New York City-based Scholastic has been named the new US master publisher for Ludorum’s preschool IP Chuggington.

The CGI train-centric series premiered in the US on Disney Channel in January and has already scored ratings success in the UK, France, Australia, Germany, Japan and Canada.

Scholastic now holds all US storybook and novelty rights for the Chuggington children’s books and will publish and deliver titles through all of its distribution channels.

The publishing program will consist of a variety of formats, including paperbacks, board books and novelty titles, targeting boys and girls ages two to six. The program is slated for a January 2011 retail launch with five publications, including one 8 x 8 paperback, one reader, a sticker storybook, an oversized board book with flaps, and one die-cut shaped board book. In April 2011, a second 8 x 8 paperback and a second reader will be released.

In other news, Scholastic is releasing the second book in a series of English-language special editions of Geronimo Stilton’s The Kingdom of Fantasy line in a continuation of a deal with Italy-based Atlantyca Entertainment, a cross media entertainment company.

Scholastic, which holds the English-language translation rights to the Geronimo Stilton children’s book series for distribution in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, will publish Geronimo Stilton Special Edition, The Quest for Paradise: The Return to the Kingdom of Fantasy in the US and Canada in October 2010.