GREENZYS Launches Exclusively at FAO Schwarz in Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- GREENZYS, an eco-friendly literary based children's brand that encompasses – books, plush toys, animated content and an interactive website, will be introduced to consumers on April 5, 2010, exclusively at FAO Schwarz New York and online through FAO.com and will be expanding to domestic and international retailers after the exclusive launch.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100201/LA46944)

The GREENZYS' characters, manufactured as plush toys by Kids Preferred, promote green living and teach eco-friendly practices to youngsters through heartwarming stories and endearing plush animal toys that are both environmentally safe and fun. Among the GREENZYS characters being introduced are Peat the Penguin, an ardent supporter of recycling, reusing and reducing waste; Yew Yew the Panda, who grows bamboo to prevent erosion and create oxygen; Willow the Elephant, who collects rainwater for her plants and uses her trunk as a water hose; and Violet the Giraffe, the ecological genius who teaches the GREENZYS how to reduce their carbon paw print in an effort to protect the environment.

GREENZYS are the creation of product designer Lisa Keyser who, along with GREENZYS co-founder Mark Lieber, shares a deep concern for the earth along with a love of animals.  Lieber, also founder of Rethink Entertainment & Media, has an impressive track record for creating, developing producing and distributing top quality branded entertainment and consumer product franchises.  The Simpsons, Barney, Maisy, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, X-Men, Sweet Valley High, Dragonball Z and The Tick are just some of the franchises Lieber has been associated with throughout his career.

"The GREENZYS are a fun and engaging way of involving young children in the daily activities of green living," says GREENZYS co-founder Lieber.  "We use the animal characters and their stories to reinforce the importance of green living practices such as conservation of natural resources, recycling, reusing and replanting. And if we're successful in entertaining and educating them simultaneously, then we cultivate these eco-friendly practices as habits that will sustain our children and our planet."

"I am very excited to see The GREENZYS come to life and bring Green Awareness to kids around the world.  The GREENZYS is a team of earth conscious animal characters who through fun and enlightening adventures will inform our kids on the positive effect that good green daily practices have on our planet," says GREENZYS Creator, Lisa Keyser.  "Populations are getting larger while the earth isn't getting more capacious, and we need to do a better job of reducing, preserving and conserving.  Every climate and region of the planet will represent new challenges and adventures for THE GREENZYS to thrive within."

Adam Newman is head of creative affairs for the GREENZYS, who oversaw the collaboration with the author, Creative Capers animation studio, and Curious Light web studio to create the content that's being used for all media outlets including literary, internet, mobile entertainment, and all digital formats.

The GREENZYS will also have an original theme song to be released next month.  It will be composed by Michael Orland, musical arranger and associate musical director of the series American Idol with lyrics by Adam Newman.  The GREENZYS song will be performed by 13 year old newcomer recording artist Samia Najimy Finnerty. Samia is the daughter of actress Kathy Najimy and lead singer of the Dan Band Dan Finnerty: popular from the films Old School and The Hangover and featured regularly on The Jay Leno Show. The song will accompany The GREENZYS Animated Video on Greenzys.com and will be the official music video for the brand.

The GREENZYS book is from acclaimed writer Danielle Mentzer, author of Plucked Duck, whose writing and development credits include the Emmy-award winning Santa Claus Brothers, Pink Panther & Pals and The Mouse and the Monster as well as the global hit series Sitting Ducks. Cris de Lara, an award-winning digital artist, illustrates the book series, which is published by DK Publishing.

Beth Richman, of Bluebird Media Consulting, served as an educational consultant for GREENZYS. Richman has previously worked with both Sesame Workshop and Scholastic Media on developing and designing curriculum-based entertainment properties for preschool and school-aged children.

In keeping with the eco friendly children's brand commitment to environmental conservation, a portion of every GREENZYS purchase will benefit the non-profit Environmental Media Association (www.ema-online.org), founded by Cindy and Alan Horn and Lyn and Norman Lear. EMA supporters have included, Gwyneth Paltrow, Maroon 5, Amy Smart, Cameron Diaz , Daryl Hannah, Ed Begley Jr., Nicole Richie, Ted Turner, Blythe Danner and numerous other celebrity/corporate environmentalists.

In a special promotion marking the 40th anniversary of the Earth Day celebration on April 22, 2010, each GREENZYS toy purchased between April 5 and December 31st will support the Arbor Day Foundation (www.arborday.org) by the planting of a tree in our nation's forests.  In addition to the hours of fun that the GREENZYS plush toys and stories give children, youngsters are also invited to go the GREENZYS website (www.greenzys.com) to receive a personalized digital certificate acknowledgement of their planted tree contribution from the specific GREENZY they've purchased.

There's also a GREENZYS pre-School TV series is in development.

To catch a first look at the GREENZYS, go to www.greenzys.com.  To follow GREENZYS on Twitter, please click here.  Become a fan on Facebook by clicking here.

About Rethink Entertainment & Media and MoonReef Designs

Rethink Entertainment & Media (www.rethinkent.com)  represents a new altruistic mind set in entertainment.  As a multi-faceted, award winning studio known for creating intellectual properties and collaborating with top talent on a multitude of projects spanning all forms of media, Rethink Entertainment & Media is committed to educating the world's children on environmental and ecological issues that will impact their lives and their future.  Rethink Entertainment & Media is known for bringing innovative creative ideas and proven entertaining concepts to content for all ages for all genres, formats, and mediums.  Rethink Entertainment & Media is based in Los Angeles.  MoonReef Designs (www.moonreef.com), founded by Lisa Keyser, is a design studio that creates hand painted works of art, digital designs and illustrations for various consumer products including tile, toys, stationary, textiles, giftware, and prints. Keyser is a mother of two children from New Jersey and is passionate about the environment and making it green as well as secure for future generations.  With this in mind, she created the GREENZYS characters.

Kids Preferred, LLC is an award-winning division of Kids Preferred, Inc., which was founded in 1983 and is one of the largest plush toy manufacturers in the U.S.  Known for its superior quality and unique designs, Kids Preferred, LLC serves the specialty, juvenile, gift, and better department store trade by distributing soft toys and gifts under its own brand, private label and licensed brands including amazing baby™, asthma & allergy friendly™, Between the Lions™, Classic Winnie the Pooh®, Elmer, The World of Eric Carle™,  Guess How Much I Love You™, Harley-Davidson®, Madeline™, Martha Speaks™, Pat the Bunny®,  Spot™ and The Snowman™.  The company is headquartered in East Windsor, NJ and has offices in New York City, Hong Kong and Shanghai.  For more information, contact Kids Preferred at 1-866-SOFT TOY (763-8869) or visit their website at www.kidspreferred.com.

SOURCE Rethink Entertainment & Media