Gecko Press is an independent, international publisher of curiously good children s̕ books Gecko Press hand-picks, translates and publishes books by some of the best writers and illustrators in the world —books of good heart and strong character, excellent in story, illustration and design. We choose stories children and parents will want to read hundreds of times, for ages 0 to 14 (sometimes infinity). Gecko Press is based in Wellington, New Zealand, and our books are sold throughout the English-speaking world in digital and print editions. Gecko Press prides itself on quality production—design, paper, bindings, covers—and on trying to make each book the best it can be.
Publisher Julia Marshall » Image © Stephanie Blake from Poo Bum Cover image © Grégoire Solotareff from Loulou
We choose books to kickstart a lifetime of reading
A sturdy, fat, little board book, just the right size for the tiny fingers of pre-readers. Best Books for Kids 2010, Dominion Post Clever and raucous fun. Starred review, Publishers Weekly
The Noisy Book by Soledad Bravi » Image © Soledad Bravi Who’s Hiding? by Satoru Onishi The Big Book of Words and Pictures by Ole Könnecke
… and books that tickle our funny bones Sheer absurdity … Younger audiences will be screaming ‘There it is!’ from the get-go. Starred review, Kirkus Reviews This amusingly absurd story paired with the warm and wonderful illustrations will have kids coming back again and again. Starred review, School Library Journal Stonkingly good. Picture Books Blogger Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2016 Longlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2016 Winner of the Sebastian Walker Award for most promising illustrator 2015
Elephant wants to play hide and seek. But you’ll have to try your best — he’s vEry good! Winner of the Sebastian Walker Award for Most Promising Children’s Illustrator 2015.
Have You Seen Elephant? by David Barrow » Image © David Barrow Yours Sincerely, Giraffe by Megumi Iwasa, illustrated by Jun Takabatake A Day with Dogs by Dorothée de Monfreid
Sometimes we choose books that ask big questions
I can’t think of another book that tackles so huge a subject with such simple, heartbreaking eloquence. Meg Rosoff Warm, poignant and witty. Anthony Browne The most extraordinary picture book I’ve seen in many a year. Patrick Ness DDTfinalprint:Layout 1
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WOLF ERLBRUCH
Duck, Death and the Tulip
Duck, Death and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch » Image © Wolf Erlbruch The King and the Sea by Heinz Janisch, illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch Don’t Cross the Line! by Isabel Martins, illustrated by Bernardo Carvalho
Books about friendship
One of those joyous rarities: a book about girls who are neither infallible nor pratfall-prone … If only all early chapter books were this beautifully conceived. New York Times Notable Book 2013 This tale is a winner. Books of the Year 2012, The Independent The clarity and simplicity of the writing are balanced by the verve and finesse of Eriksson’s captivating illustrations … A quietly compelling book for young readers. Starred review, Booklist
My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz, illustrated by Eva Eriksson » Image © Eva Eriksson Bicycling to the Moon by Timo Parvela, illustrated by Virpi Talvitie The Chicken Thief by Béatrice Rodriguez
… and books with a lot of human nature in them
Full of warm humor and wisdom. Best Books of 2015, Horn Book Endearing characters and a childlike sensibility. Starred review, Top 10 Crime Fiction for Youth, Booklist New York Public Library Notable Children’s Book 2015 Assoc. Library Service to Children, Notable Children’s Book 2016 Nominated, National Cartoonists Society Silver Reuben 2015 IBBY award for translation Shortlisted for the Marsh award for translation
Detective Gordon: The First Case by Ulf Nilsson, illustrated by Gitte Spee » Image © Gitte Spee When Dad Showed Me the Universe by Ulf Stark, illustrated by Eva Eriksson Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop
We choose books by writers and illustrators we love Adelheid Dahimène Aleksandra Mizielińska Alexandra Tylee Anna Höglund Annemarie van Haeringen Annie Hayward Antje Damm Astrid Desbordes Aurélien Débat Barbara Else Barbro Lindgren Béatrice Rodriguez Bénédicte Guettier Bénédicte Mathieu Bertrand Santini Bernardo P Carvalho Blexbolex Catharina Valckx Cédric Ramadier Chih-Yuan Chen Claire Delalande Damien Laverdunt Daniel Mizieliński Danielle Wright David Barrow Davide Cali Dorothée de Monfreid Dylan Owen Eirlys Hunter Elizabeth Knox Eric Veillé Erlend Loe Eva Eriksson Eva Lindström Ewa Solarz François Michel Frédéric Stehr Frida Nilsson Gavin Bishop Gérard Bertolini Gitte Spee Grégoire Solotareff Heide Stollinger Heinz Janisch Hélène Rajcak Helga Bansch Isabel Minhós Martins J.M. Brum Jack Lasenby Jan Bajtlik Jan Jutte Jean-Benoît Durand Jenny Bornholdt Joke van Leeuwen Jörg Mühle Joy Cowley Juliette MacIver Jun Takabatake Jutta Bauer Kate De Goldi Kathrin Schärer Kazumi Yumoto Ken Kimura Kieran Rynhart Kim Hiorthøy Klara Fall Komako Sakai Kristina Andres Lena Landström Leo Timmers Lisa Moroni Lorenz Pauli Marc Boutavant Margaret Mahy Marije Tolman Mario Ramos Marion Puech Maritgen Matter Mary McCallum Masayuki Sebe Matthieu Maudet Megumi Iwasa Michaël Escoffier Michal Shalev Michel Gay Michel van Zeveren Michèle Mira Pons Mique Moriuchi Moni Port Monika Spang Myrtille Rambion Nicolas Hubesch Ole Könnecke Olof Landström Paul Beavis Paula Bossio Pauline Martin Peter Goes Peter Schössow Philip Waechter Rindert Kromhout Robin Gindre Ronan Badel Rose Lagercrantz Sabrina Malcolm Sarah Davis Sarah Wilkins Satoru Onishi Sieb Posthuma Soledad Bravi Sonja Bougaeva Stephanie Blake Susan Paris Sven Nordqvist Sylvia Vanden Heede Tatsuhide Matsuoka Thé Tjong-Khing Timo Parvela Tomoko Ohmura Toon Tellegen Trevor Pye Ulf Nilsson Ulf Stark Vincent Bourgeau Virpi Talvitie Wolf Erlbruch Yasunari Murakami
Some of our books don’t behave (even when they know how to)
Brilliantly clever and very funny. The Bookseller Excellent illustration, great humor and refreshingly stylish text … The Big Bad Wolf may still be a source of childhood fear, but he’s ever so entertaining. New York Times Book Review The wolf's comeuppance is deeply satisfying; the only disappointment is that the book is over so soon. Better read it again. Publishers Weekly
I Am So Strong by Mario Ramos » Image © Mario Ramos Poo Bum by Stephanie Blake Reflections of a Solitary Hamster by Astrid Desbordes, illustrated by Pauline Martin
We choose books that slow you down
Like the lovely classic The Little Prince, this is a book unafraid of deeper emotions and ambiguities. Publishers Weekly This book possesses that inexplicable magic quality that will no doubt ensure it withstands the test of time. The Illustrated Forest
Hannah’s Night by Komako Sakai » Image © Komako Sakai Tickle My Ears by Jörg Mühle The Day No One Was Angry by Toon Tellegen, illustrated by Marc Boutavant
… or speed you up
A joyous ride for any pre-schooler in love with the fast and the furious. Dominion Post A good example of less is more ... For best results, tackle at full throttle. The Age
Who’s Driving? by Leo Timmers » Image © Leo Timmers My First Car Was Red by Peter Schössow I Am the Wolf … and Here I Come! by Bénédicte Guettier
Books that tell us things in beautiful ways Rich, accessible treasure trove of facts and figures. Hugely informative, hugely entertaining. Financial Times Here is a glowing sucker octopus, with its limbs spread out, pumpkincolored, looking like a just-exploded Roman candle in the night sky. Wall Street Journal Mass extinctions, the rise and fall of empires, wars, and pop culture trends, conveyed with playful details and masterly use of negative space. Starred review, Publishers Weekly Ribbons of pitch black winding through subtly coloured, deeply involving pages. The Guardian Best Books of 2015, The Sunday Times Top 50 independent books of 2015, Wordery
Peter Goes
TIMELINE
A Visual History of Our World
Timeline by Peter Goes » Image © Peter Goes Small and Tall Tales of Extinct Animals by Damien Laverdunt, illustrated by Hélène Rajcak H.O.U.S.E. by Aleksandra & Daniel Mizielinski
One good book can spark a lifetime of reading
Guji-Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen » Image © Chih-Yuan Chen
Join the Curiously Good Book Club The Curiously Good Book Club is a place for people who love good books for children. It is free and open to everyone. Children, parents, librarians, teachers and book lovers can sign up at geckopress.com for: › Discussion and ideas about the wider world of children’s books and reading. › Newsletters about new Gecko Press books and other books we love. › Events where you can meet authors, attend workshops, talk about books and be read to—at bookshops, libraries and maybe even the beach! › Competitions, activities, bookmarks, gift cards, and fun bits and pieces. › Exclusive offers on purchases from our website.
» Image © Marije Tolman from What Dog Knows by Sylvia Vanden Heede
Start a child’s collection with a book parcel
Gecko Press offers book parcels for curious readers. We deliver books to your mailbox four times a year in a personalised envelope, with surprises such as bookmarks and gift cards. We hand-pick a selection of books in each age range for our packages. We choose books we are confident children will love and want to read again and again. Our choices put in children’s hands books of guaranteed quality, in story, illustration and design, from the world’s best authors and illustrators. See geckopress.com for details.
» Image © Kieran Rynhart from Annual edited by Kate De Goldi & Susan Paris
Gecko Press worldwide Gecko Press books are sold throughout the world, and marketed directly into North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, in digital and print editions. In the United Kingdom, we work with Bounce Sales & Marketing, a leading specialist children’s sales service. In the United States and Canada, we work with Lerner Publishing Group, one of the largest independent children’s book publishers in North America. In Australia we work with Scholastic, well-known for their sales to schools, libraries and book clubs as well as the trade. In New Zealand we work with experienced book reps at Archetype and Upstart Distribution. In each market Gecko Press employs a specialist book publicist to promote our books through traditional and new media, conferences and festivals. CON TACT US Post PO Box 9335 Wellington 6141 New Zealand
Courier Level 1, 9 Holland St Wellington 6011 New Zealand
+64 (0)4 801 9333 | info@geckopress.com | geckopress.com » Image © Blexbolex from Seasons
There is a robust nature to the books, a strength, a quirkiness, and a depth ... We have customers who seek out Gecko Press books ahead of any others. John McIntyre, The Children’s Bookshop Inspirational publishing ... Their current list is adventurous and dynamic. Sunday Star-Times I love Gecko Press ... This is a shameless endorsement. Meg Rosoff, author and winner of the 2016 ALMA