Wish Films Acquire Picture Book Series “Barry The Fish With Fingers” for Animated Series

Simon & Schuster Children’s Books today announced that animation rights have been optioned for their bestselling preschool brand Barry the Fish with Fingers, written and illustrated by Sue Hendra.

Wish Films have secured the option for television animation rights on two titles: Barry the Fish with Fingers and Barry the Fish with Fingers and the Hairy Scary Monster. Wish Films will be developing animation material to pitch to broadcasters.

Sue Hendra is a rising star on the S&S picture book list with four further titles already signed up for 2012 and beyond. Her first title for S&S, Barry the Fish with Fingers, was published in 2010, and became an instant hit, selling more than 105k copies to date, with several foreign rights deals secured. Norman the Slug with the Silly Shell (January 2011) was the bestselling new picture book for the first four months of this year and continues to be one of the top selling picture books of 2011.*

Barry the Fish with Fingers and the Hairy Scary Monster was published in August 2011, and will be followed by Barry the Fish with Fingers Tickle Hide & Seek puppet book in 2012.

Barry the Fish with Fingers is also available as a full-colour picture eBook, with digital editions of Hendra’s other titles to follow soon.

Wish Films is run by award-winning directors Will Brenton and Helen Cadwallader, formerly both of Tell-Tale Productions (creators of The Tweenies among others). Wish Films has created live action show Jim Jam & Sunny, and animated series Wibbly Pig based on the books by Mick Inkpen.

Sue Hendra said of the animation deal: “I am thrilled and very excited at the thought of Barry the Fish with Fingers swimming off the page and onto the screen.”

Ingrid Selberg, Publishing Director at S&S, said: “We are delighted to be working with the talented team at Wish Films to bring the inimitable Barry to a wider audience through broadcast.”