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Japanese-inspired children's indie Do Re Mi launches in 2026 headed up by Sam Voulters and Anna Watanabe
New children’s publisher Do Re Mi will launch in spring 2026 with “playful, distinctive” board books and picture books for under sevens, inspired by Japanese children’s publishing.
Aiming to celebrate the best in contemporary illustration, the company is founded by husband-and-wife team Sam Voulters, previously brand director of Penguin Classics, and Anna Watanabe, who has been an illustrator since 2019.
Do Re Mi will launch with 12 books in 2026 and will feature "playful and distinctive board books… inspired by timeless stories and the charm and creativity of Japanese children’s publishing", according to the team.
Books for 2026 include: Windows, a die-cut board book from multi-award-winning illustrator Thomas Hedger, which asks children to ponder the world outside their window; the first English-language book from the 2025 Bologna Book Fair Illustration Award-winner Yoshiko Hada, entitled How to Be a Cat; the debut picture book from Elena Magee, creator of the cult Instagram account @banban.cuties; and a toast-shaped love-letter to toast and all its possible toppings, from the mundane to the otherworldly by Japanese illustrator Yu Akinaga.
Do Re Mi will also be publishing English translations of existing international titles, with an initial focus on works from Japan and Korea.
Watanabe’s illustration clients including Penguin Random House and Amazon Prime Japan. They will be supported by freelancers including Mylène Mozas and Stephanie Jones for art direction and design, and Felicity Awdry for production.
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Voulters, who spent 12 years at Penguin, said: “This is a great time to be launching an independent children’s publisher and we’re building a list that will feel fresh and distinctive. Our inspiration is international, and with adult readers’ growing appetite for works in translation, we’re excited to be a part of a similar broadening of children’s reading horizons.”
He told The Bookseller: "Anna is half-Japanese and together we spend a lot of time in Japan. Even before having children, we built a significant collection of Japanese picture books, attracted to how surprising and daring they can be.
"We will be hiring for editorial and marketing roles from autumn 2025 with further roles to be advertised in the new year."
Watanabe added: “We’re inspired by the books that our kids go back to again and again. Normally it’s the ones that are strange, surprising and a little bit mischievous. We’re fortunate to be working with some hugely talented illustrators from Japan, Korea and here in the UK, producing books that children will want to go back to again and again.”
David Segrue, sales director of Pinnacle Booksales, said: “We are glad to be working with Do Re Mi on the launch of their exciting list. As well as selling the list into accounts across the UK and in key territories abroad, we’re able to offer the best distribution service via our partnership with Hachette.”
Do Re Mi’s books will be sold in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia by Pinnacle Booksales. Pinnacle will be handling all distribution through an agreement with Hachette Distribution.
Do Re Mi joins Pinnacle’s other independent publishers including Union Square & Co, Quarto Publishing, Gemini Books, Phaidon and Barefoot Books.
Foreign rights will be handled by the global rights and co-editions agency Books Everywhere, headed by director Mauro Spagnol. Books Everywhere represents the catalogues of leading publishing houses including Mosquito Books Barcelona, Edicare in Portugal and Lantaarn in the Netherlands. Distribution arrangements for Australia, New Zealand, East Asia and the US are still to be confirmed.
Do Re Mi can be found on Instagram @doremibooks.
