This year, Sasquatch Books’ Little Bigfoot imprint is celebrating the 10th anniversary of author and illustrator John Skewes’s Larry Gets Lost, a picture book series for young armchair travelers. The series, which launched in 2007 with Larry Gets Lost in Seattle, has sold more than 350,000 copies.
The books follow Larry as he explores a new city with his owner Pete’s family. Along the way, Larry wanders off on his own and discovers local landmarks before reuniting with the family. Skewes spends several weeks visiting each location as research for each book. A former character artist for Disney Consumer Products, Skewes works with co-writers on the story. Collaborators have included Robert Schwartz, Michael Mullin, Andrew Fox, and Eric Ode. To date, the adventures of Larry the puppy include 25 books featuring 12 cities, with more books to come in the fall.
Throughout the month of April, Little Bigfoot commemorated the publishing milestone with bookstore celebrations and extensive online promotion.
Special Edition. Updated anniversary editions of Larry Gets Lost in Seattle and Seattle ABC—the books that launched the Larry Gets Lost series ten years ago—were released on April 4. The books feature all-new artwork and several new Seattle landmarks.
Larry Gets a Website. Little Bigfoot launched LarryGetsLost.com, a newly designed website for the series. The site includes a landing page for parents, educators, and booksellers looking for more information about the series, downloadable resources, and an interactive map.
Seattle Independent Bookstore Day. In honor of the city that launched the series, Little Bigfoot partnered with Seattle Independent Bookstore Day to host a children’s scavenger hunt at a select number of local bookstores.
Storytime Tour. Independent bookstores nationwide joined the anniversary celebration by hosting Larry-themed storytimes throughout April. Participating stores received storytime kits, including web assets, a customized activity kit (themed for the store’s city), a Larry plush doll, and a set of books from the bookstore’s city.
The national storytime tour kicked off on April 1 at Brookline Booksmith in Boston.
The storytime crowd at the Book Cellar in Chicago celebrated 10 years of Larry on April 7.
The Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle hosted a storytime on April 8 for the book that launched the series.
On April 20, Larry paid a visit to Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, where kids read stories, sang songs, and participated in an art activity.
