• Meet the Publisher

DK Publishing | May 20, 2015

by Kathleen Quinlan (Assistant Marketing Manager, DK)

Founded in London in 1974, DK is the world’s leading illustrated reference publisher and produces content in over 87 countries and 62 languages. DK publishes highly visual, photographic non-fiction in a wide range of topics for adults and children. Growing beyond London, DK now has offices in New York, Melbourne, Munich, Delhi, and Toronto, and in 2013, became part of Penguin Random House.

DK’s aim is to inform, enrich, and entertain readers of all ages, from sticker books to DK Eyewitness Travel Guides. The adult books cover history, science, travel, nature, sport, gardening, cooking, and parenting. DK’s children’s books cover everything from animals to the human body, from crafts to homework help, from Star Wars to LEGO®, and more.
DK distributes Alpha Books, the Idiot’s Guides series, BradyGames, and Prima Games as well as the award-winning travel Rough Guides.

We publish so many fun and exciting books every year, but here are a few that we are excited to share with you:

One exciting upcoming title:
Ultimate Star Wars 
Luke, Leia, and Han will return to the big screen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. To prepare for the film, new and old Star Wars fans alike can catch up on the saga in Ultimate Star Wars, an in-depth guide exploring the iconic characters and storylines. The guide is beautifully designed and structured chronologically, and it is packed full of information from the Star Wars movie saga, The Clone Wars, and Rebels. This guide has everything fans need to be knowledgeable on all things Star Wars.
Published April 2015.

One classic title:
Children Just Like Me
1996 ALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book
Published in 1996, Children Just Like Me is a celebration of children around the world, which was published to coincide with UNICEF’s 50th anniversary. For two years, a photographer and teacher traveled to five continents to meet and talk to children from many different walks of life. Children will enjoy reading about the dreams and beliefs, hopes and fears, and day-to-day events of other children’s lives, understanding not just the obvious differences between one another, but discovering the extraordinary similarities.

One series you may not have heard about:
Big Ideas Simply Explained
Big Ideas Simply Explained is a series of reference books that bring different topics to life with illustrations, design, and fully comprehensive content. The series covers Shakespeare, literature, movies, science, business, and so much more. Perfect for casual perusal or informative research, the Big Ideas Simply Explained series contains everything you could want to see, learn, and know about in a beautifully designed book.

5 things you might not know about DK:
1. DK was among the first companies to develop reference CD-ROMs (20 years ago!)
2. In 2014, DK celebrated its 40th anniversary!
3. In 1997, DK first teamed up with Lucasfilm, LTD. to produce its first Star Wars title, and they have since published over 150 books together.
4. DK was the first company to place images on a white background and add annotated text. Before 1974, publishing featured long columns of text with occasional square images.
5. The entire company dresses up for Halloween and has a costume and decorating contest.