KUALA LUMPUR: The award-winning Alif & Sofia animated series released its first licensed merchandise line yesterday in the form of a collection of books, titled Alif & Sofia My Prophet Series.
Launched in conjunction with Maulidur Rasul, the illustrated set of books showcase the creative collaboration between Primeworks Studios and Blindspot Studios, which also co-produces the popular computer-animated series, together with publisher Armoni Gold Mind.
The aim of the project is to tell compelling stories about the beloved Muslim prophets in a simple manner for parents to share with their children.
Primeworks Studios CEO Datuk Ahmad Izham Omar, said: "Alif & Sofia has a solid following among young parents looking for wholesome content for their pre-schoolers, an audience profile we observed on both of our social media and TV platforms."
"At this young age, reading books is a great way for parents to bond with their children and it is only natural to choose publishing as our first licensed merchandise line in Malaysia."
He added: "Prior to the Malaysian launch, we had a successful publishing run in the Indonesian market with the Ayo, Shalat! Augmented Reality book series, which was launched with the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale, Jakarta in March and sold out within the first few days of sales."
"It was a very exhilarating milestone to reach for the brand, especially since the animated series was relaunched less than a year ago in May 2019. We hope for the same encouraging response for the My Prophet Series from our avid fans," he said.
The first release in the My Prophet Series features the stories of four prophets; Nabi Sulaiman a.s. (and Queen Balqis), Nabi Nuh a.s. (and The Great Ship), Nabi Yunus a.s. (and The Whale) and Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. (and The Year of The Elephant).
These heroic stories, accompanied by colourful illustrations, are available in both Bahasa Malaysia and English.
A valuable addition to any home library, the series can make a perfect activity for young families to read together while staying home and safe during this global pandemic.
"We had a lot of fun curating and crafting these stories to make them relatable for young readers. We imagine an interactive reading session between the parents and kids as they flip through the pages to bring the heroic tales of the prophets and the Alif & Sofia characters to life.
"Aside from being a fun bonding activity, we hope this approach will foster the love of reading for the family while we weather through these uncertain times," said Blindspot Studios CEO Lukman Nulhakim Othman.
"Through the Alif & Sofia My Prophet Series, we also aim to introduce the courageous figures from the Islamic world to our young readers and inspire them to emulate the prophets' positive traits. God-willing, we will continue to expand the series into more titles in the coming months," he added.
Alif & Sofia My Prophet Series is available now on Shopee (kualitibooks) for RM23.60 for a set of four books or at RM5.90 each.
It will be making its way to physical book stores across the nation soon.
Alif & Sofia is a 3D-animated series made available on the YouTube platform featuring wholesome content for today's pre-schoolers.
The series revolves around siblings Alif, a curious 5-year-old who is constantly asking questions while his spunky 7-year-old sister Sofia does her best to guide and encourage them both to find answers together.
Watch new episodes of Alif & Sofia on the series' official YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/alifsofia, every Friday afternoon.