MADONNA TOPS THE BOOK CHARTS—AGAIN!

MR. PEABODY’S APPLES DEBUTS AT NO. 1 ON THE NEW YORK TIMES’ BEST-SELLER LIST EIGHT WEEKS AFTER MADONNA’S FIRST WORLDWIDE NO. 1 BESTSELLER, THE ENGLISH ROSES

NEW YORK, November 25, 2003. For Immediate Release . . . Callaway Arts & Entertainment is pleased to announce that Madonna’s second children’s book, Mr. Peabody’s Apples, will debut at No. 1 on The New York Times’ November 30, 2003, best-seller list three weeks after its November 10 release. Madonna’s first book, The English Roses, debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times’ best-seller list on October 5, also three weeks after its release on September 15. For a children’s book author to climb to the top of The New York Times’ children’s picture book list with two consecutive books released in such quick succession represents a first in publishing history.

The English Roses has remained on The New York Times’children’s picture book best-seller list for nine consecutive weeks, with six weeks in the No. 1 position. It will place at No. 3 on the November 30 list, with Mr. Peabody’s Apples at No. 1 and The Cat in the Hat at No. 2.

Both books have appeared in 37 languages and more than 110 countries worldwide.

Madonna will make a special appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on November 26 to talk about Mr. Peabody’s Apples. An in-store appearance at Borders Books & Music in Los Angeles is planned for December, with details to be announced.

Mr. Peabody’s Apples, illustrated by Loren Long, is written for readers aged six and up.

Callaway Arts & Entertainment, founded in 1980 by Nicholas Callaway, is best known for its hugely successful Miss Spider book series. The firm specializes in family entertainment across all media—book publishing, 3-D computer animation for film and television, and product design.

Praise for Mr. Peabody’s Apples

“ . . . I loved it. The writing is terrific and the wonderful illustrations perfectly complement it. . . . It definitely teaches an inspiring life lesson. I look forward to adding several copies to our library's collection!”
—Vicki Muzzy, Stark County District Library, Canton, OH

“With its late Forties, small-town American setting, it evokes the highly moral world of Jimmy Stewart and It’s a Wonderful Life, of apple pie, picket fences, Little League baseball, milkshakes and—of course—of right and wrong.”
—The Times of London magazine

“ . . . I will be reading it to every class K-6 in our school . . . It is such a powerful story about the power of words and how they can do harm as well as good.”
—Minon Triplett, Highline School District, Seattle, WA

“Mr. Peabody’s Apples . . . will entertain young readers.”
—Samantha Critchell, Associated Press

“. . . [I] really enjoyed this book. The text is good and the illustrations are GREAT! . . . Well conceived and executed! Congratulations.”
—Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Jr. High School, Iowa City, IA

“The English Roses and . . . Mr. Peabody’s Apples may be filling a gap left by the
publishing industry.”
—Emily Jenkins, salon.com

“. . . It's an amazing story and the illustrations are fantastic.”
—Dr. T. Gail Pritchard, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

For more information, please contact:

Lindsay DiLorenzo, (212) 843-8025, Rubenstein Associates for Callaway Editions.
ldilorenzo@rubenstein.com

Andy Shearer, (212) 843-8061, Rubenstein Associates for Callaway Editions.
ashearer@rubenstein.com

Steven Oppenheim, (212) 366-2562, Penguin Group (US).
steven.oppenheim@us.penguingroup.com

Joanna Prior, 011 44 020 7010 3250, for Penguin Group (UK).
joanna.prior@penguin.co.uk