The Stars Of A&E's Hit Show Duck Dynasty® To Release Picture Book With S&S Books For Young Readers

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, announced today plans to publish Everything's Better with a Beard, a picture book by Si, Willie, Phil, Jase, Jep, and Alan Robertson, the stars of A&E's hit show Duck Dynasty®. The show's season four premiere in August was watched by 11.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched nonfiction show in cable television history. The Robertsons recently released a Christmas album, Duck the Halls, and their Christmas special will air on A&E on December 11.

Justin Chanda, VP and Publisher of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, negotiated the acquisition with Mel Berger and Margaret Riley King from William Morris Endeavor. Simon & Schuster has acquired North American rights, including audio. The book, Everything's Better with a Beard, will be edited by Kristin Ostby, Editor at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, and is scheduled to release in March 2014.

"The Robertsons have made a real connection with book lovers everywhere," said Justin Chanda. "The same will absolutely be true of picture book fans. They've come up with a book for their youngest audience that's full of fun, heart, and, of course, BEARDS!"

Everything's Better with a Beard, a rhyming photographic picture book, will feature the bearded Robertson men explaining that whether it's a dog or a truck, a tree or a duck, everything's better when it has a beard. 

"Kay has set up a special section in their house for all the grandchildren that is filled with children's books. We're proud to now have books with our names on them to add to the collection, and we're happy to promote beards any time we get a chance," said Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson.

The sidesplitting Robertsons are successful not only on camera but also in print. Howard Books, an adult imprint of Simon & Schuster, has a total of seven titles with the family. These titles include The Duck Commander Family (October 2012); Happy, Happy, Happy (May 2013); Si-cology 1 (September 2013); The Duck Commander Devotional (October 2013); Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen (November 2013); Good Call (tentatively scheduled for May 2014); and The Women of Duck Commander (tentatively scheduled for April 2014). All of the titles have nested comfortably on the New York Times bestsellers list and continue to soar with over five million copies in print!

ABOUT SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN'S PUBLISHING
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, one of the leading children's book publishers in the world, is comprised of the following imprints: Aladdin, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Beach Lane Books, Libros para ninos, Little Simon®, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Simon Pulse, and Simon Spotlight®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and bestselling books for children of all ages. In addition to numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners, Simon & Schuster publishes such high-profile properties and series as Eloise, Olivia, Raggedy Ann & Andy™, Henry & Mudge®, The Hardy Boys®, Nancy Drew®, the Dork Diaries series, the Mortal Instruments series, Mike the Knight, and the original Cupcake Diaries and Creepover series. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.

Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com

SOURCE Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers