Herrington Teddy Bears, for 20 years a maker of collectible branded bears for organizations such as Barnes & Noble, Hard Rock Café, Giorgio Beverly Hills, Mercedes-Benz and over 100 colleges, has moved into children's publishing. About five years ago, the company created its own characters, Harry and Hannah, twin teddy bears, and owner Chris Herrington wrote a series of stories starring them. The company decided to self-publish the books, and contracted with National Book Network this year for distribution into chain and independent bookstores.
The first two titles in the travel-themed series, Harry and Hannah: The American Adventure and Harry and Hannah: The Christmas Adventure, are being released this fall; several more are in the works. Future licensing plans include children's video programming, apparel and home décor.