The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but R&L president Jed Lyons said the acquisition involved about 150 titles and included Northland's Rising Moon and Luna Rising children's imprints. National Book Network, a sister company of R&L, will take over distribution of Northland titles as part of the acquisition. 

The private company does not release sales figures, but since 2000 Northland is reported to have begun to penetrate into the chain stores, had increased sales in its Rising Moon imprint "twofold" between 2003 and 2006, and introduced Luna Rising, a Spanish-language line for children. 

Northland's 15-person staff was laid off in Flagstaff, although some are working through the transition period. Cooper Square's acquisition policy is to buy backlist and then, if people within the acquired company wish to continue publishing, broker a licensing deal to publish new titles together. 

"It is what it is and we are trying to make the best of it," said Jenney. "We've been having discussions internally and with Jed about possible licensing agreements, or maybe we'll come up with something new. I'm not done."

This is the first children’s book by Forbes, who has pursued several other careers. He is v-p
of Forbes Inc. and president of ForbesLife magazine, and has authored numerous articles on food and travel, produced documentary films and coauthored Toy Boats 1870–1955: A Pictorial History. Additionally, he spends time across the Atlantic, as the proprietor of an organic vineyard in the Languedoc region of France.

What inspired him to publish a book of children’s poems? “My love of animals and my love of poetry,” Forbes answers. “My wife and I like to go to the zoo and see the wonders of nature there and I had written a number of poems based on those visits. And some of the poems I wrote for the book are based on other experiences. ‘Spike the Biker,’ for instance. I spent many days and thousands of miles riding on motorcycles with my dad [Malcolm S. Forbes] and I began thinking, ‘What is the most unlikely critter to get on a bike?’ and a snake came to mind.” 

Courtesy of Parachute Publishing.

The license has provided a unique distribution outlet for the books: John Deere dealerships, which number more than 3,500 worldwide, and account for about 25% of sales to date. The books are sold through traditional channels of trade as well, from specialty bookstores to Wal-mart. 

Four new books will be introduced this fall—including two with holiday themes—bringing Running Press's roster of John Deere titles to 14. Close to half are board books with flaps (a particularly strong format for the brand), while others include 8x8s and novelty titles, such as board books with die-cuts and movable parts. 

Each format includes titles on both farm and construction equipment, both of which are of interest to the primary target market, 18-month to seven-year-old boys. "It's definitely a very boy-friendly brand," Chipponeri noted. "And they're interactive formats, which really is key to reaching these young readers." —Karen Raugust