Producer and rights management company Coolabi has named UK toy manufacturer Golden Bear as the master toy partner for its Poppy Cat property. As such, a new toy line for the UK and Ireland covering plush, plastics and arts & crafts will launch next fall.

The appointment of Golden Bear adds momentum to the licensing programme for Poppy Cat, which has recently seen sign-ups for TV tie-in publishing, magazines, nightwear and underwear and games and puzzles.

The deal comes as Poppy Cat makes its debut on Nick Jr in the UK this week. In addition, the show has been picked up by Sprout in the US, as well as by broadcasters in Australia, Canada, Korea, Poland and the Middle East.The 52 x 11-minute series brings to animated life the world of the preschool children’s character created by Lara Jones in the Macmillan book series that has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. The series is co-produced by Coolabi’s television production arm, Coolabi Productions, and King Rollo Films.