Almost a third of school-age children are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. But they will still struggle to find characters who resemble themselvesBooks can show us the world both as it is, and as it could be – “mirrors and windows”, as the author Malorie Blackman notes. For children, they are currently falling short on both counts. In the pages of a picture or chapter book, readers have their experience affirmed or glimpse exciting new possibilities: mastering a fear of the dark, or travelling through space. Yet a young black or Asian child picking up a book today is more likely to encounter a rabbit than a protagonist who looks like them, says the expert who has led a new review of representation, Reflecting Realities. This is astonishing in an age when 32% of school-age children are from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds; and is bad news not only for them but for all young readers. Publishers are offering a dated, narrow and skewed picture of the complex, diverse, interconnected world around them.Don’t blame Beatrix Potter. This is not a historic, cumulative problem; the new research covers only books published in 2017. The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education asked publishers to submit titles with BAME characters and received fewer than 400, set against the roughly 9,000 books published for children aged three to 11. Quality and sheer variety are as important as quantity. Only 1% of titles featured a BAME lead character; in a quarter of... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2018-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For 16-month-old Beijing Bright Culture, making an impact on the market is the top priority, and Jef Nys’s Jeremy series (or Jommeke in the original Belgian) is the answer. “We have published only 25 out of the available 278 volumes, meaning that we have a built-in long seller in our portfolio,”... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 2018 Special Report on children's publishing in China, plus related coverage. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The €7,500 grand prize of the inaugural Key Colours Competition China, which was awarded in August 2017, went to Wang Yuwei’s Mr Cat and Little Fairy; five other books received honorable mentions. All six works will be published in Chinese by Beijing Yutian Hanfeng, with print runs ranging from... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mention “pop science” in China and one blockbuster comes to mind: The Magic School Bus. It has remained the #1 children’s title since its launch in 2010, with online retailer Dangdang selling nearly half a million copies in an average year. On Singles’ Day—which is the equivalent of Black Friday... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As of today, Peppa Pig remains a bestseller in China. Winnie the Pooh continues to sell, and so does Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There has been no restriction on these titles or on other foreign publications and translations. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IlluSalon, the biggest international illustration platform in China, works with around 4,000 illustrators from more than 50 countries. For Hou Mingliang, founder of IlluSalon and host of the Global Illustration Award (as well as president of Kids Media), young and professional illustrators–with... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In April 2018, Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP) will publish Winnie and Wilbur: The Naughty Knight, the 18th title in the Winnie the Witch series. Plans are also in the works for illustrator Korky Paul to do a three-week tour of China, giving several lectures, including one... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Small but beautiful” is our publishing motto, says editor-in-chief Ma Yuxiu of New Buds. “We have scaled down our annual output in recent years, opting instead to focus our resources on creating unique content.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This company needs little introduction, having collaborated with more than 500 international publishers since its inception in 1979. It is also China’s largest foreign language publisher and its third largest in terms of sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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XJPH’s books featuring Afanti (a Uighur protagonist) and the Mongolian epic Jangar are vivid reminders of what is possible from a publisher located in the vast Chinese interior, which borders eight countries and harbors 47 ethnic groups. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The phrase “in the right place at the right time” seems tailor-made for Jieli. Its Usborne China imprint, launched in January 2017, came at an opportune moment when the Chinese market was ready for higher-priced toy- and game-based board books and novelty titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Most overseas publishers are familiar with the reputation of Tomorrow Publishing House, which was founded 35 years ago and has translated more than 1,000 titles. Credited for putting several local authors—Yang Hongying, Cao Wenxuan, Wu Meizhen, and Yu Yujun, for instance—on the international... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There are several high-profile joint ventures (JVs) in Chinese children’s books publishing. The earliest was Children’s Fun Publishing, a collaboration between Posts & Telecommunications Press and Egmont Group initiated in 1994. Next came Hachette-Phoenix, which was cofounded by Hachette... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For International Women’s Day, Waterstones has given over its website front page to female authors. This is welcome, but it’s far from enoughWomen are used to living off scraps that fall from the table. Whether we’re being patronised by politicians touting for our votes, or being told by... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This low-profile multimedia company, established in 2014, collaborates with some of biggest brands in the world, including Disney, Dreamworks, and Lego. Kids Media excels at promoting and marketing these products. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tom Fletcher and Shane Devries’s World Book Day title Brain Freeze (Puffin) has nipped into the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, leapfrogging three-week wonder Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (Harper), with 37,879 copies sold through Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From Brazil, China, India, and the UAE, five children's book publishers spoke the growing urgency to build young readership as competitive digital enticements grow more seductive. The post Five Viewpoints on Creating Tomorrow’s Readers: Literacy, Digital, and Children’s Books appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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World Book Day organisers have said all events for the Biggest Book Show on Earth tour will go ahead despite the snow, although some authors have had to cancel their school appearances. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Award winning children’s author Ali Sparkes reflects on ten years of World Book Day. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Channel 5’s Milkshake! team is celebrating World Book Day by reading 10 picture books after striking a partnership with BookTrust. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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