I met Angus Yuen-Killick at USBBY and learned that he launched a publishing company in the middle of the Covid pandemic lockdown! That’s an amazing feat!
One of his books, The Happiest Lion Cub, especially hit home. This is a book-in-translation from a publishing company in Ukraine. Angus tells us more about what they are going through:
Buying a picture book to help Ukrainian creators was an easy decision to make. I pre-ordered a copy and found the storyline to be a charming story about a lion cub wanting to do his own thing.
The books Angus showed me were so beautifully designed that I wanted to learn more! Here is the line-up of Red Comet Press books to both enjoy and look forward to!
We are giving away two sets of books for a total of four books to two winners. Please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom to enter.
Set 1: A Pair of Picture Books by Giorgio Volpe and Paolo
Set 2: A Pair of Really Bird Books
Introducing Red Comet Press Children’s Books!
Cat & Dog by Tullio Corda
Cat and dog live in the same house, but they seem miles apart until cat’s adventure outside leads to a daring rescue by dog. Cat people and dog lovers will both love this story of opposites. It is a must-have picture book for anyone who has both dogs and cats as pets! [picture book, ages 3 and up]
Before We Sleep by Giorgio Volpe, illustrated by Paolo Proietti
A red fox and a grey dormouse are best friends, but winter means they will part ways until spring comes again because the mouse must hibernate. Little Red, the fox, dreads saying goodbye and tries everything to prolong this sad day. And, in the end, they will be there for each other when they wake up. This is a lyrical story of friendship amid the rustling of nature as it transitions from autumn to winter. My husband, who hates the frosty New England winter, will be able to relate to this story! [picture book, ages 3 and up]
Watch Before We Sleep in Vook!
Mister Fairy by Morgane de Cadier, illustrated by Florian Pigé
At first, I thought this was a story of a male fairy who loved to dance but no … it’s a more unexpected and delightful story of a fairy who finds his place by spreading joy, laughter, and happiness. And that’s probably my favorite kind of fairy! (except maybe the tooth fairy that I have a soft spot for!) [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Watch Mister Fairy in Vook!
The Secret of the Magic Pearl by Elisa Sabatinelli, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
“If you treat the sea well, it will take care of you.”
This is visually such a stunning book! I fell in love with the illustrations on the cover, but as you turn the pages, the illustrations get better and better, drawing you into the story, even before the words begin.
Hector and his family are a deep-sea diving family that gives expeditions to tourists. When an unscrupulous competitor, Amedeo Limonta, forces them into bankruptcy, Hector finds the magic pearl that Limonta seeks. When his friends are in danger, Hector decides to return the magic pearl back to the sea. But will it be enough? You can also read this story as a parable about taking care of our oceans. This has the feel of an instant classic! [chapter book, ages 6 and up]
Robin Robin by Dan Ojari, illustrated by Mikey Please
A robin, raised with a family of mice, tries to be just like them as they sneak into a human’s house in search of crumbs, despite the scary cat. Robin discovers it can fly and that a star on top of a tree can grant wishes. Can it turn Robin into a mouse? This is a story of being true to yourself and learning that differences can be strengths. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
The Friendship Surprise by Giorgio Volpe, illustrated by Paolo Proietti
Little Red the fox is back as spring approaches. Hazel, the dormouse, his best friend would soon be waking up. But Little Red has a dilemma. What if Hazel meets its new friend Brock the Badger and prefers the badger? This charming picture book models how a three-way friendship can work. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Imagine! by Bruno Tognolini, illustrated by Giulia Orecchia
In rollicking rhyme, this picture book encourages readers to use their imaginations to picture a peaceful world filled with hope. It’s a dream worth visualizing. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Be Thankful for Trees by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald
Have you stopped to think about trees and how we utilize them in our everyday lives? Ziefert’s rhymes celebrate trees, and how much we rely upon them. This informational fiction picture book is a lovely ode to trees. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
My Dad is a Grizzly Bear by Swapna Haddow, illustrated by Dapo Adeola
In this humorous picture book, a boy wonders if his dad is a grizzly bear? He has scratchy fur and big paws and eats all the honey in the house. He sleeps a lot and is grumpy when he wakes up. But when they go camping outdoors, the boy realizes that his dad has the best trait of grizzly bears of all — warm and comforting bear hugs! [picture book, ages 4 and up]
I Really Want to Be First by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Travis Foster
Most easy readers have two characters that are diametrically opposite. Think Frog and Toad. Elephant and Piggie. Ting and Ling. But in this series, there are three characters: dog, cat, and bird! The beauty of this series is that there is a social-emotional message embedded in the hilarious story. Really Bird wants to be the first for everything but being first is not the same as being a good leader. [easy reader, ages 5 and up]
Do you love Really Bird? Here’s a plushie of Really Bird from MerryMakers.
I Really Want a Bigger Piece by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Travis Foster
Dividing up a pie fairly is not an easy task for this trio. Really Bird is really, really hungry and wants the largest piece. But dog is the largest. Should dog get the biggest piece? How should the pie be divided? This dilemma will be familiar to anyone who doles out snacks or desserts, and this story is perfect to set up a discussion about sharing, fairness, and getting along. Be sure to pair this book with a pie! [easy reader, ages 5 and up]
The Most Important Thing by Antonella Abbatiello
What is the most important thing? The animals can not decide. Is it a long neck, quills, long ears, or something else? This lift-the-flap story is a delightful discussion about differences and similarities. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
2 Pairs of Red Comet Books GIVEAWAY to 2 Winners!
We are giving away two sets of books for a total of four books to two winners. Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter. We can only mail to U.S. and A.F.O. addresses.
Set 1: A Pair of Picture Books by Giorgio Volpe and Paolo
Set 2: A Pair of Really Bird Books
Angus Yuen-Killick began his career in publishing at a small poetry publisher in the north of England. Two years on, he then moved to London publisher Cassell who sent him to New York where he ran a sales and marketing office for the academic division. In the mid-1990s he was hired by DK Publishing where he worked in publicity and marketing for both DK and the DK Ink list, working closely with respected editors, Richard Jackson, Neal Porter, and Melanie Kroupa.
In 2001, Angus was hired by Penguin as the VP of Marketing, overseeing marketing and publicity for all children’s imprints. A couple of years later, he was hired at Disney Publishing Worldwide as Global Director of Marketing, and later ran the school and library marketing department. In late 2009 he was hired by Macmillan to run the Kingfisher imprint where he acquired and guided the publishing program. He then transferred as Associate Publisher to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Angus has had specific responsibility and experience in a broad range of areas of the publishing process, from sales, marketing, and publicity to sub-rights, licensing, publishing strategy, contract negotiations, and brand management.
Angus’s professional affiliations include serving on the boards of the Children’s Book Council, US Board of Books for Young People, and the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE. He has been a judge for the Reading Rainbow competition, has taught at the Columbia Publishing Course, and consults for publishing and related companies Yoto, Vooks, and Fox Chapel Publishing. He is passionately committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and as such served for 5 years as the inaugural co-chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Council at Macmillan. He is a trustee on the board of his son’s school which serves students with learning disabilities.
p.s. Related posts:
9 Picture Books about Kindness and Compassion
10 Recent Picture Books With a Lot of Heart
Picture Books on Community Kindness and Inclusion
Chinese American Picture Books To Fill Your Heart and Belly
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My books:
BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.
Before We Sleep is high on my list of books by this publisher.
I want to win the Friendship Surprise! Thanks!
What a fantastic imprint! I’m so glad you shared this!
I would be happy to win either pair of books. I like the lovely naturalism of the Giorgio Volpe / Paolo Proietti books, and the wacky fun of the Harriet Ziefert / Travis Foster books. But I’m probably especially intrigued by what happens in the Volpe / Proietti books with their lovely colors and refined technique, and want to know more about the characters!
What a great lineup of books that look like ones that kids will want to read again and again.
Congratulations to Red Comet Press!
I would pick set 1
These all look fabulous! I think Cat & Dog and Before We Sleep would be big hits with readers at my school.
I’d love to have copies of the books by Giorgio Volpe. They look lovely. Thanks!