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.
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