DK and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have announced a strategic partnership to launch a line of children’s books that will encompass art, history, and culture—the worlds curated by the museum. To create the books, DK is commissioning original text and illustrations, which will be supplemented by commentary written by members of the Met’s staff, as well as works from the museum collection and archival assets. The titles, which will be published simultaneously worldwide, are originating from DK Licensing’s U.K.-based creative team, in close collaboration with the Met’s curatorial teams and with DK’s sales and marketing teams in the U.S.
The publishing program, which will target readers ages five to nine, debuts in August 2021 with four titles that reflect its editorial range. These include three hardcovers (The Met: Lost in the Museum: A Seek-and-Find Adventure in The Met by Will Mabbitt, illustrated by Aaron Cushley; The Met: Vincent van Gogh: He Saw the World in Vibrant Colors by Amy Guglielmo, illustrated by Petra Braun; and The Met: Georgia O’Keeffe: She Saw the World in a Flower by Gabrielle Balkan, illustrated by Josy Bloggs); as well as one paperback, My Met Sticker Collection: Make Your Own Sticker Museum, illustrated by Liz Kay. Two additional books will be added to the line in fall 2021.
Mark Searle, DK’s publishing director of licensing, said of the joint publishing project, “The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a historic cultural institution, and we are very proud to be their partner for this new range of books. We are excited to be part of the Met’s mission to make art more accessible, and it is an honor to share this content with readers on every continent.”
At the Met, Lisa Silverman Meyers, global head of licensing, similarly saluted the venture. “We are thrilled to be collaborating with DK on this partnership,” she said. “DK has a long tradition of delivering content to children and families in the most engaging and interesting ways, and we are so pleased to be working with them to help us deliver our mission of access and education. As the Met celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, we look forward to creating books where all children can see themselves in stories and activities.”
