Wonderbly, a global publisher of personalized books for children, has partnered with BAFTA-winning, Belfast-based animation studio Sixteen South to develop the bestselling Lost My Name books into an animated 52 x 7’ series for preschoolers.
“We were looking for a while for the right creative partner to embark on this new adventure and Sixteen South’s heartfelt and exuberant approach to children’s animation, coupled with remarkable attention to detail, is exactly what we were looking for,” said Asi Sharabi, co-founder and CEO of Wonderbly. “We are immensely excited to work with Colin Williams and his incredibly talented team.”
Colin Williams, Creative Director of Sixteen South, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to partner with the creative folk at Wonderbly. From the moment we met, we immediately connected through our passion for great design and storytelling. We’re really enjoying the process of developing such an innovative, well-known and loved series of books for the screen to be enjoyed by children all over the world.”
Wonderbly has appointed Helen McAleer, former MD of Walker Books and founder of Walker Productions, as executive producer of the TV series. She, alongside Wonderbly co-founders and the book’s writing/illustration duo David Cadji-Newby and Pedro Serapicos, will work closely with Sixteen South to develop Lost My Name books into an animated series. Drawing on some of the key themes and characters from the books, the partnership will develop a magical, character-building series where kids’ personal challenges turn into life-changing adventures
“I am incredibly excited to be working on such a brilliant series for Wonderbly. The partnering of Wonderbly and Sixteen South is a superb match and together they are creating something truly special,” said McAleer.
Wonderbly and Sixteen South will be pitching the show to broadcasters later in the summer. The partnership is part of a long-term publishing and franchise strategy to develop the Lost My Name world. In July, Wonderbly will publish a sequel book.
Over 3.5 million personalized Lost My Name stories have been sent around the world since its launch. The title was the No. 1 bestselling picture book in major markets including the UK, US and Germany — topping even The Hungry Caterpillar and The Gruffalo.
