Ladybird Book Parody Sparks a Trend in UK Publishing

One series went absolutely crazy in UK bookshops in December 2015. At the end of October, Penguin Random House's Michael Joseph imprint published a brilliant collection of spoof Ladybird titles as a tongue-in-cheek way of celebrating the iconic children's publisher's centenary. The eight books included The Ladybird Book of Mindfulness, The Ladybird Book of the Hangover and The Ladybird Book of the Midlife Crisis. When Foyles released its Christmas statement, it said that eight of its top ten titles - eight! - were these adult Ladybird titles. To date, PRH has sold more than 1.2 million copies.

An explanatory note for non-UK readers is needed here. Ladybird is one of the most famous names in children's publishing. In the UK, pretty much anyone over the age of 30 grew up with these paperback-sized, slim hardbacks that explained the world to children. The Ladybird books contained a very particular, innocent style of illustration, a look that is instantly recognizable to many UK readers. The original books were full of "perfect2 traditional families: mother in the kitchen in her apron, father with his screwdrivers fixing something. They were ripe for spoofing - and this is where the story becomes a little more complicated.