Hidden Pigeon Company Expands Partnership with Union Square & Co. for New Licensed Range
Hidden Pigeon Company (HPC), the company co-founded by #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Mo Willems, has announced it is extending its partnership with Union Square & Co.—an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.—to develop a range of licensed books featuring Willems’ most popular and endearing characters, including The Pigeon, Elephant & Piggie, and Knuffle Bunny, for the children’s book imprint Union Square Kids. Under the new 10-year agreement, Union Square Kids will introduce a wide range of color and activity books, storybooks, readers, board books, workbooks, novelty formats, and more.
The newly expanded partnership between Hidden Pigeon Company and Union Square & Co. also encompasses a range of innovative gift and stationery products from Knock Knock Kids, which offers child-friendly formats from gift and stationery brand Knock Knock, an imprint of Union Square & Co. Among the upcoming offerings are Pigeon- and Elephant & Piggie-themed versions of Knock Knock’s top-selling Fill-in-the-Love journals in addition to notebooks, activity pads, paper placemats, and other gift items featuring Willems’ characters.
“Union Square Kids is dedicated to engaging and entertaining young readers, which is also at the heart of what we do at Hidden Pigeon Company,” said Karen K. Miller, President & CEO, HPC. “We are so excited to continue working closely with the talented team at Union Square to expand the reach and impact of Mo Willems’ characters while delivering many more opportunities for children to stretch their imaginations and express their creativity.”
“Mo Willems’ characters and books have captivated and inspired millions of children around the world,” said Emily Thomas Meehan, Senior Vice President and Publisher, Union Square & Co. “We are delighted to further our successful collaboration with Mo and Hidden Pigeon Company and introduce new ways for kids to experience his beloved characters through a broad range of bestselling formats.”
The new licensing program will include up to 15–20 new titles a year featuring dozens of Mo Willems’ popular characters. The first book produced under the agreement, Don’t Let The Pigeon Color This Book!, launched in October 2024. Additional titles are launching fall 2025, including the early-learning concept board book The Pigeon WON’T Count to 10!
The new titles will be available wherever books are sold, online and at retail nationwide in the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The gift and stationery products will be available in the U.S. and Canada.
In other Mo Willems-related publishing news, on March 4, Union Square Kids released Will the Pigeon Graduate?, the tenth picture book featuring Willems’ best-loved bus-loving character and an instant New York Times bestseller.
