Our 2024 Celebrated Deals
April 24, 2024
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Lizzy Rizzi's WIND CHILD, an allegory about a girl forever on the move at her mother's whim, spontaneous and free; yet when she makes her first real friend, a human girl, she no longer wants to live such a rootless existence, illustrated by Rogerio Coelho, to Michael Green at Marble Press, for publication in spring 2025, by Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and Lemonade Illustration Agency for the illustrator (world English).
April 16, 2024
Children’s: Middle Grade Fiction
Author of MARY ANNING AND PALEONTOLOGY FOR KIDS Stephanie Bearce's THE SECRET OF MOONRISE MANOR, the first book in the Raven Gallows mystery series, about a mummified corpse and an Ozark mountain town filled with busy-bodies, spiritualists, and avant-garde artists mixed with a tween detective/aspiring-mortician, to Lisa Mangum and Heidi Taylor Gordon at Shadow Mountain, in a two-book deal, for publication in February 2025, by Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency (world).
April 2, 2024
Children’s: Picture Book Non-Fiction
Author of A PLACE FOR RAIN Michelle Schaub's A PATHWAY FOR POLLINATORS, an invitation to plant pollinator pathways to mitigate the loss of habitat, illustrated by Blanca Gomez, to Simon Boughton at Norton Children's, in an exclusive submission, for publication in summer 2026, by Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Rebecca Sherman at Writers House for the illustrator (world).
March 6, 2024
Children’s: Young Adult Fiction
Author of ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME Sabrina Fedel's ALL PATHS LEAD TO PARIS, a romance about a Parisian fashion influencer living la vie en rose in Paris while fake-dating her famous musician bestie, until she meets a “normal” guy and begins to date him on the sly, leaving her rethinking whether her lies might have too much truth in them, to Wendy Loggia at Delacorte Romance, in an exclusive submission, for publication in summer 2025, by Michelle Hauck at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: February 7, 2024
Children’s: Picture Book Non-Fiction
Chelsea Tornetto's SEASONS ON THE FARM, a lyrical look at the rhythm of seasons on the farm, illustrated by Karen Bunting, to Sarah Rockett at Sleeping Bear Press, for publication in spring 2025, by Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 for the illustrator (world).
Posted: February 7, 2024
Children’s: Picture Book Non-Fiction
Lela Nargi's MISS BETTI: WHAT IS THIS? HOW DETROIT'S SCHOOL LUNCH LADY GOT GOOD FOOD ON THE MENU, introducing kids to acclaimed lunch lady Betti Wiggins, who fought for—and won!—healthier, fresher, more delicious school lunches in the city of Detroit, illustrated by Kristen Uroda, to Sarah Rockett at Sleeping Bear Press, for publication in spring 2025, by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: February 6, 2024
Children’s: Picture Book Non-Fiction
Nicole Fox at Rise x Penguin Workshop has bought world rights to three books in a new board book series called This Is Dance by STEAM and early education expert Rekha S. Rajan (l.) (The Read Aloud Factor), illustrated by Chris Park, an inclusive, international exploration of dance genres including ballet, hip-hop and jazz. Publication will begin in spring 2025; Lilly Ghahremani at Full Circle Literary represented the author in an exclusive submission, and Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Posted: January 25, 2024
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Author of EVEN SUPERHEROES HAVE BAD DAYS Shelly Becker's ABC'S FOR A PEACEFUL ME: A MINDFULNESS SEEK-AND-FIND BOOK, in which each illustration focuses on a word promoting a healthy mind-body connection, with objects beginning with each letter to find, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino, to Meredith Mundy at Appleseed, for publication in fall 2024, by Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Rebecca Sherman at Writers House for the illustrator (world).
Shelly Becker
Posted: January 19, 2024
Children’s: Picture Book Non-fiction
Judy Bryan's ONE GRAIN OF SAND, exploring the lifecycle of individual grains of sand and encouraging readers to imagine where each grain might have come from, illustrated by Laura Ramos, to Danielle Collins at Beach Lane Books, for publication in summer 2026, by Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).
Posted: January 9, 2024
Nonfiction: Science/Technology
Regenerative farmer and freelance writer Rebekah Pierce's BEHIND AGRI-ENERGY, about how integrating agriculture and renewable energy can help solve the energy crisis, to Emily Turner at Island Press, for publication in 2025, by Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency (US).
Posted: December 5, 2023
Digital: Fiction: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Canadian physician and author of the forthcoming series FIRST COMMAND Dr. Michael Simon's EXTINCTION, as a plague devastates Earth and the inner system, a discredited military officer must battle starvation, an insurrection, and the unpredictable perils of deep space to prevent the extinction of the Europa colony and humanity, to Annie Stone at Podium Publishing, in a two-book deal, for publication in 2024, by Michelle Hauck at Storm Literary Agency (world English).
Posted: November 9, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Author of the forthcoming SARANG SAVES THE SCHOOL Korena Di Roma Howley's A HANBOK FOR HANA, about a Korean American girl who must find new ways to celebrate Chuseok after her family moves from a bustling city neighborhood to a small town, illustrated by Jaime Kim, to Kate Fletcher at Candlewick, for publication in fall 2026, by Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Claire Easton Morance at Painted Words for the illustrator (world).
Posted: October 24, 2023
Fiction: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Author of the forthcoming Love Bites and Bleeding Hearts Ry Herman's THIS PRINCESS KILLS MONSTERS, pitched as a feminist retelling of the Grimm Brothers' "The Twelve Huntsmen," taking that tale's jilted, trouser-wearing fiancee, her eleven identical crossdressing doppelgangers, a talking lion, and of course, the princess, on an extravagant, fantastical quest to save a kingdom, subvert destiny, and fall in love with the perfectly right wrong person, to Katy Nishimoto at Dial Press, in a pre-empt, by Michelle Hauck at Storm Literary Agency (world). Rights: decronin@penguinrandomhouse.com
Posted: October 16, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Author of the forthcoming LOVE GROWS HERE and CHOPSTICKS ARE Chloe Ito Ward's MADE FOR MORE, drawing on the creators' lives in Hawaii that speaks to the journey of immigration, loving one's skin—regardless of others' expectations—and how scars, freckles, and color share a story about who we are, where we're from, and where we've been, illustrated by Gael Abary, to Anne Hoppe and Linda Sue Park at Allida, at auction, for publication in winter 2025, by Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Andrea Morrison at Writers House for the illustrator (world).
Posted: October 2, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Non-fiction
Author of the forthcoming LOVE GROWS HERE Chloe Ito Ward's CHOPSTICKS ARE, celebrating chopsticks' versatility and significance, and how they are a powerful way to bring people together at life's great, multi-cultural table, illustrated by Lynn Scurfield, to Naomi Kirsten at Chronicle Children's, at auction, for publication in spring 2026, by Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Wendi Gu at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates for the illustrator (world).
Posted: September 13, 2023
International Rights: Canada Children’s
Loretta Garbutt's DIAPER KID, about a reluctant toddler making the big switch from diapers to underwear, illustrated by Hayley Lowe, to Jennifer Stokes at Owl Kids, for publication in fall 2025, by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).
Posted: July 19, 2023
International Rights: Canada Children’s
Farida Zaman's EMBROIDERED, pitched as inspired by the handmade blanket the author wrapped her daughter in as a baby, the story shows that the kantha is created stitch by stitch, under a hot Bengali sun, embroidered by generations of women, and conveys layers of love, memories, Bengali traditions, and experiences, to Jennifer Stokes at Owl Kids, for publication in fall 2026, by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: July 7, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Non-fiction
Rina Singh's A PLACE IN THE WORLD, set in a world torn by war, in which a courageous refugee boy and his mother embark on a perilous journey to find a safe place in the world to rebuild their lives, illustrated by Christopher Pouler, to Tom Peterson at Creative Company, for publication in fall 2025, by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: June 23, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Non-fiction
MLB.com journalist Nathalie Alonso's ¡VIVA VALENZUELA!, about Mexican pitching legend Fernando Valenzuela's historic 1981 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the phenomenon that was Fernandomania, illustrated by John Parra, to Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek, in an exclusive submission, for publication in spring 2026, by Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Adriana Dominguez at Aevitas Creative Management for the illustrator (world).
Posted: June 6, 2023
International Rights: Canada Children’s
Author of 111 TREES, GRANDMOTHER SCHOOL, and THE FOREST KEEPER Rina Singh's A SKY FOR THE BIRDS, the story of two Muslim brothers in Delhi who against all odds have selflessly devoted their lives to rescuing and rehabilitating black kites—the majestic birds of prey injured in the polluted skies of the capital city, illustrated by Barkha Lohia, to Sarah Howden at Orca Books, for publication in fall 2025, by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: May 22, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Dori Elys's HEY NOW, LITTLE MAN, a board book all about teaching young boys that there are many ways to exist while staying true to themselves, illustrated by Chris Park, to Dorielys Cruz at Little Simon, for publication in spring 2024, by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).
Posted: May 8, 2023
Digital: Fiction: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Debut author Dr. Michael Simon, MD's FIRST COMMAND, in which a just-out-of-the-academy junior officer is stranded on a wrecked cruiser in a war zone after aliens ambush the fleet, with a handful of insubordinate technicians and a hostile pilot, to Rhett Bruno at Aethon, in a three-book deal, for publication in 2024, by Michelle Hauck at Storm Literary Agency (world English).
Posted: May 4, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Non-Fiction
Author of LINCOLN CLEARS A PATH and FULL OF BEANS: HENRY FORD GROWS A CAR Peggy Thomas's WRITING TOWARDS JUSTICE: THE LIFE AND REPORTING OF ALICE A. DUNNIGAN, the story of a pioneering African American journalist, illustrated by Tonya Engel, to Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek, for publication in spring 2026, by Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Kelly Pelsue at Morgan Gaynin Agency for the illustrator (world).
Posted: April 26, 2023
International Rights: Canada Children’s
Author-illustrator Farida Zaman's SAMINA GOES TO A WEDDING, in which a girl visits Bangladesh for the very first time to attend an aunt's wedding and enjoys activities and traditions with her extended family that give her a new understanding of her culture, to Jennifer Stokes at Owl Kids, for publication in spring 2026, by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: April 6, 2023
Children’s: Young Adult Fiction
Debut author Crystal J. Bell's THE LAMPLIGHTER, a horror novel in which a young woman must overcome her 19th-century whaling village's misogynistic notions to expose the dark truth behind the village's eerie disappearances after a girl goes missing on her watch as lamplighter, to Meg Gaertner at Flux, for publication in spring 2024, by Michelle Hauck at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: April 3, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Rachel Noble's WILLOW TAKES ON THE WEATHER, in which a tenacious girl ready for fun in the sun pushes back against the forces of weather itself, illustrated by Annabel Tempest, to Kayla Tostevin at Page Street Kids, for publication in winter 2025, by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Frederica Dawson at The Bright Group for the illustrator.
Posted: March 24, 2023
Children's: Picture Book Fiction
Nathalie Alonso's OLD CLOTHES FOR DINNER?!, in which a girl's Cuban abuela comes to live with her family and when she cooks a dish called ropa vieja, the girl scrambles to hide her old clothes before they end up on her dinner plate, illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro, to Lisa Rosinsky at Barefoot Books, for publication in spring 2024, by Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Jess Lomax at Inkling Illustration Agency for the illustrator (world).
Posted: March 8, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Rina Singh's THE BAREFOOT SKATEBOARDERS, the story of Janwaar, a remote and tribal village in Madhya Pradesh, India where skateboarding became an unlikely but powerful tool in blurring caste barriers, and empowering children to become the driving force behind that social change, illustrated by Sophie Casson, to Sarah Howden at Orca Books, for publication in fall 2024, by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: March 3, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Teacher and former curriculum director Chloe Ito Ward's LOVE GROWS HERE, about a trip to the market where a passerby hurts a girl with angry words—"Go back to your own country"–but when she learns that anger sometimes stems from fear, she fights back with love, bringing hope to others, illustrated by Violet Kim, to Sue Tarsky at Albert Whitman, for publication in spring 2024, by Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and Studio Goodwin Sturges for the illustrator (world).
Posted: March 2, 2023
Children’s: Young Adult Fiction
Author of SKY'S END Marc J. Gregson's AMONG SERPENTS and DOWNFALL, books two and three of the dystopian fantasy trilogy Above the Black, in which a teenage hero must defend his crumbling homeland from monstrous terrors, war with hidden enemies, and sharpen his dueling skills as a tournament fighter to avenge his murdered family once and for all, to Jonah Heller at Peachtree Teen, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2025 and spring 2026, by Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: March 1, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Author of FRESH-PICKED POETRY and KINDNESS IS A KITE STRING Michelle Schaub's A PLACE FOR RAIN, a lyrical rain garden adventure, illustrated by Blanca Gomez, to Simon Boughton at Norton Children's, for publication in winter 2024, by Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Rebecca Sherman at Writers House for the illustrator (world).
Posted: February 27, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Author of the forthcoming PEW! Cathy Stefanec Ogren's LITTLE RED CHAIR, when a girl schooches into the fluffy tufts of the little red chair, it's love at first “sit,” but after the chair is lost in a move, fate reunites them in a special way, illustrated by Alexandra Thompson, to Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press, for publication in fall 2024, by Victoria Selvaggio at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Hannah Mann at Writers House for the illustrator (world).
Posted: February 22, 2023
Digital: Fiction: Thriller
Paige Roberts's EXPLOSIVE CHEMISTRY, the sequel to PRECISE OATHS, in which a spider shifter/seer must take steps to nudge the future or risk losing all her new friends, but saving them will tie her even closer to a handsome and dangerous prince, and her heart may not come out of that battle unscathed, to Lisa Green at City Owl Press, in a nice deal, for publication in October 2023, by Michelle Hauck at Storm Literary Agency (US).
Posted: February 22, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Linda Skeers's EVEN BETTER THAN SPRINKLES, following the good times and the not-so-good times of best friends, illustrated by Heather Fox, to Maria Modugno at Random House Studio, for publication in summer 2024, by Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties for the illustrator (world).
Posted: February 14, 2023
Childrens: Picture Book Non-fiction
Michelle Schaub's TREE-MENDOUS LANDMARKS, a book of poems that takes readers on a trek to discover famous and historic trees across the United States, illustrated by Anne Lambelet, to Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press, for publication in spring 2024, by Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary for the illustrator (world).
Posted: February 7, 2023
Children's: Picture Book Fiction
Freelance writer Korena Di Roma Howley's SARANG SAVES THE SCHOOL, a story about how South Korean grandmothers saved a rural school, illustrated by Joowon Oh, to Kate Fletcher at Candlewick, in a pre-empt, for publication in spring 2025, by Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Steven Chudney at The Chudney Agency for the illustrator (world).
Posted: January 13, 2023
Children's: Picture Book Fiction
Katey Howes's WHERE THE DEER SLIP THROUGH, about the wide range of wildlife that slips in and out of a quiet, protected meadow near a country house, illustrated by Beth Krommes, to Allyn Johnston at Beach Lane Books, for publication in summer 2025, by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: January 9, 2023
Children's: Graphic Novel
Clinical psychologist Haleh Massey's SAY SOMETHING, POUPEH BABAEE!, in which an Iranian girl develops selective mutism after a travel ban prevents her parents from joining her in the U.S., illustrated by Ghazal Qadri, to Alexa Carter at Yellow Jacket, in a nice deal, for publication in the fall 2024, by Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: January 3, 2023
Fiction: Mystery/Crime
Nicholas George's A DEADLY WALK IN DEVON, the author's cozy mystery debut, in which a gay retired San Diego police detective recovering from the death of his longtime partner sets off on a walking tour in England and encounters murder, to John Scognamiglio at Kensington, in a three-book deal, for publication in May 2024, by Michelle Hauck at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: January 3, 2023
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Peggy Thomas's THE SOIL IN JACKIE'S GARDEN, in which a girl grows her favorite snack from a seed and returns plant scraps to the ground to create new soil so the cycle can begin again, illustrated by Neely Daggett at Feeding Minds Press, with Emma Dryden editing, for publication in spring 2024, by Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Jennifer Rofe at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).
Our 2022 Celebrated Deals (October - December)
Posted: December 20, 2022
Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
Kimberly Wilson's A CREDIT CARD TAKES CHARGE, a sequel to A Penny’s Worth and A DOLLAR'S GRAND DREAM, in which an eager-to-please credit card pays for her mistakes after she hijacks the cash's vacation and goes overboard with her spending, illustrated by Mark Hoffmann, to Kayla Tostevin at Page Street Kids, for publication in fall 2024, by Victoria Selvaggio at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator.
Posted: November 17, 2022
Children’s: Historical Middle Grade Fiction
Sandra W. Headen's debut WARRIOR ON THE MOUND, about a Black boy in the tinderbox environment of pre-war North Carolina who has a dream to become a great pitcher but must overcome segregation and injustice, to Mora Couch at Holiday House, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2024, by Victoria Selvaggio at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: November 16, 2022
Children’s: Middle Grade Fiction
Melinda Nichols Wendell's debut LIGHT AND AIR, about one girl's search for hope and healing in a tuberculosis hospital in upstate New York in the 1930s, to Mora Couch at Holiday House, for publication in spring 2024, by Michelle Hauck at Storm Literary Agency (world).
Posted: October 14, 2022
Children's: Young Adult Fiction
Sabrina Fedel's ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME, when the daughter of a diplomat fake dates a Scottish celebrity in Italy, she soon finds herself living her own Roman Holiday until the feelings get real and the paparazzi's knives come out, to Wendy Loggia at Delacorte, for publication in summer 2024, by Michelle Hauck at Storm Literary Agency (world).