Scholastic and Magic Light Pictures announce ZOG DAY,
Today Scholastic and Magic Light Pictures announced ZOG DAY, an annual celebration to mark the 15th anniversary of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s beloved dragon Zog. ZOG DAY will take place on Thursday 12th June.
ZOG DAY will celebrate Zog’s qualities as young and old will be encouraged to ‘Be More Zog’. Zog is a perfect and relatable role-model for pre-schoolers. Throughout his adventures, Zog faces life’s bumps and set-backs with positivity, perseverance, resilience and help from his friends. His stories are about the importance of caring, kindness, friendship, encouragement and teamwork.
Published by Alison Green Books (an imprint of Scholastic) in 2010, Zog follows keen (yet accident-prone) Zog through dragon school and his friendship with Princess Pearl before they meet a knight and the trio become The Flying Doctors. ZOG AND THE FLYING DOCTORS (2016) sees Zog, Pearl and Sir Gadabout help magical creatures throughout their fairy-tale world.
The books have been adapted into award-winning animated films by Magic Light which have premiered on Christmas Day to millions of viewers. Zog will continue to spread his wings in a brand-new preschool series from Magic Light, commissioned by BBC Children’s and Education. The animated comedy adventure series will comprise 52 x 11’ episodes for 4–6 year olds.
In June 2025, Julia Donaldson will launch ZOG DAY celebrations at Warwick Castle as the castle unveils their new Zog live show and trail activities. Bookshop and school activities will run throughout the week with ZOG DAY on Thursday 12th June.
The biggest Zog fans will be able to get their hands on a wide variety of celebratory merch this year, which will be available across a range of categories from clothing, gifting collectibles, chocolate from Cocoba, and a Fiery Fresh handwash from Carex. Several large retailers are listing apparel for this Spring/Summer season, including Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Tesco, Next and more.
Bookshops will blaze with orange as stores will be offered ZOG DAY packs including celebratory POS, activities and digital assets to mark the occasion with their customers. Families will be engaged through entertaining media, social competitions and brand partnerships.
Schools can access an exclusive free ZOG DAY event on Scholastic Schools Live starring Julia and Axel and will be offered ZOG DAY packs filled with resources, activities and gold star reward charts.
Over 4.5 million ZOG books have sold worldwide and he is the most popular character created by Julia and Axel after The Gruffalo. ZOG is published in 36 languages, most recently Icelandic. The films have been distributed to over 180 territories. As well as the animated films, Zog and his fairy-tale friends have inspired popular live stage-shows, the permanent attraction at Warwick Castle, outdoor trails and a wide array of bestselling consumer products including plush, apparel, dress-up, bedding, homeware, and more.
Commenting, Julia Donaldson said: “Zog has always been a favourite character of mine. He’s so keen and enthusiastic, and Axel’s glowing pictures make him very loveable. Zog faces a lot of bumps along the way but always bounces back – with help from Princess Pearl. I am happy to think that children are inspired by him and will enjoy celebrating ZOG DAY. I look forward to seeing Zog’s adventures continue.”
Axel Scheffler says: “I enjoy the freedom of drawing fairy-tale characters so the world of Zog is one of my favourites. Julia’s wonderful story is full of imagination but also real friendship and kindness. It has never been more important for people to be kind towards one another. Zog and his friends Princess Pearl and Sir Gadabout show us all the importance of friendship, togetherness and caring for others. I hope young and old enjoy ZOG DAY.”
Catherine Bell, MD at Scholastic UK, added: “15 years since Zog bang-crash-thump landed into our hearts, we are thrilled to see Julia and Axel’s dragon soar further with exciting animation and licensing news. ZOG DAY is a perfect opportunity to celebrate Zog’s qualities of kindness, caring, resilience and bravery. We look forward to working with our partners on this special day and to seeing families, bookshops and schools explore all the ways to ‘Be More Zog’.”
Michael Rose, Joint CEO at Magic Light continued: “It’s fantastic to see Zog flying into 2025 with lots of exciting activity for his 15th anniversary and the first ever Zog Day. We’re really looking forward to be encouraging fans to ‘Be more Zog’ as we continue to build the brand in the lead up to our new series launch in 2026.”
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are the UK’s number one picture book pair who have created many of the world’s best-loved characters and stories. Their latest book together, JONTY GENTOO: THE ADVENTURES OF A PENGUIN (Alison Green Books), was the UK’s number one bestselling picture book of 2024. TIDDLER was the 11th of their picture books adapted for film by Magic Light and it premiered on BBC One on Christmas Day 2024 to an audience of over 4.5 million.
