Ruqayyah Daud at Little, Brown has acquired, in an exclusive submission, debut author Jordan Gray's Bitten, a YA paranormal romantasy pitched as Crescent City meets Fourth Wing in which a teenage girl is thrust into the treacherous, seductive world of werewolves after witnessing the murder of her best friend and experiencing her own transformation into the very beast that killed her. She must contend with forbidden love, knife sharp royals, and deadly politics if she wishes to survive, and more importantly, avenge her friend's death. Publication is set for summer 2025; Emily Sylvan Kim at Prospect Literary Agency did the two-book deal for world rights.
Bria Ragin and David and Nicola Yoon at Joy Revolution have bought Jill Tew's An Ocean Apart, a sci-fi romance set in a dystopia 180 years before the events of her debut The Dividing Sky, where a working-class girl secretly enters a dating competition at sea to win the heart of a wealthy water heir, hoping to convince him to save her water-starved community. But when her childhood best friend sneaks aboard the ship to help, she must decide between her mission and her heart. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency sold world rights.
Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends has acquired, in an exclusive submission, The Hanging Bones by Elle Tesch (What Wakes the Bells), a YA dark fantasy following a young gamekeeper who enters the hunt for a legendary stag that will grant her the death of another if caught. But in the heart of the forest, a dangerous monster is stirring, and no creature or mortal is safe. Publication is scheduled for winter 2026; Stuti Telidevara and Pete Knapp at Park & Fine Literary and Media sold world rights.
Kate Prosswimmer at McElderry Books has bought, in a preempt, By Invitation Only by Alexandra Brown Chang, a wish-fulfillment-laden YA romance inspired by the author's real-life debutante debacle, aimed at fans of American Royals, Better Than the Movies, and Love & Gelato. When Piper and Chapin both score invitations to the world's most high-profile debutante ball, their polar opposite lives are destined to collide. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Mollie Glick at CAA handled the deal for North American rights.
Hannah Smith at Owl Hollow Press has acquired world English rights to Victoria Dare and the Blood of Kings, a historical YA fantasy pitched as Indiana Jones meets The Diviners, by Josh Roberts (The Witches of Willow Cove). In 1939, when the world is on the brink of war, 16-year-old Victoria Dare accompanies her father on an excavation to uncover a lost Egyptian tomb, where she is drawn into a plot involving Nazi occultists, Bolshevik assassins, and a mysterious figure her psychic friend calls "The Shrouded Man." Publication is set for spring 2026; Becky LeJeune at Bond Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal.
Kate Meltzer and Emilia Sowersby at Roaring Brook Press have bought world rights to Gus and Glory, a middle grade novel by Sarah Guillory (Nowhere Better Than Here), in which a girl is sent to spend the summer with her grandparents after her mother leaves home. When she finds the perfect partner in a lost bloodhound, they pair up to solve neighborhood mysteries, and discover the true meaning of family and belonging. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Alice Sutherland-Hawes at ASH Literary handled the deal.
Kelsey Murphy at Viking has acquired The Yellow Postcard, written and illustrated by Savannah Allen, a picture book about food insecurity that features a girl and her neighbors celebrating picking up their holiday food community boxes. Publication is scheduled for summer 2026; Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has bought world rights to Snow Geese Season by Angela Burke Kunkel (l.) (Digging for Words), illustrated by E.B. Goodale (The Bees of Notre Dame), a picture book about a child whose parents are unable to care for him, but who finds some sense of normalcy when his grandfather brings him to see the snow geese, which return every year. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency represented the author, and Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Paula Wiseman at Simon & Schuster/Wiseman has acquired world rights to Fall: A Friendship Story by Kelsey E. Gross (l.), illustrated by Renata Liwska, a picture book about a monarch butterfly helped by Owl and woodland creatures as she rests during her long migration, which weaves together environmental concerns with fall rituals and friendship themes. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Mary Cummings at Great River Literary represented the author, and Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the illustrator.
Frances Gilbert at Doubleday has bought world rights to Because of You, I'm a Sister by Jen Fier Jasinski (l.), illustrated by Lisa Chow, in which an older sibling tells the new baby about all the wonderful ways her life changed and became fuller once she became a sister in this tribute to the joys of being a sibling. Publication is set for spring 2026; Esty Loveing-Downes at ArtHouse Literary Agency represented the author, and Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Sylvie Frank at Disney Planet Possible has acquired world rights to Hard Hat Hank and the Sky-High Solution by Charlotte Gunnufson (l.), illustrated by Brian Biggs. Pitched as Mighty, Mighty Construction Site meets The Best Nest, the picture book follows a warm-hearted construction crew that comes up with an eco-friendly solution when they discover a family of birds making a home in the new building-in-progress. Publication is planned for spring 2025; Sam Farkas at Jill Grinberg Literary Management represented the author, and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Maria Correa at Random House has bought world English rights to Floor It! by Bex Tobin Fine (l.), illustrated by Federico Fabiani, a picture book in which a baby's ordinary crawl across the floor transforms into an exciting racecar-themed adventure, celebrating perseverance and imaginative play. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Sam Farkas represented the author and Jessica Saint Jean represented the illustrator, both at Jill Grinberg Literary Management.
Elizabeth Schleisman at Beaming Books has acquired world rights to Leaving 4B by Chambrae Griffith (l.), illustrated by Amelie Videlo, a picture book in which a girl and her cat must say goodbye to friends, neighbors, and quirky, old apartment 4B and find a way to make a new place feel like home. Publication is set for spring 2026; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Christina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Kathleen Merz at Eerdmans has bought world rights to the picture book Branch by Rebecca Janni, illustrated by Michelle Carlos, a telling of the Easter story through the accessible metaphor of a tree. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Jamie Weiss Chilton at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Christina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Dena Neusner at Apples & Honey Press has acquired world rights to Amazing Annie: The Spectacular and Mostly True Adventures of Annie Kopchovsky by Stephen Krensky (l.) (Hanukkah at Valley Forge), illustrated by Adriana Predoi. This picture book is based on the story of Annie Kopchovsky's journey around the world on a bicycle in the 1890s, as well as the sometimes tall tales she would create about her adventures. Publication is slated for spring 2025; PearlCo Literary Agency represented the author, and Astound US represented the illustrator.
Andrea Spooner and Milena Blue Spruce at Little, Brown have bought world rights to Abrazos for Baby by Jen Arena (l.), illustrated by Blanca Gomez, an original board book in English and Spanish, about a baby embracing hugs from around the world. Publication is set for fall 2025; Jennifer Mattson at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Rebecca Sherman at Writers House represented the artist.
Francesco Sedita and Rob Valois at Penguin Workshop have acquired a four-book series of middle grade novels by actor Goldie Hawn (l.) and author Lin Oliver, tentatively titled The Kindness Club, about three unique friends who learn to problem solve and help others through acts of kindness. The first title is scheduled for 2026; Alan Nevins at Renaissance Literary & Talent sold world rights in collaboration with Ellen Vein at the Gotham Group.
Jennifer Ung at Quill Tree has bought, at auction, The Vacation Shift by Lily Chu. This YA rom-com, pitched as Gilmore Girls meets a reverse Parent Trap, follows a struggling teen and her spontaneous mom who end up on a seniors tour of Japan, and must now deal with old ladies trying to matchmake them with a teen boy and a single dad on the trip. Publication is planned for summer 2026; Carrie Pestritto at Laura Dail Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights.
Alison Romig at Delacorte Press has acquired, in a preempt, The Saw Mouth by Cale Plett, a queer horror novel set in an atmospheric small town, in a not-quite-dystopian world one shade off from our own. Cedar arrives in Sawblade Lake a near stranger, with something sinister following them—a long, bent shadow, but it can't have the one thing it wants unless Cedar lets it. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Amy Tompkins at Transatlantic Agency sold world English rights.
Camille Kellogg at Bloomsbury has bought Reign of Shadows and an untitled sequel by Gabi Burton (Sing Me to Sleep). In this YA fantasy, a girl who has spent her entire life using her magic to keep her older brother in power decides to steal the throne for herself—until a boy whose magic could unravel her secrets with a single touch appears and threatens her plans. Publication for the first book is set for winter 2026; Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Mark Siegel at First Second has acquired Scribble by Gavin Aung Than, a semi-autobiographical middle grade graphic novel about a seventh grader who loves to draw, but whose parents didn't leave their homeland of Myanmar so that he could spend his life scribbling. Publication is planned for 2027; Chelsea Eberly at Greenhouse Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Jessica Powers at Catalyst Press has bought Oh Give Me a Home by Jane Kurtz (The Bone Wars), a middle-grade memoir in verse that takes readers on a personal journey as the author and her sisters experience their childhood in Ethiopia with great wonder and affection. Publication is slated for summer 2025; Marie Lamba at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency sold world rights.
Neal Porter at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has acquired, in an exclusive deal, two books by author-illustrator Antoinette Portis. To Activate Space Portal, Lift Here is an interactive picture book based on the concept that every book is a portal to another world, whether nearby or a universe far, far away. Why Knot, a nonfiction picture book, guides the reader through all the purposes that knots can serve in everyday life. Publication is set for fall 2025 and summer 2026 respectively; Deborah Warren at East/West Literary sold world rights.
Tara Walker at Tundra Books has bought author-illustrator Julie Morstad's One Morning I Noticed, a picture book about the little fireworks of joy and curiosity to be found all around when we look, listen, and smell. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management sold world rights.
Catherine Laudone at S&S/Paula Wiseman Books has acquired world rights in an exclusive submission to Dinky the Tinysaur by author-illustrator Maggie Edkins-Willis, a picture book about a pair of twins who believe they've adopted the perfect pet—a pocket-sized tinysaur—until they discover a big surprise. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has bought world rights to Emelia Wishing by Belen Medina (l.), illustrated by Magdalena Mora, a picture book about a girl who wishes she could have all the fancy, new things her family cannot afford instead of secondhand items, but as she discovers through her mother's sacrifices, what she does have is far more valuable. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author. and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Nick Thomas at Levine Querido has acquired Afloat by Guinai writer Kirli Saunders (l.), illustrated by Freya Blackwood. Told against the backdrop of a changed environment, the picture book follows an Elder leading a child along the waterways, sharing her People's knowledge and gathering community along the way, with the practice of weaving as a metaphor for the honoring of First Nations wisdom threaded throughout. Publication is set for spring 2025; Abbey Hough and Eve Green sold North American English and Spanish rights on behalf of Little Hare/Hardie Grant.
Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook Press has bought world rights to In This Library by April Jones Prince (l.) (You Are a Reader!/You Are a Writer!), illustrated by Kelly Wu (Wonderful Goodbyes). This picture book celebrates public libraries across America—vibrant community havens that are free and open to all, brimming with resources that foster connection, discovery, and lifelong learning. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Studio Goodwin Sturges represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Michelle Frey at Knopf has acquired world rights to How to Hatch: A Gosling's Guide to Breaking Free and How to Bloom: A Seed's Guide to Growing Up by Sara Holly Ackerman (l.), illustrated by Galia Bernstein. These humorous informational picture books outline the steps for some of nature's most fascinating processes. Publication is planned for spring 2026 and spring 2027; Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Anna Sargeant at Sourcebooks Explore has bought world rights to A Toddler's Book of Do's and Don'ts by Rachelle Burk (l.), illustrated by Denise Holmes, a book of 50 rhymes to help toddlers feel confident and capable of good habits and life skills. Publication is slated for summer 2026; the author represented herself, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Dena Neusner at Apples & Honey Press has acquired world rights to Shabbat Shalom the Trucks Go Home plus an untitled sequel by Sherri Mandell (l.) (The Blessing of a Broken Heart), illustrated by Viviana Garofoli, picture books that feature anthropomorphized vehicles preparing for a Jewish holiday. The first book is set for spring 2025; the author represented herself, and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the illustrator.
