Dargaud Distribution, the sales arm of French producer Dargaud Marina and home to one of Europe’s largest animation catalogues, has signed TV deals for a series of eight animated television specials titled Childhood Stories. Italy’s RAI 3, Teletoon in France, Spain’s TV3 and NRK Norway have all committed to airing the films as Dargaud prepares to pursue further international sales at MIPCOM.

Aimed at a family audience, each 26-minute installment recreates a work from contemporary or classic literature. The books include Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper, Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, Michael Morpurgo’s The King of the Cloud Forest, Sempé’s Harold Pebble, Gerard Herzhaft’s Catfish Blues, Marie Desplechins’ Green, Anne Labbé’s Sun Horse and Marcel Aymé’s The Proverb.

Dargaud Distribution has worldwide rights to all eight Childhood Stories, produced by French animation companies Storimages and Les Films De L’Arlequin, which made four specials each. In addition to Dargaud Marina’s slate of shows, it handles the distribution for its recently acquired animation producer Ellipsanime, as well as third-party distribution for other leading independent producers.