4Kids Adds Penelope to its Portfolio

4Kids Entertainment has signed on to represent the preschool series Penelope as a brand worldwide except for Asia and France.

The company will showcase the property at next month’s International Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.

Penelope is based on the best-selling book series by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben about a cute 3-year-old blue koala with a funny red nose, insatiable curiosity and a great sense of humor

The property has been translated to the small screen through Japanese company Nippon Animation, with 52 episodes and two Christmas specials now available. The series began airing on Japanese television in 2007, and has since been picked up by several broadcasters including France 5 (France), CBeebies (U.K.), ABC (Australia), as well as channels in Italy, across the Nordics, Africa, Israel and Slovenia.

‘Penelope has enormous potential ‘ preschoolers love the books and TV show and parents are also very enthusiastic as it teaches children about the world around them,’ said Sandra Vauthier-Cellier, managing director of 4Kids Entertainment International. ‘This gives us a fantastic platform from which to develop the property’s licensing program and we will be looking to sign licensees across a range of sectors.’