books for the journey
and the hesitation
Welcome to Idle Time Press
Thank you for landing on our site. Idle Time Press publishes award-winning children’s books in small batches and using print-on-demand. Our direct-to-customer model aims to reduce waste and give readers more purchasing power. Buying directly from us means a greater share of book profits go to the author and illustrators who created them. Plus, by cruising around our site, you get to explore each book before buying it. Go ahead, be adventurous! You will find descriptions, reviews, awards, and special target reader watermarks to help you find just the right book.
Our Mission
It’s our mission at Idle Time Press to create a new world of reader happiness while being responsible citizens and good stewards of our planet. We love books; you love books! Our collective love of books demands a lot of energy and generates an incredible amount of waste. Too many books languish on store shelves before being returned unsold. This is a consequence of our focus on fast production. We’ve come to believe that something is desirable if we can walk into a shop and leave with it in our hands, without weighing the costs of over production.
Idle Time Press is slowing things down. We’re taking our time, finding our soul. If five books are ordered, five books are made. If one book is ordered, one book is made. Nothing goes to waste. And as our books spend more time in your hands and their pages become dog-eared and smeared with jam, we hope you’ll continue to love them as if they were new. And when you’re ready to close our book covers for the last time, we hope you’ll pass them along to someone who loves books as much as you.
A Universe of Stories
Books that orbit imagination, ready to land in your hands.
Polar Bear and the UFO
A Fish Called Andromeda
Boy Between Worlds I
Boy Between Worlds II
The Circle 19
Awards from Across the Galaxy
Idle Time Press books don’t just reach readers — they soar into new worlds of recognition.
From prestigious literary constellations to illustration galaxies, our titles have earned shining stars of distinction. Explore the full universe of awards below, then discover the books that made them possible.
Arts & Crafts Adventure
Art sparks curiosity and imagination—for kids and adults alike. It’s more than fun: art connects us to culture, history, and creativity while building empathy and problem-solving skills.
That’s why we encourage arts and crafts alongside reading. Together, they inspire growth, well-being, and a lifelong love of learning—a true win-win!
Signals from Our Explorers
Like astronauts sending messages back from the stars, our readers share their own adventures with Idle Time Press books. Their voices guide new explorers toward stories worth discovering.
The illustrations are simply magical, from a friendly polar bear staring from the cover, through the cool tones of the Arctic, to the swirling warmth of Mars. This unusual twist on space travel is a delight.
I loved the adventures of Polar Bear and the UFO and I would love this book to become a series. It is great evidence that differences do not make friendships impossible, not at all.
The thrilling plot moves fast. Exciting action scenes add to the suspense in this incredible story. Boy Between Worlds: The Cabinet of Curiosities by Cynthia C Huijgens comes highly recommended.
Wow!!! This is a great action/adventure and thriller fantasy with mystery, twists, incredible characters and a fascinating storyline!! Any middle-grader, Y/A or even adults of any age will love Boy Between Worlds: The Cabinet of Curiosities.
9 out of 10. This story flows effortlessly, cleverly integrating the pedestrian and the supernatural, making the magic seem like a normal part of 13-year-old Max’s experience.