The Princess in Black Early Chapter Book Series Hits One Million in Sales

Wed, Mar 08, 2017 20:24 CET

Fifth book about the princess and her monster-fighting alter ego due out this fall from authors Shannon Hale and Dean Hale and illustrator LeUyen Pham

March 8, 2017, Somerville, MA ― Fewer than three years after its debut, the New York Times best-selling children’s book series The Princess in Black has surpassed one million copies in print, with four volumes released and the fifth due out this September, Candlewick Press announced today.

“Twinkle, twinkle, little SMASH! We are so delighted for Shannon and Dean Hale and LeUyen Pham to have cracked the one-million-copy mark with their hilarious and exuberant Princess in Black series,” said Karen Lotz, president and publisher of Candlewick Press.

The first volume in the series, The Princess in Black, published in 2014, introduced readers to “prim and perfect” Princess Magnolia, who hides a dark secret: after a quick trip to the broom closet to trade her glass slippers for a dark cape, she becomes superhero the Princess in Black, protecting goats from ravening monsters. The New York Times said of the first volume: “This charmingly told book has lovely old-fashioned illustrations and a great message: You can’t judge a princess by the color of her gown.”

The Princess in Black’s success was followed in 2015 by The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party and in 2016 by The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde and The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation. Books in the series are aimed at children ages 5 through 8.

Authors Shannon and Dean Hale said they were “overwhelmed” to have reached the million-copy milestone and especially gratified to hear from parents whose children’s reading lives have been transformed by the series.

“We selfishly wrote The Princess in Black for our own kids. But after getting LeUyen Pham’s fantastic illustrations and going out into the world, the books got a response that has frankly brought us to tears. There is nothing, nothing like hearing from parents that their kid ‘didn’t like to read until the Princess in Black and now reads all the time.’”

Illustrator LeUyen Pham said that the series enabled her to revisit a dream of being a superhero that seemed distant to her when she was a shy and “not very coordinated” little girl.

“Every time I get to draw the Princess in Black battling it out with yet another monster, that seven-year-old inside of me is squealing with delight. Here’s hoping that all seven-year-olds who read these books feel the same!”

Senior executive editor Sarah Ketchersid attributed the success of the series to its near-universal appeal. “One of the things I always loved about the stories is that there truly is something here for every child, whether they love princesses in pretty dresses or superheroes in black masks, monster-fighting action or just plain silly humor.”

The fifth Princess in Black book, The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate, will be published September 5, 2017.

About the creators:

Shannon Hale and Dean Hale are the award-winning husband-and-wife team behind the Princess in Black series, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Shannon Hale is also the author of the Newbery Honor Book Princess Academy as well as the New York Times best-selling series Ever After High. Shannon Hale and Dean Hale live in Salt Lake City, Utah.

LeUyen Pham is the illustrator of many books for children, including God’s Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams and Aunt Mary’s Rose by Douglas Wood. LeUyen Pham lives in California.

About Candlewick Press:

Candlewick Press is an independent publisher based in Somerville, Massachusetts. For twenty-five years, Candlewick has published outstanding children’s books for readers of all ages, including books by award-winning authors and illustrators such as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature emerita Kate DiCamillo, M. T. Anderson, Jon Klassen, and Laura Amy Schlitz; the widely acclaimed Judy Moody, Mercy Watson, and ’Ology series; and favorites such as Guess How Much I Love You, Where’s Waldo?, and Maisy. Candlewick is part of the Walker Books Group, together with Walker Books UK in London and Walker Books Australia. The Walker Books Group has a unique ownership structure that includes its employees worldwide. Visit Candlewick online at www.candlewick.com.

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The Princess in Black