Fred Rogers Productions has named LA-based Jada Toys as its master toy partner for preschool puppet series Donkey Hodie. 

Joining master publishing partner Simon & Schuster on the IP’s licensee roster, Jada will start rolling out a first toy range for the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood spinoff across the US, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand in spring 2023. This lead line will include figures, plush, playsets, vehicles, dolls, electronic learning tools and musical toys.

Donkey Hodie (40 x 30 minutes) stars an enthusiastic donkey and her friends as they learn to have fun solving problems and helping others through music and perseverance. Co-produced with Spiffy Pictures, the series for three- to five-year-olds was created by Adam and David Rudman, who are executive producing with Ellen Doherty from Fred Rogers. Donkey Hodie premiered on PBS KIDS in May, and 9 Story Distribution International is managing worldwide sales.