In the creative realm, we are witnessing a shift towards nostalgia, tradition, comfort, and the analogue.

There is an increasing desire among audiences to buy work that feels safe, familiar, and wholesome. A demand for stories that are uplifting, spiritual, with a deeper meaning – dreamy and full of hope. Alongside this sits fantasy, escapism and educational progress.

The key themes I see emerging are bravery, hope, comfort and meaning. Despite the fear-mongering noise around AI, this is genuinely an exciting time to be a creative. So what does this look like in 2026?

Biggest Influence in Design: K-Pop & Korean-inspired Styles

You would have to live under a stone to have missed the huge-selling cosy colouring books inspired by Korean art. The influence of K-Pop will continue to shape illustration styles:

• Big, expressive eyes
• Emotion lead character design
• Urban modernity mixed with playful energy

This trend extends beyond character design into editorial, packaging and digital art, reflecting a global appetite for cute, bold and instantly engaging visuals.

Mental Health: Year of Analogue

Like a heartbeat, our brains have a rhythm. And screens and dopamine-driven content speed it up and fragment it. The mental health crisis has made something clear: the pendulum has swung too far into digital.

Scrolling instead of watching a film, going to bed with a book and not a phone, film nights with the family all viewing one screen together, using cook books instead of viewing recipes online, alarm clocks in bedrooms instead of phones, reading magazines instead of scrolling through online click-bate articles, listening to an album instead of shuffling—this is no longer nostalgic advice, but a necessary intervention.

Publishing has a vital role to play. Reading must be reframed as a cornerstone of children’s mental wellbeing. In an overstimulated world, books are not an escape: they are a solution. This isn’t so much as themes for books, but for marketing and publicity directors to communicate.

Style Trends

• Heritage publishing: enduring brands reimagined for new audiences — not preserved in amber, but alive, relevant and future-proofed without losing their authenticity.
• Circus and carnival whimsy: big tops, stripes, bunting, fairy lights, wagons, horses, plumes, feathers, dramatic patterns, immersive settings and golden gilt frames.
• Alien and futuristic influence: cosmic, otherworldly aesthetics, iridescent surfaces, imaginative forms, blending sci-fi with a playful and approachable design.
• Analogue hobbies and handmade craft: dolls’ houses, miniature worlds, bespoke crafts, DIY self-expression, celebrating imperfection, tactility and personal storytelling through objects.
• Hand-drawn and expressive artwork: strong and confident lines, hand-rendered textures, old-school charm that’s modernised with cleaner, brighter palettes, with emotion and personality at the forefront.

Formats Continuing to Gain Momentum

With children reading less, creative new formats are gaining traction:

• Graphic Novels: continued to grow, with more traditional artwork entering this space, moving beyond manga and digital cartoon styles towards references like When the Night Fell and Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas.
• Pic-tion: a hybrid format merging traditional fiction with picture-book elements, appealing to visual learners.
• Longer picture books: emotional, coffee-table-style books, fables about bravery and inspiring narratives.

General Industry Predictions

Publishers embracing technology, sustainability, new supply chains (smaller, faster, local) and, global markets and creative reinvention may thrive. Consumers will increasingly demand authenticity, individuality, sustainability and meaningful experience and lean towards companies with strong purpose and accountability.

Publishing on Screen

Book adaptations continue to dominate quality family entertainment, driving renewed interest in classic titles and opening multi-platform opportunities.

Book to films Already Released / Active in 2025:

• The Night Before Christmas in Neverland
• The Famous Five (BBC / International TV)
• Charlotte’s Web (HBO Max – animated miniseries)
• The Sisters Grimm (Apple TV+)
• Dog Man (animated franchise debut)
• The Twits (Roald Dahl adaptation)
• Stitch Head (animated graphic novel adaptation)

Coming soon in 2026:

• Hey, A.J.! (Disney+ / Disney Jr.)
• Faraway Tree

Why we love them: these adaptations generate box office revenue, energise book sales and unlock merchandise, licensing and cross-media campaigns.

On the Horizon

• Mr Men & Little Miss – major franchise expansion
• The Cat in the Hat – big-budget adaptation
• Fing! – based on the bestselling book

As audiences seek meaning, escapism and originality, illustration and children’s publishing continue to evolve with confidence. The most impactful work in 2026 will balance innovation with craft, spectacle with heart – creating stories that resonate on the page, on screen and beyond.