Magazine Spotlight – Anorak

Cover illustration by Marcus Oakley

[This post is part of a series by this week’s Guest Editor Robert Newman. More info here.]

Anorak is a London-based kids magazine that reminds me of the old Highlights for Children that I grew up with. Published five times a year, it’s a rarity in today’s magazine world as a publication that is completely illustrated. Anorak is filled with picture stories, games, activities, puzzles, coloring pages, reading, and much more. And it’s literally packed with beautiful, delightful illustrations that are child-like but not childish. There’s a wide range of illustration styles, all fun, and often funny. The magazine is printed on thick matte paper that is perfect for coloring, drawing, and puzzle solving. I have a 10-year-old daughter who loves to sit down with Anorak and a stack of pencils and crayons. You’ll want to buy two copies: one for the kids to use, and one to save on your bookshelf.

Subtitled “The Happy Mag for Kids,” Anorak is the brainchild of Cathy Olmedillas, who launched the magazine in 2006 and serves as publisher, editor, and art director. The best of Anorak was collected last year in The Big Book of Anorak, and they also publish regular editions of the Happy Activity book, which highlights games, puzzles, coloring, and other fun things to do. Both are available through the Anorak website. Later this year Anorak will debut their magazine for teens, called Teepee. The latest issue of Anorak, The Dreams Issue, has just been released. As with earlier issues, this one is jammed with lovely illustrations that will make you and your kids smile.

(For those wondering what Anorak means, it’s actually a type of parka or coat, but in British slang it’s used to refer to a geek or nerd. Or as Wikipedia explains, “an anorak is a person who has a very strong interest, perhaps obsessive, in niche subjects. This interest may be unacknowledged or not understood by the general public.”)