CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Scholastic have entered into a new agreement this summer in an effort to bring "Davey and Goliath" to a new generation of children. Scholastic is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books.
Davey and Goliath is a classic stop-motion animated television series starring Davey Hansen and his talking dog, Goliath. Aired on commercial television in the 1960s and 1970s, Davey and Goliath is a property of the ELCA. The church's mission with Davey and Goliath is to bring "moral and religious faith-based values to a new generation of children in lively and engaging ways."
"The ELCA's agreement with Scholastic is another step in our renewed effort to bring Davey and Goliath's message of God's love for children to 21st-century children and families. We are excited that Davey and Goliath's first major publishing agreement is with such a premier children's publishing company as Scholastic," said the Rev. Eric C. Shafer, director, ELCA Department for Communication.
Scholastic is a "wonderful partner, and with their commitment to quality, family-friendly content, they share our vision and will play a significant role in the current re-launch plans for the ELCA's Davey and Goliath property," said Mark Bannon, president and CEO, Animation Content, LLC., East Granby, Conn. Earlier this year the ELCA and Animation Content entered into an agreement to garner more visibility for Davey and Goliath and help secure its return to television.
"We are delighted with this development in conjunction with several other initiatives that are currently under way for the re-release of the classic animated episodes, and the release of the new modern-day Davey and Goliath animated holiday special, 'Davey and Goliath's Snowboard Christmas.' These important developments, along with other licensing and merchandising efforts, will help ensure that children and families today have the opportunity to be exposed to these lovable characters and timeless value-based messages," Bannon said.
"Scholastic is thrilled to be bringing Davey and Goliath storybooks and color/activity books to a new generation of young readers," said Craig Walker, vice president and editorial director, Scholastic Children's Books, New York. "The stories and themes of the television shows are very positive and the emphasis on good family and community values makes them perfect for Scholastic," Walker said.
Scholastic is working to publish two storybooks and two coloring/activity books, said Walker. "The storybooks are what we call 'paper-over-board' books, which means hardcover without jackets. The coloring/activity books have line-drawing coloring pages, each with an additional bound-in feature. Right now we are thinking that one coloring book will have an iron-on image for use on T-shirts and more. Another will have either four-color stickers or a decorative magnet," Walker said.
News and information about Davey and Goliath are available on the Internet at http://www.daveyandgoliath.org -- the official Davey and Goliath Web site maintained by the ELCA.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
- - -
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
