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Other titles for adults include Royal Babies by Amy Licence (Amberley, 28th July, hb, £16.99) and Sewing for a Royal Baby by Sew Beautiful Contributions (David & Charles Publishers, 31st July, pb).
Amberley Publishing editorial director Jonathan Reeve said: “A new prince or princess will generate huge worldwide interest in the history of the British royal family and inspire readers to look for books giving a historical perspective on the subject.”
Reeve stressed the value in publishing alongside events with a wider media pull, with its bestselling titles for 2010 and 2012 being Gun Button to Fire and Titanic Voices, which coincided with the anniversaries of the Battle of Britain and the “Titanic” respectively.
Upcoming children’s titles include a new Rainbow Magic book, Alexandra the Royal Baby Fairy by Daisy Meadows (Orchard Books, 2nd May, pb, £4.99); The Royal Baby by Tony Bradbury and Tony Ross (OUP Children’s, 7th June, pb, £6.99); A Royal Childhood: 200 Years of Royal Babies by Liz Gogerly (Franklin Watts, 27th June, hb, £12.99); Princess Katie’s Kittens: Ruby and the Royal Baby by Julie Sykes (Piccadilly Press, 28th June, pb, £4.99); Baggy Brown and the Royal Baby by Mick Inkpen (Hodder Children’s Books, 4th July, pb, £6.99); and Shh! Don’t Wake the Royal Baby by Martha Mumford (Bloomsbury Children’s, 18th July, pb, £6.99).
Megan Larkin, the publishing director of Orchard Press who Alexandra the Royal Baby Fairy, said: “We did Kate the Royal Wedding Fairy and Elizabeth the Jubilee Fairy, and people loved them, so it was the natural progression for us to do a royal baby one. We feel that publishing alongside big events like this attracts new readers.”
Commenting on the babies and young children’s market trend for titles about the royal baby, Hodder picture book publisher Emma Lay eld said: “It really seems to be working at the younger end with the baby boom, and the books will sit well in traditional retailers as well as Amazon, because of the relevant title.”
Peter Marley, commissioning editor at OUP Children’s Books, said he hopes there will be promotions on the high street: “We hope the royal baby coveys something of the optimism of the moment and turns what is a dry news story into something enjoyable for children.”