Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has announced the forthcoming publication of The Invisible Parade, a picture book collaboration from Leigh Bardugo, author of the bestselling Grishaverse novels, and World Fantasy Award and Hugo Award-winning illustrator John Picacio.
The concept for the picture book was first pitched to Bardugo by Picacio in 2016 as “The Wizard of Oz set in a graveyard,” Bardugo said in a statement. “We wanted to find a way for families to reframe the way they talk about grief and fear.”
The Invisible Parade centers on a girl named Cala, who isn’t eager to participate in Day of the Dead celebrations with her family, as she’s grieving the loss of her grandfather. She heads to the cemetery anyway, where she encounters the four horsemen of the apocalypse who help Cala realize how brave she can be.
“I’ve discovered the only thing better than reading a Leigh Bardugo book is conjuring one with her, and I look forward to sharing Cala’s journey with story lovers everywhere,” Picacio said in a statement. “We made [this book] for people of all ages who have felt loss, or have lost someone they love.”
To readers in the sci-fi and fantasy space, both Bardugo and Picacio are familiar names. Bardugo is the author of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the King of Scars duology, and the Six of Crows duology, which hit screens in 2021 with a Netflix adaptation. She has also made a splash in the adult fantasy space with her 2019 adult debut Ninth House and most recently The Familiar. The Invisible Parade is her first picture book. Picacio’s award-winning illustrations have been featured in the works of George R.R. Martin, Rebecca Roanhorse, and others.
“John and Leigh together have crafted such a beautiful meditation on fear, death, grief, and love,” said LBYR VP and editor-in-chief Alvina Ling of the duo’s collaboration. “There are so many layers to this book, so many new details to discover upon repeat readings—the sign of a true classic.”
The Invisible Parade is scheduled for publication in both the U.S. and the U.K. (from Orion Children’s Books) on September 2. Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary & Media negotiated the deal for world English rights.
