Post by Penguin Random House UK

It's World Book Day – meet our Playful Penguins 🐧🧡   Illustration has been a part of Penguin since Edward Young's work in 1935. Since then, we've grown a rich archive of 'dignified yet flippant' birds in all their hand-drawn glory ✍️   Our Design Lead, Derek, on the flexibility we needed: 'Whilst the Playful Penguins are a continuation of Edward Young's original spirit, they are also designed to answer our brand’s needs in 2026 and beyond. They will show up on everything from seasonal campaigns to social impact initiatives, meaning they need to be flexible and adaptable.   Rather than having preset scenes, our solution was to create a kit: a collection of poses and props that can be mixed and matched to fit a wide range of messaging. Jumping, strutting, dancing, and, of course, reading… LOTS of reading. All brilliantly created by Matt Blease'   Which pose is your favourite? ☺️✨ Team: Illustration: Matt Blease Creative Direction & Design: Derek Man, Jodie Wightman Head of Brand: Zainab Juma Brand Marketing Director: Chriscilla Philogène Chief Brand Officer: Rebecca Sinclair #WorldBookDay #books #book #design #illustration #reading #reader #heritage #WorkInPublishing #PenguinBooks