Green eggs and ham always have been a childhood literary delicacy. Now, they are headed into the toy bin.
Culver City-based Small World Kids Inc. has signed a licensing deal to develop Dr. Seuss-branded toys for infants and preschoolers.
Toys associated with Dr. Seuss-themed movies have previously been distributed under licensing arrangements with movie studios such as the hit Jim Carrey movie “The Grinch” but La Jolla-based Dr. Seuss Enterprises LP currently has no such relationships.
The new deal will put toys based on various popular Dr. Seuss works on the shelves. Among the toys expected: a Green Eggs and Ham dinnerware set; a 1 Fish, 2 Fish puzzle, and a plush Horton.
Recently, toys have been a notable vacancy in the Dr. Seuss product line-up, which includes about 30 licenses for everything from jewelry to T-shirts to school supplies.
Susan Brandt, an executive vice president at Dr. Seuss Enterprises, said the firm was selective about which toy company it secured for fear that a large entity would slap Dr. Seuss characters on retread products.
“We hadn’t found the right fit to have a master toy company. I needed to have someone that had overarching vision to create a number of different lines,” she said. “We want to make sure we take the time to make the products right.”
Small World has made a name for itself with toys based on literary works. The company has agreements to produce toys associated with “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” author Eric Carle and “A Potty for Me! ” author Karen Katz.