​Every generation that ever was - believes childhood has changed forever.
When the progress of television arrived; it was once blamed. Then, society blamed video games. Then, came smartphones.  And today… well, it is artificial intelligence, streaming platforms and endless digital distractions that dominate the conversation. It seems like the never-ending circle of progress, somehow takes away how childhood is meant to be lived, and experienced.

Yet, despite all of the changes, one thing remains remarkably consistent - children continue to fall in love, with stories.  Heck, to be honest – I think we all fall in love with stories. We only need to look at today's bestselling children's books, for they reveal something quite surprising; something quite amazingly part of our innate structure, as human beings.
Books find their way into children's bedrooms and tend to remain on their bookshelves when they share, explore and have real qualities that have endured for decades - comfort, humour, familiarity, imagination and emotional safety.

Many of the strongest selling children's books are not trying to educate first or impress adults. Yes of course, many of you might know that books were first written to impart some sort of lesson to a child.  It was a way to make sure; a child grew up to be a model human being; one that would behave and conform to societal expectations. But presently, there is a wonderful surge for comfort reading.  Books that explore all the things that a child’s imagination would find immensely satisfying, if it were real. 
Books now create places for children to just simply enjoy visiting; a place of escape, sanctuary and an exploration of life.  There is not that pressure to impart lessons – yes, those books do still exist and are regularly published, but when we see picture books such as - ‘Where is the Green Sheep?’ or ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and ‘Bluey’ they offer a very predictable, safe rhythm to children. Such books take them to a gentle humour, where the world is still reassuringly consistent.
Brand-new book releases are now offering up those intimate, yet friendly relationship created tales that feature cozy illustrations and hugely relaxing themes.  They are the sorts of books a child can pick up time and time again; read it for hours, put it away and pick it up again for the hundredth time - just to feel that calm, relaxing presence from the tale they selected.  Such books become their friends; someone they can count on to always be the same and never change; a tale that will always be happy or funny or loving.  They are what families might not be, in today’s world of - the fast and the furious of life.
Current Australian bestseller lists continue to feature such enduring classics alongside the newer comfort-focused titles.  And I think that this is a beautiful development, in our world of books and publishing.  It gives me hope that the world will be okay – that it will survive, if books like these always come into existence.
Such books allow for familiar characters, to grow into memorable ones – some with heroic qualities; they build lifelong readers, because they are building real relationships.

Whether it is ‘Bluey’, ‘Dog man’, ‘Diary of a Whimpy Kid’, ‘Wings of Fire’ or a newly emerging detective character - successful children's publishing increasingly centres around returning to familiar friends.  And who in the world does not need a friend? …Yup. We all do. 😊

​Authors and publishers understand that once trust has been built with a character, children eagerly anticipate, the next new adventure. Children see themselves in the character; emote with the character, find strength from their imaginary friends found between the pages of the book.  It is a unique, warm and caring friendship.

Book series continue to dominate bestseller charts, because children enjoy confidence as much as surprise, every time a new instalment of the tale arrives.  Kids look forward to finding their friend, in the bookstore. Such heroic books allow for the establishment of bravery, and with that - confidence is found in real life.

Every new book, is eagerly anticipated; and when illustration appears as pure magic, capturing a child’s imagination, with such colourful and fluid ease – it has never been more important.  Illustrators carry a huge responsibility, to create consistency in those characters that a child scrambles to see.

Children’s publishing has become increasingly illustration-led. This is not to say, the story is not important.  It is just a child’s imagination is captured by colour – because young minds need colour to grow and be fully functioning in the world. Nature does not come in black and white.  And often, I think, we forget that.

Parents and educators recognise that beautiful artwork slows reading down – it captures the imagination, builds fantasy worlds as they pause, notice and chatter about their little friends.

Children learn to read – from words, yes.  But illustrations, make those words real enough to stand off the page. There characters could be duelling their favourite dragon or sailing the seas for treasure in front of their very own eyes. Oh, how the adventure lives so clearly.

Many of our bestselling books today, are so impressively well-illustrated – they could almost be entirely understood, before a single word is read.  Illustration has become part of the storytelling, rather than simply decorating it. No longer is the book seen as a cake with icing – it is an ice-cream cake – where every spoonful is sweet, every nut is unexpected, every caramel stream is a winding adventure to something even tastier.

Humour continues to outsell almost everything.  Kids scramble to their favourite book, in the aisle of a store – quickly trying to steal a moment, where they can zone out and giggle away with their friends.  Adults often search for hidden messages within books, and this is a good thing.  Parents can understand the subtle humour, while being part of the reading process. It helps keep alive the need to read, cements literacy and establishes enjoyment for just being part of life.

The ability to laugh at a character, with a family member who is reading along for the joy of it, creates opportunities for parent-child bonding.  Yes, laughter creates an emotional connection like no other. These books are some of publishing’s strongest performers.
Humour reduces reading anxiety for reluctant readers, for they can engage with the illustrations and feel the humour from the tale, as it is imparted to them.  It becomes a great sense of entertainment and is a huge escape from educational reads. Parents get to bring alive the character’s voice and demeanour – it becomes home theatre, where the parent is the actor in the tale.  These moments are some of the best life memories, created for a child.  

​For middle-grade readers, graphic novels and highly illustrated chapter books continue to perform exceptionally well.  There is an ability to continue with their favourite characters, without the assistance of teacher or parent guidance.  They are still children, still in that stage of highly active-imagination – but are also becoming more mature readers.  Values, understanding of societal and family expectations are becoming more pressured, upon the young individual. So, there is very much a need, for safe escapism.

Every child needs emotional safety, and the most successful children’s books rarely overwhelm.  Even when youngsters are exploring feelings of loss, courage or uncertainty, good books leave them with a feeling of hope and promise that the world will always have the ability to look rosy.  Young readers want excitement, but they also need reassurance.  

Today's bestselling authors understand that emotional warmth, creates repeat reading. Children often ask for the same book, hundreds of times because they already know how it will end. The feeling of predictability is not weakness - for a child, it can be a sense of intense security. Especially, if their physical world is unstable.

Many aspiring writers believe they must produce something, entirely original. Yet, the marketplace suggests something different.

Readers are not necessarily searching for new ideas, themes nor new characters that they have never seen before. They are searching for stories that make them feel something familiar, in a fresh way.

Simply put, the strongest children's books often combine:

• memorable characters
• beautiful illustrations
• gentle humour
• emotional honesty
• comforting worlds
• simple but meaningful storytelling

These are the qualities that continue to outsell trends, because they speak directly to childhood, itself. Establishing a childhood and maintaining it with integrity, means enlisting such elements to project an atmosphere of safety, to a child. 

While book formats may evolve and technology continues to reshape how publishing emerges, and sustains itself in the marketplace, the heart of children's literature remains unchanged.

Children still want to laugh.

They still want to wonder.

They still want to feel safe enough to imagine impossible things.

The bestselling children's books of today, remind us that successful storytelling has never been about chasing the trends.

It has always been about creating a world that a child cannot wait to return to.
…a place of safety, a place of comfort and familiarity of friends.

​It is the birthplace of the Bologna Ragazzi Awards; the world-famous Illustrators Exhibition, Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids (BLTF/K) and of course, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair – a unique mix of cultural book shows and an international book rights forums for specific content relating to children’s books and products.
 
ELK Publishing will also take part in the recently launched BolognaBookPlus – a three-day exhibit - in conjunction with the Italian Publishers Association, BCBF and BolognaFiere that presents a series of training programmes, business conferences, translation seminars and various B2b professional networking opportunities.

To download this press release and related photographs, click below.

Sketa known to her home-town folk of Toowoomba, Queensland as Selina Kucks, stated she was excited to see this book on the next leg of its journey.  "I'm tickled pink to see the final result of this next tale and believe readers will be more than happy with the creative flair in which it was published.  A lot of hard work, sleepless nights and exhausted days accompany its production."  

For Sketa this is the second of five books in the Possum Tales Series, but the sixth in books published to date.  Writing the YA novel series 'The Parchment' in 2009, readers were keen to receive its Korean translation in 2010 and the 'The Parchment Tale unfolds in 2012.  The third and final book in this trilogy was ticked for publication last year, "but due to particular family issues over the last couple of years, I was never in the frame of mind to complete it", she said.  

We wish Sketa all the very best with 'Possum Tales...an Odd Day' and hope you'll show your support on Good Friday, 25th, 2016 for the Amazon release.   Go get 'em Sketa!

May Briggs
Publicity & Correspondence
ELK Publishing

I know some of you read a lot of comics and in my days, comics were all the rage as the internet just didn't really exist.  But... if you think those days are done and dusted, then think again.  Comics and their significant digital counterpart, are making a resurgence! ​

 Comic bookshops are popping up in the most unlikely of places, alongside arcades that once housed the dying, collector card-game traders.  They are again popular and doing a roaring trade.  With the growth of the internet and the spread of information across the sphere, budding young artists are now able to turn their artistic hands into making a tidy sum.  

"It was always difficult getting artwork out in the public eye, because unless you worked for Marvel, publishers just weren't interested," states Kevin Cartwright.  "I know scores of really talented artists who have been drawing for just an eternity and they make nothing from their work.  They sit at home penniless, while someone else exploits them and takes the cheque.  I think the biggest problem in the past has been not knowing how to get work out there.  For some artists they can draw alright, but they are lousy at the business side of things, so they get taken for a ride, so many times.  You have to be really tech-savy to survive."

Fixing a school is something we all can relate to as teachers. However, I don't know if he is doing anything different or revolutionary that hasn't already been tried.  Schools - secondary or primary are difficult entities to make passive for the sake of learning; how can we get kids on seats and learning, if they have no respect for teachers in the beginning?  I am positive there are schools here in Australia that could benefit from his knowledge.  What do you think? 

How a high-school principal curbed suspensions with a bit of compassion - http://klou.tt/8em3rwpjezgb
Further on this article can be found at: ​
The Globe And Mail | Curbing suspensions with compassion — Rachel Giese (rachel-giese.com)

It seems to be taking forever...but a watched pot never boils, right?  Nevertheless, my patience is quickly waning.

So what does the cover of 'Possum Tales...in the Lettuce Patch' look like?  

Pretty good, I have to say.  I hope you will agree with me.  It is simple, yet bold and does exactly what I expect it would...entice the reader to pick it up and look inside. Young readers are a very particular audience to write for and I hope they will give it their seal of approval.

As you know, this children's picture book has been illustrated by the talented Doming 도밍. (No I didn't illustrate this one.)  She is a great artist and has worked hard to do my story justice.   It is hopefully the first of many short stories.  Five of these were finished a good year or two ago; they will be illustrated over the coming months. 'Possum Tales - in the Lettuce Patch' is the first off the chopping block!  
Hopefully you will see it in hardback, next year too.  

So, take a look at the cover and let me know if you'd like to order a copy.