Koko Rose Media, agent and brand manager for Henries- nominated illustrator Jo Rose will present a new line of original baby book concepts at this year’s Bologna Book Fair.
The books feature Rose’s Deer Little Forest brand, and have been developed with Ingrid Selberg Consulting headed by the former Managing Director of Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Division Ingrid Selberg.
The early learning concepts feature original and quirky renditions of classic 0-3 themes such as colours, activities, numbers, learning and ABC’s, using the beauty and humour of Jo’s unique animals to engage both parent and child. The pages show an imaginative and charming array of characters and objects to look at, in a layout which is visually stimulating and reminiscent of Richard Scarry.
Expect to see some favourite characters like Rowan Fox, Barley-Crumb Badger, lots of frogs and bunnies, as well as a whole new set of friends including a mole, panda, squirrel, pony, caterpillar, wolf…and even an Arctic Fox!
Ingrid Selberg of Ingrid Selberg Consulting Ltd has been working with Koko Rose Media to develop publishing for Deer Little Forest. Ingrid Selberg Consulting assists publishers, brand owners and licensors on publishing and licensing strategies, Brand building and content development.
“Jo’s new illustrations and designs take an evergreen genre and make it distinctly her own. Her style is imaginative and eclectic, standing out amongst a very creative crowd, bringing a genuinely fresh and unparalleled style to the book shelf,” commented Ingrid Selberg.
“The popularity of Jo’s designs in other product categories shows how irresistible her artwork is – and will be in picture books as well,” she continued.
Rose added, “Every curious kid starts off his or her reading journey with lovely early learning books – which often get read over and over (and over!) again. As a parent and artist, I want to create characters that help children fall in love with the fun and adventure of books and learning – and entertain their parents as well. Especially on the 50th read!”
Rose is well known for her instantly recognizable designs which are painstakingly handcrafted using a blend of illustration, cut-outs, 3D sets, and photography. Drawing on a love of Scandinavian folklore and the inspiration of the New Forest where she lives, Jo created her enigmatic world inhabited by a myriad of adorable characters with distinct, funny and endearing personalities.
Jo turned her vision of Deer Little Forest into a brand which is now represented by licensing agents in 27 countries. The style is ideally suited to baby & mummy categories with publishing being a natural fit for this demographic – while a vast greeting card range sold at Harrods, Paperchase, Liberty’s, John Lewis and beyond attest to the charm and appeal of the illustrations.
The debut of the Deer Little Forest books at Bologna Book Fair follows the successful launch of the brand in Asia at the Hong Kong Licensing Show in January with Empire Multimedia, and the Moscow Licensing Show in February with The Icon Company.
Rose is also the creator of Flora of the Forest (52 x 11), a pre-school animation series in development with Executive Producer Karen Fowler (three time Emmy and Parent’s Choice Award winner) and King Rollo Films (multi-award winning studio behind international hit series Poppy Cat, Mama Mirabelle’s, Humf, Paz, and Maisy).
All rights are held by Koko Rose Media, a joint venture between Lisa Hryniewicz and Jo Rose. International rights are managed by Icon Licensing (Russia & CIS); Brand Licensing by Burda (Germany and GST) and Think Tank Emporium (US & Canada).
