Nosy Crow

Nosy Crow was founded in 2010,[8] and published its first book in January 2011.[9] In its first year of publishing, it released 23 books and 3 apps in total, and invoiced one million pounds.[10] The company has a strong background in rights-selling. Wilson began her career selling rights at Faber and Faber,[11] and in its first year, foreign rights to Nosy Crow titles were sold in 16 languages.[10] By September 2014, Nosy Crow had grown to become the 16th largest children’s publisher in the UK, according to Nielsen Bookscan data,[12] and by 2019, the company had grown to become the 12th largest children’s publisher in the UK.[13] The company has been noted on multiple occasions for its rapid growth in an industry experiencing shrinking revenue elsewhere.[14][15]In May 2023, Nosy Crow launched a United States company, Nosy Crow Inc.[16]

Nosy Crow publishes commercial fiction and non-fiction books for children aged from 0 to 14.[17] Its most successful series to date include the Bizzy Bear books, illustrated by Benji Davies, and the Pip and Posy books, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, each of which have sold several million copies worldwide. The Pip and Posy books were credited with producing healthier than expected sales in the industry overall for 2011. Wilson had previously collaborated with Scheffler at Macmillan, where she published The Gruffalo and initiated the long-running collaboration between the artist and former Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson.[18]

Other successful titles and series include Open Very Carefully, winner of the 2014 Waterstones Children's Book Prize,[19] the My Brother is a Superhero series, written by David Solomons, which has sold in over 20 languages worldwide and been awarded the 2016 Waterstones Children's Book Prize[20] and the 2016 British Book Industry Award Children's Book of the Year Prize,[21] Pamela Butchart's Baby Aliens series, which has won a Blue Peter Book Award[22] and a Children's Book Award,[23] the Felt Flaps series by Ingela P. Arrhenius, winner of the Sainsbury's Children's Book of the Year Award,[24] There's a Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins, winner of the inaugural Amnesty CILIP Greenaway Honour in 2016[25] and a UKLA Book Award in 2017,[26] and I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree: A Nature Poem For Every Day Of The Year, winner of the inaugural Waterstones Children’s Gift of the Year Award in 2018.[27]

Nosy Crow was particularly notable for its original apps for the iOS platform.,[28] which it developed in-house. Between 2011 and 2018, Nosy Crow released over 25 apps, which won numerous awards and received critical acclaim, earning the company recognition as a leader in the field.[28] In April 2018, the company announced that it would cease its in-house app development programme and close its app department, citing the challenging commercial environment for children's reading apps.[29]

Nosy Crow has become well known for its partnerships,[30] with international publishers,[31] charities,[32] and other organisations.[30] In North America, many of the company's illustrated book titles were published under an imprint of the same name by Candlewick Press,[31] and in Australia, Nosy Crow books are distributed by Allen & Unwin.[2] In November 2012, the company made headlines[30] by creating an instant picture book edition of the John Lewis Christmas television advert, in partnership with John Lewis. The company has since produced picture book editions of several further John Lewis Christmas television adverts, in 2013,[33] 2014,[34] 2016[35] and 2017.[36] In September 2014, the company announced[37] a partnership with The National Trust, to publish a jointly-branded children's book list, and in October 2015, Nosy Crow announced[38] a second partnership with The British Museum for another jointly-branded children's book list. In June 2023, Nosy Crow announced[39] their third partnership with Cambridge University for another jointly-branded children's book list.

Since being established, Nosy Crow has won a number of awards, both for its books and apps, and as a company. These include: