The Jim Henson Company, as a third-party agent, has signed the first two licensees for Arnold Lobel children’s book series Frog and Toad.

In the US, YOTTOY has signed on to produce  hand-designed toys and textile company Clothworks will manufacture fabrics for quilts, clothes and crafts.

Written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel in the 1970s, each of the four Frog and Toad books include five short stories chronicling the exploits of a frog and his friend, a toad, simply named Frog and Toad.

YOTTOY will develop Frog and Toad toys under its Classic Collection, which features hand-designed toys based on characters from the finest children’s literature.

Clothworks, producer of premium cotton fabric for independent quilt retailers, has designed a collection of Frog and Toad Together fabrics based on the beautiful illustrations within the  book range for fabric enthusiasts, quilters, garment-makers and crafters.

In addition to The Jim Henson Company’s deal with HarperCollins Children’s Books to develop and implement the first-ever multi-category licensing and merchandising program in the US and Canada for the classic literary property, Henson is also developing an animated feature film for Frog and Toad.