Penguin signs more Five Minute Mum

Penguin Random House Children's UK has acquired two new books from Instagram parenting star Daisy Upton, known to her 180,000 followers as "Five Minute Mum".

Upton is best known for creating easy and fun activities for guilt-free parenting, all of which take just five minutes to set up and five minutes to tidy up.

She will be publishing Five Minute Mum: Time for School and Five Minute Mum: On the Go in paperback under the Penguin imprint in 2021. Holly Harris, former editorial and media development director at Penguin Random House Children’s, acquired world rights from Lauren Gardner at Bell Lomax Moreton. Since the acquisition Harris has joined Simon & Schuster UK as publishing director in the non-fiction adult publishing division.

Five Minute Mum: Time for School, out in April, aims to prepare children for school and support their learning through the early school years. Publishing just in time for when school placements are confirmed, the book is billed as "a bridge between parents and teachers, helping parents to understand what teachers are expecting of pupils, and ways parents can support them at home through simple play ideas". All the games incorporate the curriculum, according to PRH Children's, with content covering reading, writing and maths, in addition to providing other handy tips and advice.

Five Minute Mum: On the Go supplies ideas for how to keep little ones entertained on long journeys, holidays and in big groups. It will publish two months on from Time for School, in June 2021. It will be produced in a smaller, travel-sized format to make it easier to pack and take away.

Both follow Five Minute Mum: Give Me Five, which published in February has sold 54,700 copies through Nielsen BookScan's UK TCM to date. German, Russian and simplified Chinese rights have been sold globally.

Ruth Knowles, Puffin publisher at Penguin Random House Children’s, said: ‘‘Daisy and her books have never been more needed by those with small children in their lives. As the amazing success of Daisy’s first book, Give Me Five, and her ever-growing Instagram platform show, her creative, fun and simple to set-up five-minute ideas are connecting authentically with children, parents and carers all over the world. I, and everyone at Penguin Children’s, are delighted to be working with Daisy on these two new books. I’m confident they will be a huge support to those who have children taking their first steps into the classroom, and on their well-deserved holidays and staycations next year."

Upton said: "I am really excited to be writing two new books. The messages and photos I've had since the first book came out have been incredible, and bring me such joy. I especially like the photos of grinning parents having a cuppa while their kids happily play one of my games in the background. I know over lockdown lots of people feel like they 'completed' my first book, which made me laugh, so I'm thrilled to be able to get more of my ideas out there as soon as I can!"