Nosy Crow's Blog, page 85

International Women’s Day

Today is International Women’s Day.

International Women’s Day has been celebrated in many places around the world for over a century now. When I was young, though (admittedly long ago), it wasn’t a big thing, and I never celebrated it… and I am someone who was involved in the Women’s Movement of the late 80s and early 90s – I think it’s called second-wave feminism these days – pretty heavily.

So I, for one, am really happy to see that now people do know about it, and I think that we will all be particularly aware of it this year in the UK in the context of both the celebration of the UK centenary of women’s suffrage last month, and, more miserably, the outward ripples of the #MeToo campaign.

Nosy Crow’s thoughts about gender representation evolve all the time. We think harder now than we used to about the gender of animals in books. The (benign) dragon in The Knight Who Said No, for example, started off male but is now female. There are boys, albeit in the background, in our resolutely reading-for-pleasure mass-market series, Unicorn Academy.

Sometimes, though, we work on, and even commission books that have an explicitly feminist agenda.

This year, we published Make More Noise, an anthology that celebrates strong girls and women written by some of the best women writers in the UK: Emma Carroll, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Catherine Johnson, Ally Kennen, Patrice Lawrence, M.G. Leonard, Sally Nicholls, Ella Risbridger, Jeanne Willis and Katherine Woodfine. The title is taken from a speech by Emmeline Pankhurst, and we published it to coincide with the centenary of UK Women’s Suffrage in February. £1.00 from the sale of every book sold goes to Camfed, a charity dedicated to eradicating poverty in Africa through the education of females and the empowerment of young women. There’s a huge variety of stories in it, ranging from Sally Nicholls’ explicitly Suffragette-themed story, to Jeanne Willis’s real-life tale of a courageous woman explorer, and Kiran Milwood Hargrave’s fantastical, allegorical fairytale.

Here’s a look inside the book:

Buy the book.

And last week, we published Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook The World, written by Katherine Halligan and illustrated by Sarah Walsh. Divided into five sections, Believe and Lead, Imagine and Create, Help and Heal, Think and Solve, and  Hope and Overcome, it covers over two millennia of women’s achievement from around the world. Some, like Shirin Ebadi and Malala, are still alive and working. Others, like Joan of Arc, Sophie Scholl and Anne Frank, died too young, but not without making their mark on the world. Some, like Elizabeth 1, Empress Wu Zetian and Indira Gandhi, have complex stories of power and politics, and blood on their hands. We have chosen them not as perfect role models, but as examples of what women can be and girls can become. There are, of course, many anthologies of biographies of women – the zeitgeist is funny that way, and ours was a long time in the making. We think that, apart from the excellence of the design and the engaging age-appropriate quality of the writing (it’s for 9-12 year olds), another thing that sets our book apart is that, wherever possible, we have focussed on the childhoods of the women and girls we featured, because we think that that’s what our target readership would be most interested to know about: how those girls became those women.

Here’s a look inside the book:

Buy the book.

As publishers, we have a huge, and increasingly complex and nuanced, responsibility to represent gender, and gender equality, not least to help the girls who read our books become women who will embody all that is fought for and celebrated on International Women’s Day.

Read the opening chapters of The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge

Next month we’re absolutely thrilled to be publishing The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by multi-award-winning author Christopher Edge – a mind-bending mystery for 9+ readers combining cutting-edge science, gripping adventure and real heart, from the author of The Many Worlds of Albie Bright and The Jamie Drake Equation. And today we’re delighted to share a very first look inside the book – you can read the opening chapters below!

It’s Maisie’s birthday and she can’t wait to open her presents. She’s hoping for the things she needs to build her own nuclear reactor. But she wakes to an empty house and outside the front door is nothing but a terrifying, all-consuming blackness. Trapped in an ever-shifting reality, Maisie knows that she will have to use the laws of the universe and the love of her family to survive. And even that might not enough…

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

Pre-order the book.

You can watch our teaser trailer for the book at the top of this post – and we’ll have more Maisie Day exclusives to share over the coming weeks, so keep an eye on this blog!

There’s a Bear on my Chair on Milkshake

There’s a Bear on My Chair, written and illustrated by Ross Collins, was featured on Channel 5’s Milkshake last week – and you can watch the reading of the book on the Milkshake YouTube channel now!

The recipient of the inaugural Amnesty CILIP Honour, There’s a Bear on My Chair is a JOYOUSLY illustrated picture book, with a clever single rhyme echoing Dr Seuss – it’s perfect for sharing. For The Sunday Times, Nicolette Jones wrote of the book: “This stylish, Dr Seussian, laugh-together picture book delights in simple, scanning rhyme, funny lines, a surprise ending and Collins’s sure, comical draughtsmanship.”

Here’s a look inside the book:

Buy There’s a Bear on My Chair online.

Watch our new March Books video!

We’ve got some wonderful new books out this month – and a beautiful new video to showcase them all! You can watch our March Books video at the top of this post – and you can find out more about all of the new Nosy Crow books out this month here.

If you like the video, subscribe to our YouTube channel and you’ll be the first to find out about new content – including author Q&As, readings, live-drawings, and more.

Celebrating World Book Day with Nosy Crow

Nosy Crow authors and illustrators were out in full force to celebrate World Book Day yesterday – despite the weather!

The theme of this year’s World Book Day has been #ShareAStory – encouraging everyone to read with a child for 10 minutes a day. There are lots of resources available on the World Book Day website for everyone who’d like to take part – for parents, schools, bookshops and more.

On Wednesday, Pamela Butchart – author of The Baby Brother From Outer Space, one of this year’s World Book Day £1 books – met with First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon to discuss #ShareAStory – and here are some of the pictures!

And after battling the snow and making her way to London, yesterday Pamela made her way to Downing Street to celebrate World Book Day with fellow author Tom Fletcher (and Education Secretary Damian Hinds) – here’s a video showing some of what they got up to:

Today children’s authors @TomFletcher and @Pamela_Butchart came into Downing Street to celebrate #WorldBookDay by reading to children from Millbank Academy pic.twitter.com/jXljnKCVLL

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) March 1, 2018

“On #WorldBookDay we celebrate the joys of reading. As a child, my favourites included Swallows and Amazons as well as the adventures of Biggles. A good book will live with you forever and today, I want to encourage children everywhere to discover the books they’ll love.” – PM pic.twitter.com/3KZB2q8iU3

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) March 1, 2018

And we’ve also LOVED receiving your photos of World Book Day costumes featuring Nosy Crow characters.

Here’s a fantastic Lionel the Lion:

All ready for world book day! Spending the day at Southcott Lower school doing workshops with all years. Lionel and his props are coming with me! @NosyCrowBooks #lionelandthelionsshare #nosycrowbooks #schoolvisits #kidlitart #ChildrensBooks #WorldBookDay #WorldBookDay2018 pic.twitter.com/kJ4WevNgcP

— Lisa Sheehan (@Lisa_R_sheehan) March 1, 2018

Here’s an absolutely spot-on Princess Daisy:

This Princess Daisy costume has just melted my heart – THE DETAIL?!?! Just amazing, thank you Suzanne Gabb! @NosyCrow @NosyCrowBooks @sallyanne_s pic.twitter.com/knywDDUelG

— Steven Lenton (@StevenLenton) March 1, 2018

And here’s a whole class of Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sams!

❄️This ENTIRE CLASS of Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam characters is a pawfully heartwarming sight! @twickenhamprep @TraceyCorderoy you wonders! I LOVE Duchess the Poodle and Red Rocket

It’s World Book Day and our March Books have arrived!

Happy World Book Day! From today, you’ll be able to use your £1 World Book Day book token to grab a special, World Book Day story from Pamela Butchart and Thomas Flintham, a brand new and TOTALLY hilarious Izzy adventure: The Baby Brother From Outer Space!

When Haroon’s mum brings his baby brother into school, Izzy and her friends are ALARMED! The baby is clearly using mind control because the office ladies start squeaking and saying made-up words. He writes strange messages with his blocks and he REALLY LIKES SCHOOL DINNERS! But it’s when he’s caught speaking in an alien language on his ‘phone’ that they know. Haroon’s baby brother is from outer space and he’s trying to BEAM THEM ALL UP!!!

Find out more

It’s the first day of March, there’s lots of snow on the ground, and we’re all a-flurry to share our new March books with you! From novelty and activity books with fun interactive design, to picture books, chapter books and middle grade fiction, there’s something for everyone!

We’re so excited to publish two new titles in the award-winning Felt Flaps series today, illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius. Where’s Mrs Zebra? and Where’s Mr Dog? are wonderful, vibrant additions to the Felt Flaps family – five beautifully illustrated spreads show a series of friendly animals hiding behind bright felt flaps, and there’s a mirror on the final page! These are perfect books to share with very little ones. If you, like us, LOVE Ingela’s style, watch her interview with Kate Wilson, and get a sneak peek at an extra special book that’s due out in October, too!

A Bear is a Bear (except when he’s not) is in shops NOW! Written by Karl Newson, and with warm, humorous illustrations from fresh talent Anuska Allepuz, this is a funny, rhyming romp about an adorably baffled bear. When one sleepy bear wakes up early from his winter sleep, he’s confused. Is he a bird? Or a moose? A fox, perhaps? Or even a squirrel? No! He’s definitely a bear, and it’s time this bear went back to sleep…

Take a look inside:

Find out more

We’re incredibly proud to publish HerStory today – this beautiful work of non-fiction is all about educating and empowering, and features 50 women and girls who shook the world in their own unique ways. Superbly illustrated by Sarah Walsh and with words by Katherine Halligan, this collection is compelling, motivating and visually arresting in equal measure, and the perfect introduction to some of the amazing women who have shaped our world. The book features inspiring words from these women, the stories of their childhood, the challenges they faced and the changes they made in the world.

Here’s a sample of what’s inside:

Find out more

Happy book birthday to not one, but FOUR new books in collaboration with the National Trust!

There’s Look and Say What You See In the Town, the latest book in the Look and Say series, illustrated by Sebastien Braun. From fruit and vegetables at the market to flowers and birds in the snowy garden, this look-and-say book for little ones is a great way to start learning about nature around the town. The spot-and-find aspect is perfect for the youngest of readers to become absorbed in the fascinating nature details. What can you see down by the canal? Can you find the fox in the street at night-time? There’s so much to recognise in each landscape in this beautiful interactive book for the very young.

Take a look:

Find out more

We’ve published two books in a new Who’s Hiding Here? series with the National Trust, illustrated by Katherine McEwen. Who’s Hiding On The River? and Who’s Hiding On The Farm? are beautiful lift-the-flap books full of facts about nature… and full of fun too! Little ones can pore over the beautiful collaged pages and explore different habitats to find out lots of interesting facts about nature. This is the perfect introduction to the outdoors. With other 20 flaps in each book, all hiding an animal and a fun animal fact, there’s plenty to discover!

Nature Origami is out now – a stunning gift book where you can learn to make your very own origami creatures! Featuring enticing nature artwork from Clover Robin, alongside simple instructions to make 13 different origami animals and objects, plus an extract from a nature poem to compliment every creature. This book suits complete beginners as well as more experienced origami folders, with three difficulty levels. And there’s a handy QR code which will take you to a series of instructive how-to videos for each animal. You can watch the Duck one here!

Find out more

And there’s some fantastic new fiction out now, too!

We’re very pleased to publish Zoe’s Rescue Zoo: The Curious Kangaroo today – the latest instalment in the Zoe’s Rescue Zoo series, just right for new readers who are growing in confidence. Written by Amelia Cobb and illustrated by Sophy Williams, this book is filled with the cuddliest, cutest baby animals and is sure to delight you animal lovers everywhere – it’s perfect for fans of Holly Webb and Dick King Smith. 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!

Here’s a look inside:

Find out more

Max the Detective Cat: The Disappearing Diva is out NOW – the first book  in a new middle-grade mystery series, written by Sarah Todd Taylor and illustrated by Nicola Kinnear, with plenty of fun, drama and a vintage crime feel, too! Max, chief mouse-hunter at the Theatre Royal, is up to his whiskers in his first mystery. Max is a pampered cat, used to the finer things in life, until a fun mouse chase goes badly wrong and he finds himself scruffy and alone and hiding out at the Theatre Royal. It’s here that Max takes on his first case as a detective cat, and soon Max is trapped in a complicated web of crime, dashing over the rooftops of London in a race to catch a clever thief…

Here’s a look inside the book:

Find out more

And finally, from the author of Little Bits of Sky, S. E. Durrant, comes a beautifully told story of unorthodox families, grief, adolescence and running: Running On Empty. AJ’s grandfather has always been one to keep his unusual family together, so when he dies things start to unravel at the edges. Compelling and beautiful writing about family, loss, dreams and small pleasures, Running On Empty packs a real emotional punch.

Here’s a look inside:

Happy publication day and huge congratulations to all our wonderful authors and illustrators – and happy World Book Day!

Seven days of stories – Pamela Butchart on Blue Peter

To celebrate World Book Week, Pamela Butchart has created seven days of story challenges with Blue Peter – challenging children to write a short story every day in the lead up to World Book Day.

And you can watch her daily challenges on the Blue Peter website now!

Pamela – who won the Blue Peter Book Award in 2015 for The Spy Who Loved School Dinners, illustrated by Thomas Flintham – has created seven day’s worth of tips and challenges: a new writing challenge for every day, along with tips and resources to complete each challenge.

The daily challenges include writing using random words, making up a story about different pictures, writing a story about something you’ve eaten in the last week, and turning something you do everyday into a story – while the daily tips include using games and tools to write stories, using sound to write a story, make the ordinary EXTRAordinary, and finding inspiration in your lunchbox!

You can watch videos all of Pamela’s tips and challenges on the Blue Peter website here.

And here’s a look inside the latest book in the Baby Aliens series by Pamela and Thomas – The Phantom Lollipop Man:

Buy the book.

If you know someone who uses Pamela’s writing tips and challenges to create their own stories, we’d love to know how they get on!

Edgar and the Sausage Inspector is shortlisted for a 2018 Children’s Book Award!

The shortlists for the 2018 FCBG Children’s Book Awards (formerly known as the Red House Children’s Book Award) have been announced, and we’re delighted to see that Edgar and the Sausage Inspector, written and illustrated by Jan Fearnley, has been recognised in the Books for Younger Children category!

The Children’s Book Awards are the only national book award voted for entirely by children, and this year 93,000 votes were cast to create the shortlists.

And children nationwide are now invited to vote for their favourite of the ten shortlisted books – the deadline for online voting is Friday 18th May.

Here’s a look inside Edgar and the Sausage Inspector:

With a FANTASTICALLY funny text, beautiful artwork, and a stylish Paris setting (and an array of delectable food), this is a future classic in the making – witty, charming and with wonderful child appeal.

You can buy the book online here – and you can find out more about the awards shortlists, and how to vote, here.

The category winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in June – congratulations, Jan, and good luck!

 

“Your books have given me a lifeline!”

At Nosy Crow, we really, really pride ourselves on having a sense of our audience. We say that we publish child-focused, parent-friendly books for 0-12 year olds. We like to think that we have a child reader in mind for everything we publish, from acquisition, through editing and design, to publication.

But sometimes we are surprised.

We have, for example, been so delighted by the response that we’ve had from parents of children with learning disabilities, particularly parents of children with Down Syndrome, telling us how much their children love our apps. When we were making the apps, we can’t claim that we had in mind their particular appeal and value to children like Ines, but she was, and remains, one of the greatest fans of our apps, and that makes us hugely proud.

In 2016 and 2017, we published a number of books of colouring cards and envelopes, illustrated by Rebecca Jones: we thought that they’d appeal to children, but, from the beginning, they had strong adult appeal, and were praised by a number of influential members of the adult colouring blogging community.

Then, a week or so ago, we received this email:

“Hi

My dad is 89 and he has found a new lease of life colouring and sending the cards and envelopes designed by Rebecca.

He has asked if he can send one to her to say thank you.

This time last year he was so less motivated and constantly ill … the staff are amazed as we are.

Could you forward one to her if we send it to you?

Thank you.

Jim”

We of course said we’d be happy to send the card to Rebecca.

And today, the lovely card from Derek to Rebecca arrived!

This is what Derek said on the card:

“I entered a competition when I was in primary school. It was to design a poster for Hovis Bread. I came 3rd. Since then, I have painted on backcloths for amateur dramatics and folk singers [and] posters for flower folk festivals. I have painted on hardboard, paper, silk (natural and artificial). I thought when I had to spend my time lying in a bed in a nursing home that my painting days had gone, but I was wrong. Your books have given me a lifeline! Long may you continue. Regards, Derek.”

Jim sent us a photograph of Derek colouring in.

We absolutely love hearing stories from ANYONE who enjoys our books, but we found this particularly touching, and a reminder of the sometimes unexpected power of the work we do, and the sometimes unexpected reach that we have.

Nosy Crow is the only publisher included in the Sunday Times Lloyds SME Export Track 100

Today The Sunday Times confirmed that Nosy Crow is in the 4th annual Sunday Times Lloyds SME Export Track 100. Nosy Crow is the only publisher on the list and ranks at number 50. The full list will be published in the Business section of The Sunday Times on 25 February.

Based on data from 2016, Nosy Crow’s inclusion on the list was driven by exceptional international trading in that year, during which Nosy Crow’s international revenue grew by 98% year on year. This performance contributed to Nosy Crow being named Children’s Publisher of the Year both at the Nibbies and the Independent Publishing Awards.

Though the data is a year old, Nosy Crow has gone on to build its international business in 2017 and into 2018: 2017 saw an additional jump in revenue of 22%, and international export, co-edition and rights sales accounted for 59% of Nosy Crow’s 2017 revenue. Nosy Crow has now sold rights in 40 languages.

Nosy Crow will pick up the award for inclusion in the list at a dinner at the St Pancras Renaissance on Tuesday 1 May 2018.

Kate Wilson, Nosy Crow’s Managing Director, says:

“From its inception, exactly eight years ago yesterday, Nosy Crow has focussed on world, rather than local, markets. We have, with rare exceptions, insisted on buying world rights; we’ve tailored our products to fit as wide a range of markets as possible, including commissioning work from illustrators outside the UK; we’ve invested heavily in rights and key English-language sales (staff and travel); we’ve sourcing print outside the UK; and we’ve patiently built relationships with key partners while constantly expanding our range of customers and the countries with whom we do business. It’s great to have this recognition of our efforts from the Sunday Times Lloyds SME Export Track 100, and to represent the children’s publishing industry in the list.”

Cristina Feliu, Editorial Director of Planeta in Spain and a Nosy Crow co-edition customer, says:

“The Nosy Crow team works flexibly, listening our needs. A good co-edition requires serious organization: often it’s a complex process that needs intensive follow-up. Nosy Crow responds perfectly and provides us with the confidence and security we need.”

Lotta Lyssarides, Editorial Director of Alfabeta in Sweden and one of Nosy Crow’s co-edition and rights customers, says:

“The team puts a lot of effort into making the books ‘travel’ – make sense all over the world – at the same time as they are extremely successful in Britain. That, I know, is a very thin line to walk and you will have to be very clever to succeed. Which Nosy Crow is.”