Nosy Crow's Blog, page 67

Take a first look inside Little Bird Flies!

In January we’re absolutely delighted to be publishing Little Bird Flies – the first in a gripping, dramatic new series from much-loved author, Karen McCombie.

And today you can take a first look inside the new book!

Bridie lives on the remote Scottish island of Torrnish, the youngest of three sisters. Although she loves her island, with its wild seas and big skies, she guiltily nurses a secret dream of flight – to America and the freedom of the New World.

But her family are struggling under the spiteful oppression of the new Laird, and it seems that even some of the Laird’s own household are desperate to leave. When the Laird’s full cruelty becomes apparent, there’s no more time for daydreams as Bridie needs to help the people she loves escape to safety.

And here’s a look inside the book!

Little Bird Flies will be in shops in January  – you can find out more about the book here.

And if you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our book news, you can sign up to our books newsletter at this page, or with the form below, and you’ll never miss a thing:

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I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree is the Waterstones Children’s Gift of the Year

I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree: A Nature Poem For Every Day of the Year has been named the Waterstones Children’s Gift of the Year!

Earlier this month, Waterstones revealed their shortlist for their Book of the Year award – with I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree the only children’s title featured.

And today the winner of the Book of the Year award has been announced, along with the creation of a brand new category to celebrate I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree – Children’s Gift of the Year!

In their initial shortlist commendation for I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree, Waterstones said: “Now and again, books come along that realise the full potential of the medium. Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon and featuring poetry selected by Fiona Waters, I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree is a perfectly-realised fusion of nature, verse and illustration. Taking the simple concept of a poem for every day – some familiar, others treasures to be discovered – Preston-Gannon and Waters haves produced a breath-taking compendium of words and pictures that beg to be read and cherished. It’s a book that will be at the top of many of our own Christmas lists.”

Published in partnership with the National Trust, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon and with poetry collected by Fiona Waters, I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree is a lavishly illustrated collection of 366 nature poems – one for every day of the year. Filled with familiar favourites and new discoveries, this is a perfect book for children (and grown-ups!) to share together. And it’s also the most ambitious book that we’ve ever published at Nosy Crow: over three hundred fully-illustrated pages (the equivalent of ten picture books!) of poetry, in a beautiful and lavishly-produced hardback edition, and a stunning collection of material, spanning hundreds of years – from sonnets to haikus.

And we are extraordinarily proud and delighted to see the book championed by Waterstones in this way.

Here’s our trailer for the book:

And here’s a look inside I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree:

Buy the book from Waterstones.

Congratulations, Frann and Fiona!

Come and work for Nosy Crow!

The team at Nosy Crow is growing!

We currently have three exciting roles to fill across the company – we’re looking for a Sales Assistant, a Contracts Executive, and a Fiction Designer.

You can find out more about the Sales Assistant position here.

You can find out more about the Contracts Executive position here.

You can find out more about the Fiction Designer position here.

And we list of all of our vacancies here – keep this page bookmarked for news on any new positions.

The closing date for applications for all three roles is 11.00pm on 12 December 2018, and candidates must have the right to live and work in the UK.

Nosy Crow is an equal opportunities employer. We believe that employing a diverse workforce is an important factor in success and make recruiting decisions based on applicants’ experience and skills. We welcome applications from all members of society irrespective of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief.

Introducing the Nosy Crow Picture Book Subscription!

Today we’re delighted to launch the Nosy Crow Picture Book Subscription!

Receive a brand new hardback picture book every month for a year with our Nosy Crow Picture Book Subscription – it’s the perfect Christmas gift for book lovers everywhere, and a wonderful way to share reading with a child.

Each month’s book will be a brand new picture book title in hardback from Nosy Crow’s highly-acclaimed, award-winning picture book list – so there’ll be no risk of receiving a book you already own.

Get signed copies, exclusive early releases, and extra treats – with a saving of at least £56! AND you’ll receive a bonus thirteenth book as a birthday present – just make sure to let us know the birthday for your subscription recipient.

When you sign up you’ll also receive a welcome package – including a unique discount for other books from Nosy Crow, exclusive offers, and other treats!

When you purchase your book subscription we’ll send you an email with a few questions so that you can personalise your deliveries – you can choose when you’d like the subscription to start, which day of the month you’d like to receive your books, who you’d like the books addressed to, and the birthday of your recipient – they’ll receive some extra treats on their birthday!

You can find out more about the Nosy Crow Picture Book Subscription, and buy your subscription, here.

Nosy Crow snaps up two sensational titles from Catherine Bruton

Nosy Crow is delighted to announce the acquisition of two middle-grade standalone novels by Catherine Bruton. The first of these, No Ballet Shoes in Syria, will be published in the UK in June 2019.

Tom Bonnick bought world rights from Caroline Montgomery at Rupert Crew.

No Ballet Shoes in Syria tells the story of ten-year-old Aya, who has arrived in Britain with her mother and baby brother as refugees from Syria. When Aya stumbles across a local ballet class, the formidable dance teacher, Miss Helena, spots Aya’s exceptional natural talent and believes that she has the potential to earn a scholarship at the prestigious Royal Northern Ballet School. But at the same time, Aya and her family must fight to be allowed to remain in the country, to make a new home for themselves, and to find Aya’s father – separated from the rest of the family during the perilous journey from Syria. With a powerful and important message championing the rights of refugees, wonderfully authentic ballet detail, and beautiful, classic writing, this captivating story is filled with warmth.

The second title, Another Twist in the Tale, is a brilliant re-working of a Dickens classic – telling the story of Oliver Twist’s secret sister, Twill, and will publish in 2020.

Catherine Bruton comments: “I wanted to tell the story of a young Syrian asylum seeker: her life before and during the war in Aleppo, her flight from her war-torn country and struggle to make a new life in the UK. It was a difficult story to tell, and and I drew inspiration from the books that had an impact on me as a child: ‘When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit’, ‘The Silver Sword’ and ‘Ballet Shoes’, as well as real-life accounts of child refugees and their families. I hope it’s a story that will make young readers think about words like ‘refugee’ and ‘asylum seeker’ differently – to see the child behind the label, as a child with hopes and dreams  just like they have. Ultimately I hope it is a story of heartbreak – but also of hope.”

Tom Bonnick, Senior Commissioning Editor at Nosy Crow, comments: “I fell in love with No Ballet Shoes in Syria from the very first page. It is properly classic storytelling – the writing reminded me of Eva Ibbotson and Noel Streatfeild. And it is a truly special story – filled with kindness, heartbreak and beauty – and I’m delighted that Catherine has joined the Nosy Crow list.”

Black Friday offer from Nosy Crow

Tomorrow is Black Friday, and we’re in the mood to celebrate!

We’re sending our mailing list a special Black Friday deal. Want to know more? Make sure you are signed up to the mailing list below to receive the offer straight to your inbox.

You can stay up to date with all of our book news by signing up to our books newsletter at this page, or with the form below – you’ll never miss a thing!

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Ella on the Outside has won a North Somerset Teachers’ Book Award!

The winners of the 2018 North Somerset Teachers’ Book Awards were announced on Saturday, and we’re absolutely delighted that Ella on the Outside, by Cath Howe, was named the winner in the Moving On category!

A part of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, and founded by the ‘Just About Books’ teachers’ book group, the North Somerset Teachers’ Book Award was born out of a desire to celebrate the very best in children’s literature. And the ‘Moving On’ category is aimed at children who feel the need for a more challenging read, but are (perhaps) not ready for older teen/ YA fiction, and supporting them to find a satisfying read appropriate to this stage.

And we are thrilled to see Ella on the Outside celebrated!

A beautifully-written middle grade novel, with an incredibly authentic voice and hugely relatable characters, Ella on the Outside is a gripping story of secrets, lies and friendship. You can take a look inside the book below:

Buy the book.

And here’s a preview of the audiobook edition of Ella on the Outside, beautifully read by Louiza Patikas – you can listen to the first chapter below:

Buy the audiobook.

Congratulations, Cath!

I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree: A Nature Poem For Every Day Of The Year is on the 2018 Waterstones Book of the Year shortlist!

The shortlist for the 2018 Waterstones Book of the Year has been announced today, and we are unbelievably happy and proud that I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree: A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year has been recognised.

Published in partnership with the National Trust, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon and with poetry collected by Fiona Waters, I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree is a lavishly illustrated collection of 366 nature poems – one for every day of the year. Filled with familiar favourites and new discoveries, this is a perfect book for children (and grown-ups!) to share together. And it’s also the most ambitious book that we’ve ever published at Nosy Crow: over three hundred fully-illustrated pages (the equivalent of ten picture books!) of poetry, in a beautiful and lavishly-produced hardback edition, and a stunning collection of material, spanning hundreds of years – from sonnets to haikus.

And so we are so absolutely delighted to see the book celebrated in this way by Waterstones, as one of the very best books of the year.

You can find out more about the Waterstones Book of the Year shortlist here – and you can buy I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree from Waterstones here.

Here’s our trailer for the book:

And here’s a look inside I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree:

Buy the book.

The overall Waterstones Book of the Year will be announced at the end of the month – congratulations, Frann and Fiona, and good luck!

Four Nosy Crow titles nominated for the 2019 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Awards

The nomination lists for the 2019 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Awards have been published today, and we’re absolutely thrilled that four Nosy Crow books have been recognised for the prizes!

The CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are the UK’s oldest children’s book awards, and are judged solely by librarians. The CILIP Carnegie Medal is awarded for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people, and the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people.

This Zoo Is Not For You, written and illustrated by Ross Collins, has been nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.

Here’s a look inside the book:

Buy the book.

And The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day, by Christopher Edge, Running on Empty, by S.E. Durrant, and Ella on the Outside, by Cath Howe, have all been nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal!

Here’s a look inside Infinite Lives of Maisie Day:

Buy the book.

Here’s a look inside Running on Empty:

Buy the book.

Here’s a look inside Ella on the Outside:

Buy the book.

You can read more about the awards, and find the full nomination lists, here. The longlists for both the Greenaway and Carnegie Medals will be published in February, followed by the shortlists in March – and the overall winners of each award will be announced in June.

Congratulations, Ross, Christopher, Sue, and Cath – and good luck!

There are just a few days left to apply for a Rights Assistant role at Nosy Crow

A little while ago we announced that we were recruiting a Rights Assistant – and there are only a few days left to apply for the position: the deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday 4 November.

This is an exciting opportunity for a Rights Assistant to join our small and friendly team.

The Rights team consists of a Rights Manager, a Rights Executive and two Rights Assistants. Whilst the successful candidate will report to the Rights Manager, the role requires working closely with our Rights Executive assisting in selling to customers from specific territories including The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and Eastern Europe as well as contributing to the smooth running of the department.

Key responsibilities and tasks:

Pitching books to customers during appointments at key international book fairs
Creating rights appointment schedules, travel and accommodation for book fairs and sales trips
Sending out follow-up material after the fairs both digitally and in hard-copy form
Organising selling material for the Bologna and Frankfurt fairs
Maintaining accurately the rights database containing information on submissions, rejections and licences of our books
Coordinating the mail-out of foreign copies to authors, illustrators and their agents
Providing general administrative support required by the rights department
Providing general office administrative support

 

Key skills, characteristics and capabilities:

Perfect written and spoken English
Fluency in Spanish and ideally the ability to speak at least one other language in addition to English and Spanish
Excellent written and spoken communication skills
Strong organisational skills

Excellent attention to detail
The ability to multitask and prioritise tasks

The ability to work confidently under pressure

Initiative and the ability to work independently

Strong numeracy skills
Strong interest in children’s books

 

The successful candidate will have the right to live and work in the UK.

To apply, please email your CV, accompanied by a covering letter of no longer than 500 words, to Michela Pea (michela@nosycrow.com) with the subject heading Rights Assistant, telling us where you heard about the job.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 4 November at midnight (UK time).