Public broadcaster France Télévisions has hitched its wagon to Wonder Pony, a new 2D-animated series for six- to eight-year-olds that’s currently in development at Paris-based Mondo TV France.

Adapted from a same-name graphic novel published by Jungle (France) and BOOM! Studios (US), this 52 x 13-minute action-comedy kicks off when a nine-year-old girl accidentally unleashes monsters from a book guarded by a magical pony. They team up to return the literary creatures to the pages from whence they came.

“We’re delighted to welcome [the characters] Louison and Jean-Pierre to the Okoo team!” says Pierre Siracusa, head of youth at France Télévisions. “Wonder Pony is undoubtedly first and foremost a comedy, but it’s also a series about the delicate transition from childhood to adolescence.”

France Télévisions, Europe’s biggest commissioner of animation right now, is gearing up to increase its spend on toons from US$34 million this year to US$37 million in 2025. Other new animated kids projects on its slate include Luce in the Lovely Land (La Cabane and Thuristar) and Xilam’s Submarine Jim and Piggy Builders.