Michael Sampson Books Acquires Children’s Book by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Laura Numeroff, Releasing Mother’s Day 2025

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Publishers Weekly announced that Michael Sampson Books will be publishing a new children’s picture book by Laura Numeroff, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Numeroff’s new book, Max and Mama, will be illustrated by Masha Sudovykh who, like Numeroff, is an avid animal lover. Max and Mama is a mother-son story that follows two corgis through a day of spending quality time together — set to release Spring 2025.

Michael Sampson, Publisher of Michael Sampson Books, was immediately drawn to Numeroff’s manuscript. “Max and Mama is a sweet love story between mother and child that also teaches life lessons and builds on academic learning. Children learn about perseverance as little Max learns to ride a bike, and the story subtly praises subjects like science and literacy. Most of all, Laura’s book is great for both parents and children because it builds upon a love of reading.”

Laura Numeroff is widely known for her bestselling children’s books If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Pig a Pancake. In addition, Numeroff is active in various charitable efforts. A portion of all sales for her book Raising a Hero go to Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit providing skilled service dogs to children, adults and veterans with disabilities and special needs. Numeroff also donates a portion of her book royalties from her If You Give... series to First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides brand new books to children who otherwise would not have access to them. In keeping with this spirit, when Laura Numeroff attended a virtual visit and met students from Biwi School in Lilongwe, Malawi, she was moved to hear that they didn’t have books for their classrooms, let alone for each individual child. She made the decision to fund the construction of a brand-new library for the Biwi School, which now has over 1,000 books for both the students and the public community.

Masha Sudovykh is an illustrator working primarily in the children’s books industry, with over fifteen books currently published. She’s worked on a variety of projects from picture books to chapter books and book covers. She draws inspiration from classic children’s literature and the little wonders of everyday life. She currently resides in Toronto, Canada.