Ladybird titles as a tongue-in-cheek way

In the UK, “updated” Ladybird books have sold more than a million copies.

By Roger Tagholm

The bestseller lists in the UK this past Christmas concealed a curious story, one that raises interesting questions about who “owns” ideas and who — if anyone — copied whom. It’s a saga that some see as a David and Goliath tale of the big bad conglomerate allegedly ripping off the plucky independent artist/author/publisher. It is also about satire about copyright and what is or isn’t permissible.
One series went absolutely crazy in UK bookshops in December 2015. At the end of October, Penguin Random House’s Michael Joseph imprint published a brilliant collection of spoof Ladybird titles as a tongue-in-cheek way