Tiffany Liao at Random House has acquired, in a five-house auction, That Which Feeds Us, a Hawaiian gothic YA novel by debut hapa Native Hawaiian author Keala Kendall, pitched as Mexican Gothic meets She Is a Haunting. It follows a teen girl whose search for her missing twin leads her to an ultra-exclusive remote island resort where she uncovers the sinister side of paradise with horrors both real and supernatural. Publication is set for summer 2026; Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal for North American rights.
Bria Ragin at Delacorte Romance has bought, in an exclusive submission, Tres Leches at Sunset by Priscilla Oliveras (Island Affair), a debut YA contemporary romance pitched as A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow meets My Life with the Walter Boys, in which military brat Camila Vargas is sent to live in a small beachside town, where she's forced to grapple with her anxiety over her mother's deployment overseas, share a bathroom with the annoyingly handsome teenage son of her mom's best friend, and work alongside him in his family's Puerto Rican food truck. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Rebecca Strauss at DeFiore and Company sold world rights.
Emilia Sowersby and Kate Meltzer at Roaring Brook Press have acquired A Wish with Wings by Sarah Guillory (Nowhere Better Than Here; Gus and Glory). This middle grade tale follows a 12-year-old girl who cares for an abandoned whooping crane egg while she waits for her father to wake from a coma. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Alice Sutherland-Hawes at ASH Literary handled the deal for world rights.
Anna Parsons at Aladdin has bought I.M. Eerie's middle grade horror novel The I Scream Truck, about a boy's investigations when he discovers that the town's new ice cream truck is making suspicious evening deliveries. Publication is planned for August 2026; Lynnette Novak at the Seymour Agency sold world English rights.
Erinn Pascal at Andrews McMeel has acquired Doom & Gloom, a middle grade graphic novel series by TV writer Darin Henry (l.) and Jane Walker, illustrated by Walker, the story of two unapologetically wicked cats desperate to find a villainous master worthy of their fiendish pedigree, while evading the adorable Petunia, who is doggedly determined to cuddle them and ruin their street cred. Publication of the first volume, The Worst Is Yet to Come, is set for summer 2026; Timothy Travaglini at Transatlantic Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Heidi Kilgras at Random House has bought world rights to Cora's Fancy Shawl Dance, an early reader book by Meredith Fraser (l.), illustrated by Alex Nees, a story that brings Native children into the mainstream and shows how all children have the same troubles and victories. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Stephanie Hansen at Metamorphosis Literary Agency represented the author, and Sarah Dillard at Painted Words represented the illustrator.
Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has bought world rights to Word Power, a picture book written and illustrated by Judith Henderson. In a myriad of ways, the book invites young readers to consider the astounding possibilities that a word (or two or three) can offer. Publication is planned for summer 2027; the author represented herself.
Katie Scott at Kids Can Press has acquired world rights to The Moon Is a Hammock by Governor General's Award-shortlisted author Barbara Nickel (l.), illustrated by Geraldo Valério, a picture book exploration of the phases of the moon. Publication is slated for fall 2027; Amy Tompkins at Transatlantic Agency represented the author, and Sarah Dillard at Painted Words represented the illustrator.
Wendy McClure at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky has bought world rights to Monkey Dragon Rabbit! A Wild Lunar New Year Stampede by MeiLin Chan (l.), illustrated by Kristen Chow. When a boy decides to open his Lunar New Year gift early, he inadvertently lets loose a group of magical Chinese zodiac animals into his house. Publication is set for fall 2026; Marisa Cleveland at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Monica Rodriguez at Context Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Emma Ledbetter at Abrams has acquired world rights to Rosh Hashanah Upside Down by Elissa Brent Weissman (l.), illustrated by Omer Hoffmann. Cousins from New York and New Zealand compete to mark the Jewish new year with the longest, loudest shofar blast. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; Elise Howard at DeFiore and Company represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Mike Yuen-Killick at Red Comet Press has bought world rights to Quincy's Big Question by Michelle Elena Monroe (l.), illustrated by Gigi Moore, a debut picture book about Quincy trying to find a way to represent his complex cultural origins at his school's Family Fair. Publication is planned for spring 2027; Dan Cramer at Page Turner Literary Agency represented the author, and Jodie Perry at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator.
Perry Emerson at Tiger Tales has acquired world rights to Kelly Conroy's (l.) Here a Creak, There a Shriek!, first in a two-book deal; the first title will be illustrated by Nikolas Ilic. In the book, Halloween rhyme invites readers on a tour of a haunted farm in this new take on the classic song "Old MacDonald." Publication is set for fall 2026; Sarah Stephens at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane Books has bought world rights to Big Bugs by Melissa Stewart (Meet the Mini-Mammals), illustrated by Becca Stadtlander, a nonfiction picture book that explores and compares some of the big, bigger, and biggest bugs in the world. Publication is scheduled for summer 2027; Tricia Lawrence while at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Feather Flores at Atheneum has acquired world rights to Enchanted by Life: The Stories of Chicano Cuentista Rudolfo A. Anaya by Jenny Lacika (l.), illustrated by Victor Bizar Gómez. This biography follows Rudolfo Anaya on his journey to becoming the padrino of Chicano literature, employing magical realism and celebrating the power of storytelling in all its forms. Publication is slated for 2027; Miranda Paul while at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Angela Quezada Padron at Dream Jar Books has bought world rights to Tango Man: The Musical Life of Astor Piazzolla by debut author Erin Fennell (l.), illustrated by Martina Peluso (Let's Celebrate! Special Days Around the World), a picture book biography about the life of the famous Argentine composer and bandleader who infused inspiration from various musical genres to create his own style of tango music. Publication is planned for fall 2027; the author represented herself, and Vickie Savanella at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Kara Sargent at Simon Pulse has acquired, in a two-book preempt, The Season of Light and Darkness, a YA dystopian thriller by Jillian Cantor, pitched as The Handmaid’s Tale meets Divergent, which follows different teens as they attempt to navigate (and survive in) a not-so-distant future version of America ruled by a fascist dictator. Publication is scheduled for summer 2026; Jessica Regel at Helm Literary did the deal for North American rights.
Miriam Newman at Candlewick has bought When I Wrote the World and a sequel by Tracy Banghart (the Grace and Fury duology). In this YA meta-fantasy adventure, a young author falls into the world of her bestselling novel and is shocked to discover the place is real, right before she is taken hostage by her main characters. Book one will publish in summer 2027; Pam Gruber at High Line Literary Collective negotiated the deal for world rights.
Megan Peace at Scholastic/Graphix has acquired world rights to Offbeat, a middle grade graphic memoir by Mat Heagerty (l.), illustrated by Jim "Kett" Kettner. Maty's dyslexia has long been an academic challenge for him, but now it's affecting him socially, so to escape the bullying, he forms a band where he discovers he can be more than "that dyslexic kid." Publication is slated for fall 2027; Maria Vicente at P.S. Literary represented the author, and Alexandra Weiss at Azantian Literary Agency represented the artist.
Megan Brown at Oni Press has bought Children of Coral, a graphic novel from author-illustrator Violet Tobacco. After a terrible fight, a storm sweeps best friends Hazel and Angel out to sea, where they find themselves joining two separate (warring) pirate crews. Caught in a swashbuckling adventure to escape the clutches of the nefarious Mother Coral, Hazel and Angel learn more about their own friendship—and what it means to grow up. Publication is set for summer 2027; Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency sold world rights.
Nick Magliato at Penguin Workshop has acquired Bison and Bear: Wild Tails, a young graphic novel series by artist-author C.S. Jennings, a buddy-driven adventure that blends story-first exploration with Scout Manual energy, wildlife facts, STEM appeal, and outdoor nerdery. Each book takes the form of Bison's weather-worn adventure journal, chronicling exploits with his best friend, Bear. Publication will start in spring 2028; Timothy Travaglini at Transatlantic Agency sold world rights.
Megan Peace at Scholastic/Graphix has bought, in an exclusive submission, the first two books in the Bao Wows series by Deanna Kent (r.) and Neil Hooson. Pitched as Hello Kitty meets Bluey, Bao Wows follows a crew of dumpling dogs learning to be brave, be kind, and be themselves. Book one is planned for spring 2027, with book two to follow in summer 2027; Jordan Hamessley at JABberwocky Literary Agency represented both creators in this deal for world rights.
Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has acquired, at auction, Ravenous Red by Toni Yuly, a picture book about a hungry ladybug whose eyes are bigger than her stomach. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; Wendi Gu at HG Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Catherine Laudone at S&S/Beach Lane Books has bought world rights to Marvelous Morrie Turner: The Man Who Brought Color to the Comics Pages by Don Tate, a picture book biography about cartoonist Morrie Turner, the creator of Wee Pals, the first American syndicated strip with an ethnically diverse cast of characters. Publication is slated for spring 2028; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal.
Irene Vázquez at Levine Querido has acquired J de laVega's No More Coquis, a picture book following a Puerto Rican girl who's displaced from her island in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Saribel Pages at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook Press has bought The White Elephant, written and illustrated by Skylar Hogan, a whimsical picture book that imagines an origin for the tradition of "white elephant" gift exchanges during the holiday season. Publication is slated for fall 2027; Christa Heschke at McIntosh & Otis sold world rights.
Denene Millner at S&S/Denene Millner Books has acquired Here Comes the Band by Shadra Strickland (l.), illustrated by John Holyfield. The story evokes the sights and sounds of a marching band taking the field during a HBCU football game, in a celebration of musical tradition, community, and joy, told from the perspective of a child who dreams of joining one. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Lori Nowicki at Painted Words represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Alisha Niehaus Berger at NorthSouth/NorteSur has bought world rights to Go! Go! Go!, a picture book by educator and STEAM curriculum expert Rekha S. Rajan (l.) (Disaster Squad), illustrated by Golden Cosmos, aka Doris Freigofas (r.) and Daniel Dolz (c.) (Ludwig and the Rhinoceros), an around the world adventure using various forms of transportation via land, sea, and in air. Publication is set for spring 2027, in English, Spanish, and German simultaneously; Lilly Ghahremani at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and the illustrators represented themselves.
Christianne Jones at Capstone has acquired world rights to Priya's Not-So-Perfect Brand-New Outfit, a picture book by Srividhya Venkat (l.) illustrated by Vaishnavi Dukhande. Fed up with her hand-me-down wardrobe, Priya saves up to buy a perfect, brand-new pavadai. But she learns that new isn't always better, and perfect doesn't really exist. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Adria Goetz at KT Literary represented the author, and Christina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Justin Krasner at Sourcebooks eXplore has bought North American rights to Ultimate Animal Showdown by Lola M. Schaefer (l.), illustrated by Enrico Lorenzi. In this picture book, animals go head-to-head in battles for strongest, fastest, smelliest, and more—and kids crown the winners. Publication is planned for April 2027; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Ethan and Heather Long at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator.
