The familiarity that comes with hearing the Ladybird brand takes us back to a time of simplicity, innocence and youth. To mark the centenary of their founding, Penguin Publishing has taken a trip back to its past by publishing the new era of Ladybird Books. The iconic publishing powerhouse has teamed up with authors Joel Morris and Jason Hazeley, whose work can be recognized through the likes of Miranda the TV series or partnering with David Walliams, to bring back the classic illustrations and language of the popular series. By injecting adult humour into an admired children’s book, Ladybird has reinvented itself to satirise the lives of its audience from the 60s into the reality of being a grown-up today.

The new collection is made up of 9 books. Three of which belong to a series named ‘How it Works’: The Mum, The Husband and The Wife that aim to parody the real-life relationships we have as adults as opposed to the fictional fantasies we imagine as children with thanks to the literature we read (or had read to us). The other books in the collection all prove to confront grown-up topics, such as The Mid-Life Crisis, The Hangover, Dating and The Hipster, which critique modern life and current trends to captivate its loyal readers who began the Ladybird journey during the 60s. Morris and Hazeley took inspiration from their own fears of adulthood, whether it concerns inevitable problem of aging or the unfulfilling daily routine that adults face.

Since being released in November 2015, the collection has already sold over 1.5 million books and the authors were acclaimed the most popular adult authors of 2015, holding 8 of the UK’s top 10 non-fiction places. With their popularity on the rise, ten more titles are to be released this year including, ‘How it Works’: The Cat and The Dog as well as Office Politics, The Ex and Student Life. With the original Ladybird Books being highly sought-after collector’s items, it is only a matter of time until their new collection has as much success.

Inviting a sense of satire and nostalgia simultaneously, the release of these childhood favourite books in adult versions are a must-read. Combining tongue-in-cheek humour with traditional Ladybird artwork and iconic language style, they will transport you as a reader from imaginative story-time as a child to cynic modern day adulthood.

 

Nabihah Parkar

 

Image courtesy of The Guardian.