Phantom Tree House launches with Sam Pyar, a compelling new children’s book which mixes classic themes of friendship and acceptance with the latest craze: vampires. Young readers are drawn into the story of Lucy’s mysterious school friend, Sam Pyar, by author Shalesh Vasan’s deft, suspenseful writing and illustrator Duncan West’s playful visual puns leading to a dramatic ending. Sam Pyar, which is published both in print and as an e-book, marks an intriguing change of pace for Phantom House Books. Owner and publisher Grant Sheehan said:
"We were so taken with Sam Pyar that we created a whole new imprint, Phantom Tree House, in order to publish children's books. We know that kids and parents read together on screen as well as in print, so we've made an e-book version of Sam Pyar too."
Although Phantom Tree House signals a change of target readership, the high production values and visual sensibility of Phantom House are still very much in evidence. Sheehan brings his long experience as a sought-after professional photographer to bear on every title.
“Our experience of producing high-end books of photography means that we’re very used to speaking a visual language. Sam Pyar was an exciting opportunity for us to use that same language to communicate with children and parents in a whole new way.”
Sam Pyar was launched at Marsden Books, Karori, last night.