Walker Books is the London children's publisher founded in 1978, home of Where's Wally?, Alex Rider and A Monster Calls. Look for a 1 in the number line and for a "This edition published" line, which marks a reissue.
Walker Books is a British children's publisher founded in London in 1978 by Sebastian Walker, Amelia Edwards and Wendy Boase.
Amelia Edwards served as its art director and received the Eleanor Farjeon Award in 2001 for that work. Its logo, a bear holding a candle, was drawn by Helen Oxenbury. The success of the Where's Wally? books helped fund a US sister company, Candlewick Press, opened in 1991, and Walker Books Australia followed in 1993.
Walker first published Anthony Horowitz's Stormbreaker, the first Alex Rider novel, on 4 September 2000, and Patrick Ness's A Monster Calls, illustrated by Jim Kay, on 5 May 2011. A Monster Calls won both the Carnegie Medal and the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2012, the only book to have taken both.
In 2020 Trustbridge Global Media bought Walker Books together with Candlewick Press and the Australian company.
Holding a copy? The first edition checker shows Walker Books's practice for the year on your title page.
Identification
How to identify Walker Books first editions
What to look for
Before 1978
Walker Books was founded in 1978, so a Walker copy dated earlier is a reissue or a misdated record, not a Walker first. Do not confuse it with Walker and Co., an unrelated firm with its own entry in dealer guides.
1980s to 1990s
Walker is a British trade publisher, and the general number line rule applies: a 1 anywhere in the row normally means a first printing, and the smallest number present gives the printing, whatever the order.
A "first" statement is not enough on its own, because some houses leave it on later printings. Check the number line as well.
From 2000
The same number line rule applies.
A Walker book may also exist in an American edition, from Candlewick Press (the sister company since 1991) or another US house. Stormbreaker came out from Walker on 4 September 2000 and from Puffin in the United States on 21 May 2001, so compare dates before calling either the first edition.
Before 1978 - Walker Books was founded in 1978, so a Walker copy dated earlier is a reissue or a misdated record, not a Walker first. Do not confuse it with Walker and Co., an unrelated firm with its own entry in dealer guides. 1980s to 1990s - Walker is a British trade publisher, and the general number line rule applies: a 1 anywhere in the row normally means a first printing, and the smallest nu
How many Walker Books books does MyVolumes track?
We track 307 editions published by Walker Books, 120 of them first editions, across 305 books.
