Chorion Signs Book Tie-In Deal for The Octonauts

LONDON/NEW YORK: Chorion has secured a deal with Simon & Schuster UK for book tie-ins for its new preschool property The Octonauts.

The new series has already presold to CBeebies in the U.K., TF1 in France and ABC in Australia, with the TV launch planned for 2010. Simon & Schuster’s book range will follow the debut of the show on CBeebies. The publishing range will include picture books, novelties, activity and ebooks.

The Octonauts follows a team—Captain Barnacles Bear, Lieutenant Kwazii Cat and Medic Peso Penguin—who rescue sea creatures in their fleet of aquatic vehicles.

“We are delighted to have Simon & Schuster on board to develop The Octonauts TV tie-in publishing program with us,” said Alison Faulkner, the worldwide publishing manager for Chorion.

"We fell hook, line and sinker for The Octonauts, with its rare combination of originality as well as strong commercial appeal," added Ingrid Selberg, the publishing director for Simon & Schuster Children’s Books UK. "The adorable characters, action packed story lines, the beautiful underwater world with its exciting vessels, missions and explorations—offer a whole world of creative publishing opportunities. The series appeals to children aged 3 to 6, boys and girls alike, and is enormously fun and original."