Pixi Hits the 200 Mark in Germany

The popular children's Pixi book imprint, featuring small, very distinctive square books, reached a milestone earlier this year in Germany: the 200^th series was published, with some 1,700 books published since the first came out in 1954.

To celebrate the series, publisher Carlsen Verlag did something special: Each of the books in the series was written by a famous German, from writers to chefs to TV personalities. Among those writing their own books for the series were supermodel Heidi Klum, whose story features a little blackened tooth and world-renowned children's novelist Cornelia Funke, who wrote about a monster in the attic who eats books. Other authors included journalist Giovanni di Lorenzo, comedian Anke Engelke, TV presenter Jörg Pilawa, chef Sarah Wiener, film director Fatih Akin and celebrity Dana Schweiger, among others. The author proceeds from all of the books then went to each celebrity's own charity of choice, from Doctors Without Borders to Children for a Better World.

There have been some 300 million copies of the Pixi books printed in Germany. Pixi also has a huge international following, in Sweden published by Bonnier Carlsen and in the U.K., France and Australia by U.K.-based Bonnier Publishing.

"We had an enormous response from the press on this series thanks to the testimonials of the authors who are all well known celebrities in Germany," says Ulrike Dick, press relations officer at Carlsen Verlag.