Simon & Schuster (S&S) Children’s Books is launching an imprint, called Little Simon UK, that will focus on early years and is “inspired by the success” of the S&S US imprint Little Simon.
The list will feature board and novelty books for 0-5-year-olds from a mix of new talent, established names and brands, along with the creation of in-house IP projects. S&S said Little Simon will promise “fun, playful and personality-filled titles that support early childhood development and inspire a love of books”. The imprint will include a range of interactive novelty formats for babies and toddlers, from lift-the-flap and touch-and-feel titles to books that include mechanisms for children’s hands.
Heading up Little Simon is senior art director Jane Buckley, pre-school and novelty editorial director Isobel Booth, publishing strategy director Lou Grosart and pre-school and novelty art director Mara van der Meer. The quartet has joined S&S in the past six months and each member has experience in pre-school publishing, including at Ladybird, Campbell Books and Priddy Books. Emma Quick, who was recently appointed marketing director, will take the lead on building the Little Simon brand.
The imprint launches to international publishers at Bologna Children’s Book Fair with two new board-book series: Nik-Nak Bunny, a narrative-led novelty series written by Carys Bexington and illustrated by Jenny Wren; and Hello!, a slide, spin and find series by Fiz Osborne and Kayt Bochenski. World rights to Nik-Nak Bunny were bought from Vicki Willden-Lebrecht at the Bright Agency, and the first two books will publish in March 2026. The books feature a “can-do rabbit who adopts a new job each day”. World rights in Hello! were acquired from Osborne at Creative Roots Studio and the first two titles will publish in May 2026. Each Hello! book explores favourite pre-school topics such as dinosaurs and unicorns.
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