Dr Seuss Enterprises halts the publication and licensing of six Dr Seuss titles over insensitive imagery upset

Dr. Seuss Enterprises has ceased the publication of six titles from the author’s catalogue of children’s books following audience feedback for a review over the insensitive and racist imagery within.

The organisation confirmed that it would ceasing the sales of And to Think That I saw It on Mulberry street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer for illustrations found within that “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”

The decision to cease publication and sales of the books was made last year after months of discussion, but announced this week in conjunction with the author’s birthday.

“Today, on Dr. Seuss’s Birthday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises celebrates reading and also our mission of supporting all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, inclusion, and friendship,” said the company in a statement issued on its website and to the Associated Press.

“We are committed to action. To that end, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, working with a panel of experts, including educators, reviewed our catalog of titles and made the decision last year to cease publication and licensing of the following titles:  And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer. These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.

“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’s catalog represents and supports all communities and families.”

Books by Dr Seuss – who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Massachusetts on March 2nd 1904 – have been translated into dozens of languages as well as in braille and are sold in more than 100 countries.

The impact of the decision has not been without its reverberations and Universal Studios is reportedly re-evaluating its If I Ran the Zoo play area, as well as its And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street inspired shop that makes up a part of the destination.

‘Seuss Landing continues to be very popular with our guests and we value our relationship with Seuss Enterprises,’ a Universal spokesperson told Spectrum News.

‘We’ve removed the books from our shelves as they have asked, and we’ll be evaluating our in-park experience too. But our guests can plan on continuing to be able to enjoy their favorite experiences at Seuss Landing.’

World Book Day | Words’ worth: Rubie’s on the importance of inspiring the nation’s young readers

It didn’t take a global pandemic to facilitate the manner of changes to have taken place at the dress-up and costumes specialist, Rubie’s, over the course of the last 12 months – but it certainly did help.

Having ended 2020 – the year of the great halt – considerably stronger than how it started it, there’s an electricity of excitement running through the Rubies business right now that is almost palpable, even if you are chatting through email.

It was only last month that Rubie’s witnessed the momentous point in its modern day history, as co-owner and managing partner (and also the founder of NECA – what a side project!) Joel Weinshanker take direct oversight of the company’s global business, and since then there’s been a bigger buzz about the costume company than ever before. Then again, this time of year always does seem to get the blood racing for many within the business, because with the dawn of March comes the favourite season of all for so many in the Rubie’s team.

We’re talking, of course, about World Book Day.

It’s by no accident that Rubie’s has become a name somewhat synonymous with the annual charity event developed to encourage reading among children across the UK. Over the years, the firm has carefully aligned itself with the core values that World Book Day promotes; the importance of literacy among children and the rallying of the industry – across its breadth – to do what it can to encourage an enjoyment of reading.

This year, Rubie’s has taken that alignment one step further, through an official partnership with the World Book Day Charity and its mission to change to the lives of the youngsters and families that it acts to serve.

ToyNews catches up with Fran Hales, head of content and marketing at Rubie’s to learn more about the partnership, talk the finer points of developing book character dress-up, and cover the facts of why encouraging children to be active readers is one of the best things the toy industry could for the next generation.

Fran Hales, head of content and marketing, Rubie’s

Hi Fran, thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Just to get us started in a nice orderly fashion, can you tell us how things have been for you guys over the course of 2020? 

It’s a very exciting time for Rubies! We welcomed Joel Weinshanker, our co-owner and managing partner, who will have direct oversight over the entire worldwide Rubie’s business (Rubie’s One World).

Rubies ended 2020 in a much stronger position than it was in at the beginning of the year. We are very confident moving forward into 2021 that we will see our industry rise as a result of the hard work that has been put in by the team over the past months, as we continue to support our retailers who are the core focus of our business.

It’s important to note that the changes we have made this year were always scheduled to happen and were not a result of Covid-19. If anything, the pandemic has hastened the progress, ensuring that we bought a consolidated Rubies UK operation quicker than it was perhaps originally planned.

How resilient has dress-up been throughout the pandemic? How important has book character licensing been in the wake of big movie releases at cinema etc?

License ranges have certainly held their own throughout the pandemic, with our new ranges such as The Mandalorian proving to be massive success and sold out of stock within weeks. While licensed product remains desirable, the industry has seen a significant fall in general costume sales because of the hospitality and events industry being hit with severe restrictions throughout 2020 and continuing into 2021.

On the flip side of this, we found lockdowns inspired the nation by providing more focus on dress-up, with parents keen to keep the children entertained at home. We also made sure we were proactively prominent in the national media, which really helped keep the dress-up industry at the forefront during key seasons.

As we haven’t seen as many theatrical releases this year it has had a knock-on impact with product releases also being delayed. There are plenty of new ranges in the pipeline though, not just for movie theatres but from streaming site productions with Disney+ leading the way with epic original series such as WondaVision and Falcon and The Winter Soldier – the next big release on the hugely popular platform.

It’s March, which means we’re coming up to the big day in the Rubie’s calendar… Can we talk about your relationship with World Book Day? Why has the annual event become such an important one for you guys?

We are very excited about our new collaboration. It brings together Rubie’s global experience of delivering best in class costumes and accessories as a trusted manufacturer of licensed and generic dress-up products and the World Book Day Charity who is actively changing lives through a love of books and shared reading.

World Book Day is personally one of my favourite times of year. The event encourages children across the globe to get creative through reading, which can benefit lives an immeasurable amount through such a simple activity. Over the years the day has grown to be a remarkable success. It’s due to the hard work by the charity and the backing they’ve received from publishers and booksellers along with the help of schools to reach out and engage with pupils of all ages.

Our approach when it comes to costumes is for them to be utilised more so as a tool to encourage creativity and nurture the joy experienced from reading or reading to others. It is important that we also recognise the core principle of World Book Day which is to celebrate reading and to share books together this year.

Reading for pleasure is in decline with only 29 per cent of 0-13s reading for pleasure daily (down from 30 per cent in 2017). Fewer than 19 per cent of eight to ten-year-olds are read to daily.

What does the Rubie’s offering bring to the World Book Day event, how does it help heighten children’s engagement with the event and reading in general?

It’s easy to lose sight of what World Book Day is actually about. Here at Rubies, we fully believe that reading knows no bounds, if you can encourage engagement with reading a book through say the use of a costume, as it can only be beneficial to aide enjoying the experience.

It’s proven that wearing costumes motivates children when learning to read, which is the reason schools encourage dressing up as part of the event. We fully endorse any resource to support the education of a child and open their eyes to the joys and endless possibilities of creativity through reading.

There are many children that are compromised by reading and some have parents who may not feel confident reading themselves or have the time to do so. A costume can open those doors by bringing the story to life, help to visualise the characters, and inspire the imagination. Some children need the visual stimulation to get started and once they start, what could be more fun than recreating some scenes dressed as their favourite character to show parents, grandparents, or even friends across video calls helping with much-needed social interaction.

Kids love dressing up, especially in clothes that make them feel grown-up or looking like one of their favourite characters. Adults like dressing up because it reminds them of that feeling of being a child again and getting excited about dressing like a grownup. In a time when we may need to have a break from reality, a costume offers escapism from the world, along with newfound confidence or just making someone else smile and who could argue with putting a smile on someone’s face in these testing times?

Why is children’s literacy such an important issue for you guys, particularly this year and following the events of 2020?

Every hero starts with a story! That’s our saying and the power of literature spreads far and wide through storytelling, it’s fundamental to shaping and forming a child’s imagination. The core reasoning behind WBD is that reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background, or their income.

Every child should have the opportunity to own their own book and we feel very strongly about this core message from World Book Day, it’s one reason why we fully support the day in our own way by bringing the stories to life through dress-up.

“We as an industry can work together to help utilise the power of dress-up to help the cause when it comes to inspiring children to develop key skills from reading.”

What is the process like in bringing children’s book characters to life through dress-up? How closely do you guys work with source material and publishers throughout the process?

We work closely with our licensors to ensure we capture the true spirit of the character and their story, from concept to final costume approval.

To start a project, the Design Team hold creative brainstorm meetings discussing all elements of the characters personalities, colour pallets, fabrications and environments. They use this information to design a range of costumes capturing the characters essence.

It gives the team such pleasure to be able to lift a character from the page and bring it to life in a 3D form, enabling children to become their most treasured characters from literature.

What sort of growth have you guys seen in engagement with World Book Day over the last few years? How important is the event to Rubies’ UK business?

World Book Day plays a significant part on any costume calendar, it’s up there with Halloween as the second largest dress-up season of the calendar year. It’s a celebration of the characters and narratives that we’ve all grown up with and can share with younger generations.

The event has been seen to shift in recent years, in the way it has adapted to reflect the way children now engage and interact with stories, whether on the page or screen. The potential that World Book Day offers has grown exponentially over the years, by providing vast opportunities for collaborations between retailers, publishers and licensees.

Last year the charity encouraged at least 25,000,000 minutes of shared reading and made an impact with 64 per cent of early years settings and 66 per cent primary schools confirming World Book Day changed reading habits. However, there is still work to be done, as reading for pleasure is in decline with only 29 per cent of 0-13s reading for pleasure daily (down from 30 per cent in 2017). Fewer than 19 per cent of eight to ten-year-olds are read to daily or nearly every day and 383,755 children and young people in the UK don’t have a book of their own.

We as an industry can work together to help utilise the power of dress-up to help the cause when it comes to inspiring children to develop key skills from reading, encourage autonomy, enthusiasm, achievement and a sense of enjoyment.

What kind of growth have you seen in the children’s book IP licensing space? Are more and more publishers engaging with it?

Yes indeed, more and more publishers have absolutely seen the benefit of working in the licensing space and engaging with our category. Bringing stories to life is a mutual objective. At a time when encouraging children to read has never been more important it is great to work together with this aim.

Why should retailers be keen to work with Rubies for the coming year?

Well, not only do we have Joel’s arrival, but we have also been working very hard behind the scenes to provide our customers with an improved 365 wholesale experience from Rubie’s.

It’s a giant step forward in the industry with our innovative systems now in place to support our expansive range of the best licensed and generic dress-up product in the world.

Over the past year, we have moved to address the diverse challenges of a changing global market, to provide retailers with the opportunity to grow on today’s marketplaces and ecommerce platforms.

The services we offer have also had to adapt to the changing digital landscape, one example of this would be our live virtual shows from our dedicated showroom in Nuremberg – in addition to our new Rubie’s showroom, complete with a media studio, in our Bristol site.

It all signifies part of our continuing promise to offer innovative and sophisticated solutions to elevate customer’s experience throughout the seasons.

What’s the next step for you guys in terms of the World Book Day partnership? How will you guys look to continue to build in this relationship?

Of course, we have the long term in mind for this partnership as we work closely together to understand each other’s requirements, objective and to ultimately benefit one another for the foreseeable future. The partnership provides reassurance for World Book Day by ensuring they are represented in the correct manner within our industry.

Rubies lands official partnership with World Book Day to promote the benefits of reading

Rubies has secured an official partnership with the World Book Day charity and its annual event developed to change lives through a love of books and shared reading.

The new collaboration is founded on Rubies’ own global experience of delivering best-in-class costumes and accessories as a trusted manufacturer of licensed dress-up products. The partnership will work to strengthen World Book Day’s ongoing mission to promote reading for pleasure and offer every child the chance to have a book of their own.

World Book Day is a key date in the diary for the costume industry and the exclusive partnership signifies a huge step forward to ensure that World Book Day’s charitable purpose is represented within the industry, along with their cores aims and messages

 Tracey Devine-Tyley, head of licensing and portfolio EMEA, Rubies, said: “Rubies’ has always been instrumental in bringing world book day to life for children and teachers. Allowing children to relate to characters through dressing up and reading equips them for all obstacles and adversities they may face and we could not be more thrilled to be working with World Book Day on their mission to ensure we are actively encouraging every child and young person to read and also have the opportunity to own a book.

“This year has been a particularly challenging time for children and parents and this partnership will be instrumental in allowing children to start a new chapter.”

Cassie Chadderton, chief executive of World Book Day, added: “It’s wonderful that children and families engage with reading creatively, including bringing their favourite book characters to life through dressing up.

“We’re excited to be teaming up with Rubies to bring more of the joy and fun of World Book Day to children, whether they are at home or at school, this year.”

Whether you’re celebrating at home or at school, head to www.worldbookday.com for loads of ways to take part, including events, resource packs, videos, activities and lots of book-filled fun.

Reading for pleasure has been highlighted as ‘the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success’ by researches behind the World Book Day initiative, placing it above factors such as family circumstances, parents’ educational background, or income.

“We want to see more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and the improved life chances this brings them,” said the charity.

BabyLit and Little Leonardo book series land animated series adaptations in latest global push

The best-selling BabyLit and Little Leonardo children’s book series are to undergo an animated series adaptation, thanks to a new partnership between Gibbs Smith Publishing, ThinkTank Emporium, and the story editor and writer, Katherine Sandford.

A veteran writer and story developer for animated programmes in the three to five age range, Sandford was most recently an executive story editor for Elinor Wonders Why (PBS Kids), The Book Hungry Bears, and co-executive producer and executive story editor for The Adventures of Napkin Man I-II-III.

The BabyLit brand is an established book series with more than 50 titles in print and more than 2 million copies sold domestically and internationally. The brand includes board books and story books for kids aged two to five and spans several different categories.

Its Little Poets titles celebrate poetry from Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe, while the Little Naturalists highlight mini biographies of popular nature advocates such as John Muir and John James Audubon.

Meanwhile, the Little Leonardo Series introduces STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) concepts to ages four to eight, focusing on how STEAM affects everyday life and highlights STEAM heroes. It has become a favorite of librarians and teachers, as well as the international market. 

“We have had studio interest in our BabyLit brand, and we are thrilled to take the next steps with veteran writer Katherine Sandford to create a vision for what an animated series will look like,” said Suzanne Gibbs Taylor, creator of the BabyLit brand and Group Publisher/Chief Creative Officer at Gibbs Smith.

“This series continues to garner attention and find new audiences as we strategically continue to craft fresh content.”

The ThinkTank Emporium’s David Wollos, added: “We are pleased to be working with Katherine to bring the wonderful world of BabyLit to a global audience via various media platforms and additional licensed product opportunities. The sheer potential in all these areas for BabyLit is a wonderful asset for Gibbs Smith and its strategic relationship with Katherine.”

Speaking with Licensing.biz, Wollos confirmed that plans will be on an international level, tapping into the 30 strong international markets for the BabyLit series as it marks its tenth anniversary this year.

“Our intent is to create a global animated concept that will be embraced by viewers worldwide,” said Wollos.

Sandford concluded: “The BabyLit brand is a very special property. Gorgeous, thoughtful and inspiring, they are beautifully designed and intelligently written. I am excited and honored to be working with Think Tank and Gibbs Smith as we explore the future of BabyLit.”

Children’s author David Lawrence Jones to read Super Geek Heroes books for National Storytelling Week

The author and producer, David Lawrence Jones, has produced a series of seven read-aloud videos of the popular Super Geek Heroes picture books to coincide with National Storytelling Week that will run from January 30th to February 6th.

Lawrence Jones is the author and producer behind the pre-school 3D animated series Super Geek Heroes that is currently available to view on digital platforms across the globe. He will be reading all seven early years picture books, aimed at children aged three to six.

Each adventure story features one of the super heroes and introduces the listeners to their wider world whilst at the same time delivering a core message in a fun and engaging way that relates to the key development areas within the Early Years Foundation Stage.

“We are thrilled that David has undertaken this initiative, these stories are certain to delight fans of the show and the feedback from our existing digital partners has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Denise Deane of Edutainment Licensing, the licensing representative for the popular IP.

The 7 x 10 minute episodes include – Ant’s apple core Mission, Jake’s missing book Mission, Millie’s number nine Mission, Peter’s super space Mission, Ronnie’s rocket guitar Mission, Suzi’s scare bear Mission, and Vicki’s violet vowels Mission.

Super Geek Heroes is an animated series featured on SVoD, VoD, Smart TV Apps and OTT platforms around the world. The series educates and entertains children while enhancing their development through preschool and early years education. 

Percy the Park Keeper picks up partnership with Poetic Brands for baby and children’s apparel

The evergreen children’s property, Percy the Park Keeper is moving in on the baby, children’s wear, and accessories space thanks to a new partnership with Poetic Brands, adding to the firm’s strengthening portfolio across the kids’ market.

The collection with include babywear, layette and baby accessories including bibs, hats, scratch mitts, booties, and muslin cloths, as well as baby changing bags. For children, the range will include apparel and outerwear, swimwear and towelling ponchos, as well as nightwear and essentials.

Percy the Park Keeper’s narrative has encouraged generations of children, especially in schools, to take an interest in, and care for, the natural world around them. Written by award winning author, Nick Butterworth, Percy the Park Keeper has sold around nine million books since its first appearance in 1989. Since then the character has been the subject of an animated TV series, where he was voiced by Academy Award-winning British actor, Jim Broadbent. 

As the brand celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, there has been a range of activity around the much-loved park keeper, including a partnership with National Trust at Blickling Estate, and Dunham Massey, featuring online activity including story time with Nick himself.

Anne Bradford, director, Poetic Brands, said: “Percy The Park Keeper was already on our radar for 2021 and as soon as Hannah at The Point.1888 confirmed that they were representing Percy, the deal memo was signed.  

“The brand is a true evergreen from both a book and television perspective, but has a completely clean retail space for apparel. We’re looking forward to working with these incredible illustrations to create some premium ranges with a broad appeal to adults and children alike who know and love these books.”

Olivia Wiggett, senior commercial executive, at The Point.1888, added: “‘We are absolutely delighted to be working with Anne and the specialist team at Poetic on this truly magical range of products. Percy is a brand dear to so many families, across the generations – and we look forward to expanding this brand to retail across various categories in 2021.”

Poetic Brands to launch Brambly Hedge baby clothing and accessories range

The apparel licensee Poetic Brands has signed on to create a range of baby clothing and accessories based on the heritage children’s publishing property, Brambly Hedge.

The new collection will include layette and fashion daywear along with nightwear, snow suits, sleeping bags, accessories, and changing mats each inspired by the adventure of the community of Brambly Hedge’s resident mice.

Brambly Hedge joins a number of prestigious new children’s partners for Poetic Brands, as the licensee establishes its new Baby, Children’s Wear and Accessories division.

Brambly Hedge began life in 1980 as a series of intricately illustrated books following a family of mice in the English countryside. Written by Jill Barklem, the brand is now celebrating 40 years since its first book was published.

Rockpool Licensing, which manages the property worldwide, recently announced a deal with Lupus Films, which will see the production company adapt the classic stories for screen, initially as a Christmas special, with further episodes to follow, bringing new exposure to the brand and introducing it to a fresh generation of fans.

Licensing activity for Brambly Hedge begins to pick up following a period of heightened consumer awareness and interest in nature and our natural surrounding, a trend facilitated by the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent social restrictions that have been taken.

The detail of the illustrations, along with the strong representation of the seasons throughout the stories, lend themselves particularly well to licensed products. The brand already has an army of fans, with 22,000 Instagram followers and 57,000 Facebook fans, and is already a firm favourite with all adults; parents, grandparents and gift-givers alike.

Anne Bradford, director, Poetic Brands, said: “Brambly Hedge is a stunning heritage baby brand with timeless illustrations. With the success of many other evergreen collections before it we are looking forward to creating some exquisite ranges. The nature of the illustrations allows us to literally work through the seasons giving a unique product offering.”

Vickie O’Malley, managing director, Rockpool Licensing, added: “We’re thrilled to have the talented team at Poetic Brands on board to develop babywear ranges for Brambly Hedge. The exquisite artwork that so beautifully portrays the changing seasons, nature, family and celebration is so perfect for babywear.

“At a time when consumers are craving these things in their lives, I wonder if the world has ever needed Brambly Hedge more?!”

Poetic Brands brings Gigantosaurus into its baby, children’s wear and accessories fold

Poetic Brands has added the award-winning children’s IP, Gigantosaurus to its growing baby, children’s wear and accessories division. The move marks a new partnership between bRAND-WARD Services and Cyber Group Studios, brokered by Riverside Brands.

Targeting children aged three to six, Poetic Brands’ Gigantosaurus collection is due to include a range of children’s apparel, outerwear and swimwear, as well as luggage. The collection is inspired by the popular Gigantosaurus, and the case of characters, including Rocky, Bill, Tiny and Mazu.

Written by Jonny Duddle, published by Templar, and sold to 300,000 units in the UK alone, Gigantosaurus follows the adventure of four dinosaur friends who are trying to avoid the Gigantosaurus while playing in the forest. 

In 2018, the story was adapted into an CGI-animated TV series by Paris and Los Angeles-based producer and distributor, Cyber Group Studios. The popular CGI-animated programme, currently airing its first season on Disney Junior worldwide, Tiny POP (UK) and on other major broadcasters, is also available on Netflix and Disney +.

In addition, the series has just been commissioned by The Walt Disney Company and France Télévisions for seasons two and three and by Super RTL (Germany) for season two. 

Gigantosaurus has also been adapted into a video game. Developed by Cyber Group Studios and published by Outright Games, Gigantosurus the Game was launched on March 27th, 2020.

In addition, Jakks Pacific Inc introduced a Gigantosaurus toy range in the US in Q4 last year and Templar will have 40 new TV tie-in books published over the next three years in the UK. Many more categories will be announced and are in discussion for launch in 2021.

Anne Bradford, director, Poetic Brands, said:Gigantosaurus was actually the first licence that we signed for our Baby and Children’s wear division which was a significant moment for us! Although extinct, dinosaurs will never go out of fashion, and this has already been a really fun collection to start creating and sharing at retail.

“With a huge following across boys and girls, we are looking forward to sharing the collections and providing everything for pre-schoolers from tee shirts and joggers, to puddle suits and jackets. We have also just found out that Gigantosaurus will be one of the 12 featured book titles for World Book Day 2021, so now is the perfect time to speak to us and create some amazing product for spring.”

Trudi Hayward, co-founder of bRAND-WARD Services Limited, added: “We are delighted to be partnering Poetic Brands, as they are a great company to work with and Cyber Group Studios has been delighted with their interpretation of Gigantosaurus on their range of clothing products, and will look forward to seeing lots of children wearing their favourite dinosaurs when the product launches early next year.”  

Ash Holman from Riverside Brands, concluded: “Poetic Brands has a best in class retail distribution network, and we are in the midst of some very exciting joint launch plans. Fans of the show will love to wear the product that will be available on shelves early next year.”

Penguin Random House launches National Trust, Christmas Grotto, and Instagram campaigns for Peter Rabbit

Penguin Random House UK has launched a series of new brand activations for Peter Rabbit, giving families the chance to come together this winter as lockdown restrictions lift in the UK.

Leading the charge is a dedicated partnership with the National Trust that will see a series of Peter Rabbit Winter Activity Trails launch across 90 National Trust places within the UK this month. The trails will offer families nature-themed activities in outdoor settings, while a range of Peter Rabbit gifts will be stocked at all National Trust shops and online.

The ambitious partnership will bring Peter Rabbit to the Trust’s impressive family audience with an expected 1.7m visitors accessing the trails this winter. Dates and locations are all available on the National Trust website.

Meanwhile, a series of digital activities will be available at a dedicated Peter Rabbit area on the National Trust website, including festive storytelling and audio clips from the recently released Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales and activity sheets, to support partners across the Peter Rabbit brand, will be promoted to the Trust’s combined social media following of 2.7m followers.

“Penguin Random House UK has worked in partnership with the National Trust for many years to protect Beatrix Potter’s legacy in the Lake District,” said Izzy Richardson, global brand director, Penguin Random House Children’s Owned Brands.

“We are so excited that our partnership can now bring the adventures of Peter Rabbit and friends to National Trust supporters and their families in an entirely new and immersive way.

“The trails will place Peter in some of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in the UK and offer families the opportunity to create memorable experiences together this winter.”

The trails and digital campaign use the festive illustrations from a new book, ‘Peter Rabbit: Christmas is Coming’ which provides a story and an activity to share, every day throughout December.

An influencer campaign to promote the new book is currently underway with seven influencers showcasing family-friendly, festive activities and stories as well as a range of perfect Peter Rabbit licensed gifts. With new content posted every week, the ‘Festive Fridays’ campaign will reach a combined following of approximately 480,000 Instagram users during the crucial Q4 period.

In addition, Penguin Ventures (the licensing team at Penguin Random House) has worked with Eskimo Jo for the third year running to launch an official Peter Rabbit Christmas Grotto. The immersive experience will launch at Centre MK this December with Peter Rabbit and friends, welcoming back families as the shopping centre reopens this month.

Thomas Merrington, creative director at Penguin Ventures, said: “This is the third year into our partnership with Eskimo Jo and Vibration Music Ltd following two sell-out Peter Rabbit grottos at intu Trafford Centre.

“Together we have created an incredibly atmospheric and theatrical, interactive grotto. The cosy rabbits’ burrow and opportunity for children to get involved with crafting, is the perfect way to evolve Peter Rabbit for Christmas family audiences.”

Surge Licensing inks deal with indie author-illustrator Diane Alber

Surge Licensing has been appointed by the independent children’s book author-illustrator, Diane Alber, to develop and implement a consumer products program across key categories inspired by her Amazon chart-topping book franchise.

The program will kick off with initial focus on a full-scale publishing program before tackling extended categories such as toys, apparel, back-to-school, home decor and more.

A mother of two young, energetic children who love books, Alber was inspired to start writing and illustrating books when she saw a need for a book that inspired art and creativity in children. Over the last three years, she has published over 50 titles across three series that collectively address social-emotional learning topics.

Branded under Inspire to Create, Inspire to Create a Better You, and Never Let A… banners, many of the books, which feature Alber’s popular Scribble, Little Spot, and Unicorn characters, capture top category spots on Amazon’s charts, and deliver messages of joy, inclusivity, and acceptance.

“Diane’s books have resonated with kids and their parents, teachers, counselors and caregivers across the US, inspiring kids to be creative, use their imaginations, and helping them to understand emotions,” said Elan Freedman, Surge Licensing EVP.

“There are countless possibilities to develop consumer products that will further engage children with Diane’s stories and characters, and we look forward to working with licensing partners across multiple categories, starting with publishing and expanding into toys, apparel, back-to-school, home décor and more, to develop a program that truly reflects the passion and sentiment in her books.”

Alber added: “What I love about children’s books is their ability to create memories. Almost everyone remembers their favorite book being read to them as a child, and I wanted to create a book to share in those memories. I am incredibly grateful for the reception my books have received over the past three years.

“It is now time to expand the business to the next level and develop new ways to captivate kids, and I look forward to working with the Surge Licensing team to develop a global brand presence.”

Alber’s first book, I’m Not Just A Scribble, was published in autumn 2017 and was the first in her Inspire to Create series.  Seven books featuring Scribble are currently available and help children to understand that something as simple as a scribble can not only be a great story but a masterpiece as well.

Under the Inspire to Create A Better You banner, now comprising 36 book titles, is Alber’s popular A Little Spot series.  Featuring Little Spot – a brightly colored, stick-legged sphere. The books were originally developed to help children visualize their emotions as spots so that it would be easier to manage them, and evolved to address topics such as kindness, empathy and honesty.

The Little Box of Emotion Box Setgeared for children four to 11, ranks number one in Academic Development Counseling, and number one in Children’s Moving.  Alber also created a series of books this year to help children deal with COVID-19:  A Little Spot Stays Home: A Story About Viruses And Safe Distancing, A Little Spot Learns Online (number three in Children’s Computer Software), and A Little Spot Wears a Mask (number five in Children’s Safety Books).

Finally, Alber’s humorous six-book Never Let A… series, which includes her popular Unicorn character, weaves together art principles, believing in yourself, character traits, empathy and educational standards and addresses how imagination plays into a child’s learning.  Never Let a Unicorn Scribble is the number one in Children’s General and other Myth Books on Amazon.

Alber’s books all come with sticker sheets, and additional sticker books, coloring books and sketch books have been created for many of the titles.