Brett Wright at Bloomsbury has acquired bestselling author E.D. Baker's next six books: three books in a new chapter-book series called Maggie and the Magic Stable, an original fairy tale; an all-new sequel toThe Frog Princess, tentatively titled The Frog Princess Returns; plus the sixth book in the Wide Awake Princess series and the fourth book in the Fairy Tale Matchmaker series. Maggie and the Magic Stable will launch with the first two books in winter 2017. The additions to the Wide Awake Princess and Fairy Tale Matchmaker series are slated for spring and fall 2017, and The Frog Princess Returns is also planned for a spring 2017 release. Victoria Wells Arms of Wells Arms Literary did the deal for world rights.
Amy Cloud at S&S/Aladdin has bought Ginger Rue's Aleca Zamm chapter book series, about a fourth grader who discovers she can freeze time just by saying her name. The first two books will be published in spring 2017, with two more to follow in summer and fall 2017. Abigail Samoun at Red Fox Literary negotiated the four-book deal for world rights.
Adah Nuchi at HMH has acquired Robin Mellom's Confessions from the Principal's Kid, a middle-grade novel about a girl whose insider status at school leaves her an outsider among her classmates. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Jill Corcoran at the Jill Corcoran Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Jennifer Greene at Clarion Books has bought world rights to Marc Tyler Nobleman's Fairy Spell: How Two Girls Convinced the World That Fairies Are Real, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler, a nonfiction picture book that tells the story of the Cottingley Fairies, “real” fairies captured in photographs taken by two English girls in 1917, photos that became famous and widely accepted as genuine until 1983, when the girls, then late in life, confessed they were faked. Publication is set for spring 2018; the author represented himself and Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Janine O'Malley of Farrar, Straus & Giroux has preempted an untitled picture book with words by Marisa Polansky and illustrations by Joey Chou. The story's lead character was inspired by a new, real-life species of octopus so tiny and cute that scientists hope to classify it as opistoteuthis adorabilis. The book will include supplemental information about the octopus from a leading researcher. It's slated for publication in winter 2017; the author represented herself and Kirsten Hall of Catbird Productions represented Chou in the deal for world rights.
Marlo Scrimizzi at Running Press Kids has acquired Sarah Beth Durst's picture book debut, Roar and Sparkles. With the help of his big sister Sparkles, Roar the dragon discovers that the first day of dragon kindergarten is not so scary after all. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger negotiated the deal for world rights.
Lynne Polvino at Clarion has bought Geisel-winning author-illustrator Josh Schneider's picture book Kid Amazing. Despite a secret base flush with evil-defeating gadgets, a superhero struggles to overcome an elusive (and stinky) villain, The Blob (or, his baby sister). Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Paul Rodeen at Rodeen Literary Management brokered the deal for world rights.
Jennifer Besser of Putnam has acquired author-illustrator Zebo Ludvicek's debut picture book, Mouse, in which a mouse's willingness to share a cherry turns into an adventure and an unlikely friendship. Publication is set for fall 2016; Marcia Wernick of Wernick & Pratt did the deal for North American rights.
Katherine Harrison at Knopf has bought world rights to Kerri Kokias's debut picture book, Snow Sisters, with Teagan White to illustrate. Told in mirrored language, the book tells of two sisters who have opposing yet complementary ideas about what a snow day should be,. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author and Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2, represented the illustrator.
Rebecca Davis at Boyds Mills/Wordsong has acquired Pop! Bam! Boom!by Irene Latham. Explosions start small and grow ever-larger in this collection of poems where popcorn kernels leap, ideas tsunami, fireworks frazzle, racehorses surge, dreams steam, and supernovas radiate. A pub date has not been set; Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal for world rights.
Julie Strauss-Gabel at Dutton has bought There Will Be Blood: The HelloFlo Guide to Pubertyby Naama Bloom, founder and CEO of the online site HelloFlo.com, and Glynnis MacNicol. With the support of a panel of experts, the book will incorporate real-life stories along with facts and illustrations. Publication is scheduled for 2017; Emma Parry of Janklow & Nesbit brokered the deal for North American rights.
Christian Trimmer at Simon & Schuster has acquired Tommy Wallach's Anchor & Sophia trilogy. The series follows two brothers on opposite sides of a holy war in a society that has eschewed all technology. Publication for the first book is set for spring 2017; John Cusick of Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Sarah Dotts Barley at Flatiron Books has acquired Stephanie Garber's debut YA novel Hearts Made of Black. The first in a YA fantasy series follows two sisters bound by love and a father they fear, who escape their tiny, secluded island for the performance of Caraval, where the audience plays along in a deadly game of determining what's real and what's fantasy. Publication is slated for fall 2016; Jenny Bent at the Bent Agency sold North American rights at auction in a two-book deal. Film rights were preempted by Twentieth Century Fox.
Kristen Pettit of HarperCollins has bought The Art of Starving by Sam Miller; it's a novel about a gay, bullied, small-town boy with an eating disorder who believes that starving himself awakens a latent ability to read minds, predict behavior, and control the fabric of time and space. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Seth Fishman at the Gernert Company brokered the deal for North American rights.
Judith Graves at Leap Books' Shine imprint has acquired Suzanne Lazear's series The Secret Lives of Rockstars. The books follow 18-year-old Bitsy who, with the help of the members of her cirque noir punk band, must find a way to stop a war between the Fae and the Witches, putting innocent lives in danger. The first volume is slated to publish in summer 2016; Eric W. Ruben at the Ruben Agency negotiated the two-volume deal for world rights.
Alison Weiss at Sky Pony Press has bought Wendy McLeod MacKnight's debut, It's a Mystery, Pig Face!, a middle-grade novel in which an 11-year-old girl finds a bag of money in a baseball dugout and enlists the help of her best friend and annoying little brother to discover who lost – or maybe, stole – it, in a town brimming with suspects. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Lauren Galit at LKG Agency did the deal for world rights.
Rosemary Brosnan and Annie Berger at HarperCollins has acquired the currently titled How to Save an Elephant, a middle grade novel by Linda Oatman High. In it, 12-year old Lily Pruitt and a circus elephant are drawn together by the shared loss of the same man – grandfather, best friend and keeper – and journey through a series of life changes to save not only themselves but each other. Publication is scheduled for winter 2017; Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Hilary Van Dusen at Candlewick Press has bought Sibert Medalist Sally M. Walker's next nonfiction book for children. The picture book, titled Earth Verse, uses haiku and narrative text to explore earth science and will be illustrated by William Grill. Publication is set for fall 2017; Susan Cohen of Writers House represented the author for world English rights and Doris Tydeman at YCN represented the illustrator for world rights, all languages.
Kelly Barrales-Saylor at Albert Whitman has signed a six-book deal with debut author-illustrator Jane Smith. Chloe Zoe, a precocious school-aged elephant, stars in the new series. Her close-knit family and group of animal friends join in her adventures. Publication of the first volume is scheduled for spring 2016; Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 brokered the deal for world rights.
Kate Morgan Jackson at HarperCollins has bought a three-book picture book series from “Pioneer Woman” Ree Drummond, about a red-headed girl who faces adventures when her family moves from the city to a ranch out in the country. A publication date has not yet been set; Susanna Einstein at Einstein Literary Management negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Christian Trimmer at Simon and Schuster has won at auction two picture books from debut author-illustrator Jessie Sima. In the first book, Not Quite Narwhal, Kelp is a unicorn born under the sea and raised by narwhals (who believes he is a narwhal). When he is washed ashore he discovers there are “land narwhals” (unicorns). Publication is slated for spring 2017; Thao Le at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency did the six-figure for North American rights.
Paula Wiseman at Simon & Schuster's Paula Wiseman Books has acquired author-illustrator Meghan McCarthy's picture book, The Wildest Race Ever: The Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon, a story of perseverance and the importance of sportsmanship. Publication is planned for spring 2016; Alexandra Penfold of Upstart Crow Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Martha Mihalick at Greenwillow has bought author-illustrator Dana Wulfekotte's debut picture book, Rabbit and Possum, plus a second untitled book. Rabbit and Possum are best friends; Possum is cautious, but Rabbit is excitable. She's always looking for fun, but it often lands one – or both of them in a jam. Publication is set for summer 2017; Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Jeffrey Salane at Little Simon has acquired Todd Doodler's picture book, Hot Rod Hot Dog, about a kind but bungling dog named Rod who must build a racecar to compete in the Animal Grand Prix. Publication is scheduled for summer 2016; Erica Rand Silverman at Sterling Lord Literistic did the deal for world English rights.
