Magic Cat Publishing creates spaces for wonder, understanding, and connection—beautifully illustrated pages that invite children to discover the natural world, explore big ideas, and grow into thoughtful, aware young people.
Founded in 2019 by Rachel Williams and Jenny Broom—two award-winning publishers with years of experience at Big Picture Press and Wide Eyed Editions—Magic Cat Publishing emerged with a clear mission: to create children's books that gently weave ideas that matter into stories that engage, entertain, and bring joy.
The Story Behind the Books
Working from their studio in Bethnal Green, London, Rachel and Jenny built Magic Cat around a simple belief: children's books can be tools to help navigate an increasingly complex world. They create visually compelling, design-led books that make topics like environmental care, inclusivity, mindfulness, and natural history genuinely engaging for young readers.
The approach resonated immediately. Their first major title, Slow Down: Discovering the Extraordinary in the Ordinary, published during the COVID lockdowns, captured something families were desperately seeking—a gentle invitation to appreciate the natural wonders right outside the window. It sold over 500,000 copies and has been translated into 30 languages.
In 2021, Magic Cat won the IPG Nick Robinson Newcomer Award and was highly commended for the Bookseller Small Press of the Year. Three of their titles have won Waterstones Children's Book Prizes. For a publisher barely five years old, that's remarkable—and it speaks to the quality and thoughtfulness that goes into every book they create.
What Makes Magic Cat Publishing Special
Every Magic Cat book is a visual feast. The illustrations are integral to how children engage with the content—each one carefully crafted to tell its own story. Whether it's Freya Hartas's delicate nature scenes, Chaaya Prabhat's vibrant animal portraits, or the atmospheric artwork in their Brown Bear Wood series, the visual storytelling invites children to linger on each page, discovering new details with every reading.
Educational Depth With Genuine Engagement
About 65% of Magic Cat's titles qualify as STEM-themed, presented through compelling visual storytelling that makes complex topics accessible. Take Minibeasts: Under the Magnifying Glass—it presents genuine entomological information (antennae structure, metamorphosis stages, anatomical details) through stunning close-up illustrations and approachable text that makes the microscopic world feel wonderfully accessible.
Their encyclopaedias, like Wild: A Child's Guide to the Animal Kingdom and the Lift-the-Flap Encyclopaedia of Oceans, offer comprehensive natural history content organised by habitat and ecosystem. Children get proper zoological information presented in ways that spark curiosity and deepen understanding.
Environmental Themes Throughout
Magic Cat helps children fall in love with the natural world—and when you care about something, you naturally want to protect it. Books like How to Grow a Garden, The Fossil Keeper's Treasure, and Slow Down celebrate the wonder of nature while gently introducing ideas about conservation, biodiversity, and our role in protecting the planet for future generations. These titles fit perfectly with our sustainable gifts collection.
Stories with Heart
Alongside their reference titles, Magic Cat creates picture books and stories that explore friendship, feelings, and belonging. The Dinosaur Next Door is a gentle tale about overcoming shyness and making unexpected friends. Little Dinosaurs, Big Feelings gives young children language for emotions through ten mindful stories. The Brown Bear Wood series celebrates community and seasonal changes in the forest.
These are genuine narratives that children return to because they're engaging and emotionally resonant.
Books for Shared Reading
Magic Cat designs their books with family time in mind. The larger format reference books work beautifully spread across laps, with enough detail to spark conversations between children and adults. The interactive elements (lift-the-flaps, touch-and-feel components) invite tactile exploration. Most of their titles work beautifully for children aged 5-7 and beyond. Even their sticker activity books—the Sticker Life Stories series featuring Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, and Maya Angelou are designed to introduce inspiring figures through creative, hands-on engagement.
Highlights from Our Magic Cat Collection
Nature & Science Discovery
- Wild: A Child's Guide to the Animal Kingdom (£16.99) – A comprehensive journey through Earth's habitats, from coral reefs to arctic tundra, featuring hundreds of creatures in their natural environments
- Minibeasts: Under the Magnifying Glass (£16.99) – The hidden world of insects, spiders, and other invertebrates revealed through stunning close-up illustrations and fascinating facts
- Lift-the-Flap Encyclopaedia of Oceans (£16.99) – Interactive exploration of marine ecosystems with over 125 flaps revealing the secrets of the underwater world
- How to Grow a Garden (£14.99) – Practical gardening guidance for young growers, from planting seeds to understanding ecosystems
- The Fossil Keeper's Treasure (£16.99) – Dinosaurs, ancient creatures, and the story of life on Earth told through fossils and palaeontology
Stories & Picture Books
- Brown Bear Wood: If You Go Down to the Woods Today (£14.99) – A year in the forest following woodland creatures through the seasons, illustrated with warmth and gentle humour
- The Dinosaur Next Door (£12.99 hardback, £7.99 paperback) – A shy dinosaur moves in next door, leading to an unlikely friendship that celebrates difference and connection
- Little Dinosaurs, Big Feelings – Ten mindful stories helping young children navigate emotions from excitement to worry, featuring lovable dinosaur characters
- 500 Dreams: Which One Will You Choose? (£14.99) – A choose-your-own-adventure bedtime journey offering endless possibilities for imagination
Inspiring People & Creativity
- Sticker Life Stories series (£7.99 each) – Interactive biographies of Maya Angelou, Marie Curie, and Frida Kahlo combining storytelling with creative sticker activities
- The Inventor's Workshop (£14.99) – From ancient tools to modern innovations, celebrating human ingenuity and creative problem-solving
- The Handbook of Forgotten Skills (£17.99) – Traditional crafts, outdoor skills, and time-honoured activities for hands-on learning
Proud to Stock Magic Cat Publishing
When we're selecting books for Haliburtons & Co. we look for publishers who respect children's intelligence and curiosity. Magic Cat Publishing gets this balance exactly right—they create books that are genuinely informative, beautifully designed, and deeply engaging.
Their environmental focus aligns perfectly with our values around sustainability and fostering connection with the natural world. Their STEM content makes science and natural history genuinely exciting and accessible. And their stories—whether about shy dinosaurs or woodland creatures—celebrate kindness, friendship, and the simple pleasures of noticing the world around you. They're perfect examples of educational gifts that truly engage.
These are books that families return to repeatedly. The reference titles live on bookshelves for years, growing with children as they're ready to absorb more detail and complexity. The stories become bedtime favourites requested again and again. They're the kind of books that get passed down to younger siblings, loaned to friends, and remembered long after childhood—exactly what we look for in our curated book collection.
Magic Cat Publishing creates books that truly do more—and that's exactly what we want to offer families who trust us to help them choose thoughtfully.
Explore Our Magic Cat Collection
Browse our carefully selected range of Magic Cat Publishing titles, from stunning natural history encyclopaedias to heartwarming stories about friendship and belonging. Each book combines beautiful illustration with meaningful content designed to spark curiosity and conversation.
