Candlewick Press

Candlewick Press opened its doors in 1991 as an independent childrens publisher and remains an independent publisher today. It is 100 percent owned and operated by its employees, including some 85 staff members in Somerville, Massachusetts, and more than 155 authors and illustrators.

In the years since Candlewick Press arrived on the scene with its first list of highquality picture books, the companys offerings have grown to encompass all ages and formats, from board books to e-books, high-end novelty to cutting-edge fiction. What hasnt changed is Candlewicks goal of excellence, its model of independence, and its commitment to the authors and illustrators who create its books and the readers who seek them out. Two decades and more than 2,000 awards and accolades later, Candlewick Press is as committed as ever to independent thinking.

History When a young Englishman named Sebastian Walker set out to publish books for children in 1978, he launched his company in the spare bedroom of his London home and convinced a team of ambitious people to join him. The companys message was clear: books and their creators were the stars of Walker Books. His commitment, support, and generosity went on to infuse Candlewick Press, founded in Massachusetts in 1991, and Walker Books Australia (also founded in

1991). Today, Sebastian Walkers legacy has expanded to three continents, and Candlewick Press is part of a global publishing enterprise.

The company today Candlewick Press opened in 1991 with just six employees. Today the staff numbers nearly one hundred. The company has published more than 3,000 childrens books, including the classic picture books Cant You Sleep, Little Bear? by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Barbara Firth, Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram, Lucy Cousins Maisy series, and Martin Handfords Wheres Waldo?. Candlewicks picture books continue to be much in demand, as demonstrated by Jon Klassens recent New York Times bestsellers I Want My Hat Back and its follow-up, the Caldecott Medal winning This Is Not My Hat.

For children who are just beginning to read, Candlewick Press created Brand New Readers, and for those who are mastering the skill, the company launched Candlewick Sparks. Candlewick has also dipped into the canon of childrens literature to issue such titles as My Very First Mother Goose, edited by Iona Opie and illustrated by Rosemary Wells, as well as acclaimed graphic interpretations of Beowulf and Shakespeares works, among many other classics.

Candlewicks reputation for high-quality nonfiction began with the publication of the groundbreaking Its Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by

Michael Emberley. That reputation is sustained by such award-winning titles as Master of Deceit by Marc Aronson, Almost Astronauts by Tanya Lee Stone, and Beyond Courage by Doreen Rappaport, among many other acclaimed nonfiction books.

In recent years, Candlewick Press has greatly expanded its list of middle-grade and young adult titles, among them the National Book Award winner The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume One: The Pox Party by M. T. Anderson and the Newbery Medal winners The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo and Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz. Popular series such as Judy Moody, Mercy Watson, Emily Windsnap, and Clarice Bean keep younger readers laughing, while Chaos Walking, Klaatu Diskos, and Angel Burn provoke and challenge young adults.

Candlewick Press is also the publisher of the innovative Ologies series. After taking flight with Dragonology, the New York Times best-selling publishing phenomenon continues to produce a series of lavish and whimsical novelty books.

Logos The original corporate logo for Candlewick Press (designed by renowned illustrator Helen Oxenbury) depicts a Big Bear spiriting a candle through the dark.

Candlewicks paperback picture books are additionally branded with the line Looking for the Best? Look for the Bear.

Imprints Candlewick Press currently publishes four imprints:

Templar Books. A partnership with Britains Templar Publishing. Picture books, novelty titles, and board books, including Johnny Duddles The Pirates Next Door, and Levi Pinfolds critically acclaimed Black Dog.

TOON Books. High-quality comics for readers age four and up, including the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award-winning Benny and Penny and the Big No-No! by Geoffrey Hayes and Jeff Smiths Little Mouse Gets Ready.

Nosy Crow. Picture books, novelty titles, and board books for young readers up to about age eight, including Axel Schefflers Pip and Posy books and Benji Daviss Bizzy Bear series.

Big Picture Press. Highly illustrated books designed to be visually intelligent, surprising, and accessible to readers of all ages, abilities, and nationalities. Titles include Maps by Aleksandra Mizieliska and Daniel Mizieliska and Ninas Book of Little Things by Keith Haring.

Future projections As e-readers, tablets, and other handheld digital or electronic devices continue to deliver content to readers and consumers with a touch of a button, Candlewicks relatively small size has enabled the company to adapt to evolutions in the

industry nimbly and swiftly. Candlewick Press is one of the few publishers working with its digital content delivery partners to attend to critical typographic, composition, and design elements as a book makes the transition from one handheld devicethe book itselfto another. Candlewicks electronic publishing program is robust, with more than 250 titles now available in electronic format.

In 2007, the Walker Books Group established Walker Productions to develop its characters and stories in other media. Working with a range of world-class producers and animators, Walker Productions is bringing Candlewicks books and characters to life and creating environments in which yet more stories can be told.

Lighting the Way More changes in the publishing industry, more changes at Candlewick Press, and more changes within the entire Walker Books Group are inevitable. As a new generation of storytellers comes of age, wielding new tools, Candlewick Press is determined to remain staunchly independent and single-mindedly focused on creating and publishing the very best stories for children and young readers.