• Meet the Imprint

Philomel | November 13, 2014

by Eileen Savage (Junior Designer, Penguin Group USA)

Philomel is an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, which publishes picture books alongside commercial middle-grade and young-adult fiction. From The Very Hungry Caterpillar to the modern-classic series Otis, Philomel’s picture books strive to be beautiful and gift-worthy, both in content and in form. Oliver Jeffers’ bestselling Stuck and This Moose Belongs to Me are no exceptions.

Some of Philomel’s more notable novels include Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, and Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade series. Under publisher Michael Green, Philomel also makes particular effort to appeal to the reluctant boy reader, publishing Mike Lupica’s sports novels Million-Dollar Throw and Heat, as well as John Flanagan’s fantasy series Ranger’s Apprentice.

One exciting upcoming title:
Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers
From the illustrator of The Day the Crayons Quit comes an original take on the classic alphabet book. Over 100 pages long, each letter features a simple short story. Shifting from sad to sweet to surreal, each story is illustrated with Jeffers’ usual wit and charm.
Published October 2014.

One classic title:
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Led by a mouse named Matthias, the peaceful woodland creatures of Redwall Abbey must band together to defend their home from an evil rat, Cluny the Scourge. This fantasy novel is the first of a beloved series that now includes picture books, cookbooks, a TV show, and a graphic novel.
Published 1986.

One series you may not have heard about:
Schizo by Nick Sheff
After a schizophrenic breakdown, Miles is on the mend. But his search for his missing younger brother has become an obsession, and the reader must decide how much Miles deals with is real, and how much is clouded by the darker shadows of the human mind. Published September 2014.