What the Ladybird Heard Series in Development

Tiger Aspect Kids & Family, part of Banijay Kids and Family, has clinched a development deal for the best-selling picture book series What the Ladybird Heard.

From Julia Donaldson (author) and Lydia Monks (illustrator), the book series has been optioned for adaptation as an animated preschool show. This marks the first animated series development for Donaldson and Monks.

The What the Ladybird Heard series has sold over 4 million copies and has been translated into 24 languages worldwide. The stories feature a clever ladybird who said never a word, but the ladybird saw and the ladybird heard. With her animal friends on the farm, the Ladybird always manages to out-fox the crafty duo Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len and their cunning plans.

The development of the series will be overseen by Tom Beattie, managing director of Tiger Aspect Kids & Family, who will also executive produce. Distribution will be handled by Zodiak Kids & Family Distribution.

Beattie said: “Having read these books to my kids, with the brilliant rhyming verse and following the bumpy trail across every page looking for the Ladybird, time and time again, I’m honored to be working with Julia and Lydia to bring this brilliant story to screen.”

Benoît Di Sabatino, CEO of Banijay Kids and Family, said: “It is an honor and a great responsibility to develop a series based on such a creative and successful book series with the creators.”

Donaldson added: “I am thrilled that my What the Ladybird Heard series of books is to be adapted for screen by Tiger Aspect Kids & Family. I’m sure that Lydia Monks’ characterful pictures of the clever little ladybird, the farmyard animals and the comical thieves will translate brilliantly into animation, and I can’t wait to see them all on my television.”

Monks commented: “Lots of Tiger Aspect Kids & Family’s programs are family favorites in my house, so I couldn’t be more delighted to be working with Tom and the team. I’m sure our little ladybird will be in safe hands, and I can’t wait to see what she sees and hears next!”

Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, managing director of Macmillan Children’s Books, said: “We launched the first What the Ladybird Heard adventure at Macmillan Children’s Books in 2009, and from the beginning, we knew that Julia’s clever ladybird and her brilliant story, combined with Lydia’s characterful and bright artwork, would be a story that families would take to their hearts. The continued sales and growth of the brand since then have been a testament to this. We couldn’t be more pleased that Tiger Aspect Kids & Family is now going to develop the ladybird and bring her adventures in a new way to children and families.”