With the support of the publisher, Shelf Awareness joins Crown Publishing Group in celebrating the launch of its new children's imprint, Ten Speed Young Readers.

Aaron Wehner

Aaron Wehner is executive vice president and director of business development for the Crown Publishing Group, as well as publisher of Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press. Wehner founded Ten Speed Graphic—Penguin Random House's first dedicated adult graphic novel program—and introduced Crown's children's imprint, Ten Speed Young Readers.

Children's books are where young readers first discover the power of story, the immersive magic of illustration, and the thrill of ideas that expand their world. At Ten Speed Press, we have a celebrated history of visual storytelling—and now, with the launch of Ten Speed Young Readers, we are excited to extend that legacy by inspiring, delighting, and empowering a new generation of book lovers.

Under the leadership of editorial director Ginee Seo, the team at TSYR brings deep expertise and an appreciation of the wondrous and wonderful. With an elevated aesthetic and a spirit of curiosity, we're building a program designed to spark imaginations and connect with readers across ages and interests. Our debut list embodies the heart of what we aim to publish each year: captivating picture books that will endure, whimsical board books that invite discovery, and narrative nonfiction that taps into children's natural sense of humor and appetite for adventure. We couldn't be more delighted to share these stories—and to place them in the eager hands of young readers everywhere. —Aaron Wehner

Ginee Seo joined Ten Speed Young Readers as vice president and editorial director in 2023; Kelly Barrales-Saylor joined Ten Speed Young Readers in 2024 as executive editor. Here, they discuss some of the titles they're most excited to publish, how they came together to work on Ten Speed Young Readers, and how their styles complement one another

What has excited you most about creating Ten Speed Young Readers? Does it feel different from other imprints you've worked with?

Ginee Seo

Ginee Seo: Absolutely! It's the most creative place I've worked, in way too many years of doing this. I love the close relationships we have in the Crown Publishing Group, and the ideas we've come up with together.

Kelly Barrales-Saylor: And aside from the collaborative work relationships, the love Ten Speed Press has for the beauty of books and every detail that goes into creating them is unlike anything I've experienced before. Being a start-up imprint and creating an entire program from scratch is thrilling.

How did you come to work together on this imprint?

Seo: Aaron Wehner, the publisher, and Molly Birnbaum, the EIC, told me Kelly was someone I should get to know. So, I called her up and I knew from the first minute I talked to her that we were soul sisters. The rest, as they say...

Barrales-Saylor: ...was meant to be!

Kelly Barrales-Saylor

You have different tastes in publishing. How do those perspectives complement each other?

Seo: We actually have pretty similar taste when it comes to what we think is publishable, smart, and funny. But I probably do lean towards more thoughtful books, and I'm a sucker for books that make you cry. Kelly has a wonderful knack with very young books especially—I remember thinking the Baby University series she published was just genius.

Barrales-Saylor: Ginee's and my taste overlap in a lot of places. In fact, some of my favorite modern children's books are ones that Ginee published (elsewhere). But what I love is that as editors, we gravitate toward different kinds of projects. I love subversive humor or books that push the boundaries of age and category. Ginee is incredible at heartfelt, important books and can make people weep during presentations.

Are there certain types of books or creators you're hoping to champion?

Seo: I always love working with new voices, whether that's in writing or illustration. Diverse talent is more important than ever, I think. And of course, people who are genuinely trying to make something unique and different.

Barrales-Saylor: I hope to publish books that are beloved by adults as much as children and that feature unique voices and diverse creators. Most importantly, I want to create books that readers want to read again and again.

How do you start to envision audience readership when you acquire a new book?

Seo: This is where Kelly and I are complementary. I'm an intuitive reader and thinker, so it starts with the spark of a manuscript or idea catching my interest. And then it's very much about seeing how that spark aligns with what is out there in the market—books, trends, television, games, media. I think I've been doing this for so long that it's always there in the back of my brain: Could this be a book? And when something comes along that seems to confirm it, I'll research and pursue it.

Barrales-Saylor: I am a research nerd. I love casting a wide net to gather information about a book's audience. I often create informal profiles of readers—what else they read, where they might shop, what they buy beyond books, what media they're into, etc. Most important is the competitive book data, but I love developing a well-rounded persona in my head to help guide my decisions. It's not about what I like or dislike. It's about what is needed for the reader (or gatekeeper) to pick up the book and take it home.

What projects do you have in the works that you would like to share?

Seo: I really love every book we have on the list, so this is a tough question! But I'll go with Andromeda Diaz and the Reasonable Doubt, which is a debut middle-grade mystery by Emily Galvin Almanza. Emily came to us via the Crown list, where she's written an adult nonfiction book called The Price of Mercy. As well as being a former public defender, Emily is a gifted writer and a mom, and in between edits on her adult book, she decided to try writing a middle-grade mystery for her daughter. It's ridiculous how good it is—she has no right being so talented!

Barrales-Saylor: The Little Polka Dot by author/illustrator Cassandra Berger. It's a sweet story about a polka dot that doesn't quite fit into the pattern, so he sits and thinks about who he really is and transforms into a surprising new shape—inspiring the other polka dots to do the same! It's one of those simple tales that convey a wealth of emotion and Cass's art is so bright and cheerful. It makes me smile just thinking about it!

Kobi Yamada

Kobi Yamada is the New York Times bestselling author of What Do You Do with an Idea?, Finding Muchness, Because I Had a Teacher, and many other bestselling, award-winning books. In addition to being the creator of inspiring books and products, he is also the president of Compendium. He lives with his family in the Pacific Northwest.

Would you tell readers a little bit about Others?

At its heart, Others is a book about empathy and perspective. I wrote the book with the hope of inspiring more curiosity and connection.

Where did the idea for this book come from?

It seems that we are constantly hearing about our separateness and that people are feeling more disconnected. At least that was the case for me. I believe in the goodness of people. I wrote Others to encourage that goodness and to help spark discussions about our common humanity.

Why did you want to publish this title with Ten Speed?

I was excited to be part of Ten Speed Young Readers' inaugural list. They are building something exciting! Ginee Seo and her fabulous team are talented, deeply experienced, great human beings. It has been a joy to work with them through every step of the book-making process.

Others joins Chris Raschka's Yo! Yes? in the long legacy of picture books that use the gutter as an important aspect of the storytelling. Was the formatting of this book part of your original plan?

Yes, since its inception, Charles and I saw the gutter of the book as an important part of our visual storytelling. We loved the idea of placing the tall hedge in the center of the book. It creates a physical and psychological barrier to represent the many ways we may fall short in seeing and knowing others as we form opinions and feelings about them.

This is not your first time working with illustrator Charles Santoso, but it is the first time you've worked with him on a book for children. Do you have a relationship with him through your Compendium work?

I've had the pleasure of working with Charles on a number of gift books. Others is the first "traditional" picture book we have done together. I absolutely love working with Charles. He is a master illustrator, a superb talent, and a generous collaborator. But I think what I love most about working with Charles is his buoyant outlook and kind soul. You just feel good being in his presence, even virtually, since we live in different parts of the world.

Were you two in close contact during the making of this book?

Charles and I worked very closely on the concept and visual storytelling for Others. I am delighted with his work on this book. I also especially appreciate his silliness and his tenderness as he depicted the "imagined" scenes on the other side of the hedge.

The entire text of the picture book is a conversation between two children about "them" and "there."

This is a book about differing perspectives and how they can grow and change as we grow and change. I felt that the back-and-forth conversation was the best vehicle for portraying differing viewpoints. Charles and I worked diligently to position the text so the conversation was easy to track and follow. I am very happy with the result.

The text on the final page says, "Maybe we are all here together?" Why did you decide to phrase this as a question?

I believe a book about perspective should be less about having answers and more about our willingness to wonder and ask questions. I feel that questions are portals to more understanding. My hope for the book was to spark more curiosity to consider things in a broader, and perhaps, more open-hearted way.

Is there anything else you'd like to say to Shelf Awareness readers?

Others is a story for all of us. We don't have to know someone personally to care about them. There are so many possibilities for kinship, connection, and belonging available to us all if we are open, respectful, and curious about each other.

Monica Cheng

Monica Cheng, Ten Speed Young Readers's designer, has been featured by West Elm, Minted, and Food Network. Her design campaigns have peppered across the San Francisco Bay Area, including displays at the SF War Memorial Performing & Arts Center. Cheng approaches design—and life—with an eye toward childlike wonder, silly humor, meaningful connection, and simple delight.

How does design play a part in what Ten Speed Young Readers does as an imprint?

At Ten Speed Young Readers, we place a high value on crafting books with a distinctive charm and aesthetic. We strive to connect with our young readers through thoughtful design and packaging. Many people think that the story begins on page one of a book. In reality, the experience begins on the cover (or in many cases, the spine, if that is the first touchpoint). We then take our audience from the cover, through the endpapers, to the title page, and by the time they reach page one of the story, they are already in the story. The package of the book—how it feels in our hands, the special effects (or intentional lack thereof) on the jacket, the glossy or natural coating of the paper stock—all play a role in a reader's experience. And we haven't even touched on the typography and art yet! The art style and the typefaces we use are purposefully considered to ensure that the overall visual aesthetic serves the content. All these decisions help make for an immersive experience, allowing the book to serve as a point of connection or a bridge to other worlds.

How do you translate content from your adult list to make it suitable for children? 

We begin by going back to the skeleton of the content. Much like remodeling a house—what are the weight-bearing beams of the content and structure that must remain in order to maintain its message and personality? We also consider the physical constraints. Think of this as redecorating the newly renovated house. For example, if we are converting a 200-page book into a 20-page board book, there's a lot of editing down and simplifying the space. We're challenged to be intentional about curating every word and every art placement. In a children's book, every inch of real estate counts. Then there is the task of translating the author's tone and language into an age-appropriate voice, both editorially and visually. Illustration and typography styles all have a visual voice. Soft or bold? Serious or playful? How will the typography and art interact with each other to tell a cohesive story? How can we use patterns, rhythm, repetition, and good ol' silliness to effectively engage our young readers? This is where the magic happens between the words themselves and the design choices we make.

Chess for Babies by Levy Rozman ($8.99, board book, March 3, 2026)

This adorable board book introduces little ones to the basics of chess: the names of the pieces, how they move, and what it takes to win. With bold, high-contrast illustrations designed to support a baby's developing vision and growing mind, this charming little book is both brainy and beautiful.

Puzzle Sleuth Undercover by Paul Westmoreland ($9.99, paperback, January 27, 2026)

Choose your path, solve the puzzles, and catch the killer in this second collection of three ingenious fictional murder mysteries that challenge young readers with logic problems, visual games, and dangerous decisions at every turn.

Kid Potato by Neil Coslett ($16.99, hardcover;$9.99, paperback, May 5, 2026)

Welcome to the wacky world of Spuddy in this zany new series! Spudbert (aka Spuddy) is a potato who lives in a town famous for its donut hole factory, clown burial ground, and the world's biggest sponge. It's the perfect backdrop for Spuddy and his eccentric school friends, Chomp and Raven, to embark on ridiculous adventures.

I Am Not Boring by Lena Podesta ($16.99, hardcover, May 26, 2026)

The funniest (and totally not boring) picture book that has ever existed! What's so special about a log? It just sits there and does nothing. How boring! However, you may be surprised to learn that logs are an essential part of life in the forest. Logs provide shelter, become food, and even turn into a safe place for a new tree to grow.

Others: A Story for All of Us by Kobi Yamada, illus. by Charles Santoso ($18.99, hardcover, March 31, 2026).

Standing by the hedge that divides them, two children wonder what the people on the opposite side are like. They're not like us, one child insists. The other child wonders: How are they different? Can they fly? Do they have tentacles? Are they machines? Or are they human? And if they are, do they think and feel? Maybe, just maybe, the people here and the people there are not so different after all.