Norwalk, Connecticut-based Ruckus Media just landed $3.5 million in a Series A round from San Francisco-based Alsop Louie Partners along with private investors to “reinvent family entertainment.”

Ruckus Media is focusing on creating mobile apps for the publishing industry, specifically focused on children’s stories. Currently the company has developed iOS apps, with plans to expand to include offerings on Android, RIM (Blackberry), Amazon’s App Store, and the Barnes & Noble Nook. The company released its first 5 apps in October, to date has released fifteen, and says 26 apps will be available in 2011 with 75 under contract. The company is positioning itself to be a leading source of children’s stories for mobile platforms.

The company aims to bring together a team of bestselling authors, illustrators, animators, celebrity performers, musicians, editors and software developers to create a more compelling form of storytelling. Their website reads: “When children open Ruckus apps, turning and tilting pages, touching words and art, they read, see, and enter a story. Words, pictures, music, and dynamics made possible only by touch screen technology are woven to tell original stories to entrance and expand their imaginations. As with their favorite picture books, children will be enriched by and return to Ruckus apps again and again.”

The company has locked down an exclusive relationship with Rabbit Ears Library of children’s stories which are told by celebrities. Ruckus optimizes these for iPad and iPhone, incorporating videos and even allowing a mom or dad to record their voice for personalized reading aloud. You can check out all their current apps here.

From the release:

“We see today’s ‘on-the-go’ family consuming more and more entertainment, information and educational experiences through high-caliber mobile applications,” said Rick Richter, Ruckus Media Group’s President and CEO. “Alsop Louie Partners’ support shows confidence in Ruckus’ mission and allows us to enrich our products, expand our offerings and expedite the development of original content with marquee titles. The Alsop team has demonstrated success bringing value to upstart technology companies and we look forward to leveraging this partnership as we expand our offerings in mobile software and gaming, areas they know well.”