The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced a major new partnership with Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books.
The deal encompasses a wide range of children’s publications, including sticker and activity books, handbooks, illustrated non-fiction, board and colouring books, annuals, e-books and journals. All the publications will make use of the vast range of expertise available to the UK’s favourite gardening charity as well as drawing on its work with families, schools and children, to offer entertaining, informative and beautifully illustrated books that will help to advance the RHS mission: Inspiring everyone to grow.
This announcement coincides with the arrival of a new RHS style guide for children’s products encompassing four styles – the bold and sassy Home Grown and I Bug You and the traditional and timeless Flower Power and Trees & Leaves – and the timing could not be better. Both the Scholastic deal and the new children’s artwork herald a major push for the RHS licensing programme into children’s products.
The new range of children’s titles for ages four and up, which launches in spring 2020, will be available in bookshops and supermarkets as well as garden centres and online.
Elizabeth Scoggins, Non Fiction and Licensing Publisher, Scholastic UK, says: “The RHS is one of the best-loved and most respected of heritage brands, with an unmatched reputation in gardening. We are delighted to be working with the UK’s favourite gardening charity as it brings its expertise and love for gardening to a range of publications that we are sure will be enthusiastically received by children and families alike.”
Cathy Snow, RHS Licensing Manager, says: “The RHS has always had a strong reach to children, families and schools, but its licensing programme had not reflected that – until now. This agreement with an internationally respected publisher, along with our new children’s style guides, positions the RHS perfectly to start to deliver dedicated, high-quality output to children across the UK.”