Lisa Sandell at Scholastic has acquired Lyra Selene's debut YA fantasy novel, Amber & Dusk. The story is set in the perpetual dusk of the Amber Court, where Sylvie tries to navigate treacherous courtiers and a murderous empress, all while trying to develop her magical powers. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Ginger Clark at Curtis Brown did the deal for North American rights.
Nikki Garcia at Little, Brown has bought world rights to Someone Like Me: How One Undocumented Girl Fought for Her American Dream, an adaptation of the 2016 adult memoir My (Underground) American Dream by immigration rights activist Julissa Arce. This YA adaptation chronicles Arce's childhood in Mexico separated from her parents and her struggle to belong in America while growing up as an undocumented student in Texas. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Lisa Leshne at the Leshne Agency did the deal.
Adam Rau and David Saylor at Scholastic/Graphix have acquired Dugout, a graphic novel for young readers by Pixar filmmaker and author of the Magic Pickle series Scott Morse. The book follows the misadventures of twin sisters Stacy and Gina and the curse that their sibling rivalry unleashes on a Little League team. Publication is set for 2019; Allen Spiegel at Allen Spiegel Fine Arts brokered the deal for world rights.
Mallory Kass at Scholastic has bought in a preempt Victoria Piontek's middle grade debut, The Spirit of Cattail County. The Everglades-set novel follows 12-year-old Sparrow as she attempts to untangle the secrets of her Florida town in order to convince her best friend—a silent ghost no one else can see—to send a message to Sparrow's recently deceased mother. Publication is slated for summer 2018; Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights; Piontek is a literary associate at the agency.
Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has acquired, at auction, Bob Shea's Crash, Splash or Moo, an interactive story that invites readers to predict the results of a competition between a stoic cow and a daredevil clam. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018, with a second, untitled book to follow; Steven Malk at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights.
Karen Nagel at S&S/Aladdin has bought two picture books from fine artist Leah Tinari. The first, Limitless: Remarkable American Women of Vision and Grit, will feature new portraits created by Tinari, alongside little-known facts about each woman across history. The second book will similarly feature American presidents. Publication is set for fall 2018, with the second book due in fall 2019; Rick Richter at Aevitas Creative Management did the deal for world English rights.
Cheryl Klein, in her first deal at Lee & Low Books, has acquired Under My Hijab by Hena Khan (Amina's Voice), a picture book celebrating the beauty and diversity of Muslim women and girls and the many ways they wear the hijab. Debut artist Aaliya Jaleel will illustrate, with publication planned for fall 2018. Matthew Elblonk at DeFiore & Company represented the author, and Jaleel represented herself.
Megan Abbate at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has bought world rights to the debut picture book from Rachel Lyons and YA author Jessica Verdi(shown), The Haircut, about a young boy coming out as transgender to his family and friends, and his desire for a haircut that reflects his identity. The story is based on Lyons's son and his gender identity journey; Lyons is using a pseudonym. It's tentatively slated for spring 2019; Kate McKean at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency negotiated the deal.
Yolanda Scott at Charlesbridge has acquired world rights to Not a Bean, the debut picture book by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist David Diaz. The nonfiction picture book integrates English, Spanish, and a counting concept as it looks at the lifecycle of the Mexican jumping bean—which is not a bean at all. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Adriana Dominguez at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Stacey Barney at Putnam has bought world rights to Madelyn Rosenberg's (l.) new picture book, Cyclops of Central Park, in which the shepherd hero Cyclops hunts down a wayward sheep named Eugene across several iconic New York City landmarks. Victoria Tentler-Krylov will illustrate; publication is planned for spring 2020. Susan Cohen at Writers House represented the author, and Studio Goodwin Sturges represented the illustrator.
Jessica Burgess at Tundra Books has acquired Monica Kulling's (l.) Fight for Life, a picture book biography of U.S. doctor S. Josephine Baker, who revolutionized obstetric and infant care, beginning with her work in the tenements of NYC's Hell's Kitchen in the early 1900s. Julianna Swaney will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2018. The author represented herself, and Anne Moore Armstrong at Bright USA represented the illustrator.
Julie Matysik at Running Press Kids has bought world rights to Sue Fliess's (l.) Ninja Camp, illustrated by Jen Taylor. The picture book features ninjas training to defeat a rival ninja camp team in order to capture the shadow blade. Publication is slated for January 2019; Jennifer Unter at the Unter Agency represented the author, and Alli Brydon at Bright USA represented the illustrator.
Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has acquired world rights to Leslie Staub's picture book, If I Were an Elephant, illustrated by Richard Jones. The book presents a factual depiction of a young African elephant's day in the wild, as told by a child narrator at play. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content represented the author, and Arabella Stein at the Bright Group represented the illustrator.
Grace Kendall at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has bought Le Petit Santos, a debut picture book biography of Brazilian-French inventor Alberto Santos-Dumont, whose early airship designs made him the toast of 19th-century Paris, and who nabbed the Deutsche Prize in a death-defying sky race around the Eiffel Tower. Brothers Rob (l.) and Jef Polivka are co-authors; Rob Polivka will illustrate. Publication is set for spring 2019. Jennifer Mattson at Andrea Brown Literary Agency handled the deal for world rights.
Kira Lynn at Kane Miller has acquired U.S. rights to Fox's Box, a picture book by London artist Emilia Zebrowska that introduces prepositions, animals, and colors through a rhyming text and patterns inspired by Zebrowska's Polish heritage. The pub date is January 2019; Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary represented the author-illustrator.
Anna Membrino at Random House has bought world rights to Jonty Howley's picture book, Big Boys Cry. The book offers a boy, who is bottling up his feelings, examples of healthy emotional expression. Publication is planned for spring 2019; the author-illustrator is unagented.
