LibraryPass has expanded its Comics Plus platform to include picture books, offering emerging readers unlimited, simultaneous access to a diverse catalog of hundreds of titles from a range of notable publishers. The dynamic collection is supported by library-friendly publisher partners like ABDO, Cherry Lake, and Red Comet Press, with additional partners to be announced later this year.
“Emerging readers benefit from the immersive combination of text and pictures that comics and manga are known for, so picture books are a natural fit for our growing collection,” said Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, LibraryPass’ Chief Content Officer. “We’re excited for the opportunities this will create for our school and library customers to reach the youngest readers in their communities, while also making access to a broader range of picture books more affordable for them.”
ABDO has been a leader in children’s educational publishing for school and public libraries since 1985, providing high quality nonfiction and fiction titles for children and young adults in grades PreK–12.
“Picture books not only introduce our youngest kids to a fun story, they also bring together parents and children in an interactive experience, which is so important,” said Paul Skaj, ABDO’s VP of Distribution. “The books in our Fairy Tales as Told by Clementine series accomplish both!”
Sleeping Bear Press, an imprint of Cherry Lake Publishing Group, is committed to ensuring that all readers can see themselves in the pages of their books. Found in classrooms, libraries, and homes, their inventive and engaging titles meet the diverse needs of readers, helping them to achieve and succeed, preparing young readers for the future by igniting their imaginations today.
“We have always strived to ensure that all readers can see themselves in the pages of our books, and in recent years we have expanded those efforts, publishing an even more diverse selection of stories,” said Julia Hlavac, Cherry Lake’s Marketing Director. “Across our picture book offerings, recent releases include two new titles in our Own Voices, Own Stories (OVOS) collection: A Little Bit of Everything and A Kurta to Remember.”
Red Comet Press is a boutique independent publisher with a focus on illustrated storytelling for readers aged 0-12. The Really Bird series is super popular with early readers, and the author, Harriet Ziefert, is a veteran of beginning reader titles.
“Publishing books with strong visual storytelling is at the core of our mission at Red Comet Press,” said Angus Yuen-Killick, Red Comet Press’ Founder & Publisher, “and so picture books make up the majority of our list. We are thrilled to be a part of the new category in the Comics Plus catalog, which promises to open doors to more readers through the digital collections in the library market. We are excited to support all opportunities for readers to access our storytelling.”
“We couldn’t be more excited for the addition of picture books to Comics Plus,” says Raquel Ryan, MSEd, LibraryPass’ Chief Experience Officer. “With engaging stories and immersive 2-page spreads on tablets, these titles will help our schools and libraries introduce their youngest students and patrons to the world of reading!”
With Comics Plus, readers can access thousands of digital comics, manga, and picture books through their school or library, with unlimited simultaneous access for online and offline reading. For more information, sign up for a FREE demo at comicsplusapp.com, follow us on LinkedIn, or contact us at info@librarypass.com.
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