Mercer Mayer, the beloved kid’s author behind books like There’s an Alligator Under My Bed and the Little Critter books, is teaming up with digital media writer and producer John Sansevere to breathe new life into his catalog of stories through a new business called Twelve/30.
“I’ve been publishing stories for over 55 years, adventures inspired from my childhood or my children’s childhoods, and now I get inspiration from my grandkids,” Mayer says. “I’ve long wanted to explore opportunities that will allow kids to engage with my characters and stories in ways that appeal to a new generation of children. Having worked with John over the years, I am extremely excited to collaborate with him again in the launch of Twelve/30 and to continue creating inspiring new content and products based on my published works that parents will trust, and children will love.”
Twelve/30 holds the exclusive media and licensing rights for Mayer’s catalog and will first focus on Mayer’s most popular works — the Little Critter stories.
“Multiple generations born after 1980 grew up with Mercer Mayer’s books and are now passing on their love for his characters and stories to their own children,” Sansevere says. “The first IP we will develop is Little Critter, one of the last remaining evergreen U.S. publishing brands that has never had a TV show or large-scale licensing and merchandising program. With the 50th anniversary of Little Critter coming up in 2025, this is a perfect time to bring the world of Little Critter to new audiences everywhere through animated content and appealing products that will allow children to further engage with the brand.”
The company has already forged a licensing agreement with HarperCollins to publish four new titles in the I Can Read and I Can Read Comics series as well as 54 current titles HarperCollins is licensed for.
Twelve/30 is also creating an animated series based on the Little Critter stories on YouTube, starting with an episode based on the I Can Read Comics books.
