Nosy Crow's Blog, page 95

The Pip and Posy BAMB bag!

Bookshop Day is fast approaching – and we’re delighted that this year’s children’s Books are my Bag design has been created by Pip and Posy illustrator Axel Scheffler!

A stack of these beautiful Pip and Posy tote bags has arrived at the Crow’s Nest – they are QUITE something. Here’s a look at the bag in all its glory:

Bookshop Day will take place on Saturday 7 October 2017 – and you can pick up your special Pip and Posy Books are My Bag tote in bookshops on the day!

We’ll also be running some special competitions to give away bags on Twitter, Facebook, and through our books newsletter – so make sure you’re subscribed!

A brand new book in the award-winning Can You Say It Too? series!

Next month we’re absolutely delighted to be publishing a brand new book in Sebastien Braun’s award-winning Can You Say It Too? series – Can You Say It Too? Stomp! Stomp! As all children know, very little children love to play ‘I-Spy’ – and they also adore making animal sounds. So a flap book in which they can spot a bit of a dinosaur, lift the flat to reveal the complete creature, and then make its noise is sure to be a winner!

Sturdy flaps and a simple text combine with friendly artwork in this fantastic first dinosaur book for children – it’s GREAT for sharing with babies and toddlers who are just starting to talk.

Here’s what to look for in shops:

Can You Say It Too? Stomp! Stomp! will be in shops in October – you can pre-order the book online now.

Take a look inside Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: Jingle Bells

Next month we’re delighted to be publishing the third young illustrated fiction title in the Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam series, written by Tracey Corderoy and illustrated by Steven Lenton – Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: Jingle Bells. Finished copies have just arrived in the Crow’s Nest and look FANTASTIC – and today you can take a first look inside the new book!

With three hilarious read-aloud stories, beautifully brought to life by Steven Lenton’s illustrations, this two-colour fiction format is PERFECT for children growing in confidence as readers and beginning to read alone.

Here’s a look inside the new book:

Pre-order the book online.

Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: Jingle Bells will be in shops in October – 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, and to hear about special competitions, giveaways, author events and more, sign up to our newsletter at this page, or with the form below.

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Nosy Crow snaps up 2016 United Agents Prize winning debut Kirsty Applebaum in a pre-empt

Nosy Crow is delighted to announce the acquisition of two books from debut writer, Kirsty Applebaum. The first of these, The Middler, won the 2016 United Agents Prize for Most Promising Writing for Young People, and will be published in 2019.

The Middler is a gripping story for 9-12 year-olds of forbidden friendship, loyalty and betrayal set in a near-future world.

Kirsty Applebaum is a recent graduate of the MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University, and lives in Winchester with her family.

Kirsty Stansfield says: ‘The quality of the writing is superb. I was immediately drawn into Maggie’s world and wanted to know all about her, and the quiet menace underpinning everything.”

Kate Wilson says: “It had me at the first page – such a great voice! It’s unusual to find such perfectly-pitched middle-grade fiction, and I think it has real international potential.”

Kirsty Applebaum says: “It’s been quite a summer! My fabulous agent, Nancy Miles, secured a deal with Nosy Crow and found the perfect home for The Middler. The whole team has embraced the world of the book and they all love Maggie, Jed and Trig as much as I do. I’m very excited to be working with such a friendly, energetic and innovative publisher.”

Nancy Miles says: “When I read the first three lines of The Middler, I knew I’d found something special. I also knew we’d found the right home for Kirsty and her debut when the team at Nosy Crow leapt into action within 48 hours of submission with wholesale, cross company excitement and a clear publishing vision for Maggie and her world.”

Sign up to our newsletter at this page or with the form below, and you’ll be the first to receive updates on The Middler, including exclusive chapter previews, a cover reveal, interviews, proof copy giveaways, and more.

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Watch our new September 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 September 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.

Two Nosy Crow books shortlisted for the North Somerset Teachers’ Book Awards!

The shortlists for the North Somerset Teachers’ Book Awards have been announced, and we’re delighted to see that two Nosy Crow books have been recognised!

Founded by the Just About Books teachers’ book group, and judged by teachers, librarians, teaching assistants and book lovers, the North Somerset Teachers’ Book Awards aim to champion a selection of the best children’s literature on offer for use in the primary classroom.

And both Murder in Midwinter, by Fleur Hitchcock, and The Jamie Drake Equation, by Christopher Edge, have been shortlisted!

Here’s a look inside Murder in Midwinter:

Buy the book.

And here’s a look inside The Jamie Drake Equation:

Buy the book.

The winners of the awards will be announced in November – you can find out more, and read the full shortlists, here.

Congratulations, Fleur and Chris!

The verdict on the latest Nosy Crow Masterclass, How to Write Picture Books

Our latest Nosy Crow Masterclass of the year took place on Saturday – How to Write Picture Books – and it was another fantastically creative, inspiring, and informative day, filled with advice, lessons and guidance on writing picture books. The day included brilliant sessions from Nosy Crow’s Managing Director, Kate Wilson, literary agent Helen Mackenzie Smith, and Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam and Hubble Bubble, Granny Trouble author Tracey Corderoy. And as well as these individual talks, we also offered one-to-one manuscript critiques to all of our attendees, along with lunch, wine, and lots more. And here’s what some of our attendees said on Twitter and Facebook afterwards:

Another fabulous pb Masterclass at Nosy Crow, thank you! Love the new office @NosyCrow @fionascoble @TraceyCorderoy @hmackenziesmith pic.twitter.com/nH9a7Id5KZ

— Frances Tosdevin (@FrancesTosdevin) September 10, 2017

What a #great day spent at @NosyCrow HQ with the team and @TraceyCorderoy. And look what we read at bedtime tonight – twice in a row :-) pic.twitter.com/MHspoE5LDp

— NicolaJRowley (@NicolaJRowley) September 9, 2017

Thoroughly enjoyable day @NosyCrowBooks Thank you Kate @NosyCrow @TraceyCorderoy @hmackenziesmith for some great insight and advice. pic.twitter.com/45AzgzCQVd

— Words & Rhyme (@wordsandrhyme) September 9, 2017

Thank you @NosyCrow @NosyCrowBooks for an awesome educational day on the book market. Got to meet my favourite author @TraceyCorderoy

My Brother is a Superhero is part of the Tom Fletcher Book Club!

Children’s author (and McFly star!) Tom Fletcher has launched a children’s book club exclusively with WH Smith – and we are delighted that My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons is one of ten launch titles to feature in Tom’s first book club selection!

The book club launches across WH Smith High Street stores and online today – you can see Tom’s launch video at the top of this post.

And we are so enormously delighted that Tom has included My Brother is a Superhero in his first selection! Here’s his review of the book:

“This might just possibly, maybe, could be one of my favourite books ever. I was hooked from the opening line and didn’t want it to end. The best thing is, if you love this book there are more in the series to get stuck in to. It combines so many things that I love, space, superheroes, science fiction…it’s just awesome!”

You can find out more about the Tom Fletcher Book Club on the WH Smith website here – keep a look out for the books in stores from today.

If you’re new to My Brother is a Superhero, you can take a look inside the book below:

Incr-edible International Literacy Day-inspired Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam!

Today’s guest blog post is by Steven Lenton, illustrator of the Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam series of picture books and illustrated fiction.

September the 8th is International Literacy Day, a day which aims to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies all around the world, so a very important day indeed.

There are lots of events and projects taking place in conjunction with #InternationalLiteracyDay and I was really pleased when my Uni pal, Janette McPherson, got in touch earlier this year about her group of international professional cake artists who were planning something special for this day.

The bakers hold an annual themed Cake-a-thon where they choose a theme and cake artists from around the world design and make incredible cakes. This year they chose well-loved storybooks by their favourite authors and illustrators, bringing the characters to life in cake form!

I was paws-itively thrilled when Janette told me that she had chosen Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam as her story. Her children are huge Shifty and Sam fans and as they are baker dogs who (now!) love nothing more than baking cakes (and solving mysteries!), what a fitting choice. Tracey Corderoy and I are huge fans and love baking ourselves and are even enjoying the new series of The Great British Bake Off – oh go on its not that bad!

Also, Nosy Crow is THE go-to publisher for all things cake, in meetings, at parties, even just on your average week day, the Nosy Crow nest is a veritable picnic basket of baked delights, so for Shifty and Sam to be made into sponge, well what a treat…and here they are!

I do not know how Janette has created such faithful recreations of not only the characters but also the poses and props from the books – just how is Shifty holding up such a huge cake?!

Here is Janette with Shifty and Sam (and can you find spider?).  Shifty measures a whopping 26 inches tall!  The attention to detail is just phenomenal and the, ahem, icing on the cake, each character is made of a rich chocolate cake filled with STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE butter cream! Shifty and Sam would just LOVE these creations and Tracey and I certainly do – we just wish Janette wasn’t up in the far reaches of Scotland else we would be insisting on sampling a slice – but where would we start?! We couldn’t possibly EAT them…..could we Tracey?!

Other creations include characters from:

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

You Can’t Eat A Princess! by Gillian Rogerson and Sarah McIntyre

Dirty Bertie by David Roberts

Oi Frog! by Jim Field and Kes Gray

A huge thank you to Janette and all the cake artists involved for choosing our characters and for inspiring and encouraging children to pick up and read a storybook.

The group are also raising funds for Motor Neurone Disease, with Nosy Crow and other publishers donating books for this cause.  For more information on this and to see all the other wonderful cakes visit www.cakestoriesmatter.com or www.facebook.com/cakestoriesmatter.

 

 

Win a copy of The Secret Diary of Jane Pinny

Earlier this year we launched a hilarious new ‘faction’ series with the National Trust – The Secret Diaries, written by Roald Dahl Funny Prize-winning author Philip Ardagh, and with brilliant artwork in a hugely appealing, contemporary style from Jamie Littler.

And we’ve just published the second book in the series, The Secret Diary of Jane Pinny, Victorian House Maid (and Accidental Detective) – and today, we’re giving you the chance to win one of three copies of the book!

To win one of these copies of the book, just head over to the @NosyCrowBooks Twitter feed, follow @NosyCrowBooks, and re-tweet this message.

A fantastic balance of great characters and exciting plot, and packed with interesting, accessible historical facts woven into the story, this is Gosford Park meets Horrible Histories. It’s FILLED with fascinating historical detail and Victorian trivia – and with a gripping story, a mystery to solve, a wonderful hero, and all perfectly accompanied by Jamie’s hugely appealing and child-friendly artwork, it’s perfect for 7 – 9 year olds.

Jane Pinny has moved to the very grand Lytton House to be a Maid Of All Work. And being a Maid Of All Work means that she has to do… well, ALL the work, obviously! Cleaning, dusting, scrubbing, washing – there’s SO much to do in a Victorian country house. But when a priceless jade necklace belonging to the lady of the house disappears, Jane turns accidental detective (with the help of her best friend, a pigeon called Plump…) – can she solve the mystery of the missing jewels before it’s too late?

Here’s a look inside the book:

The Secret Diary of Jane Pinny is in shops now – 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.

We’ll pick three winners at random on Monday – good luck!