Random House, Simon & Schuster, electronic book marketer Publications International and the Australian importer Hinkler Books are all releasing new Bob the Builder titles, licensed from HIT Entertainment, this year. Formats include early reader, lift-the-flap, coloring and activity and electronic sound books. Consumers have purchased almost 11 million Bob the Builder books since their U.S. release in July 2001.
The March 11 debut of the first direct-to-video product based on the property, the feature-length The Knights of Fix-A-Lot, will be followed by three other titles this year, including a holiday release, Bob the Builder's Christmas to Remember. Bob the Builder LIVE!, a traveling musical show, premiered in March and will visit 90 U.S. cities over two years. The character also appears in a home safety—related public awareness campaign sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders, of which Bob is an honorary member.
