New Licensing Agent For ‘Love You Forever’

New Licensing Agent for ‘Love You Forever’

Licensing Works! is the new licensing agency for Love You Forever, supporting illustrator Sheila McGraw in her efforts to extend the brand—based on the book written by Robert Munsch and first published by Firefly Books in 1986—into products for young children and adults.

“We seek out truly timeless, universally recognizable brands that are relatable to all demographics,” said Licensing Works! founder Leslie Levine. “What’s more relatable than watching your children grow up, leave the nest, and have families of their own? This beautiful full-circle story is about parenting and the responsibility that entails, as the parent and later as the grown children, and about unconditional love.” Levine noted that the book is a perennial bestseller, almost always ranking in the top five on the children’s classics list on Amazon, with about a million copies still sold each year and more than 39 million over the life of the property.

McGraw has offered products online and forged a 2022 collaboration with rapper Drake and Nike for a limited-edition pair of sneakers, as part of the promotional activity for Drake’s album Certified Loverboy. The shoes came packaged with a custom limited-edition version of the book that included a Nike Swoosh on the cover and a dedication from Drake to his mother.

McGraw exhibited at the Licensing Expo in both 2023 and 2025 and attended the ABC Show (for infant and toddler products) in 2024. “At all of these shows, I encountered loads of optimism and enthusiasm from makers of various products to license the Love You Forever brand,” she said. “These positive encounters were certainly ego boosters. However, the follow-up was crucial and often daunting. I don’t recall the exact moment I realized I needed an agent, but when I was faced with both the contractual and legal aspects of licensing my brand, it was a scary thing to realize I was completely out of my depth. Fortunately Licensing Works! has taken up the challenge.” McGraw noted that Licensing Works!’ representation of literary properties, including The Little Prince, Kewpie, Fun with Spot, and Tarzan, was also attractive.

The Licensing Works! team and McGraw connected at Licensing Expo this past May. “I was very intrigued,” Levine said. “I was super curious about the way Drake had teamed with the Love You Forever brand on a Nike sneaker line, which I thought was an amazing tap into the book’s nostalgia. I was also impressed with all that Sheila had done to date to protect the trademark.”

The book will celebrate its 40th anniversary in October 2026, and that will be the hook for the launch of the licensed products. The merchandise will be inspired by the relationships, memories, and milestones between parents and children that the book evokes. One of the first deals to be announced will be with a fabric and wallpaper partner for a full room treatment under the World of Love You Forever umbrella, with designs inspired by the book.

Other categories will include baby shower and baby gifts, keepsakes, nursery decor, infant and toddler apparel and accessories, health and beauty, jewelry, and seasonal gift-giving for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, Grandparents’ Day, graduations, adoptions, and other milestones.

The Drake and Nike collaboration also continues with the late 2024 launch of the I Love You Forever sneakers in three colors: purple, yellow, and pink for Valentine’s Day.

See this article on: PublishersWeekly.com