A message from Nicola Usborne, Managing Director

My dad, Peter Usborne, set up Usborne in 1973 when he found out he was going to become a father.  I have grown up with this company and watched the love, hard work, and belief that he poured into it. Sadly, my beloved dad died in March 2023, aged 85 and a ½ - but not before kickstarting Usborne’s 50th Birthday year in 2023 by receiving a medal from King Charles III for ‘Services to Literature’. He never retired (he loved making books too much!) and spent his final days in the office excited about new projects. He always said that being a children’s book publisher was the greatest privilege of his life – and he has been remembered all over the world as being one of the very greatest pioneers in the industry.   

After a number of years in children’s publishing in New York, I worked alongside my dad for many years, building more formally on that great love for Usborne books that I gained growing up with them. Being able to continue my dad’s astonishing legacy is a huge honour.

My dad created something truly special when he started Usborne, and we believe that it shows in the books we make. Quite unusually, all our books are conceived, written, and designed in-house, by our hugely talented team. You can feel the time, care, and attention that they put into them.

My dad’s motto was quite simply “Do it Better” – based on his belief that children of all ages deserved the very best books.  Every book that we have ever published – and ever will – aims to spark curiosity. Whether that’s a baby exploring one of our sensory books for the first time, or an older child discovering big concepts through our non-fiction series, Usborne books always encourage children to explore the world around them, asking plenty of questions along the way.

Our books are phenomenally popular all over the world because we put children at the heart of everything we do. Usborne is a children’s specialist: we only publish books for children, so we come at the world from a child’s point of view. Our books are written in their language and designed for their curious eyes.

My dad said that Usborne books should be ‘good enough to eat’. I hope that you will find our books irresistible too.

Nicola Usborne 
Managing Director, Usborne

The Usborne family (photo © 2018 Martin Usborne).

Peter Usborne receiving his CBE for Services to Literature (photo © 2023 Martin Usborne).

Nicola and Martin Usborne

Nicola Usborne was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by Usborne books, and conversations about publishing. Nicola has worked in children’s publishing for over 25 years, in the US and in the UK, and started working with Usborne in 2017.  She has also been a BAFTA-winning film producer.

Nicola's brother Martin runs his own publishing company: Hoxton Mini Press. Together, Nicola and Martin run The Usborne Foundation, a charity founded by the Usborne family which harnesses research, design and technology to create playful media addressing issues from literacy to health. Teach Your Monster to Read is an award-winning series of games that’s helped millions of children learn to read, funded by The Usborne Foundation.

Nicola and Martin Usborne (photo © 2018 Martin Usborne)

The Usborne staff

We think of the Usborne staff as being like a family. Many of the people who work at Usborne have been with us for years (some since the company was founded) and people tend to stay for a long time.

We love books: that’s why we write and design almost all Usborne books ourselves. There are over 30 writers and 50+ designers on the team at Usborne. Not many other publishers do this, because it’s very hard work and takes a really long time to get right. But we think it’s worth it, because it means you can trust the quality, accuracy – and care – that goes into everything we make. Like the children we make books for, our writers and designers are a curious bunch, armed with scissors and glue, brimming with questions and obsessed with the small details. Our motto is, quite simply, ‘Do it Better’.

We only publish books for children, so we come at the world from a kid’s point of view: all our books are written in their language and designed for their curious eyes. We aim to make irresistible books, written in an infectious, enthusiastic and interesting way. We love facts and drawing and stories and finding out more about our favourite things, just like kids do. We work with subject-area experts but it’s our writers – experts in communicating with children – who write the books. We don’t patronise and we are never, ever boring. That’s why children from babies to young adults love our books – and so do their grown-ups.

The people who share our books

We understand the power of children’s books and want people to be able to find them wherever they are. We think of everyone who sells or lends our books as part of our extended family.

Usborne books are available to buy in bookshops, museums, galleries, supermarkets, toy shops, garden centres, farm shops, nursery shops, department stores and more – basically anywhere that you might be able to buy things for children. You can buy our books online, on your high street, from a shopping mall, and you can borrow them from libraries.

In the UK and Europe, you can also buy Usborne books in your community, or online, from an Independent Usborne Partner. Partners share Usborne books in schools, baby groups, activity classes and other local events or via social media. All of our Independent Usborne Partners are independent and self-employed.

In the USA, Usborne books are available to buy in physical and online bookstores, museums and more via our distribution agreement with HarperCollins. Our books are also sold by a company called EDC who runs PaperPie. PaperPie's Independent Brand Partners sell Usborne books – as well as books from other publishers - in their communities and online. 

In Canada, Usborne Books at Home Canada is run by a company called Riverwood Publishing. They too have a network of independent Consultants who sell Usborne books locally and via their own websites and social media.

Peter Usborne receiving his CBE for Services to Literature (photo © 2023 Martin Usborne).

The children who read our books

The huge, global family of kids who are growing up discovering the world through Usborne books are at the heart of everything we do.

Children have a lot of questions, and every single question is a good one. We believe in encouraging kids to investigate and discover the answers for themselves – expanding their minds and growing their confidence along the way. Sparking children's curiosity is what we exist to do.

During the decades that we've been making books for children, our family has grown: Usborne books are now read (and loved, and re-read) by children all over the world. They are passed down through families, from one sibling to another and now even through generations.

One reason why our books are loved by children everywhere is because we anticipate, answer and encourage curious questions in a way that children love, and parents trust. Creating a global community of curious kids is really important to all of us at Usborne.

So we're glad that you've found us, and hope that you'll want to become part of the Usborne family.