Ladybird Books have been a staple of
childhood for sixty years, from
Baby's First Book, through many series on such things as
nature studies, people at work, how things work, famous people in
history, Bible stories, and classic
fiction retold.
Harry Wills and William Hepworth began publishing together in 1906, at first under the auspices of the SPCK (Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge). Their company Wills & Hepworth registered the name Ladybird in 1915, but did not use it until the advent of cheap colour printing made it feasible. The first books in January 1940 cost 2/6, a price that was retained for thirty years.
Numbers of titles varied considerably with the years: 1969 was a high point with 370 in print. Tbeir factory was in Loughborough in Leicestershire, but closed in April 1999. The brand has passed through various owners recently, such as Coats Viyella, Kingfisher, and Dorling Kindersley.
Their emblem is of course the ladybird (usually known in the USA as a ladybug).