Philomel Books
Philomel Books is a children's imprint founded by editor Ann Beneduce at G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1980, home to Eric Carle, Owl Moon and Redwall, and now part of Penguin Random House.
- Editions tracked
- 104
- First editions
- 64
- Books
- 104
- Years
- 1966 to 2020
Philomel Books is a publisher based in New York City. We track 104 editions it published between 1966 and 2020, 64 of them first editions across 104 books. Each book lists its first edition and the points that identify it.
About Philomel Books
Philomel Books is a New York children's imprint founded in 1980 by the editor Ann Beneduce within G. P. Putnam's Sons, and now part of Penguin Young Readers at Penguin Random House.
Beneduce had worked at J. B. Lippincott, World Publishing and T. Y. Crowell. Putnam bought World's books for young people, and titles she had first published there, including Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar, joined the new Philomel list. The name, an old word for the nightingale, signalled carefully made picture books. Beneduce worked with Carle on more than 40 books, as well as with Jane Yolen, Ed Young, Tasha Tudor and Katherine Paterson.
Patricia Lee Gauch became editor-in-chief in 1986. Her years brought the Caldecott winners Owl Moon and Lon Po Po, Brian Jacques's Redwall series and Patricia Polacco's picture books. Michael Green, publisher from 2003, added commercial fiction such as Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider books and John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice. Kenneth Wright became publisher in 2018, and Jill Santopolo in 2023. Beneduce died in March 2021, aged 102.
We have not yet written the guide to Philomel Books's first-edition conventions. Until we do, check each book's own page: we list its points where we know them. Know how Philomel Books marked its firsts? Tell us.
Authors
Published by Philomel Books
Frequently asked questions
How many Philomel Books books does MyVolumes track?
We track 104 editions published by Philomel Books, 64 of them first editions, across 104 books.
Where these facts come from
- Philomel, Penguin Random House (penguin.com)
- Obituary Note: Ann Beneduce, Shelf Awareness, 2021 (shelf-awareness.com)
- Philomel Books, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- First Edition Identification by Publisher (Allen and Patricia Ahearn), ILAB, 2010 (ilab.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.