EXCLUSIVE: TVOKids greenlights a co-production from Big Bad Boo & Beakus about the joy of classic books that’s made to travel anywhere on (or off) the planet.
By Ryan Tuchow
February 9, 2026
Canada’s TVOKids has greenlit development on a new 2D-animated series called Alien Book Club, which is all about turning reading into a fun and educational adventure for kids.
The project is part of a co-production partnership between Big Bad Boo (The Bravest Knight, Galapagos X) and Beakus (Big Lizard, Yakka Dee!), which are also collaborating on S.TINK, another animated series concept in development.
Alien Book Club is a 39 x seven-minute series aiming to ignite an interest in classic books among kids ages four to six. In each episode, a librarian reads to a group of young aliens, who become part of the story and ultimately learn a life lesson. From Treasure Island, for example, the kids learn that greedy pirates who don’t share will lose their friends. Another script focusing on The Secret Garden teaches that friends and fresh air can help improve their mood.
“There is a galaxy of forgotten books available in libraries, a world of stories to enjoy and learn from, or be inspired by,” Beakus founder Steve Smith says. “And Alien Book Club presents a novel way to remind kids and parents of their value.”
Smith created Alien Book Club with writer Rachel Barnett-Jones (Pip and Posy) and Jemma Gross (Little Baby Bum). And he and Big Bad Boo’s co-founder Shabnam Rezaei are producing it together.
Kids are reading less these days, both in Canada and around the world, and this series was created to show that books can inspire them to imagine and think about what else stories have to offer—lessons that children, parents and buyers everywhere can connect with, says Smith.
“Encouraging reading from an early age is the best way to ensure better outcomes for kids—and what better way to do that than with adorable aliens who love to read books together!” says Kirsten Hurd, commissioning editor at TVOKids.
The series is budgeted at roughly US$3.6 million. The studios are also looking for broadcast partners for both Alien Book Club and S.TINK, which is a 26 x 11-minute adaptation of Jenny McLachlan’s Fairy vs Boy book series (HarperCollins). Aimed at six- to 12-year-olds, it’s about a 13-year-old who gets saddled with the world’s worst magical fairy (S. Tink), whose every effort to help ends in comedic mayhem.