About
An aviation company that publishes for children.
An international book publisher and producer with its roots in aviation. We show children what flying really looks like.
Why we exist
Everyone who founded Special North has spent their working life around aircraft. We know the sense of purpose every time one flies over, and we know how few children ever get to see behind the hangar door.
Children decide what they can be by about seven, from the people they know and the stories they see. Most have no engineer at home. So we put one in a book, gave her a best friend with a tablet and a pigeon in a flying helmet, and made the real world of aviation the place they go.
Flight log
Five legs so far, from the first book to the in-flight proposal. Scroll to fly the route.
- 01
Leg 01
The first book
Sunny's Trip to an Aircraft Factory: Sunny visits an aircraft factory in Tianjin, China, and discovers how an aircraft is built.
- 02
Leg 02
Nine titles in print
The factory, the terminal, the hangar, the tower, the cargo ramp. Every book with Braille, a sound button and a sign-language video.
- 03
Leg 03
The Little Pilot and the kits
A wooden aircraft that doubles as a coin bank, handcrafted by Orang Asli artisans from Kampung Ulu Chembong in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan.
- 04
Leg 04
The series and the app, in development
Sunny and the Sky Squad as an animated series, and the Sky Squad app that turns every book, airport and flight into a mission.
- 05
Leg 05
Wings of Tomorrow, the in-flight proposal
An inclusive book and a tool-free aircraft model for children on premium departures from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Proposed for the UAE.
What we make
Four ways into the same world. Pick one and go.
Books
Nine picture books for ages 4 to 9, each with Braille, a sound button and a sign-language video.
The series
Sunny, Cleo and Pip on globe-trotting air missions. In development.
The app
Missions, quizzes and badges for ages five to nine. In development.
Kits and toys
The Little Pilot wooden aircraft, the engineer kit and the eco-activity pack.
Aida Ismail
- Founder
- Masterplanner and Project Lead
Aida Ismail founded Special North and leads its programmes end to end, from the Sunny and the Sky Squad books and animated series to the Wings of Tomorrow in-flight proposal for the UAE. She is the author of Sunny's Trip to Aircraft Factory.
LinkedInQuestions we are asked
The things parents, schools and partners ask first, answered from what the books and the company actually do.
Special North is an international children's book publisher and producer founded by people from aviation. It publishes the Sunny Aviation Adventure Series and is producing the animated series Sunny and the Sky Squad for children aged 4 to 9.
Where we are
Special North operates from Kuala Lumpur, with Singapore as its international hub for partnerships across Asia-Pacific and the Gulf.
Special North is a subsidiary of Executive Aviation (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, the aviation group behind the company.
Company registration details, privacy and terms are available on our legal pages.
Kuala Lumpur
home base
Singapore
international hub
Kuala Lumpur · Singapore
Route from Kuala Lumpur, home base, to Singapore, international hub