Stephanie Stein at HarperTeen has acquired world English rights to K. Ancrum's romantic YA thriller Icarus, a reimagining of the classic myth pitched as The Goldfinch meets Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. In the book, a teen cat burglar carries out his father's mission of stealing works of art from a local wealthy man, to replace them with intricate, perfect replicas… until he's caught by another boy his age imprisoned in the rich neighbor's home. Publication is planned for winter 2024; Eric Smith at P.S. Literary Agency did the two-book deal.
Alexa Wejko at Soho Teen has bought When Mimi Went Missing, a debut novel by Suja Sukumar. In the YA thriller, Tanvi begins to recover memories of the night her cousin disappeared; when the clues point to murder, she must find the truth about what really happened to Mimi, before she is framed for the crime. Publication is scheduled for 2024; Zabé Ellor at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Meghan Maria McCullough, while at Levine Querido, acquired Pardalita, a YA graphic novel by Joana Estrela (l.); Nick Thomas will edit. The book follows 16-year-old Raquel, living in small-town Portugal, as she navigates the fallout from her parents' divorce and falls in love with Pardalita, a gifted artist who's moving to Lisbon to study in the fall. Lyn Miller-Lachmann will translate from the Portuguese; publication is set for spring 2023. Carin Bacho Carniani brokered the deal for world English and North American Spanish rights on behalf of Planeta Tangerina; the translator represented herself.
Kristen Pettit at HarperCollins has bought debut author Dinesh Thiru's Into the Sunken City, a diverse YA retelling of Treasure Island with an Ocean's Eleven twist. In a climate-ravaged near future, Jin and her sister Thara are just trying to make ends meet until a mysterious drifter arrives, offering them the score of a lifetime—a massive stash of gold, hidden in the sunken ruins of the Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas. Publication is slated for fall 2023; Claire Friedman at InkWell Management handled the deal for world rights.
Michelle Nguyen, while at Oni Press, acquired Alex Dingley's queer YA horror graphic novel Ancestree, pitched as Crimson Peak meets The Green Knight; Desiree Rodriguez will edit. In the story, a young prince finds out the unsavory truth about his royal lineage when he becomes haunted by a dark creature lurking in the woods surrounding his family's castle. Publication of the first book is planned for 2025; Britt Siess at Britt Siess Creative Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Caitlin Tutterow at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has bought, in an exclusive submission, Girls Who Burn by debut author MK Pagano. In this enemies-to-lovers YA thriller, Addie is forced to team up with her childhood frenemy in a race against the clock to unmask her sister's killer before the rest of her life goes up in flames. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Barbara Poelle and Sydnie Thornton at Irene Goodman Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has acquired Tessa Miyata Is No Hero and a sequel by Julie Abe, about a Japanese American girl visiting Tokyo who inadvertently releases the spirit of an evil samurai god who wants to destroy Tokyo, and stumbles upon a hidden part of the city where gods and mythological creatures walk among humans. Publication for the first book is slated for summer 2023; Sarah Landis at Sterling Lord Literistic brokered the deal for world rights.
Orlando Dos Reis at Scholastic has bought Waddle I Do Without You? by Michelle Schusterman (My Otter Half; Some Bunny to Love). The middle-grade novel features Max, a protective sheepdog, and his human, Addie, who discover that foxes threaten the local fairy penguin population on Penguin Island near Perth and decide that it is up to them to protect the penguins from danger. Publication is set for fall 2023; Chelsea Eberly at Greenhouse Literary Agency sold world rights.
Camille Kellogg at Bloomsbury has acquired world rights to debut author Leah Stecher's middle grade novel The Things We Miss, pitched for fans of Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me, in which superhero-loving J.P. Green discovers a magical doorway that sends her three days forward in time. When she starts using the door to skip all the hard parts of middle school, she must figure out whether the highs in life are worth the lows—and how to show up for the people she loves. Publication is planned for spring 2024; Sam Farkas at Jill Grinberg Literary Management negotiated the two-book deal.
Cheryl Klein, while at Lee and Low/Tu Books, bought world rights to Cindy Jenson-Elliott's (l.) middle grade nonfiction STEM book, The Doomsday Detectives: How Walter and Luis Alvarez Uncovered the Mystery of What Killed the Dinosaurs, illustrated by Theo Nicole Lorenz; Stacy Whitman will edit. Written as equal parts family biography, narrative mystery, graphic nonfiction, and expository science, the book tells the story of how the Alvarezes (father and son) and a team of researchers unraveled one of the world's most intriguing mysteries. Publication is set for fall 2024; Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has acquired the middle-grade nonfiction work Frozen in Time: What Ice Cores Can Tell Us About Climate Change by Christopher Award-winning author Carmella Van Vleet. The book, part of the Books for a Better Earth collection, introduces ice cores and what these important pieces of climate history can tell us about the past and about our climate future. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Marie Lamba at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency sold world rights.
Anne Schwartz at Random House/Anne Schwartz Books has acquired Rose Garden, a picture book by Rashin Kheiriyeh (The Shape of Home), about an Iranian girl whose Baba is teaching her how to dye, dry, knot, and weave beautiful rugs. When Baba falls ill, it's up to Rose to continue weaving her special garden rug on her own. Publication is planned for spring 2025; Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content brokered world rights.
Kayla Tostevin at Page Street Kids has bought world rights to The Three Little Guinea Pigs and the Andean Fox by debut author-illustrator Ana Velez, an Andean retelling of "The Three Little Pigs" that ends with unexpected kindness. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Velez represented herself.
Cecily Kaiser at Rise x Penguin Workshop has acquired world rights to singer-songwriter Ani Di Franco's (l.) debut picture book, The Knowing, with art by first-time illustrator Julia Mathew. The book invites readers to ponder the distinction between outer forms of identity and the inner light of consciousness. Publication is scheduled for March 2023; Sarah Lazin at Aevitas Creative Management represented the author, and Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the artist.
Mark Podesta at Henry Holt has acquired world rights to Newbery Honor author Kyle Lukoff's (l.) There's No Such Thing as Vegetables, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi, a picture book about a bunch of snarky produce that schools a young gardener about social constructs and how categories shape our understanding of the world. Publication is set for winter 2024; Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch Literary Services represented the author, and Stephen Barr at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Lauri Hornik at Penguin/Rocky Pond Books has bought world rights to The Chinese New Year Helper by Ying Chang Compestine (l.), illustrated by Ginnie Hsu, the story of a girl who longs to be old enough to help out during the Lunar New Year celebration at her parents' restaurant. Publication is slated for spring 2024; the author represented herself, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Luana Kay Horry at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to two picture books written by B. Sharise Moore (l.). The first, Fatimah's Fantastic City, tells the story of a creative and expressive girl who, overwhelmed by the blight and neglect in her neighborhood, reimagines her city as an artistic hub of safety, opportunity and change. Trudi Hemans will illustrate; publication is planned for fall 2025. Laurie McLean at Fuse Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Cheryl Eissing at Flamingo Books has bought world rights to debut picture book Cupig by Claire Tattersfield (l.), illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr., about an overzealous pig acting as Cupid, whose arrows misfire and cause chaos. Publication is scheduled for fall 2023; the author represented herself, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Karen Boersma and Jennifer Stokes at Owlkids have acquired world rights to The Mango Monster by Derek Mascarenhas (l.), illustrated by debut artist Meneka Repka. In this whodunit picture book, two girls search for clues to solve the mystery of who is stealing all the mangoes from their family mango tree. Publication is slated for fall 2024; Amy Tompkins at Transatlantic Agency represented the author, and Charlotte Wenger at Prospect Agency represented the illustrator.
Grace Maccarone at Holiday House has bought world rights to Challah Day by Charlotte Offsay (l.) (A Grandma's Magic) and illustrated by Jason Kirschner. This rhyming ode to a favorite part of Jewish holiday meals and French toast recipes is structured around child-friendly baking instructions and showcases coming together as a family. Publication is set for summer 2023; Nicole Geiger at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Teresa Kietlinski at Bookmark Literary represented the illustrator.
Marilyn Brigham at Amazon/Two Lions has acquired world rights to Meatballs for Grandpa by debut author Jeanette Fazzari Jones (l.), illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett. This picture book follows a girl who makes the family's traditional spaghetti and meatballs recipe with her grandparents, in the hopes of sharing a special meal together and jogging Grandpa's fading memory. Publication is planned for spring 2024; Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Kate O'Sullivan at Clarion has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to The Book of Turtles by National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery (l.), illustrated by wildlife artist Matt Patterson. The nonfiction picture book is an ode to one of the most diverse, fascinating, and beloved species on the planet: turtles. Publication is scheduled for summer 2023; Sarah Jane Freymann at Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency represented the author and illustrator.
Christianne Jones at Capstone has acquired world rights to Smarty Ants by Corey Rosen Schwartz (l.) and Kirsti Call (c.). This rhyming picture book follows a group of ants who love to count and add as they set their sights on building one gig"ant"ic home; Erin Taylor (r.) will illustrate. Publication is slated for fall 2023; Charlotte Wenger of Prospect Agency represented the authors, and Emily Fernandez of the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Anna Sargeant at Sourcebooks has bought world rights to Animal Snuggles, first in a two-book deal by Aimee Reid (l.), illustrated by Sebastien Braun. This lullaby-like nonfiction picture book combines facts about animal affection with a message of love and belonging. Publication is set for spring 2024; Amy Thrall Flynn at Rubin Pfeiffer represented the author, and Arabella Stein at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Andrea Hall at Beaming Books has acquired world rights to Hurricane Palomitas, a bilingual picture book about choosing kindness even in the face of fear by two-time Florida Book Award winner Alexandra Alessandri (l.), illustrated by Anastasiya Kanavaliuk. A hurricane is coming, and as everyone in her coastal neighborhood prepares, Lupita Lopez channels her worry into caring for a pair of abandoned baby pigeons. Publication is planned for spring 2024; Deborah Warren at East West Literary represented the author, and Tina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.
