Care Bears Expands Publishing Program

The Care Bears brand has expanded its publishing program through new partnerships with HarperCollins Publishers, Scholastic, Running Press, Penguin Random House and Search Press.

HarperCollins Publishers has been appointed as global English-language children’s publisher, excluding ANZ, and will launch its first titles in 2026 with the Colors of Caring Coloring Book and A Hug & Seek Book, published by HarperPop in the U.S. and Farshore in the U.K. HarperPop will also publish the History of the Care Bears book to coincide with the brand’s 45th anniversary in 2027 in the U.S.

Scholastic Australia has secured publishing rights for the ANZ region and launched its first Care Bears titles in late 2025. The program began with coloring and activity formats, with a plan to extend beyond those formats.

Running Press, part of Hachette Book Group, has acquired rights for select English-language formats that extend Care Bears into milestone and gifting publishing. Care Bears Baby Book: My First Three Years will release in June 2026, with further titles being published later in the year, including an Official Character Guide.

Penguin Random House UK has already released a Care Bears coloring book targeting teens and kidults and is scheduled to launch The Little Book of Friendship later this year.

Scholastic US has signed a deal to bring the Care Bears brand into Scholastic School Book Fairs and Clubs.

Arts and crafts publisher Search Press will launch its first Care Bears title in 2027, with Care Bears Granny Squares. This will mark the brand’s expansion into creative lifestyle publishing. Further craft formats are planned.

Care Bears also continues to grow its international publishing footprint with local-language partners. Hachette serves as the French-language publisher, with children’s and adult formats launching this year. In Germany, Schwager & Steinlein Verlag (VEMAG Publishing) will develop a range of children’s activity books. In Poland, Dressler Dublin will launch its first Care Bears titles this year.

Care Bears is also expanding into adjacent publishing-led formats, including children’s magazines and comics, partworks and collectibles. The brand has already signed deals with Luppa Solutions for LatAm and Europe, Kennedy Publishing, Panini UK and Practical Publishing.

“Care Bears has been loved by fans for nearly 45 years, and the momentum we’re seeing in publishing shows just how much potential there is for the brand today,” said Katie Wilkinson, licensing lead for publishing at Cloudco Entertainment. “We’re proud to be working with best-in-class partners to bring the much-loved values of Care Bears to new formats for our multi-generational audience.”