Mouse superstar
Is JK Rowling the only kids’ book gazillionaire? I’d like to think there’s room for more than one kids’ book superstar – someone, maybe, who makes their money (more quietly than JK) from multiple national markets and formats and from a younger, less bankable audience? If there is, it’s probably Lucy Cousins, creator of the astonishing Maisy (if you have kids and you haven’t heard of Maisy then you’re probably a Mormon, or a vegan or something).
Maisy’s a sophisticated heroine, in a deceptively crude style (always shown, Egyptian-style, in profile). She’s brightly coloured and lives on her own, although she seems to be about 4 (maybe 5) She does exactly what she wants (including, occasionally, driving a bus or flying an aeroplane). Oh, and she’s a mouse. And a global marketing phenomenon, obviously.
Good point, but can any of them rival Maisy’s presence in toys, videos and other spin-offs? The mouse is everywhere.
What about the creator of “Hello Kitty”? That darned cat appears everywhere.
The Gruffalo is really big in our house. In fact - anything written and illustrated by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler seems to score a hit such as The Smartest Giant In Town.
I’m still buying vintage Richard Scarry off ebay as you REALLY can’t beat him!!
You’re forgetting the Big 3 of kids illustrators all still going strong.
The rabbit superstar herself; Miffy.
Dick Bruna. 50 Years of royalites, Blimey.
And those elder statesman Eric Carle and Maurice Sendak.
Eliane Duvekot quotes bruna’s worth as 42m euros
the very hungry caterpillar has done 12m copies.
and with (apparently) Spike Jonze directing a new live action where the wild things are then watch out maisy!
Annual worldwide retail values:
Thomas the Tank Engine - €441 million
Spongebob Squarepants - €353 million
Peter Rabbit - €294 million
All best
Maisy’s got some great friends too -
* she’s also got a fiesty friend called Talulaha who isn’t afraid to run in to Maisy’s house unanounced and jump in to the bath with her !
* and who can forget the day when Charlie was having so much fun he had to suddenly rush off to the loo for a wee.
i think the weirdest thing is that it’s voiced by non other than Bob The Builder ! If these characters are creating their own characters then we should be frightened.
fantastic stuff.