Gecko Press

Gecko Press The international imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, and the home of curiously good children's books. Publishers of children's books

New York Times 50 Great Board Books for BabiesGet Dressed, Belly Button! by Lucie Brunillière"The sweet simplicity of th...
09/20/2025

New York Times 50 Great Board Books for Babies

Get Dressed, Belly Button! by Lucie Brunillière

"The sweet simplicity of this book makes going from diapers to outdoor readiness (hat, scarf, mittens and all) easy in a few interactive turns — though no baby is fully dressed without (spoiler) “a great big kiss!”'

Three Gecko Press books on the UKLA Book Awards Longlist 2026.This is the only national UK book award to be judged by te...
09/19/2025

Three Gecko Press books on the UKLA Book Awards Longlist 2026.

This is the only national UK book award to be judged by teachers. They choose books "every teacher who wants to inspire a passion for reading for pleasure needs in their school."

So here's a Gecko Press book for every age!
For 7+ The Remarkables by .perrin
For 3+ Bear's Lost Glasses by
For 2+ So Tired, So Wide Awake by

A Book Design Award for A Lot of Silly!“From the offset, the exquisite, hand-drawn illustrations are so wonderfully ludi...
09/19/2025

A Book Design Award for A Lot of Silly!

“From the offset, the exquisite, hand-drawn illustrations are so wonderfully ludicrous, it will undoubtedly succeed in inviting all readers to enter the realm of the ridiculous. The quality of the print production uplifts this book into the gift category, as the durable paper stock and vintage colours appeal to a broad audience. It’s one to treasure.” Judges’ report

Congratulations designer Vida Kelly as joint winner of the Scholastic New Zealand Award for Best Children’s Book 2025 at the PANZ Book Design Awards for A Lot of Silly: A Book of Rhymes and Nonsense by Joy Cowley and

Designing the ducks for The Monster in teh Lake proved to be more challenging than I thought.I’ve drawn ducks before in ...
09/18/2025

Designing the ducks for The Monster in teh Lake proved to be more challenging than I thought.

I’ve drawn ducks before in previous books, but never as principal characters, so it was important to get them right.

While sketching I found myself struggling, asking myself questions like: How realistic should they be? What’s the ratio beween body and head? What about the shape of the beak, and how does it connects to the head? Are they four different characters with specific features, or all the same?

I started drawing ducks over and over again, trying different solutions.

I decided to make the ducks identical, with different colors. It looks funny, because the 3 ducks also act exactly the same way.

I abandoned a realistic approach, and simplified as much as I could.

Emotions are mostly created by the eyes, and the position of the beak.

Finally...I was done with the ducks!

"A witty, absurdist send-up for doodlers and joke lovers alike." BooklistStart with a Teapot: An Unexpected Guide to the...
09/14/2025

"A witty, absurdist send-up for doodlers and joke lovers alike." Booklist

Start with a Teapot: An Unexpected Guide to the Art of Drawing by Enric Lax

Chosen as one of Publishers Weekly's top 6 children's books from indie presses this season: The Monster in the Lake by L...
09/13/2025

Chosen as one of Publishers Weekly's top 6 children's books from indie presses this season: The Monster in the Lake by Leo Timmers.

“Children who get their hands on this oversize, glossy delight, filled with made-to-linger details, will be lucky ducks indeed.” ⭐

⭐Starred review from Kirkus for The Monster in the Lake by Leo Timmers ⭐"The wry narrative is told entirely in short, de...
09/12/2025

⭐Starred review from Kirkus for The Monster in the Lake by Leo Timmers ⭐

"The wry narrative is told entirely in short, declarative lines of conversation. The contrast between the oblivious birds floating in stark white and Eric with the rainbow monster menagerie below is flawlessly deadpan. The book’s multilayered aerosol spray and acrylic paint illustrations are uniquely pleasing. Here be monsters—and they are monstrously fun! "

Thank you for following along today, and I hope you’ll take a look at my book! Enric Lax, Start with a Teapot: An Unex...
09/04/2025

Thank you for following along today, and I hope you’ll take a look at my book!
Enric Lax, Start with a Teapot: An Unexpected Guide to the Art of Drawing

09/04/2025

I start with pencil and ink, then colour digitally.

Enric Lax, Start with a Teapot: An Unexpected Guide to the Art of Drawing

I start with pencil and ink, then colour digitally. Enric Lax, Start with a Teapot: An Unexpected Guide to the Art of D...
09/04/2025

I start with pencil and ink, then colour digitally.


Enric Lax, Start with a Teapot: An Unexpected Guide to the Art of Drawing

The illustrations in Start with a Teapot are a style I hadn’t tried before but which feels very comfortable. I work with...
09/04/2025

The illustrations in Start with a Teapot are a style I hadn’t tried before but which feels very comfortable. I work with Chinese ink, pen and digital colour.

I start with pen because it gives me more expressiveness and freedom. If there is a mistake, I cover it with Tipp-Ex. The shadow gives it volume and a finish, like an old book.

I wasn’t sure at first about whether to make the illustrations for the book black and white or colour.

I tried watercolour and marker but wasn’t happy with the first colour tests. In the end, to find a chromatic range, I worked digitally—and that was the solution.


Enric Lax, Start with a Teapot: An Unexpected Guide to the Art of Drawing

The book took a good few months of work. This part of the process was a game and a pleasure. Little by little everything...
09/04/2025

The book took a good few months of work. This part of the process was a game and a pleasure. Little by little everything was taking shape.

Enric Lax, Start with a Teapot: An Unexpected Guide to the Art of Drawing

Address

Minneapolis, MN

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Gecko Press posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Who we are...

Gecko Press is an independent publisher, based in Wellington - New Zealand. Every year Gecko Press translates and publishes a small number of carefully-selected children’s books by some of the world’s best writers and illustrators, from countries including France, Germany, Japan, Poland and the Netherlands. Gecko Press also publishes two or three books each year by (mostly) New Zealand authors and illustrators.

Gecko Press books are the antidote to sameness. They are built for readers who are inquisitive and understand that life is full of absurdities and incongruities. Many of them are funny. A Gecko Press book offers a different way of seeing the world.

Try one!

Illustration from “The Holidays” by Blexbolex (geckopress.com/bookshop/the-holidays/)