9 Story

9 Story Brands has appointed Penguin Young Readers as the global publishing partner for new animated series Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum (pictured). Penguin will release storybooks, leveled readers and sticker activity books starting in the spring. Launching globally on April 14, the first four titles to roll out are I Am Susan B. Anthony, I am Cleopatra, I Am Harry Houdini, and I Am Leonardo da Vinci.

Xavier Riddle is an educational adventure series about kids who travel back in time and meet with real life historical figures when they were children to learn how to deal with a problem. Premiered on PBS Kids this past November, the 74 x 11-minute show is aimed at kids four to seven. Produced by Toronto prodco Brown Bag Films, 9 Story Distribution International has worldwide distribution rights outside Canada, while 9 Story Brands is managing global licensing and merchandising rights.

Cottonwood Media 

Cottonwood Media has signed a licensing deal with New York-based Bentex Group to launch an apparel line for tween drama series Find Me in Paris (78 x 26 minutes). Bentex will develop t-shirts, dresses, swimwear and dance clothes for tween girls in North America. No launch date for the new products has been set.

Find me in Paris is about a young ballet dancer from France in 1905 who travels to the future, and Bentex will develop outfits inspired by both the 1905 and modern day fashions. The show’s licensing agent Beacon Rock Growth brokered the deal in partnership with Ana Micoud and her Paris-based licensing agency The Wizards.

Yeti Farm Creative 

Canadian prodco Yeti Farm Creative is teaming up with chef Pierre Lamielle to produce the digital-first preschool series Munchy Munchy. Based on Lamielle’s cookbooks, The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids and Alice Eats: A Wonderland Cookbook and Kitchen Scraps: A Humorous Illustrated Cookbook, the 12 x one minute series explores what’s cool and quirky about different foods.

Yeti is producing and distributing the series of shorts, with delivery expected spring 2020, and the team and has tapped Daniel Ingram (My Little Pony: The Movie) to create original songs. Debuting at Kidscreen Summit, the series follows builds on Yeti’s growing food-focused slate, which features the digital-first 32 x one-minute preschool series Sweet Treats.

WildBrain CPLG

Sports and lifestyle brand Touzani has appointed London-based WildBrain CPLG as its licensing agent in the Benelux region. WildBrain CPLG is targeting the toy and games, stationery, back-to-school, homewares, accessories, publishing and promotional categories to build out the brand inspired by Dutch soccer player Soufiane Touzani. WildBrain CPLG has not announced when the new products will launch.

Touzani has built up a sizable online presence, including more than one million followers on Instagram, and 840,000 subscribers on the YouTube channel Touzani TV, which has earned more than 150 million views. He was also the star of Netherlands broadcaster RTL’s show Tiki Taka Touzani, which aired in 2018, and that same year Touzani also launched a branded apparel collection for kids and adults.