Acquisition deal with Nurture Rights includes exclusive rights to develop and expand classic preschool literary property into new formats and series.
Macmillan Children’s Books has announced the acquisition of worldwide publishing rights to Dinosaur Roar! from the entertainment company and rights owner Nurture Rights. The deal includes the exclusive rights to develop and expand this classic literary property into new formats and series. Dinosaur Roar! is the only pre-school brand to be endorsed by the world-renowned Natural History Museum and all products, including the books, will carry the NHM logo.
Stephanie Barton, Publisher 0-6, commented, “I have always loved Dinosaur Roar! It is an evergreen pre-school title, full of child appeal and great fun to read out loud. To have the chance to publish not only the classic book but to develop a range of new titles inspired by the original, and also to work with the Natural History Museum, is hugely exciting for us.”
The original title, created by Paul and Henrietta Stickland and first published in 1994 by Ragged Bears, has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and is regarded as a modern classic. Macmillan Children’s Books will launch in May 2016 with the original title in paperback, followed in June by a board book edition and later in the year, a sound board book. A range of new titles and formats will follow in 2017, including novelty and activity books.
Nurture Rights have agreed a deal with the NHM to develop and market Dinosaur Roar! and is working with the paleontology team at the Natural History Museum to build an authentic dinosaur property for the under sixes, with interactive and engaging content. This will include an online world for pre-school dinosaur fans, a touring dinosaur exhibition, and an IMAX experience.
“The original Dinosaur Roar! picture book has long been a firm favorite with young visitors. This new project has the potential to reach many more pre-school children, helping to inspire the next generation and perhaps a few scientists of the future,” said Justin Morris, Director of Public Engagement at the Natural History Museum.
Nick Barrington, Managing Director of Nurture Rights added, “We are delighted to have Macmillan Children’s Books on board as our new publishing partner for Dinosaur Roar!. Macmillan is one of the most respected and trusted children’s publishers in the market and we look forward to working with them on this exciting opportunity.”
Macmillan Children’s Books’ publishing plans will play a central role in the development of the Dinosaur Roar! brand. Nurture Rights, the children’s entertainment and IP company set up in 2013 by Nick Barrington and Peter Curtis, has agreed to Dinosaur Roar! deals with a number of further licensees, including Egmont Magazines, Paul Lamond Games, Immediate Media, Trade Mark Collections and VMC Accessories Ltd.
Source: Macmillan Children’s Books
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
