Happy Yak partners with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity

Quarto’s children’s imprint Happy Yak has partnered with the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity) to develop a programme of illustrated books. 

The programme will incorporate the expertise of the hospital’s specialist Play Team, experts in specialised and therapeutic play for children and young people undergoing hospital treatment.

Commissioning editor Carly Madden and senior designer Mike Henson have worked with the Play Team at GOSH to develop "uniquely engaging books that work for any bedside setting and fuel reading for pleasure". The programme will encompass picture books, board books and activity books, with the first interactive picture book, Is It a Book or Is It a Plane?, publishing in May 2025. A percentage of the r.r.p from every book sold will go towards the GOSH Charity.

Shannon Cullen, group publishing director, said: "GOSH has long been at the forefront of paediatric healthcare, providing exceptional care and support to children and their families. We are honoured to join forces with GOSH Charity to bring the creativity and immense knowledge of the Play Team that the charity funds to life for a wider audience. 

"I know from first-hand experience that when you bring joy into the world of the children and families at GOSH, as their wonderful Play Team do every day, you have the power to bring joy to every child." 

Jenny Martin, senior partnerships development manager at GOSH Charity, added: "We are excited to be working with Happy Yak, an imprint that we greatly admire. The Play team at GOSH is amazing; they make such a difference to the lives of the seriously ill children treated at the hospital, so it’s wonderful to see their specialist knowledge brought to life in this way."