Licensed character projects
The Adventures of YOU and Stitch!
Hey, look what came in the mail! This is an author copy of a children’s book I wrote. It’s called The Adventures of YOU & Stitch, and it will be published by Scholastic in September 2023. As you may have guessed from the title, The Adventures of YOU & Stitch features the characters from the 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch.
The Adventures of YOU & Stitch! is written as an in-universe book in which you – the reader – go on a series of adventures with everyone’s favorite fuzzy blue alien, Stitch. The book also functions as a celebration of all things Lilo & Stitch, and I do mean ALL things Lilo & Stitch. That means that there are references in this book to not only the first Lilo & Stitch movie (2002), but also Stitch! The Movie (2003), Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003-2004), Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005), and Leroy & Stitch (2006). Whenever I work on a project I commit to it 110%, and this book is no exception. There are some serious deep cuts in here that Lilo & Stitch superfans will definitely appreciate.
I’m really proud of this book. It’s filled with secret codes, puzzles, ciphers, jokes, guided journal entries, and various other fun activities, all of which are Lilo & Stitch-themed.
And as you can see from the image I’ve posted here, the cover of this book even looks like Stitch! The cover has Stitch’s eyes, nose, mouth, and floppy ears, and it’s made of fuzzy blue plush fabric, so it even feels like Stitch. (That’s a guess on my part. I’ve never held Stitch in my hands, because – spoiler alert – he’s fictional.)
I should also mention that this book will only be available for distribution through the school market. In other words, it’ll be exclusively available through Scholastic Reading Events, so you won’t be able to find it on Amazon.
I had a Stitch-tastic time writing this book, and I hope you enjoy reading it! And by “you,” I mean “kids.” You ARE aware this is a children’s book, right? Hey, grown-ups: this book is NOT for you!
Don’t Feed This Book After Midnight!
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai started streaming today on Max. I didn’t work on that show. But if you’re looking for a Gremlins-related project I did work on, you’ll be happy to know that I wrote The Gremlins Little Golden Book, which comes out on September 5, 2023 from Penguin Random House.
The Gremlins LGB is a retelling of the classic 1984 movie Gremlins, written as a Little Golden Book for very young readers.
When I was a kid, Gremlins was one of my favorite movies. So it was a real thrill to write The Gremlins Little Golden Book. (Also, working on this book was a good excuse to re-watch Gremlins several times in a row.)
Here’s the official publisher description of the book:
Whatever you do, don’t get this Little Golden Book wet! The first ever Gremlins Little Golden Book based on the classic film features those mischievous Gremlins as lovable Funko Pop figures! Follow the wild misadventures of those trouble-causing Gremlins in this delightful retelling of the classic movie. Illustrated in the quirky and loveable Funko POP! art style, kids 2 to 5—and their parents—will love this love this light-hearted reimagining of one of the funniest films of all time as a collectable Little Golden Book! Little Golden Books enjoy nearly 100% consumer recognition. They feature beloved classics, hot licenses, and new original stories. . .the classics of tomorrow.
As you may recall from an earlier blog post, I also wrote The Goonies Little Golden Book. But what you might not know is that I wrote the Goonies and Gremlins LGBs back-to-back. Which was SO much fun. It also made me compare and contrast the two films, especially since they’re both written by the same screenwriter (Chris Columbus). And both films feature Corey Feldman, and are Executive Produced by Steven Spielberg. Also, both films involve a character who’s an inventor (Data in Goonies and Rand Peltzer in Gremlins). There’s even a line of dialogue in Goonies that references the plot of Gremlins! Do the two films take place in a shared universe? I wouldn’t go that far. But they’ve got quite a lot in common.
Anyway, that’s the sort of thing you think about when you’re working on a project like The Gremlins Little Golden Book.
Check out the book’s page on the Penguin Random House site.
Check out the Amazon page for The Gremlins Little Golden Book (where you can also see a few of the interior pages from the book!).
And click HERE to find out more about some of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House.
Hey, You Guys!
Recently, I wrote a children’s book called The Goonies Little Golden Book, which will be published by Penguin Random House on July 4th, 2023.
As you may have discerned from the title, this book is an adaptation of the iconic 1985 film Goonies, written as a Little Golden Book for very young readers.
And much like The E.T. Little Golden Book and The Back to the Future Little Golden Book (both of which I also wrote), The Goonies LGB is not just a Little Golden Book, but a Funko Pop Little Golden Book! That means that everyone in the book is drawn in the iconic, super-adorable Funko Pop style.
Here’s the official publisher description of The Goonies Little Golden Book:
“Hey, you guys!” The Goonies Little Golden Book is based on the classic film that features those adventure-seeking Goonies as lovable Funko POP! figures! Follow Mikey and the other Goonies as they race to find the pirate treasure that will help them save their beloved Goon Docks in this delightful retelling of the beloved classic movie The Goonies. Illustrated in the quirky and loveable Funko POP! art style, this collectable Little Golden Book will delight kids ages 2 to 5—and their parents—with its light-hearted reimagining of one of the funniest films of all time!
I had a fantastic time writing this book, and I can’t wait until it comes out!
Check out the book’s page on the Penguin Random House site.
You can also check out the Amazon page for the book.
And click HERE to find out about some of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House.