At Hippo Park, a new imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, silliness is serious business. With formats ranging from picture books to graphic novels, Hippo Park is bringing unique, funny, and vibrantly illustrated titles to young readers from birth to age 12. Founder Jill Davis and art director Amelia Mack chatted with PW about what readers can expect from the exciting new imprint.

Tell me about the vision behind Hippo Park. What are the origins of the name?

Davis: We want to make the kind of books kids ask for again and again—with stories that tickle their funny bones, respect their intelligence, and support their need for emotional connection. Our focus is on what children see and feel when they open up our books and look inside—words and ideas that are funny, silly, and often true, and illustrations that convey emotion when words might not.

The name comes from a real place! Hippo Park is the nickname for Hippo Playground. It's a favorite spot for kids—big and small—in a lush valley tucked into Riverside Park on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. We loved the idea of using an imprint name that would speak directly to kids. A beloved playground where kids have loads of choices for having fun and learning about themselves seemed just right.

What can a reader expect to discover as they open up a Hippo Park book?

Mack: They can expect characters they want to meet urgently—characters such as a tiny spoon and a little fork who are in a competition to feed a baby; or a well-intentioned narrator struggling to keep a cat happy, even though the cat is a drawing; or a lemon (a real one!) in search of the perfect party with intricate art created from found objects. Readers can count on meeting all sorts of characters who get caught up in befuddling and absurd situations, just like they do!

Tell me about your first lead title and how it will set the tone for books going forward.

Davis: A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrated by Brandon James Scott, is our first lead title. It's a book that works as an early, early reader, has the feel of a classic picture book, and translates beautifully as a rollicking read-aloud.

Mack: We were impressed at how creatively Daniel and Brandon collaborated to make the marriage of art and text seamless—both revisiting text, type, and illustrations to make a stunningly visual story with lots of action, irresistible characters, high stakes, and a cliffhanger that begs for a sequel!

Davis: Both the art and the text are kid pleasers—chock full of little moments to point at and notice—and combine to create a story worth rereading and talking about. That's the tone we want to set at Hippo Park.

It’s exciting that Hippo Park will not only be publishing picture books but graphic novels as well! Can you talk more about that? What can you share about projects in the works?

Davis: On our spring 2023 list, we will publish the first books in two graphic novel series. First comes our 64-page early graphic chapter book series, One Cool Duck, for ages 6–8, about a group of animal pals, led by Duck. They all love skateboarding, riding bikes, and playing at the arcade, as pals do. With three chapters, eye-popping comic illustrations, and a gentle reminder that it's cool to be kind, we’ll publish simultaneously in paperback and hardcover. For ages 10 and up, we have The Love Report, which feels like Heartstopper meets Harriet the Spy. The story follows two best friends trying to understand the ins and outs of romance at their middle school. The look of the book is thrilling, and it’s a collaboration between a team of two French writers and an Italian illustrator. It’s feminine and feminist and fun—and it'll be easy for kids to recognize that the illustrator’s background is in manga. Her style and palette are pitch-perfect for what girls love.

How are you connecting with new writers and illustrators?

Mack: For illustration, we look everywhere—on Instagram and Pinterest, at greeting cards, posters, and magazines, on wallpaper and design sites, and at bookstores, of course!

Davis: Conferences, such as SCBWI, and literary agencies are the most consistent pipelines for new writers and illustrators, but I also love to publish foreign creators and have always done so. I travel to Paris often to see French publishers and always look forward to meeting new ones at book fairs–usually in Montreuil and Bologna. This year, Amelia and I went to the International Comics Festival in Angoulême, France, and then on to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, where we met with creators and discovered treasures we’ve begun to bring to Hippo Park.

In what ways does Hippo Park embody the traditions of Astra Books for Young Readers? In what ways does the imprint distinguish itself?

Davis: Astra is a new and small-but-mighty publishing house that aims to break ground in the world of adult and kids’ books with a variety of exciting offerings. We are thinking of Hippo Park as the most consumer-facing of the imprints. Our mantra is “We take silly seriously!”

What continues to inspire you the most about creating children’s books?

Davis: There is nothing like collaborating with writers, illustrators, and talented colleagues. Every new project brings excitement, doubt, inspiration, problem-solving, sleepless nights, and always a lot of fun.

Mack: We are all visual thinkers who try to speak the language of storytelling. And the end result is always a precious object to share with the best people ever—kids!