Children's books Shocker

[Parson]

I've a few friends who have tried (unsuccessfully) to break into the writing of Children's books. I always thought it was cute idea, but probably just a lark. That is, until I read an article in the New York Times about the estate of Dr. Seuss stopping the publishing of some of his early books because of the depiction of some racial stereotypes in the illustrations. (We won't get into that!)

But what shocked me was this: Last year Green Eggs and Ham sold 338,000 copies, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, sold 311,000 copies, and something else I didn't know Oh the Places You'll Go, a popular graduation gift(?!), sold 513,000 copies. That would make any of those best sellers and then some.

Over his career his 60 books have sold 700,000,000 copies! --- I guess becoming a Children's author does have something significant in the return as a possibility.

Sales of Dr Seuss books

 

[Steve Harrison]

This has made me dig out the story I wrote years ago for my daughter, Sophie and the Poo Monster!

As to the Dr Suess books, I have bought so many of them for family kids and children of friends over the years after asking, are they old enough for a Dr Seuss book yet? There's a massive and completely new market for those books every year, so I'm not surprised by the numbers.

 

[Venusian Broon]

I was a bit surprised that Dr Seuss books were popular in the UK, apparently, as I've never seen a Dr Seuss book ever (fifty years and counting, I suppose). Yet a quick google tells me that they are pretty popular here. What's the angle, what's the magic?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

They’re popular in the U.K. too though not just as iconic here. They sell because they’re a fun read-together thing

 

[Parson]

Exactly, they have great little rhymes and brilliant illustrations. The characters are often very memorable. Cat in the Hat is probably the most memorable.

 

[tinkerdan]

I read these first after mastering the mother goose illustrated classics we had, which might explain why I have trouble parsing the damage they could do: I'm already brain washed.
What I remember is the clever rhymes and the absurd pictures.
At the time I read them I don't recall being able to place a picture with any ethnic group, I didn't know at the time what lay beyond the family and the neighbors and cousins we visited.
First year of school was a whole new world. Scary too.

 

[Matteo]

Never saw a Dr Seuss book in my childhood (70s) either. Heard about them/him in my teenage years (I suspect via novels by American authors) but still didn't see any around. I only bought a few years later and found the illustrations wonderful - and the rhymes clever, and silly.

They're definitely more popular in America - I think they entered the public psyche after their publication and have remained there as the "must buy" books. The rhymes also work well to help children with their reading - I think Fox in Socks is also very popular for that reason. And I suppose a lot of kids grew up reading (or being read to) their parent's copies and then bought their own kids the books.

Still, impressive sales figures!

 

[Mouse]

I was a bit surprised that Dr Seuss books were popular in the UK, apparently, as I've never seen a Dr Seuss book ever (fifty years and counting, I suppose). Yet a quick google tells me that they are pretty popular here. What's the angle, what's the magic?

I've never seen them either. I didn't think they were popular in the UK but I guess they are now.

 

[Ursa major]

I've a few friends who have tried (unsuccessfully) to break into the writing of Children's books.

They should have started by writing drama for kids (possibly starting with their own): apparently, it's child's play....

 

[Parson]

They should have started by writing drama for kids (possibly starting with their own): apparently, it's child's play....

Parson contemplates a "Groan" button, but instead decides to applaud a good play on words.

 

[Guanazee]

Of course there's a huge market for children's books. Kids are pushed to read and many love reading. Kids probably read more hours than adults.

I'm an agented children's author, by the way. My first PB comes out next spring and I have a PB and a sci-fi CB in Acquisitions at two other publishers *fingers crossed*. Writing for the children's market is not really something you can do on a lark.

 

[hitmouse]

Growing up in the UK and Australia in the 60-70s I had lots of Suess. Maybe that was unusual. I can still recite chunks of Fox in Sox

 

[Brian G Turner]

Bestsellers are bestsellers regardless of the market. Most never get near that, though.

 

[SashaMcallister]

I wonder what percentage of books sell more than even 100 copies.

 

[Parson]

Interesting question. I haven't a clue as to the answer or how to find it. But I'll bet it's a 1000 to 1 to those who sell more than 10,000 copies.

 

[Bick]

I've never seen them either. I didn't think they were popular in the UK but I guess they are now.

Did you grow up in a cave maybe? Hugely popular in the UK, and always have been I'd have said - I had plenty when I grew up in England -they were common in both libraries and shops.

 

[HareBrain]

I think they were around when I was a kid in the UK, in the library maybe, but I only looked at a couple. I found them disturbing. And I think part of the disturbing quality was the author's name. He was a doctor, a class of person my parents trusted, and yet was responsible for these nightmare creations. And his name was 60% the letter "s". Something wrong there.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

My primary school had copies in every classroom, so I first met them age maybe 5 or 6. I loved the off-the-wall silliness of the illustrations and the unexpected rhyming. The Cat in the Hat was my favourite, possibly because it was the first one I devoured.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

My primary school had copies in every classroom, so I first met them age maybe 5 or 6. I loved the off-the-wall silliness of the illustrations and the unexpected rhyming. The Cat in the Hat was my favourite, possibly because it was the first one I devoured.

It’s a Wonderful Day for Up here. Sadly the message is still lacking in application in this little nightbird.

 

[Provincial]

I saw them in my primary school. Other kids loved them, but I thought the writing was boring and silly, while the illustrations left me cold. Green Eggs and Ham is a classic example of this. Mind you, I was getting three books out of the adult library section every month at this age.