Nosy Crow's Blog, page 77
June 28, 2018
Bid for original, signed artwork by Axel Scheffler – and help raise money for charity
Last weekend, Pip and Posy illustrator Axel Scheffler took part in two fantastic live-drawing and storytelling sessions at the National Trust Children’s Literature Festival at Quarry Bank – and today, we’re very pleased to say that we’ll be auctioning some of the original artwork that Axel produced at each event, in aid of charity. There are eight different signed, dated original pieces available to bid on, featuring some of Axel’s best-known and most loved characters – including The Gruffalo and Pip and Posy – and all proceeds will go to Three Peas, a charity offering help and support to the thousands of people suffering and fleeing civil war in Syria and other war torn countries.
Here are each of the pieces being auctioned:
Each piece of artwork is a signed and dated original – if you’ve always wanted your own original illustration of The Gruffalo or Pip and Posy, here’s your chance!
The auction will run for 10 days, and end on Sunday July 8th at 5pm.
Please do bid generously for this hugely important cause – and good luck!
June 27, 2018
Take a look at the new books coming out in July!
We’ve got an amazing collection of new books coming out next month – with wonderful new novelty, picture books, illustrated fiction and middle grade in shops in July, there’s something for everyone. Summer is in full swing and we have some fantastic summer-reads – here’s what you can find from Nosy Crow in July:
The latest book in the Sing Along With Me! series, This is the Way We Go to School, will be out next month. These books are bright, slider board books which bursts with energy and cheering illustrations by Yu-hsuan Huang. Each book comes with five slider mechanisms, and both an instrumental and vocal version of the nursery rhyme – simply scan the QR code on the first page for little ones to listen and sing along!
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The much-anticipated next book in Jannie Ho’s ABC series will be in shops from July. Vehicle ABC is the fourth book in this series of fun first alphabet books for babies and toddlers – as well as first letter sounds to say out loud, there are bright pictures featuring lots of familiar vehicles to spot and talk about, providing hours of first-word fun! Have some friendly vehicle fun with this bold, stylish and sturdy ABC book for babies and toddlers.
Up next is the latest Make and Play book, Make and Play: Safari – the perfect summer activity book to entertain young readers and take them on a Safari adventure. In this innovative board book, children can assemble their very own 3D safari animals – featuring 20 unique and colourful creatures, such as lions, elephants and even a baby hippopotamus, the press-out pieces can be simply slotted together to create a bright safari scene. After putting the animals together, children can then sing a safari animal song and get creative with crafts, including cardboard binoculars, a bendy monkey toy and yummy animal cupcakes. Illustrated by Joey Chou.
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam’s latest adventure will be out next month, with The Missing Masterpiece – the delightful doggy duo are back in a picture book with action-packed comic detail and a fun, rhyming text. Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam have made it to the magical streets of Paris, baking a spectacular gingerbread Eiffel Tower for a VERY important art exhibition at ‘Galerie Bonbon’. But – quelle horreur! – a sneaky fox has made off across the Seine with the precious masterpiece. Will Shifty and Sam EVER catch the dastardly Cunningham Sly and dish up their tasty tower in time?
Written by Tracey Corderoy and Illustrated by Steven Lenton, this book is perfect for young readers.
Look inside:
A Goat Called Willow is publishing next month – the sixth book in a fantastic series of animal stories for younger readers by Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-shortlisted author Helen Peters, with beautiful black-and-white illustrations by Ellie Snowdon. Jasmine has secretly rescued a baby goat – she’s gorgeous, but she’s really naughty! Will her amazing antics persuade Jasmine’s parents to let her stay, or will Jasmine have to say goodbye to Willow forever? Beautifully written, with great heart and charming illustrations, this book will capture the hearts of children everywhere.
Look inside:
The latest book in Amelia Cobb’s Zoe’s Rescue Zoo series is almost here – Zoe’s rescue Zoo: The Super Sloth, illustrated by Sophy Williams. Zoe loves living at her uncle’s rescue zoo because there’s always something exciting going on. And Zoe also has an amazing secret… She can actually TALK to the animals! Zoe is super-excited to welcome a new animal to the zoo – a sleepy sloth called Sabina. But the little sloth is behaving very strangely … and it’s up to Zoe to find out what’s going on! Perfect for fans of Holly Webb, this fantastic series filled with the cuddliest, cutest baby animals will delight young animal lovers everywhere.
Look inside:
We’ll be publishing a beautiful new edition of Little Bits of Sky by S.E Durrant next month, with a striking new cover. It’s 1987 and Ira and Zac are being uprooted once again, this time to Skilly House, a home for social care children. Their lives over the next few years are beautifully realised amongst the antipathy of the authorities, the drama of the poll tax riots and the moments of peace and hope Ira finds at Skilly and further afield. This is a memorable and moving tale about growing up, making friends and finding a home. Nominated for the 2017 Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the UKLA Book Award and the Branford Boase Award, this is a moving debut from an exceptional talent.
And finally, Charli Howard’s Splash will be hitting the shelves in July! This is a hugely exciting debut, with a classic underdog story, a wonderfully relatable protagonist, and an important message of friendship, body positivity, and celebrating who you are. Molly is in her final year of primary school, with secret dreams of becoming an Olympic swimmer. Having always lived in the shadow of her manipulative friend, Chloe, Molly finally has the chance to compete in a regional swimming contest and define herself on her own terms. But with the pressure of fitting in, and the sudden arrival of her mysterious mum, will she give up on her dreams for a shot at popularity?
With praise from Jacqueline Wilson and an important message, this book is sure to make a splash this summer!
Look inside:
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June 26, 2018
Oh Me, Oh My, A Pie! is one of The Guardian’s best new picture books
Over the weekend The Guardian published their round-up of the best new children’s books – and we were delighted to see Oh Me, Oh My, A Pie!, written and illustrated by Jan Fearnley, included on the list!
Imogen Russell Williams writes: “Jan Fearnley deliciously subverts the ‘sharing-is-caring’ trope in the mouth-watering Oh Me, Oh My, A Pie!. When Grandma bakes a pie, it passes swiftly to a succession of thieves. With its piecrust-crisp scansion and a tinge of Hilaire Belloc, this is a delight to read aloud.”
You can read the full round-up here.
And here’s a look inside Oh Me, Oh My, A Pie! – a fantastically funny rhyming story:
June 25, 2018
Nosy Crow’s 40th Language
Last week we reached a rights milestone here at Nosy Crow – we sold our 40th language when we sold Vietnamese rights to HerStory.
As Kate tweeted, “In a way, 40 languages doesn’t feel like a lot, maybe, but you try naming 40 languages. It’s harder than it seems”.
Today, we sold Vietnamese rights to Herstory (https://t.co/OslWdirpXH). That’s the 40th language in which we’ve sold rights, if you count US English a separate language. In a way, 40 languages doesn’t feel a lot, maybe, but you try naming 40 languages. It’s harder than it seems.
— Nosy Crow (@NosyCrow) June 15, 2018
And this is why we have now invested in a scratch map to visualise each of the territories we are breaking into!
The more languages we sell, the smaller the pool of available territories, and the harder it is to sell to new ones. Whilst this Vietnamese deal might not hold the most weight financially, our excitement stems from knowing we are getting our titles translated into more languages, and therefore into more children’s hands! I feel incredibly lucky to watch, learn and contribute to the process of making a book international, and getting that book out into the world.
I am particularly happy about the fact that we sold our 40th language for HerStory, a book we have now sold to 12 territories (Czech Republic, France, Israel, Korea, The Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain EU, Spain SA, Ukraine, United States, Vietnam). As a book that explores diversity by celebrating women around the world, this title encapsulates not only the international outlook of the books that we create, but also the values that we hold as a company. This is something I think we are all particularly proud of.
In her blog post, In praise of “back office”, Kate wrote that “we have yet to sell rights in languages beginning with alphabetical letters beyond U”. Well, now we have! And I hope that in the future this too will be revised when we sell to the W, X, Y and Z’s of the world.
If you haven’t yet discovered HerStory, here’s a look inside the book:
June 22, 2018
There’s just over a week left to apply for a Senior Picture Book Editor position at Nosy Crow
A little while ago we announced that we were recruiting a Senior Picture Book Editor – and there’s just over a week left to apply for the position: the deadline for applications is Sunday, July 1st.
We’re looking for a creative, committed, talented and flexible Senior Picture Book Editor. Working closely with the Head of Picture Books and our excellent design team, you will be commissioning and project managing your own titles, as well as working with authors and illustrators that Nosy Crow is already proud to publish. You’ll be passionate about children’s books, with a good understanding of both the UK and international markets, and you’ll be committed to making high-quality, commercial titles that stand out from the crowd and have strong child-appeal.
At Nosy Crow, we are very proud of our editorial team and the quality of our books. We aim to make Nosy Crow an environment where editors truly thrive, where they can do their best work, where they are listened to, and where they feel part of the whole company and of our decision-making.
We want someone who can spot a text with potential at a hundred paces and then turn it into a GREAT text. We hope that you’re not afraid of a bit of writing – a creative spark would be great! – and are bursting with ideas for new titles. As this is a Senior Editor position, we also expect that you will have experience of working with agents as well as excellent author care skills. This job involves finding new talent, as well as working with experienced authors and artists; commissioning; and relationship management as well as making sure that words and pictures are combined on the page as meaningfully and beautifully as possible.
This is a full-time role, but, for the right candidate, we can be flexible. We’d want you to be in our office near London Bridge for at least three days per week.
For this role:
Candidates must have the right to live and work in the UK.
Please send a CV and cover letter to Louise Bolongaro (louise@nosycrow.com).
The closing date for application is 1 July at midnight.
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.
June 21, 2018
Take a first look inside Peter Pan – our second Nosy Crow Classic
This September we are incredibly proud to be publishing the second title in our Nosy Crow Classics collection: Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie, re-told in rhyme by Caryl Hart and illustrated by Sarah Warburton. And today, you can take a very first look inside the book.
Just like our first Nosy Crow Classic, The Velveteen Rabbit, our edition of Peter Pan will be a stunning physical object as well as a wonderful story: we’re publishing the book in a beautiful cloth hardback format, complete with a specially-foiled jacket, luxurious paper, and a ribbon marker.
With beautiful artwork by Sarah Warburton, and a wonderful new rhyming text by Caryl Hart, this new version of the classic tale is a perfect gift – a wonderful book to treasure and share, bringing an old favourite story to a new generation.
A digital preview does not even begin to do justice to the real thing, but here’s a look inside the book:
Peter Pan will be in shops in September – 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 with the form below.
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June 20, 2018
Signed copies of The Velveteen Rabbit now available to buy!
Signed copies of The Velveteen Rabbit, written by Margery Williams and beautifully illustrated for the first time by Sarah Massini, are now available to buy from the Nosy Crow shop!
The first book in our series of Nosy Crow Classics, our edition of this treasured classic is a truly incredibly book. Printed on creamy, heavy Munken paper, bound in intricately foil-stamped wibalin cloth, and jacketed with a beautifully foiled cover, this is a stunning object and a wonderful gift.
And we have a very limited number of copies signed by the illustrator, available for sale.
Using the original text by Margery Williams, revisited for a new generation with heartwarming illustrations from Sarah Massini, this beautiful book brings an old favourite to a new generation.
When the Velveteen Rabbit first arrives in the nursery, he is snubbed by the other toys. But the Rabbit soon makes friends with the Skin Horse who explains how toys can become “real”, if only they are loved enough.
The Velveteen Rabbit longs for this to happen until, one day, he finds that he is Boy’s very favourite toy. They play together through a long, golden summer and, even though Rabbit becomes shabbier and shabbier, he becomes “real” to the boy who loves him so much. The rabbits in the garden think otherwise – how can Rabbit be real when can’t leap and hop?
Here’s a look inside the book:
Buy a signed copy of the book.
June 19, 2018
Ella on the Outside is now available as an audiobook
Today we’re delighted to share a new audiobook edition of Ella on the Outside, the debut novel by Cath Howe – a beautifully-written middle grade novel, with an incredibly authentic voice, hugely relatable characters and relationships (with real psychological depth), and a gripping story with heart and warmth.
The book has had a fantastic response since publishing in April: Katherine Woodfine, author of The Clockwork Sparrow, called it “a perfectly pitched, thoughtful story with a big heart”, and Helen Peters, author of Evie’s Ghost, described it as “absolutely wonderful – totally gripping story, real, vivid, brilliantly drawn characters and relationships and thought-provoking too. I couldn’t put it down.”
Beautifully narrated by Louiza Patikas, you can buy the audiobook of Ella on the Outside from Audible, Amazon, and iTunes now.
Here’s a look inside the book:
June 16, 2018
Happy Independent Bookshop Week!
Today, to celebrate the start of Independent Bookshop Week, The Guardian have featured a supplement of the best new children’s books for the summer, reviewed by independent booksellers – and we were thrilled to see no less than seven Nosy Crow books included in the round-up!
Three novelty and board books are featured in the Books for Babies section. Of Animal ABC by Jannie Ho, the booksellers wrote: “This little board book provides a very first introduction for all toddlers to letter sounds and the alphabet sequence. Some of the animals to spot are a little more interesting than the usual suspects.”
Of Happy Birthday to You by Nicola Slater, booksellers wrote: “Four musician friends are travelling to a café to celebrate little otter’s birthday. Press the buttons and hear them play their different musical instruments, and join them for a rousing big band finale with a splendid light-up birthday cake ending. A perfect birthday present!”
And A Tiny Little Story: Farm, by Lisa Jones and Edward Underwood, was also featured – booksellers wrote: “A simple colour palette and a very short story (unusual, but welcome for a cloth book) help teach babies and toddlers animal sounds and early counting. Its crinkly pages and handle make it useful for the buggy as well as the cot. A beautifully illustrated baby present.”
Who’s Hiding on the River? by Katherine McEwen is featured in the Books for 3-5 year olds section – booksellers wrote: “Part of a series in collaboration with the National Trust, this informative lift-the-flap board book is just the thing for young intrepid explorers looking to learn more about the natural world this summer.”
The Rescue Princesses: The Enchanted Ruby by Paula Harrison is featured in the Books for 6-8 year olds section – booksellers wrote: “If you like the sound of adventurous princesses who rescue cute animals and throw a few ninja moves, then try this latest book in The Rescue Princesses series. Each book contains a mystery to be solved. My six-year-old loved it!” Here’s a look inside the book:
And two books are featured in the Books for 9+ year olds section! Of Herstory, written by Katherine Halligan and illustrated by Sarah Walsh, booksellers wrote: “A lush non-fiction collection with beautiful illustrations, photos and interesting facts. Herstory celebrates fearless women from all over the world, and is sure to inspire young girls and women.” Here’s a look inside the book:
And of Ella on the Outside, by Cath Howe, booksellers wrote: “A touching tale of a young girl called Ella navigating the unspoken rules of a new school, holding her secrets to herself. A well-written story about the importance of friendship and kindness.” Here’s a look inside the book:
Launched in 2006, Independent Bookshop Weeks runs from June 16 – 23, and is a celebration of independent bookshops nationwide, and the important part that indies play in their communities and the excellent, personal service they provide for customers. Hundreds of events and promotions will be taking place at independent bookshops around the country – you can find out more here, and you can find your nearest independent bookshop on the IBW website, here.
June 15, 2018
Neon Leon has won the Nottingham Children’s Book Award!
On Wednesday, we learnt that Evie’s Ghost had won the East Sussex Children’s Book Award – and yesterday, we were delighted to see another Nosy Crow book winning a regional award: Neon Leon, written by Jane Clarke and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup, received the 2018 Nottingham Children’s Book Award!
The Nottingham Children’s Book Award is now in its seventeenth year, having been launched in 2001, and since 2008 it has been targeted at pre-school children, aiming to get young children excited about reading.
Nottingham library staff and local school children whittled down the longlist to a shortlist of three, and between February and June library staff visited early-years settings to read the shortlisted books and ask children to vote for their favourite. Families were also encouraged to read the Book Award books together in the library and vote for their favourite, and over 5000 children took part in total.
And we’re absolutely thrilled to see Neon Leon win the prize!
Everyone knows that chameleons are the best at fitting in. But not Leon. Leon is NEON! In fact, he’s SO bright that he keeps all the other chameleons awake. Poor Leon is lonely, so off he goes in search of somewhere he can blend in.
In this delightful interactive book, filled with vibrant neon artwork, children can help Leon on his journey by counting his steps, suggesting colours for him to turn and giving him lots of reassurance when he’s feeling sad. But will he ever find a place to call home …?
Here’s a look inside Neon Leon:
Congratulations, Jane and Britta!
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