About us
Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, or KOSMOS publishing house, is a media house located in the heart of Stuttgart that has been equally committed to tradition and modern trends for many years.
In recent years, KOSMOS has consistently expanded to become one of the leading non-fiction and children’s books publishers. Our broad reaching portfolio includes: atlases, handbooks, nature guides, cookery books, DVDs, digital media, books for children and young adults, as well as board games and science kits.
Popular products and brands
Most people are familiar with KOSMOS science kits and award-winning products like What Flower Is That?, What Bird Is That?, Settlers of Catan, The Three ??? and My Secret Unicorn.
At KOSMOS, we are aware of the high standards that our customers and our target groups expect of us, and believe that success creates commitment and motivation. Hence, our innovative products are developed by more than 700 authors, together with approximately 20,000 trade customers, our business partners and our highly experienced staff. We find that this recipe of experts creates the best products!
KOSMOS Guidebooks and Special-interest-programme
Atlases, Astronomy, Nature, Bee-Keeping, Gardening, Dogs & Pets, Horses & Riding, Diving, Food & Drink, Fishing and Hunting – our scope of guidebooks is very broad. A handbook on puppy training stands next to long-sellers like What Flower Is That? or What Bird Is That? – best-selling nature books for seven decades. KOSMOS commits equal efforts into modern innovative products as it does to maintaining its strong backlist.
KOSMOS Games
The high quality of manufacturing, design and game standard has turned KOSMOS into one of the most successful game producers of the past years. It is impossible to imagine a game world without the Settlers of Catan (awarded Game of the Year in 1995). Children adore our handy “Bring-Along- Games” – ideal small gifts to ‘bring-along’ to a birthday party as a surprise. Our concept “Literature in games” proved that products like The Little Ghost or Pillars of the Earth can capture audiences far beyond their original book form. Awards like Game of the Year (2008 for Keltis or 2013 for Legends of Andor) or Children’s Game of the Year (2005 for The Little Ghost) confirm our commitment in this direction. Our board games are played in many countries across the globe and are partly responsible for the success of German Games in the United States.
KOSMOS Science kits an access to knowledge
Generations of children discovered their enthusiasm for science through KOSMOS Science kits. In this respect, KOSMOS stands for innovation and quality, as well as safety in the execution of experiments. We are convinced that children whom actively try out processes and gain hands-on experience also gain better understanding of a subject, and this understanding is fortified by our full-colour, age-appropriate manuals. The highly regarded manuals - a result of our background in book publishing - combined with the quality manufacturing materials of the kits, not only demonstrate how something works, but also why it is relevant to everyday life. Besides the classical topics like Chemistry, Physics, Electronics and Crystals, the range includes innovative topics like Remote-Control and Programming science kits.
KOSMOS Children´s books
KOSMOS Children’s books have traditionally been extremely successful. In this sector, we publish high-quality, non-fiction guidebooks on many fascinating and informative topics. Our signature series, The Three Detectives (???), follow a group of three boys, Justus, Peter and Bob, who have solved fictional cases around Rocky Beach in different mysteries over the last five decades. They have many devoted fans, not only among children, but also amongst their nostalgic parents! Germany’s bestselling crime series for young readers is now in good company: with ‘The Three !!!’. This series follows a group of inquisitive girls who investigate secret missions and they have already captured many young female fans – alongside series like My Secret Unicorn or Sheltie. Also on offer is a list of novels for readers aged twelve and up.
KOSMOS Quality
KOSMOS always has, and always will guarantee the highest quality books, games and science kits for both content and product. Our strategy is to cooperate with specialists worldwide and ensure that production conditions comply with our high-standard expectation using certified agreements and on-site controls.
Our products are tested by target groups before entering the market to ensure that we know what our customers require and our highly qualified authors and staff are part of the target audience for whom they think, write and create, as well as being experts in their field.
Books, games and science kits by KOSMOS might offer instant entertainment, but they are also long-lasting and enduring quality products.