Launching in April, Little Genius Books is an independent publisher of children’s books that specializes in creating high-quality, affordable content. The imprint, led by industry veteran Jeremy Nurnberg, will offer a diverse range of board books, picture books, activity books, nonfiction, novelty books, and more. Nurnberg estimates that the company will annually publish 35 to 40 new titles with fresh designs, innovative formats, and compelling content so children everywhere can laugh, learn, and be captivated.
“We are forward-thinking and on trend,” says Nurnberg, “with an eye for the perfect illustrations and an ear for engaging storytelling.”
Among the titles on Little Genius’s inaugural list are Hello! Hometown Heroes by Toni Armier, a read along board book that introduces children to the people who make our neighborhoods and lives better; Get Ready for Preschool and Get Ready for Kindergarten, workbooks containing 150 full-color activities with two bonus wipe-off activity boards; Little Genius Solar System and Little Genius World Atlas by Joe Rhatigan, age-appropriate rhyming board book introductions to their respective subjects; and I Love You More Than... and My Best Friend Is..., two board books featuring pictures of young animals, with full-page flaps to reveal messages of love and friendship.
Further expanding Little Genius’s list is a second wave of titles, due out this summer, which includes Can You Find It? Cars and Trucks on the Road, an oversized counting search-and-find board book with a six-page gatefold; two titles in the Extended Nursery Rhymes series, The Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, that are reimaginings of the classics; Bumpy Rumps: Farm Animals and Bumpy Rumps: Jungle Animals, lighthearted counting concept books featuring various textures; and What Makes Me Happy, a lovingly illustrated book for young children that provides a gentle message that lasting happiness depends a lot more on who you are and what you believe in than what you have.
Coming later in the year are two storybooks for the youngest sports fans, Goal! My First Soccer Game and Home Run! My First Baseball Game from bestselling illustrator Tim Bowers, along with How to Be a Giraffe, a story of belonging, resilience, and embracing unique qualities.
In time for the holidays comes This Little Piggy’s Night Before Christmas, a read aloud mash-up that follows the rhyme and rhythm of the original toe-play nursery rhyme while paying irreverent tribute to Clement Clarke Moore’s classic poem “The Night Before Christmas.”
Nurnberg, who was formerly vice president at Igloobooks and previously vice president of sales at Sterling Publishing, brings industry experience that includes roles in sales, marketing, editorial, production, warehousing, and retail.
During his career, he has been involved with numerous bestsellers and well-known backlist titles. “As a second-generation publisher, books have been a large part of my life since the day I was born, and they have been the focus of my career for the last 25 years,” Nurnberg says. “Yet it is the spark of an idea and the challenge of bringing it to life that still inspire me. Our hope at Little Genius is to pass on great stories, fun activities, and more to the next generation of young readers.”
