New line of Dr Seuss books in development

Dr. Seuss Enterprises (DSE) and Random House Children’s Books (RHCB) will launch Seuss Studios, a line of books for early readers by new and emerging authors and illustrators who will create original stories inspired by Ted Geisel’s (aka Dr. Seuss) unpublished sketches and illustrations. The news was announced today, Dr. Seuss’s birthday, by DSE and RHCB.

Seuss Studios will carry forward Dr. Seuss’s legacy of inspiring millions of people to learn to love to read by working with an inclusive community of authors and illustrators to create books for all young readers and families that capture Dr. Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.

The sketches and illustrations that will serve as inspiration pieces for Seuss Studios books have been selected from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at UC San Diego and curated by Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books. The original Dr. Seuss sketch that serves as the inspiration for each of the new Seuss Studios books will be included in the book, along with a note from the creators explaining how they were inspired, and their process.

The launch of Seuss Studios is a tribute to Ted Geisel’s commitment to supporting new writers and artists. In 1957, Ted Geisel co-founded the Beginner Books imprint at Random House, the iconic line that includes enduring classics like The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. With this imprint, Geisel sought not only to create a robust and enriching library for kids, but also to open new doors for creators who were either at the beginning of their publishing careers or who worked in other creative industries.

Continuing the tradition started with Beginner Books, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books will seek out and work with a varied roster of fresh new voices to develop the Seuss Studios line.

Mallory Loehr, EVP and Publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers, and Martha Rago, VP, Executive Creative Director, RHCB, will oversee editorial and art direction at Random House Children’s Books.

Susan Brandt, President and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, says: “Seuss Studios is a new, exciting step in the continued evolution and growth of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and one that will help us ensure that Dr. Seuss’s images live on in the best possible way – and in new ways – for future readers. We look forward to putting the spotlight on a new generation of talent who we know will bring their unique voices and style to the page, while also drawing inspiration from the creativity and imagination of Dr. Seuss.”

Mallory Loehr adds: “I can’t wait to see what the Seuss Studios creators come up with! The unique styles and voices of each author and illustrator in the Seuss Studios line will shine through on every page, cover to cover – with a glimmer of Dr. Seuss’s imagination tucked inside each book. I know that these stories will connect to today’s young readers and inspire a joy in reading for years and years to come.”

Seuss Studios books will be geared towards readers ages 4 to 8. Additional details on the inaugural list will be announced later this year.

 

Christina Milian, Dr Seuss Enterprises and Random House come together for charity initiative

Actress, singer, and songwriter Christina Milian is teaming up with Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books to commemorate Hats Off to Reading, an annual celebration that encourages the love of reading in young kids, with a very special reading of GREEN EGGS AND HAM for U.S. charity initiative The Birthday Party Project. 

The Birthday Party Project is a national non-profit organisation that creates birthday experiences for children experiencing homelessness, and during the month of March, for every monetary donation made, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books will be gifting one book to the organisation. Christina Milian’s reading was specially created for the kids of The Birthday Party Project to enjoy, but Dr. Seuss fans everywhere are invited to check it out as well.

 

Christina Milian said, “I’m so inspired by the work The Birthday Party Project has done to make a difference in the lives of kids experiencing homelessness. Their mission to ensure that every child knows that they are worth celebrating really resonates with me, as I’m a mom of three and fully understand that moments like this matter. I’m proud to support their mission and help spread some joy with this fun reading of one of our family’s favourites Green Eggs and Ham!”

In addition to the donation campaign throughout the month of March, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books are also endeavoring to give the gift of reading to kids experiencing homelessness and transition through a financial donation to The Birthday Party Project. Additionally, they will provide a selection of Dr. Seuss books as birthday gifts for “birthday kids” at The Birthday Party Project’s agency partner-hosted parties, as well as a selection of Dr. Seuss books and a Happy Birthday to You! Big Book to use for story times and parties at participating agencies. There will also be a special edition promotional printing of Dr. Seuss’s Happy Birthday to You! activity booklets for a year’s worth of “Birthdays in a Bag”, a programme The Birthday Party Project started during the pandemic to keep celebrations going without in-person events.

The Birthday Party Project is a Dallas-based organisation that partners with more than 67 agencies across the country to bring joy through the magic of a birthday celebration to children experiencing homelessness. Those who would like to contribute to The Birthday Party Project can donate on their website.

 

Launch of Netflix show inspires raft of deals for Cuphead

Global gaming phenomenon Cuphead is building on its successful international presence with new products and partners tied to Netflix’s The Cuphead Show!, which debuted on February 18. Since launch, The Cuphead Show! has made the Top 10 Kids list in over 90 countries.

Studio MDHR’s eight-time platinum-selling video game Cuphead has been a global sensation since its 2017 release and is continuing the momentum with new licensing partners across a wide range of product categories tied both to the new Netflix series and the classic video game, including publishing, apparel, home decor and novelties. Cuphead is represented for licensing and entertainment by King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst and home to some of the world’s most popular entertainment characters.

Cuphead and Mugman characters and a few new faces from the show have jumped off the TV screen and into homes through a curated collection of products from iam8bit, available now. Known by fans for crafting unique and memorable experiences and products inspired by their favourite brands, the online store includes T-shirts, socks and pins as well as a limited-edition, 1930s-era-inspired art poster celebrating The Cuphead Show! launch.

Additionally, activewear, dresses, loungewear, jackets and more from Mad Engine are available at Amazon.com; a line of artisanal hot sauces and craft coffees starring Cuphead, Mugman, the Devil, Elder Kettle, Ms. Chalice and King Dice are also in the works with Jade City Foods and will be available at www.inkwellislesstore.com; and vinyl collectible figures from Youtooz will debut this spring.

The Cuphead Show! is also being supported by a full children’s publishing programme from Random House Children’s Books set to launch this May, which includes Screen Comix, frame-by-frame retellings of the episodes in comic book form, as well as Step Into Reading, C&A, Little Golden Books and 8×8 formats.

The first books in the series, a Screen Comix titled “Handle With Care” and a first Step Into Reading book titled “Welcome to the Inkwell Isles”, are available for pre-order now and will be officially released on May 3, 2022.

Additionally, The Art of The Cuphead Show! coffee table book is currently in development with Dark Horse Comics and slated for release in Q2 2023. Dark Horse has also renewed its worldwide deal to further extend the existing lineup of Cuphead books based on the original video game following the introduction of its The Art of Cuphead art book and graphic novels to international markets.

“It’s an unbelievable full-circle moment to see Cuphead, which was so inspired by classic cartoons of the 1930s, become a cartoon of its own made with such craft and care by the amazing team at Netflix Animation,” says Studio MDHR Co-Director Chad Moldenhauer. “We take great care in working closely with our merchandising partners to ensure that we are proud of the things that are created for the Cuphead community, and it’s wonderful to see the same care being taken by great partners to represent the world of The Cuphead Show!

Cuphead’s classic animation style and design will also be featured on new products, including metal art posters from Displate; additional vinyl figures and plushies from Youtooz; puzzles and novelty items from Toynk Toys; and Funko has recently launched new Cuphead collectible figures, apparel and accessories worldwide. Plus, hats, stickers, keychains and more from Scotty Gear Retail Corp will release later this year.

Cuphead publishing is still going strong with the aforementioned Dark Horse programme expansion, a series of game-based prose novels from Little, Brown Young Readers and a mini kit book from Running Press that will launch summer 2022. And in Japan, 1000Toys recently debuted new action figures, while new branded apparel and accessories are set to launch from Kaitentai and Smarprise, as well as new novelties and giftables from Ensky.

Cuphead’s incredible momentum continues with the debut of its groundbreaking animated series on Netflix and the DLC is hot on its heels,” says King Features Vice President, North America Licensing, Jarred Goro. “We are proud to work with these incredible partners to launch products that fans will love. Cuphead is a true pop culture phenomenon and we look forward to expanding the brand’s presence around the world.”

Cuphead is celebrated by fans around the world for its arcade-action gameplay, highly original art design and award-winning soundtrack, featuring almost three hours of original jazz, early big band and ragtime music. A true cultural phenomenon, the game has sold millions of units worldwide and won over 20 major awards. In addition to a wide range of new product releases, this year, fans can look forward to the June 30 release of The Delicious Last Course, the highly anticipated next chapter to the hit video game.

 

Random House Children’s Books to launch Dr Seuss Workbook series for US schoolchildren

Random House Children’s Books has partnered with Dr Seuss Enterprises to launch multi-subject Dr Seuss Workbooks across the US. The new format book series will be aimed at preschool kids through to third grade, encouraging readers to interact with their favourite characters while supporting learning goals.

The deal has been announced by Barbara Marcus, president and publisher, Random House Children’s Books, and Tom Russell, vice president and publisher, reference and workbooks. The first two editions – Preschool and Kindergarten – will be launched on September 7th this year. The remaining three will follow next March.

The launch of the books will also be supported by a video series hosted on Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ YouTube channel, featuring fun, original sing-alongs to help readers further engage with the characters and subject matter.

“In the last year, we have seen such increased demand for learning resources, and so we are particularly pleased to bring the Dr. Seuss Workbooks to market and offer fresh, engaging content to support young learners today,” said Russell. “These workbooks provide parents and educators an accessible blend of core academic concepts and such equally important topics as kindness, empathy, and self-esteem.”

The workbooks have been developed and written by education experts and based on curriculum standards, and readers at every grade level will be introduced to four subjects, each with their own dedicated Seuss character ambassador guiding the way: Reading and English Language Learning with the Cat from The Cat in the Hat, Maths with Thing One and Thing Two from The Cat in the Hat, Science with the Lorax from The Lorax, and Social and Emotional Learning with Horton from Horton Hears a Who!

Susan Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, said: “The imaginative works of Dr. Seuss have been an entry point to the world of reading and learning for several generations. For years Dr. Seuss books have delighted children while helping them learn to read and develop their cognitive skills.

“This new workbook program and its supporting video content are a natural progression that make it even easier for kids to learn, with fun exercises and engaging lessons that help them hone new skills.”

Dr Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books plan US-wide Dr Seuss birthday celebration

Dr Seuss Enterprises has lined up a full roster of activity in celebration of the author’s birthday this March 2, a day on which educators, booksellers, parents and children across the US participate in the commemorations through reading and literacy.

This year, Dr Seuss Enterprises has partnered with Random House Children’s Books to introduce new ways to honour the author and is beloved characters and books through a variety of events, merchandise, partnerships, and more.

“This annual holiday celebrates how Dr. Seuss books and characters infuse learning with fun, while also giving people of all ages an opportunity to express their love of the Dr. Seuss brand in creative and new ways,” said Susan Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises. “Dr. Seuss’s birthday is a great time to celebrate reading and literacy by taking a moment out of your day to read to a child.”

“There is no better time to celebrate a love of books and reading than on Dr. Seuss’s birthday,” said Mallory Loehr, SVP and publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers Group.

“We are always thrilled to be a part of the festivities that surround this day and are proud to be the publisher of Dr. Seuss’s unforgettable stories that generations of readers continue to enjoy.”

Across the US, Target, Barnes & Noble, Party City, buybuy BABY, and independent bookstores will be hosting Dr. Seuss reading events leading up to the birthday. Events at Target, Barnes & Noble, Party City, and buybuy BABY will be hosted in stores on Saturday, February 29.

Meanwhile, a 16-stop Cat in the Hat Costume Tour will take place in late February to early March, making stops at bookstores across the country.

Taking the brand digital this year and in collaboration with the creative innovation studio Sugar Creative, Dr. Seuss Enterprises will launch the first in a series of augmented reality apps to enhance the way children learn to read.

The first app in the series is Dr. Seuss’s ABC – An Amazing AR Alphabet!, based on the bestselling book Dr. Seuss’s ABC.

Of course, several of Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ leading licensee partners will be launching limited edition Seussian product lines in honour of the birthday. These will feature characters and Dr. Seuss’s original artwork with launches including a line of whimsical baby and toddler apparel from Target, costumes and accessories from Elope, a full line of Dr Seuss classroom decor from Eureka School, and ornate figurines from JimShore.