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Ladybird, part of Penguin Random House Children’s, will next year bring back a range of miniature hardback non-fiction books as part of the relaunch of its trade division.
In June 2020 Ladybird will publish £5.99 hardbacks in the classic Ladybird format (170 x 112mm) about trees, sea creatures, baby animals, animal habitats, insects and “mini- beasts”, as well as four UK-only titles in its What to Look for in... series: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Books about the human body, trains, electricity, the Solar System and the weather will follow in August.
All the titles will cover core curriculum topics and editorial director Louie Stowell said the publisher wanted to make sure it was offering affordable non- fiction while there is still a trend for large, expensive books. The oversized titles are “beautiful”, she said, but stressed: “The idea with the new books is that this is a series and you can collect them all. It’s about approachability, inclusiveness and ease of access. What does the child need and want to know?”
The new series comes as Ladybird relaunches its trade brand and publishing, after expanding the team, led by publishing director Shannon Cullen, who said: “Ladybird as a brand has been around for 100 years and it’s our job to keep it going for the next 100. There was a change of guard on the publishing side, which was the point that I came in, and there was a moment to look at the publishing, the brand itself, and the consumer (where the consumer is, and who the consumer is)and try to marry those things together.”
In addition to Stowell, Cullen has hired James Stevens as art director, and the team is releasing 37 books this year (as opposed to seven last year) across novelty, picture books and non-fiction in the 0-7 space. New releases include the re-launched Baby Touch range, a book called Adventurous Girls (introduced by Jacqueline Wilson), a Little World series that enables children to explore different landscapes, and more titles in the 10 Minutes to Bed series. There is also a collection of weird and wonderful facts about the UK by Imogen Russell Williams and Louise Lockhart, entitled The Big Book of the UK, and in 2021, Ladybird will start publishing the Busy Day series, lift-the-flap books about different professions. The latter that has already seen “extraordinary” interest at Bologna, said Cullen.
From left: Ladybird staff Louie Stowell, Shannon Cullen and James Stevens
The team is “constantly” carrying out research into who Ladybird readers are and Stowell described that demographic as a “very web-savvy audience, obviously, but also a frantically busy audience. Part of what Ladybird stands for is trying to give children what they need. So if they are not going to bed, here is a book that will help them go to bed.” A large percentage of Ladybird buyers are Millennials under-35s with small children as are grandparents, who are increasingly purchasing more things for their grandchildren. Fathers are also a growing market, with many taking on a more equal and active role in parenting, said Cullen.
A fresh take
Stevens, who is overseeing the design for the division, said that he wants to reflect the history of the Ladybird brand, but doesn’t want to be weighed down by “what has gone before”. Illustrators are found from a variety of sources, including agencies, and he said he was excited to be using a diverse range of illustration talent. “Good design is paramount for these books. We’ve approached every book with the goal of making it the best looking thing it could be.”
The team also has extensive marketing and publicity plans. It has already run a Ladybird-themed event with family rave company Raver Tots and is launching a monthly book club with Peanut, an app for mothers. It is working with social media influencers such as Fizzy Peaches, Unlikely Dad and Georgia Jones, with a big name lined up to be announced soon.
Ladybird sales were £7.74m through Nielsen BookScan in 2018, compared to £7.71m in 2017, and its sales in 2019 to date are up 19.7% year on year. Nielsen groups together the trade division and licensing (the two are in terms of production separate, albeit both overseen by Cullen), but Cullen wants to triple trade revenues by 2021.