Farrin Jacobs at Little, Brown has acquired author and astronaut Chris Hadfield's (l.) debut picture book, illustrated by Eric Fan (center) and Terry Fan. Inspired by Chris's childhood,The Darkest Dark is about a boy who goes from being afraid of the dark to wanting to explore every corner of the universe. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Rick Broadhead & Associates brokered the deal on behalf of the author for U.S. rights; Tara Walker of Tundra Books/Penguin Random House Canada bought Canadian rights; Belinda Rasmussen of Macmillan Children's Books U.K. acquired world rights excluding North American English and Canadian French. The Fan brothers are represented by Kirsten Hall of Catbird Productions.
Wesley Adams at Farrar, Straus & Giroux has bought Michael Bornstein and his daughter Debbie Bornstein Holinstat's The Survivors Club: The True Story of a Very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz. This middle grade book reveals how young Michael – whose liberation at age four from Auschwitz was captured in now-famous newsreel footage taken by Soviet soldiers – and several other members of his family from Poland dodged death during the Holocaust, eventually reuniting after the war and emigrating to the U.S. Publication is slated for March 2017; Irene Goodman of the Irene Goodman Agency did the deal for world English rights, and translation rights are being handled by Baror International.
Erin Stein at Macmillan/Imprint has acquired world English rights to the licensed property Project Mc2 from MGA Entertainment. Project Mc2 is a team of four super-smart girls who use their love of science and spy skills as they go on missions for their secret organization NOV8. The first title, a middle-grade novelization of the Netflix series with experiments included, will publish in March 2016, with a second to follow in fall 2016.
Robin Herrera at Oni Press has bought world rights to Morbid Obesity: Murder at Camp Bloomby Terry Blas (l.) and Molly Muldoon, illustrated by Matthew Seely. After teens Jesse and Noah witness a murder at fat camp, they join forces with two other campers to find the killer – who could be one of the counselors. Publication is set for 2018; the authors and artist represented themselves.
Beth Brezenoff at Capstone has acquired Monika Schröder's Be Light Like a Bird, a middle grade novel about a 12-year-old girl whose life is thrown into upheaval following the death of her father and her struggle to discover the person she's meant to be. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Rick Margolis at Rising Bear Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Carolyn Yoder at Boyds Mills Press/Calkins Creek has bought Barb Rosenstock's Prairie Boy, a biography of Frank Lloyd Wright and the prairie shapes that influenced his revolutionary architecture, to be illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Publication is scheduled for fall 2019; Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio represented the author and Stephen Barr of Writers House represented the illustrator.
Mary Lee Donovan of Candlewick Press has won at auction Juana Martinez-Neal's debut picture book, Alma, in which the protagonist asks her father about the long name he gave her. Candlewick will publish both a hardcover English- and Spanish-language edition in fall 2017; Stefanie Von Borstel of Full Circle Literary brokered the two-book, six-figure deal for world English rights, and Spanish rights in the U.S. and Canada.
Tracy Gates at Viking has acquired Sleep Train by Jonathan London, to be illustrated by Lauren Eldridge. In this lullaby counting book, a child riding in an old-fashioned train watches, listens, and gradually falls asleep to the clickety-clack of the train cars in the moonlit night. It’s slated for fall 2017; Dan Mandel at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented London and Lori Kilkelly of Rodeen Literary Management represented Eldridge in the deal for world rights.
Celia Lee at Scholastic has bought Tim McCanna's (l.) Jack B. Ninja, illustrated by Stephen Savage, a picture book in rhyme about a young ninja-in-training who braves a bandit crew. Publication is set for 2017; Caryn Wiseman at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author and Brenda Bowen of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Claudia Zoe Bedrick at Enchanted Lion Books has acquired Kirsten Hall's next picture book, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe. The Gold Leaf presents something special that everyone wants, but not everyone can have. Publication is planned for spring 2017; the author represented herself and Judith Hansen at Hansen Literary represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Jennifer Greene at Clarion Books has bought world English rights to Audrey Vernick's A Clown Walked into a Ballpark, a nonfiction picture book biography, about Max Patkin, a professional ballplayer turned legendary baseball clown. Jenn Bower is set to illustrate. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author and Danielle Smith at Red Fox Literary represented the illustrator.
Rosemary Brosnan at HarperCollins has acquired two new YA novels by Lauren Oliver, author of the Delirium trilogy and Before I Fall. Replica, the first of the two books, tells the story of Lyra, known by the number 24, a replica – human model – who was born, raised, and observed in a clandestine research facility called the Haven Institute. When Lyra escapes from Haven and meets Gemma, a stranger on a quest of her own, earth-shattering secrets are revealed. Publication is slated for September 2016; Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Liza Kaplan at Philomel has bought Cordelia Jensen's new novel-in-verse, The Excavation of Lincoln Malone. It tells the story of “virtual” twins: Holly, adopted from Ghana, who fits in perfectly at the sisters' competitive school and at home; and Linc, who struggles to fit in despite her biological connection, and the choices each girl makes, leading them on journeys of self-discovery and identity through a lens of photography, New York City history, and West African culture. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger brokered the deal for world English rights.
Krestyna Lypen at Algonquin Young Readers has acquired The Real Marvelous, a YA novel by Samantha Mabry. In it, a young couple working the maguey plantations of the Southwest in a world plagued by water shortages, injustice, and dark superstition, must flee their old home for a new one that may or may not be cursed. Publication is set for fall 2017; Claire Anderson-Wheeler at Regal Hoffmann & Associates did the deal for world rights.
Jill Santopolo at Philomel has bought the first two books in a new picture book series by Ruby Shamir and Matt Faulkner. Aimed at four-to-eight-year-olds, What's the Big Deal About First Ladies? and What's the Big Deal About Freedom? use humor and anecdotes to show young readers that civics and history are fun and compelling – and have a huge impact on their futures. Publication is planned for winter and summer 2017 respectively; Adam Kotok represented the author and Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Maria Modugno at Random House has acquired The Runaway Egg by Katy Hudson, a picture book in which a half-hatched baby brother narrowly escapes one mishap after another thanks to his big brother's efforts. Publication is slated for February 2017; Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Jennifer Greene at Clarion has bought Anna Walker's Florette, a picture book about a girl who must leave her beloved garden behind when her family moves to the city, but makes a magical discovery that helps her grow not only a new garden but new friendships. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Stephen Barr at Writers House did the world rights deal (excluding Australia/New Zealand) on an exclusive submission, and Angharad Kowal at Writers House U.K. sold Australia/New Zealand rights to Jane Godwin at Penguin Australia.
Jill Davis at HarperCollins's Katherine Tegen imprint has acquired world rights to Gator, Gator, Gator, a picture book in which a girl invites the reader on an alligator chase in the swamps of the Louisiana Bayou. Daniel Bernstrom wrote the text, with illustrations from Frann Preston-Gannon. It's set for summer 2018; Brenda Bowen at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the artist.
Meredith Mundy and Merideth Harte of Sterling Children's Books have bought world rights toWe Wish for a Monster Christmas by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Mike Michell. It's a picture book about wishing for and receiving a monster, to be sung to the tune of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Publication is tentatively scheduled for fall 2016; Jennifer Unter of the Unter Agency represented the author, and Hannah Whitty of Plum Pudding Illustration represented the artist.
Carol Hinz at Lerner has acquired If You Were the Moon by Laura Purdie Salas (l.), illustrated by Jaime Kim. The story provides a glimpse of the moon's busy schedule and shows all the things it does to create harmony in nature. It's slated for publication in spring 2017; Fiona Kenshole at Transatlantic Literary Agency represented the author and Claire Easton at Painted Words represented the artist in the deal for world rights.
Christy Ottaviano at Henry Holt's Christy Ottaviano Books has bought Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines, a picture book biography of Maya Lin, the artist-architect who designed the Vietnam War Memorial, written by Jeanne Walker Harvey (l.) and illustrated by Dow Phumiruk. The book is planned for spring 2017, to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam War Memorial; Deborah Warren at East West Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Sally Doherty at Henry Holt has won at auction Stacy McAnulty's Earth! My First 4.6 Billion Years, illustrated by David Litchfield, a nonfiction picture book told from the perspective of Earth. Publication is set for winter 2018; world rights for the two-book deal were negotiated by Lori Kilkelly at Rodeen Literary Management for the author, and Anne Armstrong at the Bright Agency for the artist.
