Usborne Publishing

Usborne Publishing (also known as Usborne Books) is a British children's book publisher founded by Peter Usborne in 1973 and headquartered in London, England. The company operates as a family-owned business, with all books conceived, written, and produced in-house by teams based in London, Oxfordshire, and Wolverhampton. Leadership has passed to the next generation, with Nicola Usborne now serving as Managing Director.

With over 3,000 titles in print and approximately 30 new books published each month, Usborne covers a broad range from baby books to young adult novels. Books are published in English, French, German, Spanish, and other languages, and are recognised by the company's iconic rainbow hot-air balloon logo.

Usborne is considered the largest and most successful independent children's book publisher in the UK. It has earned multiple industry accolades, including UK Children's Publisher of the Year in 2013 and 2020, UK Private Business of the Year in 2015, and Independent Publisher of the Year in 2014. In the United States, retail distribution is handled through HarperCollins, while direct sales operate via PaperPie, a division of Educational Development Corporation.

An innovation like Usborne's Quicklinks—first introduced in 2000 to integrate internet resources into children's books—illustrates the company's ongoing interest in blending digital tools with traditional publishing to enhance the reading experience.