New York’s Scholastic Entertainment and French studio Gaumont are co-developing and co-producing Rocket Park, an animated preschool series featuring themes of inclusivity.

Rocket Park is based on the Scholastic books You Are Enough (2021) and upcoming title You Are Loved (2023) from writer Margaret O’Hair and illustrator Sofia Cardoso.

Like the books, the series is based on the real-life story of Sofia Sanchez (pictured), a 13-year-old actor with Down syndrome. Featuring 11-minute episodes, it will center on a group of four kids who help their community and show viewers how to appreciate differences. 

Amy Stephenson and Shane Langan (Becca’s Bunch) are showrunning on the project, with Scholastic Entertainment’s Iole Lucchese (president), Caitlin Friedman (SVP/GM) and Jef Kaminsky (VP of TV development) executive producing. For Gaumont, vice-CEOs Sidonie Dumas and Christophe Riandee and the US team of Nicolas Atlan (president), Terry Kalagian (EVP of creative content) and Michelle Sullivan (VP of creative development, animation and family) will also have EP credits.

This is the second collaboration between Scholastic and Gaumont, following up Stillwater for Apple TV+. This CG-animated preschool series launched in 2020 and picked up a Children’s Emmy Award earlier this week.

Scholastic Entertainment has significantly ramped up its slate this year, with more than 40 animated and live-action projects currently in the works. In August, the company partnered with LA studios Amblin TV and Solo One to co-produce Signs of Survival, a co-viewing series based on a Holocaust memoir of the same name.