What's on the bookshelves?

Today I went to Waterstones to explore what sort of books are popular with my target audience. Obviously there is a significant connection to the rest of my research, as television series are often based on books and vice versa.

The first thing I noticed in the children's section was the absolute onslaught of merchandise relating to the ubiquitous Peppa Pig. Not just books, but stuffed toys, jigsaw puzzles, and allsorts. One thing I'm starting to realize in this research is that Peppa is absolutely massive. There's even a Sky channel that shows her 24/7!

Other books I found that were based on other media include Thomas & Friends (technically the programme was based on a series of books, but these weren't the original Railway Series books), Pokemon (video game -> TV -> book), Charlie & Lola, Sarah & Duck, Star Wars and a lot of Lego merchandise (some being based on animated content).

I also noticed a number of books that have at one time or another inspired animated adaptations. Interestingly, some of these books were very old but still popular. I don't think that the popularity can be explained by children recognizing the characters from TV, because even the adaptations were  before they were born.

• A large display of Beatrix Potter books (published between 1902 - 1930, with animated version from 1992 - 1995, also a horrific-looking CGI film forthcoming in 2018)
• A rotating display of Mr Men and Little Miss series, by Roger and Adam Hargreaves (published since 1971 and still going, with animated version from 1995 - 1997)
• Spot the Dog series by Eric Hill (published 1980 - 1996, sporadic animated adaptations from 1986 - 2000)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss (published 1957, animated adaptation 1966, live-action adaptation 2000, forthcoming CGI adaptation in 2018) 
• Elmer the Patchword Elephant series by David McKee (published since 1989 and still going, with animated version in 1991) 
• Paddington Bear series by Michael Bond (published 1958 - 2017, animated adaptation 1976 - 1980, live-action film 2014)
• Funnybones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (published 1980, animated adaptation 1992)
• The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (published 1978, animated adaptation 1982)
• The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo's Child, Room on the Broom, and Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (published 1999 - 2008, animated adaptations 2009 - 2015)

 

Interestingly, I did not see anything in the non-fiction section that was based on a TV series or had been adapted from a TV series, with the exception of Horrible Histories whose target audience is outside my demographic, at roughly 8 - 12 years old.

I spoke with a member of staff to ask what sort of books are good sellers. She noted the following points: -

• Some children do gravitate towards characters that they recognize from television such as Peppa Pig, but by no means all of them. It's usually very small children who do this.
• Most children pick books because the character on the front cover appeals to them in some way. For example, a lot of girls are drawn to anything with a princess on it. They don't tend to look inside; it's all about the cover.
• Parents tend to pick books for one of three reasons: because it's something they remember from their own childhood, because the illustrations appeal to them, or because it will be educational to their children.
• The older authors mentioned above are still very popular either because parents remember them from their own childhood, or because the characters still appeal to children.
• The best-selling authors for 3 -6 year olds are probably the Ahlbergs or Donaldson & Scheffler.
• Children tend not to be drawn towards books that are explicitly educational; it's nearly always parents who pick these. The only exception would be dinosaur books, as many children are obsessed with dinosaurs.
• There is a serious lack of books that combine education with entertainment or storyline. Science books in particular tend to be facts and pictures, with little entertainment value.

Lessons

What I think I can take home from this, is that characters are hugely important. In order for children to take notice of my series, appealing characters are the key. Not only in terms of relatable personality, but also a strong visual appeal, as children tend to "judge a book by its cover".

Adults on the other hand are looking for something with a talented, well-made art design that they can appreciate.

And finally, there may well be a gap in the market for something that combines science with entertainment, particularly in terms of ancillary products such as spin-off books.