JAKERS! PIGGLEY WINKS BOOKS U.S. PUBLISHING DEAL WITH GLOBAL LEADER SIMON & SCHUSTER
Entara's Emmy award-winning, 3D, CGI-animated PBS KIDS series, JAKERS!TM THE ADVENTURES OF PIGGLEY WINKSTM, hits the world of print with the appointment of Simon Spotlight, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing as master publisher for the property in the U.S. and Canada.
The powerhouse publishing company will produce an inspiring and charming range of story and novelty books for the series' target age group of 4 to 7 year olds. The Spring 2005 launch list will include two 8x8 storybooks, two Ready-to-Read storybooks, and an accordion-style novelty board book. S&S will offer a 32-copy floor display, a 24-copy sidekick, and an 8-copy ready-to-read clip strip for the books. JAKERS! also will be included in S&S's 38-copy licensed preschool display with other high-profile properties such as Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants and Blue's Clues. In addition, S&S will feature JAKERS! books on its website: SimonSaysKids.com, give away key titles at the International Reading Association's 2005 conference, and work with Paramount Home Entertainment to cross-promote the books in videos and DVDs. In all, Simon Spotlight plans to release 12 titles throughout 2005.
JAKERS! follows Piggley WinksTM and his friends Dannan the Duck and Ferny the Bull through their childhood in rural 1950s Ireland. Their hometown of Tara, and the surrounding areas, provides the safe and secure backdrop for their fertile imaginations to run riot. Whether they are fishing for the salmon of knowledge, sailing the seven seas in their pirate ship (made of hay bales!), or trying to avoid their chores, Piggley, Dannan and Ferny will find a way to turn the familiar into the utterly fantastic.
While the trio busy themselves with the task ahead, Wiley the Sheep, an American import and a legend in his own mind, is busy fulfilling his 'role' of bringing a little bit of sheep cool to his rural flock. Wiley's own particular humor, voiced by Mel Brooks, is a favorite with the adult audience. The start and finish of each episode feature Piggley in the present day as a Grandpa, telling these stories of childhood escapades as entertaining lessons in life to his three very contemporary city-dwelling grandpigs.
"We knew it was only a matter of time before these classic JAKERS! stories would be published," says Louisa Stretton, Entara's Chief Operating Officer. "But we wanted to ensure that the property would be handled by a premiere publisher; one that shared our passion and vision for JAKERS!, which is to produce top quality, timeless children's entertainment. Piggley Winks is in the best of hands with Simon & Schuster."
"With its strong storylines, well-developed characters and stunning animation, JAKERS! engages children's imaginations on every level and is destined to be a best-seller for us," says Jen Bergstrom, Vice President and Associate Publisher of Simon Spotlight. "We look forward to turning these wonderful stories into engaging and entertaining books to be enjoyed time and time again."
JAKERS!, produced for Entara by Mike Young Productions, debuted on PBS KIDS in September 2003 and quickly became a favorite among fans and critics alike, garnering rave reviews in The Hollywood Reporter, TV Guide, Child Magazine, the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times, among many others. The series has also received numerous accolades including a 2004 Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award; two Annie nominations; a 2003 Genesis Commendation from the US Humane Society; and two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Production Design and Outstanding Achievement in Storyboarding. For more information about the series, visit http://pbskids.org/jakers.
About Entara
Based in London, Entara holds all the rights to and manages the JAKERS! franchise worldwide. JAKERS! is the company's debut property and follows its founding philosophy to develop evergreen children's programming with quality content and global appeal; programming that will remain timeless throughout the generations.
Entara is dedicated to enhancing the JAKERS! story through innovative educational materials online and compelling interactive initiatives developed and produced by an in-house team. To accompany the series, Entara will also release a range of appealing books, toys and games, featuring Piggley and his friends as they translate the values of the series across a variety of platforms. For more information about Entara, visit www.entaraltd.com.
About Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
In fewer than seven years, Simon Spotlight has published more than 600 books, with a total of 107 million books in print. Launched in the fall of 1997, Simon Spotlight, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, is wholly devoted to media tie-ins. Since that time, it has become one of the fastest growing imprints in the children's book industry, with best-selling series based on Nickelodeon's® Blue's Clues®, Dora the ExplorerTM, The Fairly Odd ParentsTM, Jimmy Neutron: Boy GeniusTM, SpongeBob SquarePants®, and Little Bill®; HIT Entertainment's Bob the BuilderTM and RubbadubbersTM, and Mirage studios' Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTM properties. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, visit our website at http://www.SimonSaysKids.com.
Simon & Schuster, part of the entertainment operation of Viacom Inc., is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and multimedia formats. Its divisions include the Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Online, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonsays.com.
