Publisher Profile: What On Earth!
The CBC asks Christopher Lloyd, Founder & CEO, questions about the publisher.
How did your publishing house start out?
I wanted to turn my adult world history books into something kids could engage with, so illustrator Andy Forshaw and I set about creating world history timelines, which became our series of Wallbooks. They were unconventional in format so I couldn’t find a publisher who was willing to take the risk, so we established our own non-fiction children’s publishing house, in 2010.
What is your publishing house most known for?
Engaging in highly visual, non-fiction storytelling across a wide spectrum of subjects in a fun (non-patronizing) way! Our goal is to help kids answer the question: What are you interested in? and then share their interests with their friends and the adults in their lives
Which title does your house feel deserved more love than it got?
It’s Up to Us, which is a beautiful book on climate change, illustrated by 33 artists from all over the world with an introduction by HRH King Charles III.
Which upcoming titles is your house buzzing about?
We have so many! In Fall 2024, we launch First Big Book of How, a follow-up to the hugely success First Big Book of Why, which has sold more than 115,000 copies globally!
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a school or public library?
Open Wide! – Jaw-dropping Mouths of the Animal World. It’s a book that really demonstrates the What on Earth! philosophy of encouraging kids to see the world from surprising angles (animal mouths, in this instance), and in doing so, we hope empathy will flow between our species, other species, and the planet.
Name a few of your favorite backlist titles that people should check out.
- Absolutely Everything! Revised and Expanded – a narrative history from the beginning of time to the present day.
- FACTopia! series – this series makes hilarious connections between facts and is ideal for reluctant readers, particularly Gross FACTopia!
- Britannica’s Encyclopedia Infographica – just an amazing exploration of how to turn complex words and numbers into pictures and graphics that anyone can understand, and all tell incredible non-fiction stories.
Thank you, What On Earth!
