U.K.-based Pan Macmillan will soon expand its presence in the U.S. with the debut in this country of two imprints, Campbell Books and Macmillan Children’s Books. Focused on book series for preschoolers, Campbell will roll out on July 4; and on October 1, MCB will distribute its launch U.S. list of stand-alone books selected from the imprint’s U.K. offerings.

Touting the tag line, “Books you can play with; toys you can read,” Campbell specializes in innovative novelty books with a narrative-storytelling and soft-learning approach that aim to develop such qualities as emotional intelligence and empathy in the youngest readers. The imprint achieved double-digit percentage growth in the U.K. in 2022, according to Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, managing director of MCB, which also includes Campbell Books.

Considering this significant growth, Rasmussen noted, “It is absolutely the right time to explore new ways to maximize our market share as a global preschool publisher. We already have a hugely successful partnership with our sister company in the U.S. for selling our Kingfisher list, which focuses on illustrated nonfiction, and adding Campbell Books and a selection of other MCB titles to this structure is the perfect next step.”

Campbell Books will launch in the U.S. on the Fourth of July, Rasmussen said, “with a carefully curated list for American families, which we have built from our internationally bestselling titles and our strong frontlist.”

Though Campbell’s initial releases in the U.S. will feature universal themes of first experiences, sharing, talking, and learning about the world, Rasmussen added, “if opportunities arise for us to publish titles that will appeal mostly to a U.S. reader, then we will definitely consider this in the future too.”

Editorial and production operations for the U.S. lists are based in the U.K., yet the publisher has dedicated sales and marketing teams in the New York office that are working closely with the U.K. team to ensure a free flow of market insights between the two entities. Additionally, the U.S. editions will be edited to incorporate American spellings and language.

Macmillan U.K. will continue to support its existing relationships with publishers that have already licensed rights to some of its Campbell titles. “These books are, of course, released under the U.S. publisher’s imprint,” Rasmussen explained. “We are carefully balancing our excellent relationships with our longstanding publishing partners alongside this new strategy with Macmillan U.S.”

Anchors Aweigh

Campbell Books’ inaugural U.S. lineup showcases several new series, including Babies Laugh..., created with developmental psychologist Caspar Addyman, which kicks off with a sound book, Babies Laugh at Everything. A guessing-game series, Where Is?, launches with Where Is Little Tiger? and Where Is Little Bunny?; and the STEAM-focused My First series debuts with My First Clock Book. Also new to the U.S. market are installments of Campbell’s Busy Books, First Stories, Hello Dinosaurs, Little Big Feelings, and First Explorers series.

MCB enters the U.S. market with Grace and the Christmas Angel by Lucinda Riley, in which a worried girl hopes a special angel will bring her fisherman father home safely in time for Christmas morning; Rumaysa: A Fairytale by Radiya Hafiza, which weaves together variations on three familiar tales; Starbird by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Sharon King-Chai, an original fable about freedom and love; These Are the Words, an illustrated poetry collection in which author Nikita Gill explores things she wished someone had told her when she was younger; and new editions of eight Adventure Series novels by Enid Blyton, written between 1944 and 1955.

Macmillan’s children’s book mission is constant across continents, according to Rasmussen. “At Macmillan—both in the U.S. and the U.K.—we know that the very best preschool publishing always starts with the child,” she said. “It is always our aim to help to create a lifelong love of books—from the very earliest moments—by creating innovative and accessible books to provide the very best start to every child’s reading journey.”