Simon & Schuster Launches the Picture Book Den

Simon and Schuster Children's Books today announced a new overarching marketing campaign across its picture book list, branded the Picture Book Den.

Following the launch of S&S fiction campaign The Blurb earlier this year, The Picture Book Den has been designed to showcase upcoming titles on the picture book programme, from new talent to established authors. The campaign will include a regular magazine-style newsletter, which will feature author and illustrator interviews, editorial, reviews, rights news and images from illustrators' sketchbooks. S&S will also be scheduling a rolling calendar of Picture Book Den events and initiatives across book trade, library and schools networks, including panel discussions and children's activity packs.

S&S is home to bestselling and award-winning picture book brands including Aliens Love Underpants, with over one million copies sold, Barry the Fish with Fingers by Sue Hendra, who has sold 270k books across her S&S titles, and Princess Evie's Ponies, which has sold nearly 250k copies to date. Pirates Love Underpants, the latest Underpants title from Claire Freedman and Ben Cort, is currently shortlisted for the Specsavers National Book Awards, and author/illustrator duo Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie were for the second time shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, this year for The Worst Princess.

The Picture Book Den logo was designed especially for the campaign by illustrator Kate Hindley, whose first book for S&S was The Great Snortle Hunt (August 2012) written by Claire Freedman. Hindley has a new book out next summer, and is one of several new illustrators on the S&S list for 2013.

Also signed up is Eleanor's Eyebrows, pairing author Timothy Knapman with Mr Gum illustrator David Tazzyman. Tazzyman is new to S&S and Eleanor's Eyebrows will be his first picture book. S&S has secured world rights and will be publishing the book in June 2013, simultaneously in hardback, paperback and ebook formats.

Nia Roberts, Art Director at S&S, said of the Eleanor's Eyebrows deal: "Thanks to Tim Knapman 's genius text, we've been able to lure the fantastic David Tazzyman to the S&S picture book list. This is a unique and funny story which calls out for David's brilliant and edgy art – guaranteed no fluffy bunnies in sight!"

Of the Picture Book Den, Lara Hancock, Editorial Director, Picture Books, said: "This is a fantastic way for us to showcase the wonderful talent on our picture book list, and to give retailers, librarians, reviewers and anyone interested in picture books not only a sneaky peek of forthcoming books, but also insider information on the creative process and how our brilliant authors and illustrators make their books."
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About Simon and Schuster UK

Simon & Schuster UK Children's Publishing was founded in 1998. Since then it has published numerous popular and bestselling titles and series, including The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black, work by multi-award winning author Sophie McKenzie, The Great Hamster Massacre by Katie Davies (winner of The Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2010), Andy Mulligan's Ribblestrop series (winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2011), the Thirteen Treasures sequence by Michelle Harrison, bestselling paranormal romance Hush Hush and its sequels by Becca Fitzpatrick, and works by LJ Smith. Stars on the picture book and licensed character list include Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort, Olivia by Ian Falconer, pre-school sensations Mike the Knight and The Octonauts, Sue Hendra's Barry the Fish with Fingers, and Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie's award-winning Dogs Don't do Ballet. New additions to the children's list for 2012 include international bestselling author Philippa Gregory with her YA series Order of Darkness, and Darren Shan, with his 12-book series Zom-B. Simon & Schuster was highly commended in the Bookseller Industry Awards 2011, Children's Publisher of the Year category, and was shortlisted in the same category in the 2012 awards.
Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and non-fiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.co.uk.
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