Ben Schrank at Razorbill has acquired Love Inc. by Jill Twiss, writer on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and coauthor of A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. The YA romantic comedy is about a teen girl entrepreneur who can guarantee true love... for everyone but herself. Publication is set for 2019; Brenda Bowen at Sanford J. Greenburger did the deal for world rights.
Karen Wojtyla at McElderry Books has bought, in a preempt, debut author Kelly Powell's Cacophony, in which a violinist with her own secrets must work with the local lighthouse keeper to solve a murder on an island that is also home to deadly sirens who prey on the inhabitants. Publication is scheduled for fall 2019; Kristy Hunter at the Knight Agency sold North American rights.
Lauren Knowles at Page Street has acquired world rights to debut-author Zack Smedley's Deposing Nathan, a YA novel structured around a deposition, in which the main character must testify about what really happened the night he was stabbed by his best friend. The book explores the complexities of identity with LGBT themes. Publication is slated for spring 2019; Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal.
Christy Ottaviano at Macmillan/Ottaviano has bought North American rights, in a two-book deal, to Gilbert Ford's first illustrated middle grade novel, Kindred Spirits, in which a lonely girl helps her fake psychic mother con widows out of their inheritances, while keeping her own real psychic abilities and ghost best friend a secret. Publication is planned for winter 2020; Carrie Hannigan at Hannigan Salky Getzler brokered the deal.
Margaret Raymo at HMH has acquired Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander's (l.) picture book, The Undefeated, based on his poem featured on ESPN's The Undefeated. The book will be illustrated by two-time Caldecott Honor artist Kadir Nelson. Publication is set for spring 2019 under Alexander's Versify imprint; Arielle Eckstut at Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency represented the author, and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Arthur Levine at Scholastic/Levine has bought world rights to This Old Dog, a picture book by Martha Brockenbrough about a lonely old dog that discovers the perfect person to walk with through the wonderful world: a girl taking her first steps. Gabriel Alborozo will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for 2019; Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Jessica Garrison at Dial has acquired Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse by Jane Godwin (l.), illustrated by Blanca Gomez. The picture book is an exploration of colors and patterns and counting and more, with a tiny mouse hidden on every page. Publication is planned for fall 2019; Linda Kaplan at DeFiore & Company sold North American rights for the author on behalf of Affirm Press, and Rebecca Sherman at Writers House sold world rights for the artist.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane has bought world rights to Here Comes Ocean, a picture book by Meg Fleming (l.) (Ready, Set, Sail), illustrated by Paola Zakimi (Secrets I Know). The book follows a child who discovers that along with every rolling wave comes a new possibility for adventure. Publication is slated for spring 2020; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management negotiated the deal.
Victoria Rock at Chronicle has acquired world rights to When, a picture book by James Proimos, illustrated by Zoey Abbott. After two wolves find a human baby floating down a river, they teach her the ways of wolves and in time become a real family. But when the girl gets a hint of a world outside of the forest, she must find her place in it. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Rosemary Stimola represented the author, and Erica Rand Silverman represented the illustrator, both at the Stimola Literary Studio.
Mabel Hsu at HarperCollins/Tegen has bought Manfishand On a Beam of Light author Jennifer Berne's (l.) Look Up with Me: Neil Degrasse Tyson: A Life Among the Stars, a picture book biography of astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Paper artist Lorraine Nam will illustrate; the book is scheduled for summer 2019. Caryn Wiseman at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself in the deal for world rights.
Ada Zhang at Sterling has acquired world rights to Ahimsa author Supriya Kelkar's (l.) debut picture book, The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh, about an Indian-American boy who expresses himself through colors. When he moves to a new town across the country, he uses his colors to navigate the various emotions he feels, from nervous, to shy, to finally feeling at home again. The book will be illustrated by Alea Marley; publication is slated for fall 2019. Kathleen Rushall at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Andrea Hall at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to Jodi McKay's (l.) picture book, Pencil's Perfect Picture, illustrated by Juliana Motzko. Pencil is trying to find out what makes a perfect picture and gets a colorful response from Brush, Marker, Pastel, Chalk, and all the little Crayons. Publication is planned for spring 2019; Linda Epstein at Emerald City Literary Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Nina Kooij at Pelican has acquired world rights to the picture book Sherlock Chick & Bunny Watson by Henry Herz (l.), illustrated by Patrick Girouard. Sherlock Chick eagerly solves mysteries with his keen eye and sharp intellect. When Sherlock observes a mislaid egg, even Watson's level-headed advice can't stop him from jumping to conclusions. Publication is set for spring 2019; Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator is unagented.
Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook has bought two picture books by Ninja Bunny and Mr. Fluffernutter author-illustrator Jennifer Gray Olson. In the first book, Some Space, a girl named Lolli lives a very crowded life and must look to the sky for some extra space. But she soon realizes that it can be lonely with too much space to yourself. The first book is slated for spring 2020, and the second, untitled book is set for spring 2021; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Rostan brokered the deal for world rights.
Nina Gruener at Cameron Kids has acquired world rights to Alphabet Kingdom, an animal-themed alphabet picture book featuring the paintings of fine artist Starla Michelle Halfmann. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; the author-illustrator was unagented.
Claudia Gabel at HarperCollins/Tegen has acquired Katharyn Blair's debut, The Beckoning Shadow, and an untitled second book. Pitched as The Magicians meets Fight Club, the high-concept YA fantasy follows a teenage runaway named Vesper as she uses her magical abilities to fight in the Court of the Undone, an underground tournament where the winner of a duel can pick a personal tragedy to reverse. Publication is slated for summer 2019 and summer 2020; Brianne Johnson at Writers House negotiated the deal for world rights.
Grace Kendall at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has bought world rights to journalist and LGBTQ+ activist George M. Johnson's YA memoir, All Boys Aren't Blue. The memoir takes stories from his life growing up as a queer black teen to show readers how they can fight for themselves or be allies in the struggle for equity and equality. Publication is set for winter 2020; Eric Smith at P.S. Literary brokered the deal.
Jeffrey West at Scholastic has acquired Sarah Kuhn's YA debut, I Love You So Mochi, about a Japanese-American fashionista who journeys to Japan on a quest of self-discovery after her college plans fall apart; along the way, she reconnects with her estranged grandparents and finds romance with a med student who moonlights as a costumed mochi mascot. Publication is planned for summer 2019; Diana Fox at Fox Literary did the deal for world rights.
Deirdre Jones at Little, Brown/Poppy has bought author Erin Gough's Amelia Westlake Was Never Here. The queer romantic comedy tells the story of two girls who can't stand one another, but reluctantly join forces in a grand feminist hoax to expose harassment and injustice at their elite private school through a series of pranks. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; Annabel Barker and Madeleine Manifold at Hardie Grant Egmont negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Lisa Sandell at Scholastic has acquired Nafiza Azad's debut, The Candle and the Flame. Set in a city along the Silk Road that has become a refuge for those of all faiths, the YA fantasy is about a young woman with mysterious origins and two clans of powerful djinn who threaten to destroy her peace, and the unlikely alliances she'll make to survive. Publication is slated for 2019; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management handled the deal for North American rights.
Mari Kesselring at Flux has bought world rights to Tinfoil Crowns, a contemporary YA debut by Erin Jones. Seventeen-year-old YouTube star Fit will do anything to become famous, sharing everything about herself with her fans. But there's one thing her fans don't know: when Fit was three years old, her mother tried to kill her. Publication is set for spring 2019; the book was unagented.
Lauren Knowles at Page Street has acquired world rights to Mary Fan's steampunk fantasy, Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon. In a world inspired by Qing dynasty China, a warrior girl, Anlei, teams up with a young thief to save her village from shadow spirits. But, after arriving at the Courts of Hell, a discovery challenges everything they know about who the real enemy is. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Cheryl Klein at Lee & Low has bought When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita. A trans boy shows his parents how to support him during his coming-out process, but when Mom announces that she's pregnant, Aidan starts to worry. How can he make sure that no one puts labels or stereotypes onto the baby? And what does it mean to be a good big brother? Publication is planned for summer 2019; the author represented himself, and Charlotte Sheedy at Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has acquired, at auction, world rights to I'm Gonna Push Through by Jasmyn Wright (l.), a picture book that trumpets resilience in the face of adversity. The book was inspired by a mantra written for Wright's third-graders that became a social media sensation. Shannon Wright will illustrate; publication is slated for spring 2020; Lindsay Auld at Writers House represented the author, and Hannah Mann at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Kait Feldmann at Scholastic/Levine has acquired world rights to Aida Salazar's (l.) debut picture book, Jovita Wore Pants, the story of Jovita Valdovinos, who dressed as a man and commanded a battalion of revolutionaries in a fight for religious freedom in the Mexican sierras. The biographical picture book is based in part on personal accounts told to Salazar, who is related to Valdovinos. Debut picture book artist Molly Mendoza will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for 2020; Marietta B. Zacker at the Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Callie Metler-Smith at Spork has bought English world rights to the picture book Glimmer, Sing of Sun by Raven Howell (l.), illustrated by Carina Povarchik. The poetry collection features adventures in which vivid colors sprout, the sun paints the sky, days are strawberry-scented, and laughter and bird twitters set the heart alight. Publication is planned for summer 2019; both the author and the illustrator were represented by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency.
Margaret Raymo at HMH has bought, in a two-book deal, Lowriders in Space illustrator Raúl the Third's bilingual picture book, Vamos! Let's Go to the Market. Inspired in part by Richard Scarry's Busytown, the book offers a guide to the food, marketplace, games, animals, plants, and more of a U.S./Mexico border town. Publication is set for spring 2019, under the Versify imprint; Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Jen Besser at Macmillan/Roaring Brook has acquired, in a preempt, world rights to Conor McGlauflin's author-illustrator debut, Sock on the Loose!, a picture book that gives a glimpse at where all those missing socks may go. Publication is slated for winter 2020, with a second book to follow; Rob Weisbach at Rob Weisbach Creative Management represented McGlauflin in the deal.
Alexis Orgera and Chad Reynolds at Penny Candy have bought world rights to Be/Hold, a debut picture book by poet, musician, and visual artist Shira Erlichman. Built around a celebration of compound words (i.e. toothbrush, windbreaker, behold), the book explores ways of uplifting those we love through challenging times. Publication is slated for May 2019; the author was unagented.
