The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog Gets Book Deal

MONTREAL: Muse Entertainment and Gaumont-Alphanim have secured an agreement with Oxford University Press Canada to develop a range of educational books based on the animated series The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog.

The series, created by Merilyn Read and Mary Mackay-Smith, tells the story of a hedgehog detective. Each episode explores different mysteries using investigative and deductive-reasoning skills. The show is already the basis for an interactive, educational game that is accessible to children online and also on the Nintendo Wii platform. The books are intended for use in primary classrooms.

David Steele, the VP and director for school at Oxford University Press Canada, said: “We are very excited about the opportunity of partnering with award-winning international media production companies like Muse Entertainment and Gaumont-Alphanim. Children today of course no longer see the boundaries between print and media and move seamlessly between them. The whole concept of The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog television series is really fun and interesting for children. Our hope is that by representing The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog in print editions and exploring the instructional possibilities of integrated print and multimedia packages in a classroom context, we will develop engaging and purposeful next generation educational resources for students, teachers and parents.”

Producer Jesse Prupas of Muse Entertainment added: “We are just thrilled to be developing a series of books with Oxford University Press Canada. Not only does Oxford University Press have a fantastic reputation for publishing some of the best educational books worldwide but they also share our show’s values about teaching kids about science, critical thinking and literacy. We’re so excited to be working with such a fabulous publisher and such a talented print-development team!”

Clément Calvet, the managing director of Gaumont-Alphanim, commented: “We are extremely pleased to be partnering which such an educational expert as Oxford University Press and start the publishing program around The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog with a North American publishing house.”