Penguin’s Viking Children’s Books imprint has announced that Tamar Brazis will join the team as editorial director, picture books. Brazis will report to Ken Wright, president and publisher of Viking Children’s Books and Philomel Books for Young Readers, and will help to shape and grow the imprint’s picture book catalog while developing her own list.
Brazis was most recently editorial director of Abrams Books for Young Readers. Over the course of her nearly 15 years at Abrams, Brazis oversaw the publisher’s picture book list, working on titles such as the Caldecott Honor- and Coretta Scott King Medal-winning Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews and Bryan Collier; Princesses Wear Pants by Savannah Guthrie and Allison Oppenheim; the Bologna Ragazzi-winning Cloth Lullaby by Amy Novesky and Isabelle Arsenault; and the I Am series by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds.
Founded as a hardcover division in 1933, Viking Children’s Books releases roughly 60 books a year, and is known for its rich backlist, featuring classics such as Madeline, Corduroy, Make Way for Ducklings, Pippi Longstocking, The Outsiders, The Snowy Day, and The Stinky Cheese Man. Viking also publishes bestselling authors Laurie Halse Anderson, David Arnold, Max Brallier, Sarah Dessen, Anna Dewdney, Gayle Forman, and more.
Wright said in a statement, “I have followed Tamar’s career from the sidelines for years and hoped for many of them that she and I would one day work together. I am really very excited that Tamar will bring her immense talent and her instinct for what makes great commercial and literary picture books to Viking and Penguin Young Readers.”
Brazis said of her move, “Viking is one of the most esteemed imprints in children’s publishing. I feel privileged to acquire new picture books and more for this historic list.”
