Publisher Profile: Mims House
The CBC asks Darcy Pattison, President, questions about the publisher.
Where in the country are you located?
We bring children’s books to life in a blue, three-story Victorian house in the historic, downtown Quapaw District of Little Rock, Arkansas. The Quapaw houses are named after the family who lived there in 1890. Our house was home to the Mims family in 1890. We are the Mims House publisher, and we work in the Mims House. We are steps away from the Little Rock SOMA Arts District, and the history and ambience of the location infuse our books with vibrancy.
What genres does your house prefer to publish?
Mims House publishes books for kids who want to know more—no!—who need to know more. We bring passionate curiosity to real and imagined worlds that bring life into focus. We are best known for our science and nature books that evoke the wonder of the world. The ten-book Moments in Science series is about a moment when science changed forever. The books feature amazing discoveries about magnets, climate, light, sound, marine animals, cures for diseases, and much more.
The Another Extraordinary Animal series includes the story of the oldest bird in the world, a spider in space, an orphaned puma cub, a bullfrog with a world-record leap, the poignant story of saving a tortoise species from extinction, and a fascinating snail. The series is much more than just an introduction to the animal kingdom. It chronicles the story of how humans interact with animals in various ways: how we enjoy, challenge, admire, endanger, support, and save them. It’s a fabulous series for kids to learn about the amazing complexity of animals.
Beyond that, we publish science fiction and fantasy for 8-14-year-olds. The Kittytubers series, for 8-12 year olds, is about a world where cats are in charge of their own destiny and create KittyTube to host their cat videos. Into this world are born a trio of kittens who are destined for greatness. The Blue Planets World series, for 10-14 year olds, is a science fiction thriller. The planet Rison is about to implode and Risonians need a new home. They ask Earth, “You only live on land. Will you allow us to live in the seas?”
Which title has your house recently rallied behind?
In 2023, we published five picture books translated into Spanish by the Pura Belpré honoree, Mariana Llanos. Our first Spanish titles are slowly finding their audience as we promote them across the U.S.
Which title does your house feel deserved more love than it got?
We are known for our science and nature books. But we also publish books that focus on the social-emotional needs of kids. And many of our nonfiction books include that SEL component as well. Here are some of those.
Finding Courage. When Papa is injured in a bicycle accident, he refuses to try to walk again. One neighbor tells Liana that Papa has lost her courage. She asks neighbors, “What is courage? Gorgeous illustrations from Agnieszka Wajda join the simple text for an inspirational story that helps each of us find courage in the small moments of life. Those small acts of courage build a foundation for the hard times, for the times when you take that next step only because of courage—that never slows down, never gets tired, and never gives up.
FEVER: How Tu Youyou Used Traditional Chinese Medicine to Find a Cure for Malaria. This nonfiction picture book is Book 7 of the Moments in Science series, but the story of Nobel Prize winner Tu Youyou also fits into the SEL category. Working under difficult circumstances and at great personal cost, Youyou searches for a cure for malaria, only to fail again and again. As Booklist says, “While the outcome of this tale is inspiring and triumphant, the emphasis on the hard work and the costs Youyou faced—and her stubbornness in the face of defeat—is a worthy lesson.”
BE STRONG: The Rise of Beloved Public Art Sculptor, Nancy Schön. Calling all makerspace advocates! Inspired by Robert McCloskey’s book, Make Way for Ducklings, Nancy Schön took two-dimensional drawings and created the amazing three-dimensional sculptures of the duck family that live in Boston’s Public Garden. It was hard! Nancy almost gave up until a fellow artist gave her a sign that read, “Be Strong.” It’s a great SEL book for kids who create with clay, LEGO, building blocks, or other materials, and belongs in every makerspace.
Which upcoming titles is your house buzzing about?
We have three amazing nonfiction picture books coming this year.
Jeremy, the English Garden Snail: Heredity, Citizen Science, and #snaillove, Book 7 of the Another Extraordinary Animal. In a charming garden of London, a tiny hero emerges – Jeremy, a garden snail with a remarkable difference. Most snail shells coil right, but Jeremy’s shell spirals to the left, making him a one-in-a-million wonder. When Dr. Angus Davison, a geneticist at the University of Nottingham, learns about Jeremy, he sees an opportunity to unravel the mysteries of genetics and body symmetry. But there’s a snail-sized problem – Jeremy needs a left-coiled partner to mate with! What follows is a heartwarming tale of citizen science, as Dr. Davison launches the #snaillove campaign, reaching out to people worldwide to help find Jeremy a mate. Kirkus Reviews sums up the story well: “Clear, informative, and quite fascinating.”
CLIMATE: How Wladimir Köppen Studied Weather and Drew the First Climate Map, Book 10, Moments in Science series. As a teenager, Wladimir Köppen became interested in how the landscape changed as he traveled south from St. Petersburg on the Baltic Sea in northern Russia to Crimea on the Black Sea. Explaining that changing landscape became his life’s work, and eventually, he drew the world’s first climate maps. Today, Köppen’s maps still help us understand the world’s ecosystems and plan for the future. Look for this insightful book coming out May 2025.
NOT EXTINCT: The Przewalski’s Horse Returns from Extinct in the Wild. In 1959, the international community came together to discuss the plight of the Przewalski’s horse, which was considered Extinct in the wild. Could the scientists save the P-horse (as it is nicknamed) and return it to the wild? This story follows the efforts to restore a vital species. The sixty-year effort has brought the P-horse from Extinct in the wild to only Endangered. Still—it’s endangered! The story will continue to inspire the next generations to work to save species at risk for extinction. Thanks to the Prague Zoo and other scientists, the book is photo-illustrated with a rich variety of historical and contemporary photographs. Look out for this book coming out July 2025!
Which titles would be great for a classroom? Which grades?
As we develop our science and nature books, we focus on producing trade books that also fit the elementary curriculum from K-6. But our sweet spot is second to fourth grade. The Moments in Science series and Another Extraordinary Animal are books that every teacher could use as they plan their science curriculum classes. For other stand-alone titles, we carefully consider the curriculum needs. For example, George Washington’s Engineer: How Rufus Putnam Won the Siege of Boston without Firing a Shot was named a CBC/NSTA Best STEM Book, and EROSION: How Hugh Bennett Saved America’s Soil and Ended the Dust Bowl was named a CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies book. When K-6 teachers need a trade book on a topic, we likely have a great title sure to please the curious kids of your classroom.
Thank you, Mims House!
