Following Nosy Crow's launch of Nosy Crow Inc. in the U.S., announced yesterday, Candlewick Press, which has published many Nosy Crow titles over the past 11 years, will no longer publish titles using the Nosy Crow imprint. Under Candlewick's own banner, the company will continue to publish many essential Nosy Crow backlist titles and new series entrants. These include the Bizzy Bear series by Benji Davies, which has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide; the felt flaps and Peekaboo series, both illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius, which together have sold almost six million copies worldwide; and the 100 First Words series illustrated by Edward Underwood, which has sold more than 280,000 copies worldwide. Titles previously published under the Nosy Crow imprint will change to the Candlewick imprint upon reprint.
Beloved titles have also included Axel Scheffler's Pip and Posy series; David Melling's Ruffles series about an inquisitive dog; and Ross Collins's There's a Bear on My Chair and There's a Mouse in My House.
Karen Lotz, president and publisher of Candlewick Press and group managing director of the Walker Books Group, said, "Over the past eleven years, since their founding, we have truly enjoyed our partnership with the talented Nosy Crow team under managing director Kate Wilson and establishing their many innovative, beloved, and popular creators, titles, and series in our market. We look forward to continuing to bring these series to U.S. and Canadian shelves even as we focus more firmly on our homegrown initiatives going forward, including our partnership with the MIT Press on MIT Kids Press and MITeen Press."