The Point. 1888 is partnering with the renowned children’s author and illustrator Nick Butterworth to bring the cast of literary properties from his portfolio to life in the consumer products arena.

Butterworth is the mind and talent behind popular children’s book creations such as Percy The Park Keeper series, My Dad is Brilliant, My Mum is Fantastic, My Grandma is Wonderful, My Grandpa is Amazing, and the Altogether Now series. He has sold over 20 million books in more than 35 languages.

The modern classic, Percy The Park Keeper has sold more than nine million copies in partnership with HarperCollins.

Signing the deal this week, Butterworth selected The Point. 1888 following a recommendation from a licensee who was impressed with the company’s retail-first approach and experience with literary brands such as The Gruffalo. The agency now prides itself on its work with brands with purpose, which include River Cottage, Battersea, Metropolitan Police Service and Mumsnet.

Butterworth said: “I am absolutely delighted to be working with The Point. 1888. Celebrating 30 years of dear old Percy The Park Keeper this year has shown me how much love there is for Percy and his animal chums. It is a privilege to know that children, parents, grandchildren and teachers get so much from the books.”

Hannah Stevens, head of retail at The Point.1888, added: “Children across the country have truly embraced these stories for 30 years. The books have a spirit of kindness and fun that resonates with children, parents, grandparents and teachers. We’re thrilled to be able to give families the opportunity to engage further with this ethos with the creation of branded products that can be played with and enjoyed time and time again.”

The Point.1888 aims to create new products based on the gaps it sees at retail, rather than what it thinks the brand’s target demographic might like. The strategy has been adopted in order to support a higher chance of retailer buy-in and a better sales performance.

The Point.1888 has already begun its brand immersion phase, which includes research and competitor analysis, and the team is now ready to engage with their vast network of retail and licensee contacts.