Cali launches screen-free Cali Reader
Children’s brand Cali has launched Cali Reader, a screen-free physical audiobook designed to help emerging readers build foundational literacy skills while maintaining the tactile experience of reading a physical book.
Interactive read-along experiences
The device transforms compatible 32-page storybooks into interactive read-along experiences. Children can place a book into the Reader and press the paper pages to hear the story aloud while following the illustrations. Each book includes three educator-designed games and word-recognition activities, while family members can record up to 60 seconds of their own voice on every page.
Cali developed the Reader in partnership with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, with additional support from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. The company says the device was developed with early literacy and child development at its core.
Intuitive controls
Cali Reader features intuitive controls and more than 10 hours of battery life. In a randomized controlled pilot study involving 85 first-grade students, children using Cali Reader showed greater gains in reading enjoyment, phonics, oral reading fluency and vocabulary than those in the control group. On a reading-fluency test, users averaged 93 words correct per minute (WCPM), compared with 78 in the control group.
Cali Reader is available for pre-order through Cali’s website and Amazon, with orders shipping in mid-October 2026. A limited-time launch offer on calisbooks.com includes the Reader and three stories for $99.