fevola about resilience and bouncing back from hardship, sold under the Non Fiction category. Priced at AUD $34.99.
• Treasury of Stories Series Collectible treasury books featuring multiple stories from licensed franchises, including PAW Patrol Treasury of Stories (multiple volumes) and Spidey and His Amazing Friends treasury books.
• 10-Button Carry Along Sound Books Sound books with carry handles featuring 10 interactive buttons that play animal, vehicle, and themed sounds, designed for travel and young readers under the Good Morning! series.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Disney (Licensed Publishing)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLake Press publishes licensed Disney titles including Frozen, Lion King, Moana, Winnie the Pooh, Stitch, Iron Man, and Disney Fairies. These products feature official Disney artwork and characters under licensing agreement.
• Marvel (Licensed Publishing)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLake Press publishes Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends treasury books and related titles. Multiple volume series published including Vol. 2, 3, and 4 with licensed Marvel content.
• Nickelodeon (Licensed Publishing)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLake Press publishes PAW Patrol titles under Nickelodeon licensing, including Treasury of Stories series with multiple volumes.
• Sanrio (Licensed Publishing)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLake Press publishes Hello Kitty licensed products including the Hello Kitty and Friends colouring book range.
• Dr. Seuss Enterprises (Licensed Publishing)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLake Press publishes Dr. Seuss licensed titles as part of their children's book catalogue.
• Hasbro Brands (Licensed Publishing)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLake Press publishes licensed products for multiple Hasbro brands including L.O.L. Surprise!, My Little Pony, Tonka, and Transformers.
• Spin Master (Licensed Publishing)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLake Press publishes Octonauts licensed titles under Spin Master licensing agreement.
• Fuggler (Licensed Publishing)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLake Press publishes Fuggler licensed novelty toys and books.
• Moonbug Entertainment (Licensed Publishing)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLake Press publishes Blippi and CoComelon licensed titles under Moonbug Entertainment licensing.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HarperCollins Children's Books: HarperCollins publishes a wide range of children's books globally including licensed properties and novelty formats (board books, picture books), directly competing for shelf space and license relationships with Lake Press's products.
• Hachette Children's Group: Hachette's children's imprint (including Orchard, Hodder Children's, and Little, Brown Young Readers) publishes licensed and proprietary children's books globally, including board books and novelty formats comparable to Lake Press's catalogue.
• Scholastic: Scholastic is the world's largest children's book publisher and operates an Australia/NZ presence; it publishes licensed children's titles, school book clubs, and mass-market children's books, making it the most direct comparability reference for Lake Press's licensed children's book model.
• Hinkler Books: Hinkler is an independent Australian publisher of children's books, activity books, craft kits, and licensed novelty titles, operating on a very similar D2C-plus-wholesale model out of Victoria/Melbourne; the closest like-for-like peer by geography and product mix.
• Walker Books Australia: Walker Books Australia publishes award-winning children's picture books, board books, and licensed titles; comparable independent publisher profile and trade channel footprint to Lake Press.
• Five Mile Press (Octopus Publishing Group AU): Five Mile Press was a major Australian publisher of licensed children's books (Disney, DreamWorks, Hasbro) and adult novelty titles; same format mix, same licensing model, and similar scale make it a direct historic peer for Lake Press.
• Penguin Random House Australia Children's Books: Penguin Random House Children's division is a leading publisher of licensed and proprietary children's books in Australia, including Disney, Dr. Seuss, and Sesame Street titles; same product category, same licensed IP base, same Australian retail channels as Lake Press.

Regional players

• Affirm Press: Affirm Press is an independent Melbourne-based publisher with a growing children's list and Australian retail/wholesale distribution; comparable regional, sub-scale, independent profile even though it is stronger in literary fiction.
• Bonnier Books Australia: Bonnier Books Australia (part of Bonnier Books UK) publishes children's and trade titles locally with similar retail distribution but operates as a UK-headquartered international group rather than an independent Australian publisher.

Broad incumbents

• Quarto Group: Quarto publishes illustrated children's books, novelty formats, and licensed titles globally; a broader incumbent whose Frances Lincoln, QED, and Words & Pictures imprints directly overlap with Lake Press's specialty book formats.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100092356870400
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lake-press-publishing
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakepress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Lake Press