...into the brand licensing market with immediate effect.

Independent children’s publisher HallidayBooks are delighted to announce the release of three publishing properties to the licensing market. Two unique ‘tree’ brands and a cheeky little recycling mouse. MD Nick Halliday is looking to build strong relationships with licensees from all sectors and welcomes contact from licensing agents.

The properties we create are of the highest quality and represent a fresh approach to publishing. Our work is praised for its originality and the combination of tradition and freshness, makes it highly marketable. Within our range there is something for every sector including plush, gifts, games, animation, apparel, homeware and stationery.

Style Guides for all three properties will be available for download from 25th September from the HallidayBooks website at www.hallidaybooks.com. MD Nick Halliday will be meeting potential licensees at the Brand Licensing Show at Olympia on 31st Sept and 1st Oct.

In the licensing world trees appear in the landscape everywhere, but there are no global brands in which they appear as central characters. HallidayBooks are about to change this by introducing two unique ‘tree’ brands. First is our universally acclaimed title The Lonely Tree, praised by Stephen Fry as ‘Utterly, completely and splendidly charming.

Originally illustrated and delightfully told.’ The Lonely Tree is well established in the UK, has a strong foreign rights record and appeals to boys, girls and adults alike. It is these elements, along with beautiful imagery, which is ensuring the successful translation from book to brand. Brand extension is already underway with consumer testing on a plush range proving hugely successful and a set of age greetings cards planned for launch in 2010.

The second tree property is Treetot. This preschool brand is being launched in spring 2010 with a book series, the first of which, Where is Treetot? is a charming lift-the-flaps title. Treetot has been developed to meet a need in the infant and junior market for a vehicle to introduce the natural world to very young children. The weather, seasons, trees, animals and plants will all be illustrated in a well-established nursery style reflecting quality, nature, simplicity and integrity. HallidayBooks forecast Treetot’s strong and instantly recognisable imagery will quickly gather a cult following among children and parents. There are limitless opportunities for Treetot in the licensing world and it is perfectly suited to gifts, apparel, homeware and stationery.

We are thrilled at the attention Glis has received so far and are confident he will make an impact when we see him emerge on the licensing market. Glis had a humble beginning, appearing only twice as a cartoon strip in the national franchise magazine Raring2Go! The feedback was incredible. Shortly afterwards we decided to withdraw from Raring2Go! to give Glis his own book series, which is planned for launch spring 2010. The premise is very simple; In each story Glis, accompanied by his silent but humorous caterpillar friend, recycles a single piece of discarded rubbish into a useful object. In the first ‘Glis and the Tin Can.’ he makes a bicycle from a tin can. Our aim is not to be preachy about recycling, but rather to add humour to the subject, while retaining a strong message. We’ve developed a plush toy to accompany the book launch and are looking for partners to take him into new territories. As with all our books, we’ve worked hard to keep Glis simple and appealing. This is our third brand and is, like The Lonely Tree and Treetot, perfectly set up for animation and is highly brandable.

2009 © HallidayBooks and Nicholas Halliday