A NOT E F ROM T HE PUBL ISHER Welcome to 2019 and Macmillan Children’s Books’ latest and updated illustrated stocklist. We are prepared for “take off” with celebrations and anniversaries, including the first Moon Landing and more, and this catalogue is packed with our many new titles from authors and illustrators as well as our perennial favourites. This year we celebrate twenty years of everybody’s favourite monster, the Gruffalo. 2019 is going to be a year full of Gruffalo celebrations, launching in March with a brand new bundle which will include everything you need for your very own Gruffalo Birthday Party. The Gruffalo continues to be a favourite for all the family, and now children can look forward to ‘Growing up with the Gruffalo’ with the introduction of the new Gruffalo Baby range – with sturdy boards, peepholes, simple patterns and bold colours to keep babies entertained for hours. After all, you’re never too young to meet the Gruffalo! What the Ladybird Heard celebrates its 10th birthday this year and as well as a very special anniversary edition, we hope you’ll enjoy trying the recipes from the brand new What the Ladybird Heard Cookbook. You can also enjoy Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’ sparkling stories and amazing adventures in a new board book format. We’re delighted to announce a thrilling new creative partnership – the award-winning Catherine Rayner joins Julia Donaldson for The Go-Away Bird. A charming story about the power of friendship, Julia’s classic storytelling is enhanced by Catherine Rayner’s warm and beautiful illustrations. Campbell Books is launching a new range this spring, Campbell Baby. The smallest hands can enjoy a Campbell read for every part of the day with these gorgeous interactive new books for playtime, bedtime, bathtime and beyond. The bestselling My Magical Unicorn is followed by magical dragons, mermaids, sea unicorns and witches throughout 2019, with push, pull and turn mechanisms perfect for the smallest of hands. A selection of fantastic picture books publish this year, from the confidence-boosting I Am A Tiger by Karl Newson and Ross Collins to the delightful Little Bear’s Spring by Elli Woollard and Briony May Smith. Delight in the power of reading with Terry and the Brilliant Book by Nicola Kent or solve a mystery with Ducktective Quack and the Cake Crime Wave by Claire Freedman and Mike Byrne. In 2019, Two Hoots presents more amazing new talent alongside established stars. In a follow-up to the bestselling Meerkat Mail, Emily Gravett has created a winning new novelty in Meerkat Christmas – young readers will delight in this furry festive treat. Morag Hood adds a brand new book, Aalfred and Aalbert to her bold, bright and brilliant colourful world, and the Two Hoots list continues to fly with some fantastic debuts. We continue to adventure in Moominvalley with new Moomins titles joining the list, including Stories from Moominvalley, three standalone stories aiming to introduce readers to the Moomins and their way of life.
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing with a selection of books for all ages – from our Campbell First Explorers: Moon Landing and First Flaps and Facts: Super Space to Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker, taking young readers on the inspirational journey of Katherine Johnson. Delight in The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield, Space Jokes, Space Poems and more besides. Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s £1 World Book Day book, The Great Rocket Robbery, soars beyond Earth with a story about Laika, the first dog in space. There’s more Frank Cottrell-Boyce in 2019, including the highly-anticipated new novel, Runaway Robot, landing in May. Hot on the heels of the number one bestseller, The 104-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, comes The 117-Storey Treehouse, out in August, plus The Treehouse Fun Book 3 out in April. There are now over seven million Treehouse readers worldwide – we promise lots of laughs at every level! Solve a mystery with Lauren St John’s Kat Wolfe Takes the Case, the follow up to the successful first book in the series, Kat Wolfe Investigates – fast-paced page-turners perfect for middle-grade detectives. Lauren St John also writes alongside an all-star cast of authors in Return to Wonderland, a collection of short stories about the classic characters in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, out in June. Other authors include Peter Bunzl, Pamela Butchart, Swapna Haddow, Robin Stevens, Piers Torday, Amy Wilson and more. Prepare to rise again with the sequel to 2018’s number one YA hit – Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi will hit shelves in 2019 and continues Zélie’s action-packed, thrilling quest to restore magic to her people. Children of Blood and Bone was named “a phenomenon” by Entertainment Weekly and an “epic fantasy YA debut” by the Guardian. There’s more YA to love in 2019, with two stunning debuts: Enchantée by Gita Trelease is a tale of love, magic and revolution in 18th century Paris and Versailles; Opposite of Always by j.a.reynolds explores how far you would go to save the one you love; and Sara Barnard’s long-awaited follow up to her debut novel, Beautiful Broken Things, publishes in February. Fierce Fragile Hearts follows Suzanne’s story and is a novel about leaving the past behind, the friends who form your future and learning to find love, in all its forms. We look forward to a fantastic year – travelling to the moon and back has never looked more exciting. Thank you for your continued support!
Belinda Ioni Rasmussen
PAN MACMILLAN Illustration © Ross Collins 2019 from I Am A Tiger by Karl Newson and Ross Collins – Macmillan Children’s Books
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