4Kids Adds Penelope to Licensing Portfolio

LONDON: At the Licensing Show in Las Vegas next month, 4Kids Entertainment International will be presenting Penelope, the preschool property that it has begun representing in the L&M market, excluding Asia and France.

The best-selling books by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben, first published by licensor Gallimard Jeunesse in France, have since been translated into more than 14 languages, with over 2 million copies sold worldwide. Gallimard Jeunesse has published 48 titles about the 3-year-old koala bear, while the Nippon Animation-produced series has been picked up by, among others, France 5, CBeebies and ABC in Australia. It is already a major licensing brand in Japan, with more than 700 products across toys, plush, publishing, personal accessories, apparel, stationery and back to school. A licensing program has also commenced in France with key licensees for plush, DVDs, back-to-school and stationery on board.

“Penelope is a wonderful edutainment property which has been a real success in Japan over the last few years,” said Gwendoline Fayette, head of licensing at Gallimard Jeunesse. “The licensing programme has now launched in France and we are thrilled to be working together with 4Kids to develop the brand internationally and make Penelope known across the world.”

“Penelope has enormous potential, preschoolers love the books and TV show and parents are also very enthusiastic as it teaches children about the world around them,” said Sandra Vauthier-Cellier, managing director of 4Kids Entertainment International. “This gives us a fantastic platform from which to develop the property’s licensing programme and we will be looking to sign licensees across a range of sectors.”