Muse Entertainment and Gaumont-Alphanim have signed an agreement with Oxford University Press Canada to develop a series of education titles based on the animated children’s television series The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog and intended for use in primary classrooms.
The television series, created by Merilyn Read (The Tom Green Show, Babar and Father Christmas) and Mary Mackay-Smith (Dot, Caillou), which began airing this year on TVO, TFO, Radio-Canada, Knowledge and France 5, is the story of a Hedgehog detective, with a nose for mystery. Each 11-minute episode explores Alfred’s marvelously mysterious world where sudden disappearances, strange natural phenomena, curious animal behavior and even muddy footprints all require Alfred’s investigative and deductive reasoning skills. The show is already the basis for an interactive, educational game that is accessible to children online and also on the Nintendo Wii platform.
David Steele, Vice President and Director, School, Oxford University Press Canada believes this is a unique opportunity: “We are very excited about the opportunity of partnering with award-winning international media production companies like Muse Entertainment and Gaumont-Alphanim. Children today of course no longer see the boundaries between print and media and move seamlessly between them. The whole concept of The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog television series is really fun and interesting for children. Our hope is that by representing The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog in print editions and exploring the instructional possibilities of integrated print and multimedia packages in a classroom context, we will develop engaging and purposeful next generation educational resources for students, teachers and parents.”
Producer Jesse Prupas (Family Biz, I Me Wed) of Muse Entertainment is confident that kids and their parents will be engaged by Alfred Hedgehog’s exciting mysteries: “We are just thrilled to be developing a series of books with Oxford University Press Canada. Not only does Oxford University Press have a fantastic reputation for publishing some of the best educational books worldwide but they also share our show’s values about teaching kids about science, critical thinking and literacy. We’re so excited to be working with such a fabulous publisher and such a talented print-development team!”
Clément Calvet, Managing Director, Gaumont-Alphanim is equally enthusiastic about Alfred’s crossover. “We are extremely pleased to be partnering with such an educational expert as Oxford University Press and start the publishing program around The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog with a North American publishing house,” says Calvet.
Executive Producer / Creator Merilyn Read looks forward to expanding Alfred’s reach.” We are so elated to be working with Oxford University Press,” says Read. “Their wide distribution and deep experience in educational and trade publishing will soon bring Alfred and his friends to an international audience of young super sleuths!”
A prototype for the children’s book series is currently in development for use in elementary educational institutions and to the public across Canada, New Zealand and Australia. For more information on The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog, visit www.muse.ca.