Nosy Crow's Blog, page 139

The verdict on last night’s Nosy Crow Illustrator Salon with Axel Scheffler

Axel Scheffler signs books at the end of yesterday’s Nosy Crow Illustrator Salon

Last night Kate and I returned to The Book Club in Shoreditch for the second edition of the Nosy Crow Illustrator Salon – featuring special guest Axel Scheffler, best-selling illustrator of modern picture book classics including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Stick Man, and A Squash and a Squeeze, as well as Nosy Crow’s Pip and Posy series, Flip Flap books, and The Grunts series.

It was another fantastically interesting evening – giving a fascinating and unique insight into the life and work of the UK’s best-selling illustrator. Axel spoke brilliantly on a whole range of subjects – his career to date, from some his earliest childhood drawings through to his extraordinary partnership with Julia Donaldson; the artists that he admires; the ways in which his work has changed and evolved over the years; the differences that he’s observed in children’s book markets around the world, and more. And he also brought along some of his sketchbooks, which offered an incredible demonstration of how he has created some of his most beloved characters, from initial drawings to finished artwork.

I though that it was particularly interesting to see how the evening differed to our previous Salon, with Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam illustrator Steven Lenton – Steven produces all of his finished illustration work digitally, whereas Axel still uses physical material to create all of his artwork, resulting in different creative processes, different styles and techniques, a different set of inspirations… and different challenges.

The long signing queue at the end of the evening seemed to be a sign that our audience enjoyed the Salon as much as I did – and here’s what some of those who’d been there had to say on Twitter:

@NosyCrow @NosyCrowBooks @tombonnick Thank you so much for letting us meet such a great man .We really enjoyed it. pic.twitter.com/FcJXaSGvGC

— Jo Byatt (@JoanneByatt1) January 12, 2016

Thanks @NosyCrow @NosyCrowBooks for an interesting and insightful illustrator salon with Axel Scheffler last night. pic.twitter.com/d0FwLqr6OC — VLH (@_victoriahaslam) January 12, 2016

Tonight I went to see #axelscheffler do a talk for @nosycrowbooks. What a talented illustrator!… https://t.co/XxkFC4qXVi

— Danikuzzi (@Danikuzzi) January 11, 2016

Splendid turnout for @NosyCrowBooks‘ Illustrator Salon- w Axel Scheffler! -downstairs in atmospheric @TheBookClubEC2 pic.twitter.com/u05sKSE5QQ — ImogenRussellWill (@ImogenRW) January 11, 2016

@NosyCrow Really enjoyed this evenings Illustrator Salon with Axel Scheffler. Thanks. pic.twitter.com/DM1xLf4cSF

— Fiona Lumbers (@fionalumbers) January 11, 2016

Had a wonderful evening listening to the incredible Axel Scheffler @NosyCrow illustrator salon :) — Nutshell Studios (@nutshellstudio1) January 11, 2016

thank you @tombonnick and kate @NosyCrow for another great event. Thoroughly enjoyed this evening’s salon with Axel Scheffler.

— Kate Poels (@KatePoelsAuthor) January 11, 2016

@NosyCrow thank you for a great night, loved getting a peek at Axel’s sketchbooks

The next Nosy Crow Reading Group is almost here – we’re discussing Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill

The Nosy Crow Reading Group will be back next week for its first meeting of 2016, and we’ll be discussing Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill – winner of the 2015 Kate Greenaway Medal, and our reading group’s first illustrated non-fiction title.

As usual, we have a few questions prepared for discussion – here’s some of what we might talk about on the evening:

How successfully do you think Shackleton’s Journey integrates text and illustration?
How well do you think Grill balances narrative and non-fiction elements of the book?
Who do you think this book is “for”? How child-friendly do you think it is?

We’ll be meeting on Wednesday, January 20 at 6.30pm, here at the Nosy Crow offices – 10a Lant Street, London, SE1 1QR – for a discussion of the book (along with wine and crisps).  The group is currently fully booked, but if you’d like to add your name to our waiting list, you can do so with the form below (or at this page), and we’ll notify you if a place opens up.

You can order the book online here – and you can find a gallery of William Grill’s artwork from the book here.

We hope to see you next week!

We’ve released the final few tickets for the upcoming Nosy Crow Illustrator Salon with Axel Scheffler

The second edition of the Nosy Crow Illustrator Salon is taking place on Monday, featuring special guest Axel Scheffler, best-selling illustrator of modern picture book classics including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Stick Man, and A Squash and a Squeeze, as well as Nosy Crow’s Pip and Posy series, Flip Flap books, and The Grunts series – and we’ve just released a final few tickets, so if you haven’t been able to get one before, now’s your chance!

The Salon will be returning to The Book Club, in Shoreditch – doors will open at 6.30pm for drinks and conversation, and the main event will begin at 7.00pm. Once again our host and salonnière for the evening will be Nosy Crow’s founder and managing director, Kate Wilson, and after an interview with Axel, there’ll be a Q&A with the audience, followed by a book signing and drinks.

Advance booking is absolutely essential if you’d like one of these last few places – and you can save money on a signed copy of any of Axel’s books by buying one now with your ticket! General admission costs just £7. £11 will include entry to the salon, PLUS a signed paperback copy of any Pip and Posy book, or for £13 you can get either a signed hardback copy of any Pip and Posy book, or a signed Flip Flap board book. You’ll also be able to buy copies of any of Axel’s books on the night itself.

You can book your place with the form below, or at this page.

If you don’t want to miss out on any of our future Nosy Crow Illustrator Salon events, sign up to our mailing list below.

We hope to see you there!



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Science and Wonder: a guest post by The Many Worlds of Albie Bright author Christopher Edge

Today’s guest post is by Christopher Edge, author of the Twelve Minutes to Midnight trilogy, on the inspiration behind his newest book, The Many Worlds of Albie Bright.

The Many Worlds of Albie Bright was inspired by quantum physics, specifically the Many Worlds Interpretation of parallel universes. This concept is brilliantly explained at the 2 minutes 45 seconds mark in the video below by MinutePhysics. (Check out the MinutePhysics YouTube channel for more ace explanations of physics-related topics from filmmaker Henry Reich.)

The idea of parallel worlds is a staple of children’s fiction from the world of Narnia to the multiverse explored in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. I recently created a list of my Top 10 parallel universes in fiction for the Guardian Children’s Books website and you can find this here. As I say in the article, what’s beautiful to me about the idea of parallel worlds is the fact that science suggests that they might actually exist. As storytellers we no longer have to climb through the wardrobe to take our readers into parallel universes, but can use science to show how these worlds could be real.

Both science and fiction help us to make sense of the world, with all its wonder and possibilities as well as its inevitable pain. Scientists such as Professor Brian Cox have used their expertise to popularize science using TV and radio programmes to help audiences in their millions understand more about the incredible Universe we live in. Professor Cox has been quoted as saying, “Science is too important not to be part of popular culture” and I believe children’s books have a role to play here too.

It was important to me that all the scientific concepts mentioned in The Many Worlds of Albie Bright are real and accurately described, so I had the manuscript checked and approved by a friend who’s a Professor of Particle Physics and also works at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. I hope this scientific authenticity might encourage a reluctant reader or someone who’s maybe stuck in the non-fiction section to pick up a novel for the first time.

Other children’s writers have used science as a jumping off point to create exciting plots and wondrous stories. In his high-octane Itch series, Simon Mayo tells the story of Itchingham Lofte, an ordinary 14-year-old boy whose quest to collect all the elements in the periodic table pitches him into perilous adventures. Collaborating with her father, the famous physicist Stephen Hawking, Lucy Hawking has authored several books including George and the Big Bang, using fiction to explore theories about the birth of the Universe. And in this article in The Guardian, the author Tim Lott writes about the inspiration that can be found in science and how this helped to inspire his novel How to Be Invisible.

Science explores the big questions about life, the universe and everything – the same questions that can underpin the very best fiction. Why are we here? What makes us human? What comes next? Science can help to create a real sense of wonder. A gift for storytellers.

To celebrate the publication of The Many Worlds of Albie Bright on the 14 January. I’m running a Twitter giveaway to win a signed copy of the book. All you’ve got to do is #ScienceUpABook in a tweet. This can be a picture book, a children’s or YA novel, a classic text or even a comic book – all you’ve got to do is add some science to the title! Here’s a few suggestions to get you started:

The Rationally-Explained Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

Pipette Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Tabby McTat meets Schrödinger’s cat by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

The Ragged Trousered Paleontologists by Robert Tressell

Hubble by Non Pratt

Don’t forget you need to include the hashtags #ScienceUpABook and #AlbieBright in your tweets for a chance of winning a signed copy of the book. The winner will be chosen at 11am on 12/01/16. Good luck!

Thank you, Christopher! The Many Worlds of Albie Bright will be out in one week’s time – you can buy the book online here, and read the opening chapter below.

Come and work for Nosy Crow: we’re looking for a Senior Designer for maternity cover

We have a fantastic opportunity for a highly creative, talented, hardworking and bright Senior Designer to join our design team for maternity cover (to begin on March 1st 2016), looking after part of our incredible, award-winning picture book and novelty list.

Ideally this is a full-time role and the successful applicant will be based in the London office of Nosy Crow in Borough (near London Bridge, Borough and Southwark tube stations, and 15 minutes’ walk from Waterloo). We would consider an exceptional candidate who was not able to work full-time, but we’re looking for an absolute minimum of 4 days per week in the Nosy Crow nest.

Candidates will have experience in children’s publishing, and ideally will have worked on both picture books and novelty titles. We are looking for someone who is bursting with ideas and creative energy.

Proficiency in Indesign, Photoshop and Illustrator programmes, excellent proven book design and typographic skills, and a love of children’s book illustration are essential, along with good written and spoken communication skills, and the ability to work to a deadline.

The successful candidate will manage illustrated book projects from initial layouts all the way through to production, supporting the illustrator or the author/illustrator throughout the creative process. The designer will report to the Head of Design but will work closely with other members of the Nosy Crow team, particularly the editorial staff, to produce child-focused, parent-friendly, high-quality books.

We are a small, close team here at The Crow’s Nest working in a friendly, highly creative and professional environment and we need a team player who is willing to muck in, particularly during busy times.

If you would like to apply for the role, please send a CV and application letter, along with digital samples of your design work, to Stephanie Amster via email (stephanie@nosycrow.com).

Candidates will have the right to live and work in the UK.

The closing date for applications is 31 January 2016 at midnight (UK time).

We’ve appointed Katherine Halligan as our new Head of Non-Fiction and Activity

Yesterday we announced that we’ve appointed Katherine Halligan (pictured above) as Head of Non-fiction and Activity publishing for Nosy Crow. She starts on 11 January 2016.

She’ll be working on our partnership publishing lists with the National Trust (which launches this month) and with the British Museum (we’ll publish one book this year, but the “proper” launch is in 2017), as well as developing Nosy Crow non-fiction and activity books quite separate from our partnership publishing.

I’ve worked with Katherine twice before. I hired her when I ran Macmillan Children’s Books for a rights role, but quickly saw that she had extraordinary passion for making illustrated books and so moved her to an editorial role in the Campbell Books team. She quickly demonstrated that my willingness to take a punt on her was well-placed. I was then able to hire her again when I was looking for an Editorial Director for picture books at Scholastic. In between, she was Senior Commissioning Editor for Picture Books at Simon and Schuster.

We want to make non-fiction and activity books that are truly child-focussed – informative and fun and engaging as well as looking lovely. Katherine’s experience of crafting stories and, given her novelty experience, of using the page to its fullest extent to communicate with children and these skills, combined with a set of aesthetic sensibilities that are close to our own, make us confident that she’ll be a great addition to the team at this time of extraordinary growth and change in the field of children’s non-fiction and activity publishing.

She said in a quote in The Bookseller, “I am thrilled to be joining the brilliant team at Nosy Crow, and to take part in the really exciting and innovative work they are doing. It will be an honour to collaborate with such great institutions as the British Museum and the National Trust. And I am enormously excited about working with the very best authors and illustrators — both established and new — to create a range of books that are beautiful and funny and, above all, completely child-centred and irresistibly engaging.”

Looking back at 2015: our fifth year of publishing

Five years ago, in January 2011, Nosy Crow published its first book, and the following month, we published our first app.

So we’re five years old!

It felt scary and daring and exciting to have started a publishing company.

But we were clear in what we wanted to do.

We wanted to create books and apps that were child-focussed: we always have in our minds the child or children at whom a particular book is aimed, not to limit its audience, but to make sure that we have a real reader in our heads when we are shaping, packaging and positioning anything we publish.

We wanted to create books and apps that were parent-friendly: we always have in our minds the adults – usually parents, sometimes teachers and librarians – that we are speaking to when we blog or use social media.

Five years on, it still feels a bit scary and daring and exciting, and we’ve published:

238 books
17 multimedia apps
96 straight eBooks
60 audio books (as part of our Stories Aloud free downloads initiative)
38 enhanced iBooks

 

Many of these books and apps have won prizes, and, as a business, we’ve won multiple industry awards and small or new business awards.

Our awards shelf today.

We finished 2015…

With a turnover of over £5 million. We are now the 15th biggest publisher of children’s/YA books in the UK, measured using Nielsen data based on sales to consumers out of bookshops. In 2015, £1 in every £100 spent on children’s books in the UK was spent on a Nosy Crow book. Our books aren’t only sold in the UK though: around half our sales come from outside the UK, and we’ve sold rights in 28 languages.
The winner of awards as diverse as the Blue Peter Best Story Award (for Pamela Butchart’s The Spy Who Loved School Dinners) and FutureBook’s Best Children’s Digital Book award (for our app, Snow White) to the Independent Publisher’s Guild’s Digital Marketing Award and Young Independent Publisher of the Year Award (for Tom Bonnick)
In contact with people. We relaunched our website, and had 250,000 unique users (up 10% on 2015) and 928,000 page views (up 8% on 2015) from pretty much every country in the world. We have 34,752 Twitter followers and 5,379 Facebook likes. We ran a programme of masterclasses for aspiring children’s book writers and launched a series of illustrator salons.
Having supplied hundreds of thousands of copies of Open Very Carefully to reception class children via Book Trust’s BookTime giving scheme
Donating £30,000 for WarChild after selling 6,000 copies of Refuge within 2 weeks of publication

 

Our awards shelves after five years of publishing

Catherine Stokes joins Nosy Crow as Head of Sales and Marketing in January 2015. Since then our Sales and Marketing team has grown to five people and our UK sales have increased by 58%.

Tom Bonnick and Kate Wilson at the IPG Awards in March 2015

Assembling the Nosy Crow stand at the Bologna Book Fair in March

Paula Harrison receives a Golden Egg to celebrate sales of one million copies of The Rescue Princesses books

Thomas Flintham and Pamela Butchart (right) with Katie Thistleton at a Hay Festival event celebration of the Blue Peter Book Awards in May

Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton at the launch of Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: The Cat Burglar, in July

Philip Ardagh signing copies of The Grunts at the Edinburgh Festival in August

Cupcakes for the Nosy Crow Masterclass in September

David Solomons at the Bath Children’s Literature Festival in September

Sam Usher and Irving Finkel researching Refuge at the British Museum in October

The Nosy Crow stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October

Nosy Crow staff exchanging Secret Santa presents at the office Christmas lunch in December

In 2016, we will publish 95 books, most of which will be simultaneously published as ebooks, and a handful of innovative multimedia apps. There are brilliant debuts; a household name or two; and many, many authors and illustrators whose work we’ve been nurturing since we started.

We’ll launch our first list with the National Trust, and our first book – a tie-in with the forthcoming blockbuster Sunken Cities exhibition – with The British Museum.

We couldn’t have done any of this without our authors, illustrators, paper-engineers and other creative collaborators, who are as talented and hardworking as they are fun to work with. We couldn’t have done it without the booksellers, online retailers, librarians and publishers outside the UK who have found our books and apps engaging and attractive and just right for the people they sell or lend books to. And we couldn’t have done it without every single person who’s bought or borrowed a book or app to share with a child, who, in turn, we hope has enjoyed that book or app as much as we’ve enjoyed making it.

Thank you.

Now we are five!

The books that we’re giving (and hoping to receive) this Christmas

In what’s becoming something of a yearly tradition, here are the books that some of us at Nosy Crow are giving (and hoping to receive!) this Christmas. It’s a list that seems to get longer every year – if you’ve left your Christmas shopping to the absolute last minute, there’s sure to be something here that will suit you!

 

Kate Wilson, Managing Director:

I have bought:

Olga Da Polga Treasury

Little Grey Rabbit Treasury

Judith Kerr Treasury

Blown Away

The Silly Book of Side-Splitting Stuff

The Anti-Boredom Book of Brilliant Things To Do

New Feast x 2

Nigel Slater’s Kitchen Diaries 3

Scotland: A History from Earliest Times

SPQR x 2

The Road to Little Dribbling

Complete Plays of Arthur Miller

Hemmingway in Love

How to be Both

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Away by Amy Bloom

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

Jerusalem – Ottolenghi

Cities for People by Jan Gehl

Kill Chain: Drones and the Rise of High-Tech Assassins

And this doesn’t include paperbacks bought for own teenagers as stocking fillers, which I’ve stashed away and forgotten.

And have bought Rob Biddulph print and a We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

 

 

Tom Bonnick, Business Development Manager and Commissioning Editor:

 

 

I’m giving…

MULTIPLE copies of Texts from Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg and the Neapolitan series by Elena Ferrante for various friends and relations

Something secret for my mum (who reads this blog)

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith for my dad (who doesn’t read this blog)

Bizzy Bear: Christmas Helper by Benji Davies and Can You Say it Too? Jingle! Jingle! by Sebastien Braun for my 18-month-old niece, who also doesn’t read this blog

 

And I’d like to receive…

A Manual for Cleaning women by Lucia Berlin

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

Wilful Disregard by Lena Andersson

 

Lynsey Walsh, Marketing Executive:

 

Books I’m giving – 

Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter to supportive sister

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari to friends facing a newly exciting 2016

Autobiography by Morrissey to Smiths loving housemate

List of the Lost by Morrissey to my enemies

 

Books I’m hoping to receive –

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

How to be Both by Ali Smith

The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante

Little Girl Lost by Drew Barrymore

 

Ola Gotkowska, Rights Manager:

 

I’m giving: 

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (ha!) to my dad, who got The Cuckoo’s Calling last year. Given Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling’s history of writing long series, I think I’ll be set for gifts for my dad for the next few years – score!

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August to my brother – it’s just the right balance of brilliant writing and crazy ideas, and definitely one of the best books that I’ve read this year.

 

And I’d like to receive: 

EVERYTHING, ALL THE BOOKS! But if that’s a bit excessive, I’ll settle for The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood, The Ecliptic by Benjamin Wood and A Modern Way to Eat by Anna Jones.

 

Catherine Stokes, Head of Sales and Marketing:

 

I have bought:

2 copies each of Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf and Polly and the Wolf Again

Railhead by Philip Reeve

Broadside: How we Regained the Ashes

An Eagle in the Snow: Morpurgo

The Churchill Factor: Boris Johnson

A Little Life

 

And I want:

Nigel Slater : Kitchen Diaries III

 

Ellie Corbett, Publishing Assistant:

 

I’ll be giving:

The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan for my dad

The Curious Map Book by Ashley Baynton-Williams for my little brother

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith for my granddad

(Mother and boyfriend both read the blog, so books for them must remain a secret…)

 

I’m hoping to receive:

A Secret History by Donna Tartt (after Tom and Ola were truly shocked and appalled that I hadn’t read it…)

 

Kirsty Stansfield, Head of Fiction:

 

Gifting:

An Island of Our Own by Sally Nicholls

The Door that Led to Where by Sally Gardner

The Glass Sentence by S E Grove

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

We are All Made of Molecules by Susan Nielsen

Hacked by Tracy Alexander

The Cay by Theodore Taylor

El Deafo by Cece Bell

Harry Potter Colouring Book

Lottery Boy by Michael Byrne

Fox Investigates: A Brush with Danger by Adam Frost

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

The Middle of Nowhere by Geraldine McCaughrean

Official Lego Ninjago Annual 2016

New Order by Kevin Cummins

 

And still the Xbox will win…

 

Requested:

The Wit and Wisdom of Gogglebox

 

Ed Bryan, Head of Apps Development: Creative:

 

We’ve got these for Tom, Matty and other kids in the family…

Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens

Revenge of the Giant Robot Chickens

Drawing Faces (Usborne Art Ideas)

Usborne: Gardening for Beginners

Altair Design Pattern Postcards

The Spooks Apprentice

Bear Grylls Collection

The Usborne Official Astronauts Handbook

Poo! A History of the World from the Bottom Up

Story of Dr Dolittle

Moomins Collection

Plus a few things that I’m not allowed to know about and a few that Gabrielle’s not allowed to know about.

 

 

Kitty Kennedy, Sales and Publicity Assistant:

 

I am giving:

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman to my mum. I read it completely by accident earlier this year and loved it. Ove reminds me quite a lot of my grandpa, so I think Mum will appreciate it too!

The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley and Noonday by Pat Barker for my dad. Dad can escape from the bleak and desolate stretch of coastline where we live, to the bleak and desolate stretch of coastline in The Loney – behold the power of fiction!

 

We’d love to hear the books that you’re giving (and hoping to receive) this Christmas – do let us know in the comments underneath this post!

 

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Win copies of Nosy Crow’s January books!

It’s time for our very first giveaway of our 2016 books! Stave off the post-holiday blues with one of our stellar January titles; try a great book from an established Nosy Crow favourite like Nicola O’Byrne, or go for a book on our brand new National Trust list! If you’re a resident of the UK or Ireland, then you could win any of the books below by subscribing to our Books Newsletter and sending us an email with the book you’d like to win!

 

We’ll be publishing the next book in Jannie Ho’s lovely Tiny Tabs series, Snuggle Puppy looks for the perfect hug!

Snuggle Puppy is looking for the perfect hug. The hedgehogs are too spiky, the worms are too wiggly, the rabbits are just too jumpy . . . will she ever find a hug that is just right?

A series of EXTREMELY cute animals lead you through this gentle story, with a very sweet and comforting ending. This charming little board book has chunky, very sturdy, tabs to push and pull, and is perfect for babies and toddlers aged one year and upwards.

[image error]You could also win the brand new board book edition of Penny Dale’s fantastic Dinosaur Rocket! This is the fourth book in Penny’s brilliant Dinosaur series, and follows the dinosaurs as they take one giant leap for dinosaurkind.

No longer content with building, or zooming, or even rescuing, the dinosaurs now have their sights set on something much, much bigger… The MOON! Join our fearsome friends as they prepare for their cosmic journey: is the rocket all ready? Will the launch go smoothly? Can they make it to the moon? Another fast and furious adventure for anyone who loves dinosaurs AND vehicles!

Here’s a look inside the book:



We’ll also be publishing Love, the newest addition to Emma Dodd’s stunning animal book series.

Join little rabbit and his mummy as they spend a glorious sunny day together in the meadow. Little rabbit finds love everywhere, but knows that a mummy’s love is always the best love of all.

This gorgeous book has lots of sparkly gold foil throughout, perfect for bringing a bit for festive glitter to the cold January days!

Here’s a look inside the book:



If you fancy a good fractured fairytale this January, why not go for The Last Book Before Bedtime – the latest book by wonderful award-winning author/illustrator Nicola O’Byrne.

Everyone knows that the very last story before bed is the best story of all. But the problem is, everyone wants to be in that very last story! A familiar fairy tale is turned topsy-turvy when Cinderella hijacks the story of The Three Little Pigs, then Little Red Riding Hood jumps in, adamant that her story is better because it’s full of danger. And then the Big Bad Wolf turns up too! But disaster strikes! Uh-oh! What will they do? The reader is still awake and needs a story! The characters make up their own story, of course, and one with enough funniness, romance, danger AND cake (obviously) to keep everyone happy.

More of an adventure than a storybook, this fantastic romp through the fairytale universe is bound to be the last book before bedtime time and time again!

Here’s a look inside the book:

Littleland: All Year Round is also up for grabs – now in paperback! This lovely book is the third in the Littleland series, and is beautifully illustrated by Marion Billet.

Loosely following the months of the year, this colourful, busy book follows the little ones as they take part in seasonal activities, from visiting the spring lambs to paddling on the beach to cooking for an autumn feast. Filled with images and references that all toddlers will identify with, and with lots to talk about, this title is domestic and familiar, and just perfect for sharing.

Here’s a look inside the book:

A brand new book from award-winning Pamela Butchart, and illustrated by the brilliant Gemma Correll, Pugly Bakes a Cake is The Great British Bake-Off meets Beethoven (1992 film, not 18th century composer).

Even a tiny pug can have a big dream! Pugly is going to bake the best cake ever! It’s going to have eggs and cream and spaghetti and EVERYTHING in it! Clem the cat thinks Pugly can’t do it, but Clive the goldfish knows he can. If only Pugly hadn’t got himself stuck in the catflap…

Here’s a look inside the book:



Another fantastic fiction title is out next month in the form of The Many Worlds of Albie Bright, by Christopher Edge, the author of the brilliant Twelve Minutes to Midnight trilogy.

When Albie’s mum dies, it’s natural he should wonder where she’s gone. His parents are both scientists and they usually have all the answers. Dad mutters something about Albie’s mum being alive and with them in a parallel universe. So Albie finds a box, his mum’s computer and a rotting banana, and sends himself through time and space to find her…

Here’s a look inside the book:

And finally, you can also get your hands on a copy of our very first National Trust title – the Complete Bird Spotter’s Kit! Written by Robyn Swift and illustrated by Mike Langman, this comprehensive kit is the perfect introduction to birdwatching for children aged 8–12!

Ideal for any budding birdwatchers, this backpack encourages children to get outside and spot birds in the wild! Children will be able to use their own binoculars, and then scribble down notes in their handy notebook. The spotter’s guide is packed with useful information about how to get started, as well as a comprehensive field guide section full of expert tips on how to identify a species when they’re out and about.

Here’s a look inside the spotter’s guide:



If you would like to win any one of the books on this list, all you have to do is subscribe to our books newsletter (if you’ve already subscribed you’re still eligible for this competition) and send an email to tom at nosycrow dot com with “Newsletter competition” in the subject line and the title of your chosen book, and your address, in the body of the email. So, if one of these books has caught your eye (we can only accept one entry per person), why not enter the draw – we’ll pick the winners right after Christmas. Good luck!

Behind the scenes with Goldilocks and Little Bear

It’s just under a month since the launch of Goldilocks and Little Bear, our sixth phenomenal fairytale app, and today we’ve got something great to share: a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the incredible music for the app.

The original score for Goldilocks and Little Bear was composed and produced by the amazing Steve Burke, and Steve has made a fascinating video showing how he made the wonderful music for the app – you can watch it at the top of this post.

Creating music for our apps requires a very particular set of skills. Each piece of music loops, for instance, because we can’t control how long a reader might spend in each scene. There are musical cues and responses that are triggered by particular bits of interactivity within the app, which have to be incorporated into the overall theme. There’s different instrumentation for each character, to create the right tone and atmosphere for the two parallel stories of Goldilocks and Little Bear. And above all, the music has to feel right for the story, needs to be child-friendly, and needs to sound wonderful.

Creating the music is one of the most complicated parts of producing the app, and Steve has done a FANTASTIC job – I think the music in Goldilocks and Little Bear is absolutely incredible.

If you’ve not come across the app yet, you can watch our beautiful stop-motion trailer for Goldilocks and Little Bear below:

 

 

You can download Goldilocks and Little Bear on the App Store here – and if you enjoy the app, we’d be incredibly grateful if you’d consider leaving a review!

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