Publisher Profile: Stafford House Books
The CBC asks Teresa Anne Power, President of Stafford House Books, questions about the publisher on their anniversary.
2024 marks the 15th anniversary of our publishing company!
In our 15 years as publishers, one of the most wonderful lessons we’ve learned as publishers is how the importance of yoga and mindfulness for children resonates all over the world. Since we published our first book in 2009, many of the titles in our ABCs of Yoga for Kids and Little Mouse Adventures series have been published in multiple languages, including French, Italian, Danish, Spanish, and Mainland Chinese.
How did your publishing house start out?
I started my publishing company in 2009. I had stopped practicing law a few years prior, becoming more of a stay-at-home mom. Yet, I still wanted to stay in the “pulse” of having a career. I had been practicing yoga since 1984 and became a certified yoga instructor. I taught children as well as adults and noticed that there was a void in the children’s market for illustrated yoga books. I saw an opportunity to combine my legal skills with my love of yoga and VOILÀ, Stafford House Books, Inc. was born!
What is your publishing house most known for?
We are a small, niche publisher specializing in books, music, and other educational resources to help children, students, parents, and educators enrich their lives and manage stress. We are probably most well-known for our ABCs of Yoga for Kids series, which includes the multiple award-winning book, The ABCs of Yoga for Kids (our first title which we published in 2009 and still a very strong backlist title of ours!), along with The ABCs of Yoga for Kids flashcards, coloring book, guidebook, and poster.
What conventions and conferences does your publishing house usually attend?
We love meeting other kindred spirits in the publishing community. Over the years, we’ve attended events held by the American Library Association and International Book Publishers Association, as well as participated in the Frankfurt Book Fair (through our foreign rights department) and Book Expo (prior to COVID).
Which genres does your house prefer to publish?
Our sweet spot is to publish both fiction and nonfiction books for children that center on yoga and mindfulness.
Which formats does your house prefer to publish?
We publish beautifully illustrated hardcover books with dust jackets, softcover books, learning cards, and posters, as well as ebooks. We offer titles for a variety of ages and stages, ranging from board books to picture books to our upcoming early reader chapter book.
What are some of your house’s publishing priorities over the next few years?
We want to continue to play a contributing role in publishing high-quality books that enrich the lives of children, students, parents, and educators. Our mission is to break down the socioeconomic and cultural barriers of society by providing readers with access to yoga and mindfulness and tools to better their lives.
Which title has your house recently rallied behind?
We recently rallied behind Yoga at the Aquarium, the 5th book in the award-winning Little Mouse Adventures series. We absolutely love this series, which is lovingly illustrated by Emma Allen, and its ability to connect compelling stories with gentle yoga and mindfulness lessons.
Which title does your house feel deserved more love than it got?
We are so proud of Yoga at the Zoo, and regret that it didn’t get as much as love as it deserved. The publication date of this first book in the award-winning Little Mouse Adventures series was March 1, 2020. Unfortunately, this coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and Yoga at the Zoo got lost in the shuffle due to the poor timing of its publication.
Which upcoming titles is your house buzzing about?
Our very first early reader chapter book launches in August 2024, and we could not be more thrilled. In Search of the Holy Grail is the 6th book in the Little Mouse Adventures series and features Little Mouse in a brand new epic adventure (that, of course, includes yoga!).
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a school or public library?
We love hearing from librarians and teachers who use our titles for storytime and yoga lessons. Yoga at the Aquarium, Halloween Yoga, and Yoga at the Museum are all great frontlist titles that engage kids.
Which of your frontlist tiles would you like to see get more attention from bookstores?
Our Little Mouse Adventures series fits in perfectly at bookstores as well as gift shops in museums, aquariums, zoos, and nature centers!
Name a few of your favorite backlist titles that people should check out.
- The ABCs of Yoga for Kids
- The ABCs of Yoga for Kids Around the World, and
- The Night Before Kids’ Yoga Day.
What else would you like to tell us about your house and the amazing work you all do?
We are especially proud to support International Kids’ Yoga Day. Since 2016, 480,000+ children from 45 countries, 6 continents, and all 50 US states have participated in this free event, with the goal of making the life-changing practice of yoga accessible to everyone, regardless of age, location, or finances. Illustrations from our books serve as the foundation for the simple yoga routines done on Kids’ Yoga Day in classrooms, libraries, parks, yoga studios, and homes all around the world each year! For more information, visit kidsyogaday.com.
Thank you, Stafford House Books!
