HIT Entertainment’s animated preschool property Mike the Knight continues its strong ride with a new master publishing deal for North America inked with the brand’s UK and international publishing partner Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

With the number of sales to international broadcasters steadily increasing (17 in total), the new publishing deal marks the IP’s first consumer products licensing deal for North America.

Products (story, picture, novelty, activity, and coloring books, non-interactive e-books) from  Simon & Schuster imprint Simon Spotlight are set to launch in the US and Canada in 2013.

The HIT Entertainment and Nelvana Studio co-produced half-hour series, which airs on Treehouse in Canada and on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr., is created by Alexander Bar (Lunar Jim) and written by Marc Seal (Bob the Builder).