By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
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Kids First: Peter Warwick on Scholastic’s Strategy for the Modern Era
A Multi-Nation Tour Opens in January
In New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Scholastic today (December 3) has made a simultaneous international release of Dav Pilkey’s 13th series entry Dog Man: Big Jim Begins.Since the book series launched in August 2016, “Dog Man” has sold more than 60 million books in print with translations in 47 languages, making it one of the bestselling graphic novel series of all time.
DreamWorks Animation’s new feature film adaptation, Dog Man, is scheduled to arrive in theaters in many parts of the world early next year, beginning with the United States release on January 31.
The film is directed by Peter Hastings and features voice work by Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson; Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers); Lil Rel Howery (Get Out); and Ricky Gervais (The Office).
A multi-market tour is to open in January, with author-illustrator Dav Pilkey highlighting “everyday heroes who make a positive impact in their own communities.”
While Scholastic is the largest dedicated children’s book publisher, its best known operations, such as its book fair programs, are frequently States-focused despite the company’s sales agility in many world markets. This iteration of the Pilkey juggernaut is a chance to watch the publisher raise its full array of forces in terms of a major simultaneous cross-border publishing.
Another point to be considered is that Scholastic’s Pilkey franchise is one of the most directly appealing to boys. Many girls love the books, as parents often report, but boys—who in general may not take to reading as readily and loyally as girls and women do—often seem to recognize something for themselves in the Pilkey canon. The author and illustrator’s series, of course, include the “Captain Underpants” series, the “Dragon” series, and the “Cat Kid” series.
The tour starts in the States with an event at the Library of Congress, in Washington, DC.
Additional event details and tour stops on the American leg include Kansas City; Detroit; Dallas; Orlando; Los Angeles; and San Francisco.
The company reports that Pilkey’s travel to the United Kingdom and Ireland will be his first trips there in a decade. He’s to appear at Royal Festival Hall as part of the Southbank Centre’s Imagine Festival on February 22, followed by an event in Dublin.
More venues and markets along with ticket information are anticipated in coming weeks on Scholastic’s social media accounts and on the company’s dedicated Pilkey site.
Yet another title in the series, Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, is scheduled for release in the autumn of next year.
DreamWorks’ poster for ‘Dog Man: Big Jim Begins’
All five release nations’ bookstores, libraries, and special events are to have Dog Man costumed characters making appearances, starting this month. In addition, the five international markets are to have a free-to-consumers Supa Special Collector’s Comic promoting the work in graphic novel about animators’ procedures in taking the characters to film. Some 4 million copies of this piece are to go out through Scholastic’s school channels in the States, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and (perhaps another tour leg?) India.
Supporting the tour, in the States and Canada, “Join the Hero Party” promotions are being rolled out at major retailers. There’s a distinct site for that part of the program here.
Among international publishers of the new book, promotions include a costumed character tour in Spain thanks to Grupo SM. In Brazil, where Dog Man sales have doubled, publisher Companhia das Letras is sending the Dog Man costumed character on a wide-ranging promotional tour appearing at bookstores in cities including São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Dav Pilkey. Image: Kai Suzuki
Pilkey, in a quote for today’s announcement, says, “In this new book, Big Jim begins to discover that what we focus on is often more important than what happens to us.
“Books bring people together and reading helps kids develop empathy and compassion.
“I’m excited to meet readers in person, sign their books, and I look forward to celebrating everyday heroes within each community who make this world a better place.”
Dav Pilkey has created over 70 books for children and was awarded a Caldecott Honor for his picture book The Paperboy.
More from Publishing Perspectives on children’s books is here, more on illustration is here, and more on books to film is here.