Children’s book character snags One to Watch award at this year’s Licensing Expo.

MNS Creative’s character brand Whatif Monster is the winner of License Global’s One to Watch contest for new Licensing Expo exhibitors.

“License! Global is thrilled to award the One to Watch property at this year’s Licensing Expo to The Whatif Monster from MNS Creative,” says Steven Ekstract, group publisher, License! Global. “The Whatif Monster is a perfect example of creating a property that incorporates the imagination of early childhood combined with emotional storytelling to create a truly evergreen property.”

The Whatif Monster is a character in the children’s book Jonathan James and the Whatif Monster and is a small green creature that fills Jonathan’s head with worry and doubt. However, the book and the Whatif Monster aim to provide a message that will resonate with children and adults alike.

Created by author and illustrator Michelle Nelson-Schmidt, this is the company’s first time exhibiting at Licensing Expo and recently launched its first licensed products that includes headband headphones from Halo Acoustic Wear.

“I’m so overwhelmed right now–it took 15 years to get to this point and I couldn’t be more thrilled,” says Nelson-Schmidt. “I’d like to thank License! Global and Licensing Expo for this amazing opportunity to get my Whatif Monsters in front of as many children as possible by finding new partners to license my brand.”

MNS Creative was selected from among 45-plus submissions and four finalists for the top honor. Visit MNS Creative for yourself at Booth C103.

The other finalists include:

“Any one of our finalists could have easily won,” says Ekstract. “All of these brands offer wholly unique licensing opportunities in a range of categories that the judges and I found very exciting. I highly recommend you check them out while you’re here in Vegas.”