TVOkids and TFO have co-commissioned a new CGI-animated preschool series Book Hungry Bears, coproduced by Breakthrough Entertainment. The prodco is producing the series with New Zealand’s Pukeko Pictures and China’s Hengxin Shambala Kids.

The 52 x 11-minute animated series is created by Martin Baynton, co-owner and CCO of Pukeko Pictures, and follows four young bears that go on adventures through the books they read. The preschool series is meant to promote literacy and a love of reading for children at an early age, according to TVO’s director, kids TV Marney Malabar.

Breakthrough signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the project during a cultural industries trade mission to China in April 2018. The project is structured as a China-New Zealand and New Zealand-Canada treaty coproduction.

Book Hungry Bears is produced in participation of the Canada Media Fund and the Shaw Rocket Fund and in association with B.C’s Knowledge Kids.

The greenlight comes nine months after Breakthrough sold its entire kids and family library to 9 Story Media Group.