Author: aNb Media

WildBrain Ltd (“WildBrain” or the “Company”) (TSX: WILD), a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, has closed its previously announced acquisition of House of Cool, one of the top pre-production companies in the global animation industry. A strategic extension of WildBrain’s focus on creative excellence, the acquisition significantly expands and enhances the Company’s pre-production capabilities for premium animated series, specials and features.

Imagine reading aloud a little board book that has the power to teach tots their ABC’s, boost confidence and practice positivity! Say hello to ABC Affirmation Board Book ($12.99) from Kids for Culture. The sweet 6” x 6” sturdy book is available at big box stores like Walmart and online at www.kidsforculture.com. This is where A is for Amazing and as the page continues, I am an amazing person!  Specialty website boppabug.com shared with parents, “This book is illustrated to mirror different skin tones…Whether daytime or night, enrich babies’ day with these beautiful words of encouragement.” 

When have you ever heard of the player who owns the most cats (in real life) goes first? In every round of Here, Kitty, Kitty, felines rule in this competitive card game! A little cat-titude goes a long way as three to six players interact with a cat burglar, a can opener, catnip, cat fights and the occasional stray dog. There are no fraidy cats here as Zoomers and Boomers claw their way to the winner’s circle! “This was a perfect game to play with Grandma and the kids while waiting for dinner to be ready,” wrote one Amazon buyer. “It’s a relatively short game with easy set-up, and the simple, silly game play kept everything light and fluffy.”

Barbie film fever is set to turn the world pink and skyrocket doll sales to an estimated US$14 billion by 2027, according to a Euromonitor expert. Loo Wee Teck, Head of Toys and Games at Euromonitor International, said the upcoming Barbie movie, releasing on 21 July featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is set to jumpstart interest in Barbie and dolls globally. The much-anticipated Barbie film is expected to boost dolls and accessories sales by a massive 16% growth in 2026 compared with sales in 2022. Dolls’ purchases rose during the pandemic before falling away last year.

Award-winning, European toy brand Bababoo and friends continues to expand its U.S. offerings beyond its wooden toy line and books with the addition of a new plush category, slated to launch in fall of 2023. The new “Best Friends” plush line for ages 0+ years, features Bababoo (lion) and his fun-loving character friends, Yuki (monkey), Pippa (bunny), Wilma (whale) and Lolo (elephant). The brand features fully developed characters with relatable personalities, and backstories that radiate positivity, inclusion, and age-appropriate lessons such as friendship and courage. These diverse plush characters were developed using high quality, soft textured materials, offering additional ways in which children can play and explore the world of Bababoo and friends.

The stars have aligned themselves for the exciting launch of The Lunar Dial, a new strategy game brought to you by global toy and game company Goliath in partnership with Morbid, presented by Wondery, a critically acclaimed premium podcast network. The wickedly cool, out-of- this-world game is based on “Morbid”, the currently top-ranking True Crime podcast with over 400 million downloads with each episode getting 1.5 million downloads on average on Apple and Spotify.