Children's Publisher of the Year
Children’s Publisher of the Year Winner and Shortlist
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The children’s market wasn’t easy in 2024, with volumes down 3% in the TCM and growing concerns about a drop in children reading for pleasure. Nevertheless, as this shortlist shows there were some big winners and flourishing categories—especially pre-school, comic books and Young Adult. The list is notable for the prominence of independent publishers, despite the challenges of retail and the power of corporates in this sector.
Winner
Nosy Crow
Nosy Crow has been shortlisted for this category in a remarkable 11 out of the last 13 years – and this completes a hat-trick of awards.
The business has grown its sales in every one of those years. It rose 5% in the TCM against a drop in total children’s book sales, despite few bestseller list toppers or bought-in licences, and no YA list. Instead, the relentless growth comes from backlist range, its own-made brands, and picture books and pre-school titles, where it has become the TCM’s eighth biggest publisher. These are backed by outstanding publicity, marketing and collaboration with chain and independent booksellers. “Nosy Crow is a joy to work with,” said one retail buyer.
It is also powered by international markets and a strategy of acquiring world rights in all of its books, then squeezing the last drop of rights, co-edition and export potential from them. More than two thirds of turnover now comes from overseas, and books have been sold into 58 languages and counting. “The rights team is insanely good,” said one grateful author.
Beyond the commercial success, Nosy Crow has been active in literacy projects and diversity: representation in output and in-house is better than average, and it runs picture book submissions initiatives for LGBTQ+ and of-colour authors and illustrators. It’s also making solid progress towards net-zero carbon emissions status.
“The amount and range of work that goes on at Nosy Crow is incredible,” said the judges. “In a tough market, it’s always finding new ways to generate sales and get kids reading.”
The Shortlist
Bonnier Books
Bonnier’s children’s division grew for the fourth year in a row in 2024, driven by Holly Black’s fantasy books and Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, now a film. Brown gave the Piccadilly Press imprint a fine 40th anniversary year and there was a lot of strength in the backlist. Among new signings, Nathaneal Lessore won the Diverse Book Award’s Children’s Prize and the Branford Boase Award.
David Fickling Books
DFB turned ten in 2024 and is shortlisted here for the third year in a row. It’s been powered by Jamie Smart, the 2024 Illustrator of the Year, but beyond comics there were big sales for SF Said and Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve’s Adventuremice. TCM sales soared 58%—the fastest growth of any top-20 publisher. “Punching above their weight could have been coined to describe DFB,” said one agent.
Magic Cat Publishing
Five years on from launch, Magic Cat’s TCM sales rose by 25%. But it’s overseas where it really motored: numbers in the US and Australia doubled, and foreign rights were the single biggest source of revenue. At this rate of growth, and after snapping up some big names including Jamie Oliver and Robert Macfarlane, its ambition to become Britain’s top illustrated children’s publisher feels entirely plausible.
Nosy Crow
Nosy Crow is a two-time winner of this Award and appeared on 11 of the last 13 shortlists. It has grown sales in every one of those years and rose 5% in the TCM in 2024. Perhaps most remarkably, its relentless growth has come with few big brands and no YA, but a wide range that is energetically mined for all rights. Frontlist output rose by a quarter but it’s the backlist that earns the bulk of turnover.
Scholastic
Scholastic had a best ever TCM year in 2024, growing sales by 6% to move up to third place in the children’s rankings. Nearly half of TCM turnover came from Julia Donaldson and Dav Pilkey, and Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Jonty Gentoo was the top picture book of the year. Elsewhere, Bill Wood’s Let’s Split Up was the top YA debut. Coedition and licensing deals were sharply up.
Simon & Schuster Children's Books
The 2023 winner fired again in 2024, lifting TCM sales by a third to burst past £10m and into the top ten of children’s publishers. It has benefited more than most from TikTok, and Lauren Roberts’ Powerless, AF Steadman’s Skandar and Rachael Renée Russell’s Dork Diaries series headed a range of mega-series brands. There were 11 prize wins and a new move into pre-school books.
Sweet Cherry Publishing
Sales grew by nearly half at Sweet Cherry in 2024, with schools, libraries, exports and licensing markets all flourishing. It is also shortlisted in the Academic, Educational and Professional category for Every Cherry—a new imprint for children with additional needs and disabilities that embodies Sweet Cherry’s passion for diversifying publishing and making books accessible to all.
Usborne
Usborne has a remarkable 12th successive year on this shortlist. It was also the TCM’s top novelty and activity publisher for the 15th time in a row, with the bulk of the revenue again coming from books created in-house and ten titles selling more than 100,000 copies globally. In fiction, Sarah Hagger-Holt’s The Fights That Make Us won the Polari Children’s and YA Prize.
Wonderbly
Personalised children’s publisher Wonderbly had another record year in 2024. There was growth from 27 new titles, including a very popular Our First range for parents and children, and it moved into new books for teens and tweens. Marketing was particularly impressive, especially through Google and Meta. Good progress on sustainability included B-Corp accreditation.
