Chorion has announced a range of activities for preschool character Spot as he celebrates his 30^th anniversary year.

In the U.S., BBC America released Where’s Spot? on DVD in April, and will release Spot Goes to School in August and Spot’s Magical Christmas in October. New licensing deals have been inked with Andover Fabric, Starry Story Art, Meri Meri, and the Zoobies. The Spot Zoobie will be featured on QVC for Christmas in July. Master toy licensee Kids Preferred is expanding its Spot product line to include puzzles, backpacks, bath toys, and wooden toys for next year.

In the UK, Abbey Home Media launched a special edition 30^th anniversary DVD in March. The Spot TV series began broadcasting on CITV in April, with further episodes scheduled to air this month. Storytelling and in-store events supported the Spot exhibition at Selfridges in London over the May bank holiday weekend. The touring Spot art exhibition will be featured at the Chelsea Library in London, Foyles book store, and regional museums throughout the rest of this year. An exclusive birthday party is planned for August 5^th in London for parents and children. Master toy licensee Rainbow Designs will introduce an expanded range of products including puzzles and wooden toys for next year.

Additional book titles for Spot from Warne include a 30th anniversary special edition of Where’s Spot?, plus Spot’s Birthday Balloon, and Spot’s Little Library. New publishing formats, touch and feel books, book and plush sets, and an 18-button sound book are planned for the holiday season.

In Australia, Spot appeared in several high-profile events in March and April including Gardening Australia Expo in Adelaide and Brisbane, with further appearances scheduled for the same Expo in Sydney from August 22-24 and Melbourne from October 1-3. The events will include costume appearances, craft activities, and retail opportunities.

Spot plush, through Australian Master toy licensee Jasnor Pty., launched in Japan this year, and new licensing partner Skillman will be creating personalized product. Spot public reading events and retail fairs were held from March through May at Kinokuniya bookstore outlets throughout Japan to celebrate Spot’s 30^th anniversary.  Further events are planned for the rest of this year.

Spot first appeared in Eric Hill’s original lift-the-flap book Where’s Spot? in 1980. To date, Spot has sold more than 50 million books and has a global licensing program that includes toys, apparel, gifts and DVD. The official Spot website features activities for parents and children, competitions, games, and information about the brand and author.

Today, Greenzys, a new eco-friendly,  literary-based children’s brand, announced that it will launch exclusively at FAO Schwarz during “Earth Month” in April. Greenzys, which encompasses books and plush toys, will be available solely at FAO Schwarz Fifth Avenue and online at FAO.com throughout the month and will also be featured in the store’s window displays.

Kids can discover Greenzys in a series of books that promote green living and teach eco-friendly practices to youngsters through tales of fun and adventure.

Greenzys characters also step out of their books and into kids’ lives as plush toys by Kids Preferred. Featured characters include Peat the Penguin, an ardent supporter of recycling, reusing, and reducing waste; Yew Yew the Panda, who grows bamboo to prevent erosion and create oxygen; Willow the Elephant, who collects rainwater for her plants and uses her trunk as a water hose; and Violet the Giraffe, the  ecological genius who teaches the Greenzys how to reduce their carbon paw print in an effort to protect the environment. Ensuring that this toy line reinforces environmental responsibility, the plush toys are made in socially responsible factories from soy fibers and non-toxic dyes with packaging made from recycled paperboard.

In a special promotion marking the 40th anniversary of the Earth Day celebration on April 22, 2010, each Greenzys toy purchased between April 5 and December 31 will support the Arbor Day Foundation with the planting of a  tree in our nation’s forests.

For more information, check out the Greenzys online.