Simon Cowell has introduced his son to the family business.
On Monday, the X Factor mogul, 60, announced that he has teamed up with Eric, 6, to create a children’s picture book series named WISHFITS about ‘acceptance and inclusivity,’ featuring magical creatures invented by the father-and-son duo.
Simon unveiled the project at the Hachette Global Showcase held at The Cambridge Theatre in London, revealing that their collaboration with publishing giant Hachette will see a portion of the profits go to charity.
Family matters: Simon Cowell, 60, has announced that he has teamed up with son Eric, 6, to create a children’s picture book series named WISHFITS about ‘acceptance and inclusivity’
‘WISHFIT’ is a world where some of the most unusual animals, ‘the WISHFITS’ exist, with the first book in the series set to be published in spring 2021.
The WISHFITS are magical and unusual creatures which have evolved in a weird and wonderful way, combining two different species to form hybrid animals with very distinct characteristics.
Some of them are part friendly, part fierce, others are both furry and scaly, but all of the creatures are all busy forming unusual friendships, learning life lessons, sharing adventures and having a fun and magical time together.
Just a few of the wonderful WISHFITS include the SNOG (snail/dog – the enthusiasm of a dog at the speed of a snail), the PEEP (pig/sheep) the CHUG (cheetah/slug – the slowest cat in the world), and the HIPPOROO (hippo/kangaroo).
Adorable! On Monday, the X Factor mogul revealed the picture book project which features a world of magical creatures invented by the father-and-son duo
Charitable project: Simon revealed that their collaboration with publishing giant Hachette will see a portion of the profits go to charity (Simon and Eric pictured in 2017)
Joining them are the CHIMPANPOO (chimpanzee/poodle), the POLARBAT (polarbear/bat), the CROCOPUSS (crocodile/cat), the SHIGER (sheep/tiger – the most nervous cat in the world), the SPIKEY (spider/donkey) and many, many more.
Explaining his passion for the family project, Simon said: ‘To be able to write a series of books with my son Eric has been magical. This idea was inspired 3 years ago by a very special friend of ours who runs a Children’s Hospice charity.
‘I told her one evening about some of the funny animals my son Eric and I would invent, starting with the Cog [Cat/Dog] and the Dat [Dog/Cat].
‘And how every evening the two of us would think of the most unlikely animal we would like to have as a pet.
‘We would come up with some very strange new animals and the naming of the animals was Eric’s favourite thing! She loved this idea so much she encouraged me to turn this into a book series.’
Giving back: ‘Two of the children’s charities I work closely with will benefit from profits of WISHFITS, Shooting Star Children’s Hospices and Together For Short Lives,’ said Simon
Explaining how the project came to fruition, the music boss said: ‘I met with an amazing company called Tongal who have a global community of creators. We loved the idea of thousands of creative people being part of the development of our idea.
‘The reaction, support and imagination we got back was truly inspiring and helped us to bring this to life.’
The father-of-one noted the importance of young children being inspired to develop their capacity to be inventive, and to be positively educated about diversity.
He said: ‘I really do believe it’s important to encourage kids creativity and imagination. I also believe kids have better ideas than most adults.
‘I hope these books will be fun for kids to read, and we will encourage them to come up with new animals for the books.
‘The books will tell how these unique friendships are formed and will celebrate individuality and positivity.
‘We will see how the strengths of these animals are in their differences and make the point we live in a World where inclusivity is so important.
‘And of course these animals will all have lots of fun on their magical adventures together!’
Simon added: ‘I am thrilled to be working with Hachette, an amazing publishing house. They shared our passion and enthusiasm from the moment we told them about WISHFITS.
‘Two of the children’s charities I work closely with will benefit from profits of WISHFITS, Shooting Star Children’s Hospices and Together For Short Lives.’
Magical: Explaining his passion for the family project, Simon said: ‘To be able to write a series of books with my son Eric has been magical’ (Eric, pictured in 2017)
Eric gave his opinion on the characters which he helped to create, saying: ‘My favourite WISHFITS right now are probably the Snog and Dat and Cog and the Chimpanpoo! I really hope that one day I can meet them all!’
Ruth Alltimes, Senior Publisher, Hachette Children’s Group, said: ‘Children are fascinated by the idea of mixing up two different things to create something new – it plays to their creativity and inventiveness.
‘And WISHFITS combines this fun-filled idea with themes of acceptance and inclusivity, as well as being a great way for children to learn about animals, nature and the environment.’
Entertainment mogul Simon and his son Eric will launch WISHFITS in spring 2021 with the publication of three picture-led children’s books, with four more to follow the next year.