In 1992, Candlewick Press opened its doors as an independent children’s
publisher, and we remain the world’s leading creatively led independent
publisher of books and content for children today.
Candlewick Press arrived on the scene with some of the highest-quality
picture books available. Since then, our offerings have grown to encompass
all ages, with formats from board books to e-books and content from
high-end novelty to cutting-edge fiction. Thousands of awards and accolades
later, we are as passionate as ever about producing excellent books that
are a joy to hold and read and share.
Lighting the Candle
When a young Englishman named Sebastian Walker set out to publish the best
books for children in 1978, he launched his company in the spare bedroom of
his London home and convinced a team of brilliant and ambitious people to
join him. The company’s message was clear: books and their creators were
the stars of Walker Books. His rare commitment went on to inspire
Candlewick Press, founded in Massachusetts in 1991, along with Walker Books
Australia. Today, Sebastian Walker’s legacy flourishes on three continents,
and Candlewick Press is part of a passionate global publishing enterprise
with infinite horizons.
Fanning the Flame: Candlewick Press Today
Candlewick Press started out with six employees; today we have over one
hundred. We’ve published more than six thousand books, among them the
adventures of favorite characters such as Maisy and Waldo, as well as
classic picture books like Guess How Much I Love You and Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear? Our storied
picture-book list grows
ever more robust, with titles like the celebrated A Child of Books
by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston; the critically acclaimed Jazz Day by Roxane Orgill, illustrated by
Francis Vallejo; and the
brilliant visual comedy of author-illustrator Chris Haughton. Caldecott
Medalist Jon Klassen’s hat trilogy, including winner of the Caldecott Medal This Is Not My Hat, is the very
definition of a classic in the
making.
We’ve created Brand New Readers for those who are just beginning their
reading journey and Candlewick Sparks for readers striving to master their
skills. We’ve dipped into the great canon of children’s literature and
issued the fresh and jubilant My Very First Mother Goose, edited
by Iona Opie and illustrated by Rosemary Wells, along with stunning graphic
interpretations of Beowulf, Shakespeare’s works, and many other classics.
As for high-quality nonfiction, our reputation began with the publication
of the groundbreaking and standard-setting It’s Perfectly Normal
by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Michael Emberley. We have continued our
standard of nonfiction excellence with award-winning titles such as Master of Deceit by Marc Aronson,
Beyond Courage by
Doreen Rappaport, Almost Astronauts by Tanya Lee Stone, and Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin.
For fiction lovers, we continue to expand our list of middle-grade and young adult titles, among them the Merci Suárez trilogy by Newbery Medalist and current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Meg Medina; National Book Award winner The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume One: The Pox Party by M. T. Anderson; Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Medal winners The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses; Newbery Medal winner Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz; and the Newbery Honor Books A Wish in the Dark and The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat and BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford. Popular series such as Judy Moody, Stink, Mercy Watson, Emily Windsnap, the Princess in Black, and Clarice Bean keep younger readers laughing, while books like X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz with Kekla Magoon and October Mourning, Lesléa Newman’s Stonewall Honor Book, provoke and challenge young adults.
When we first set forth, our logo was the original Big Bear, spiriting a
candle through the dark. He was later joined by the Candlewick C-flame,
highlighting our books for older readers. The company gained more logos as
we added eight imprints. The first was Templar Books, originator of the
lavish and whimsical novelty adventures known as the ’Ologies as well as
many other illustrated titles. Then followed the fascinating art-driven
titles of Big Picture Press (highly illustrated books made by and created
for the incurably curious), Candlewick Entertainment’s media-inspired list,
the child-focused books of Nosy Crow, and Candlewick Studio’s unique,
arresting, and beautiful books for book lovers of all ages. Walker Books US
launched in 2018 with a focus on fiction, graphic novels, and illustrated
books with instant reader appeal. The two most recent imprints, MIT Kids
Press and MITeen Press, are the result of a unique partnership between
Candlewick Press and MIT Press and will publish books on science and
technology.
Feeding the Fire: What about Tomorrow?
When looking to the future of publishing, some turn an eye to
technology — and indeed Candlewick Press is one of the few publishers working
with digital content-delivery partners to fine-tune the typographic,
composition, and design elements that make for the best possible transition
from book to e-book. Our electronic publishing program offers more than one
thousand titles in electronic format and continues to grow.
But ultimately, we believe that the future of Candlewick Press lies with
our authors and illustrators and the extraordinary books they create. One
of our biggest thrills is discovering and nurturing new talent and helping
to bring it to the world. Some of our book creators have received top
accolades on their first books, among them Ekua Holmes, an illustrator
awarded a Caldecott Honor for her glorious artwork on Voice of Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, and
Aaron Becker,
an author-illustrator who won a Caldecott Honor for his New York Times best-selling picture book
Journey, the
first in his innovative wordless trilogy. With artistry such as theirs and
that of many more authors and illustrators both known and yet to be
discovered, the future looks bright indeed.
Lighting the Way
It’s a challenging new world, with an entirely new generation of
storytellers coming of age and wielding new tools. Whatever the future
brings, we will remain single-mindedly focused on one simple aspiration:
creating and publishing the very best stories for children and young
readers on the market.
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