Current Trends and Topics

After a flurry of pandemic related titles bloomed across the children’s best seller charts throughout 2020, the summer of 2021 brings a new range of publishing trends to reflect the values that have become increasingly cherished as we cautiously emerge out of lockdown and into the new, new normal. Books relating to nature, mental health and social justice teach poignant and meaningful lessons to children navigating a world that looks different in many ways.

A newfound appreciation for nature in conjunction with the youth-led demand for climate action is reflected in upcoming titles such as Isabella Tree’s When We Went Wild and Benjamin Zephaniah’s Nature Trail. Titles such as Do Something for Someone Else encourage children to spread kindness through activism, while Dapo Aedola’s Hey You! is an example of a many ground breaking new books that explore the black experience, drawing attention to systemic racism and empowering young readers of colour.

We are happy to have been working on a number of projects in these genres recently including Black Stories Matter and Hippopotomus Family. As well as Toucans Tree and When the Birds Came, which are both available book ideas.

It’s heart warming to note that the overarching themes of the current market trends are of kindness and personal responsibility. But that’s not to say that unicorns have gone the way of the dinosaurs, as far as kids lit is concerned they are very much alive!