|
|
Dear Friends,
We are delighted to introduce two terrific and experienced children's book agents who have joined Transatlantic from the Jill Corcoran Literary Agency. A huge welcome to Elizabeth Bennett and Tim Travaglini. Elizabeth was previously an Executive Editor at HMH where she focused on brand-forward publishing around classic properties like Curious George, Little Blue Truck and The Little Prince as well as novelties, board books and picture books. Tim has worked in trade marketing for Scholastic, Inc.; been a bookseller for Books of Wonder in New York City; and has edited for Henry Holt and Company, Walker & Company, G. P. Putnam's Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, and Open Road Integrated Media where he was the director of children's acquisitions. Here they are, with senior agent Andrea Cascardi, enjoying a celebratory drink with Samantha Haywood, President of Transatlantic in New York City.
Tim and Elizabeth have hit the ground running, bringing some terrific new projects and super-talented authors.
Our
Frankfurt catalogue is now available - hot off the press with up-to-date rights information on our new titles for the fair. Highlights include:
- Kiersi Burkhart's CASTLE OF LIES, which is deliciously described as Gossip Girl meets Game of Thrones
- CHICKEN GIRL, a new YA novel by Heather Smith, author of THE AGONY OF BUN O'KEEFE
- Robin Ha's ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL, which was acquired at auction by Balzer & Bray for North American rights, and in Korea to Gilbutschool
- New York Times bestseller THE ODD 1s OUT: HOW TO BE COOL AND OTHER THINGS I DEFINITELY LEARNED FROM GROWING UP, by James Rallison
- BE MY LOVE, an Own Voices middle grade coming out story by beloved Canadian novelist Kit Pearson
- MISADVENTURES IN MIDDLE SCHOOL: TALENT SHOW, by Jason Platt, described as Ferris Beuller's Day Off meets Big Nate
- The picture book gem ARA THE STAR ENGINEER by Google's Komal Singh, which enjoyed a flurry of international interest over the summer and has been sold in Korea, Poland, and China (Simplified)
If you are interested in any of these titles, or any others, please contact us!
Looking ahead, Canada will be the Guest of Honour at Frankfurt 2020, and translation grants are available from the
Canada Council for the Arts for Canadian authors.
Wishing you all the very best,
|
 |
|
|
|
North American and World Rights
 Simona Ceccarelli will illustrate her first picture book, IF YOU HAD YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY ON THE MOON, written by Joyce Lapin, world rights to Sterling, for publication in 2019. Contact: Andrea Cascardi, [email protected].
 World rights to author-illustrator Wallace Edwards' next picture book, A ROAD TRIP, to Anne Shone and Diane Kerner at Scholastic Canada for publication in the Fall of 2020. Contact: Shaun Bradley, [email protected].
 World right to John Coy's picture book, ON YOUR WAY, to Andrew deYoung at Beaming Books for publication in 2019. Illustrated by Talitha Shipley, it is the story of a young child learning to walk, and is a meditation on childhood, growth, and the magic of life's little milestones. Contact: Andrea Cascardi, [email protected].
 World English rights to Katherine Magyarody's debut YA novel THE CHANGELING OF THE FENLON FOREST, a fantasy novel for fans of The Scorpio Races and The Last Unicorn, to Catharina de Bakker at Yellow Dog/Great Plains Publications for publication in 2019. Contact: Amy Tompkins, [email protected].
 World rights to the next two titles in the MEGABAT chapter book series by Anna  Humphrey and illustrated by Kass Reich to Samantha Swenson at Tundra Books/Penguin Random House Canada. Amy Tompkins represents the author, [email protected], and Fiona Kenshole represents the illustrator, [email protected].
 World rights to award-winning author Melanie Florence's YA novel LUCKY, about an Indigenous girl, raised by her grandparents, who finds herself navigating the foster care system when tragedy strikes and her grandmother is unable to care for her, to Margie Wolfe at Second Story Press for publication in 2019. Contact: Amy Tompkins, [email protected].
 World rights to CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE by Nikki Tate, a new title in the Orca Issues line, to Andrew Wooldridge at Orca Books. Contact: Amy Tompkins, [email protected].
World rights to DEFORESTATION by Nikki Tate for the Orca Footprints series, to Andrew Wooldridge at Orca Books. Contact: Amy Tompkins, [email protected].
 World rights to the quirky picture book I DO NOT LIKE STORIES by Andrew Larsen to Karen Boersma at Owlkids.
 World rights to Maureen McQuerry's BETWEEN BEFORE AND AFTER to HarperCollins/Blink YA for publication in February 2019. This is a split generational novel told in dual narration by Molly, a curious fourteen-year-old growing up in 1955 San Jose who discovers there may be more to her family than meets the eye; and Elaine, her Brooklyn-born mother who was forced to make drastic decisions in the aftermath of the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. Contact: Sandra Bishop, [email protected].
|
 TV rights to Vicki Grant's 36 QUESTIONS THAT CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT YOU, in which two strangers with heart-breaking secrets, answer 36 questions to see if they can fall in love, optioned to DHX Media to be developed as a TV series, by Dana Spector of Paradigm on behalf of Fiona Kenshole. DHX Media are well-known for their DeGrassi High YA series. Contact: Fiona Kenshole, [email protected].
|
 BODY SWAP by Sylvia McNicoll makes the CBC's top ten Most Anticipated Young Adult Novels for Fall 2018.
|
ANGUS ALL AGLOW by
Heather Smith, illustrated by Alice Carter by Orca Books (picture book 4-8).
 ANYONE'S GAME, book 2 in the Cross Ups series by
Sylv Chiang & illustrated by
Connie Choi by Annick Press (middle grade 9-12).
BODY SWAP by
Sylvia McNicoll by Dundurn Press (middle grade 9-12).
 CHRISTMAS: From Solstice to Santa by
Nikki Tate and
Dani Tate-Stratton by Orca Books (middle grade non-fiction 9-12).
 CLARA HUMBLE AND THE KITTEN CABOODLE by
Anna Humphrey & illustrated by
Lisa Cinar by Owlkids (middle grade 8-11).
 ELEPHANT SECRET by
Eric Walters by Clarion in the U.S. and Puffin in Canada (middle grade 9-12).
 MEGABAT by
Anna Humphrey & illustrated by
Kass Reich by Tundra/Penguin Random House Canada (chapter book).
 OUT OF THE BLUE by
Wallace Edwards by North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada (picture book 4-8).
 POETREE by
Caroline Pignat & illustrated by
Francois Thisdale by Red Deer Press (picture book 4-8).
 THE REPTILE CLUB by
Maureen Fergus by Kids Can Press (picture book 4-8).
 STOWAWAY by
Pam Withers by Dundurn Press (YA).
|
 Praise for BUDDY AND EARL MEET THE NEIGHBORS by Maureen Fergus and Carey Sookocheff (World Rights, Groundwood Books). Contact [email protected]:
"Fergus' imagination keeps churning in this fifth entry in the remarkably consistent Canadian series. Looking for an activity to fill their summer afternoon, dog Buddy's idea of a nap is nixed by hedgehog Earl's insistence that 'the good citizens of this fair city expect more from...crime-fighting superheroes Wonder Buddy and Super Earl.' Calling on their real-world strengths of positive thinking and shredding paper (and their pretend powers of flying and laser-beam eyes), a hat becomes the Earl-mobile and the neighbor's yard an evil villain's secret lair. From this creativity comes a dramatic rescue and a promising friendship with the new dog and cat next door. The emotions, reactions, and hubris of the characters ring true to human kids' experiences. Sookocheff's cartoon-style gouache illustrations in a brown, green, and blue are just right, and the layouts vary from full-page spreads to graphic novel-style panels, keeping the action and readers' interest moving right along to a well-deserved nap."
-Booklist
Praise for ELEPHANT SECRET by Eric Walters (English Canada, Puffin; World ex. English Canada, Clarion). Contact [email protected]:
"Cliffhangers and elephants will keep readers engaged."
-Kirkus
"Walters interweaves his beautiful family story with a thorough description of elephant behavior-their intellect, compassion, and loyalty-and factual scientific possibilities of cloning an extinct species...A must-read for anyone with an interest in elephants and their welfare."
-Booklist
 Praise for LARK TAKES A BOW by Natasha Deen and illustrated by Marcus Cutler (World Rights, Orca Books
"Lark's personality...is full of curiosity and determination, leading readers down the rabbit hole of clues. Like any good mystery, the book offers a list of suspects, red herrings, organized clues, and a moment of truth...When friends and family are involved, solving mysteries can be complicated. As a multiethnic detective, Lark's authentic success at sleuthing ensures her a place at the chapter-book table." -Kirkus
Praise for MEGABAT by Anna Humphrey & illustrated by Kass Reich (World Rights, Tundra Books). Contact [email protected] for author, contact [email protected] for illustrator:
"The miscommunications between humans and a fruit bat are ridiculous yet funny, and Reich's soft illustrations add further, gentle humor...A charming tale." -Kirkus
"Megabat is a fast-paced novel that will have young readers wanting more...[A] highly engaging read with hilarious capers, engaging characters, and gorgeous illustrations...Recommended." -CM Magazine
"[Kass] Reich's expressive black-and-white illustrations are filled with detail and texture, especially with Megabat's delightful facial expressions, and help guide the story along. Great for readers who enjoy Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson books." -Booklist
 Praise for MYSTERY OF THE BEAR CUB (Cooper & Packrat Book 4) by Tamra Wight & illustrated by Carl DiRocco (World Rights Available Ex: English in North America, Islandport Press). Contact [email protected]:
"The author's love for the forests and wildlife of Maine is evident in every detail of the environs. Readers familiar with the Maine woods will recognize it, while those who aren't will feel like they're visiting for the first time...good-old fashioned summer fun with a mystery at the center."
-Kirkus
"...An impressively crafted and consistently entertaining read from first page to last-making it unreservedly recommended, especially for elementary school and community library Mystery/Suspense collections." -Midwest Book Review
Praise for POETREE by Caroline Pignat and illustrated by Francois Thisdale (World Rights, Red Deer Press). Contact [email protected]:
"A vivid celebration of the seasons through acrostic poetry. Rooting her exploration of time's passage in events taking place in the natural world, Pignat charts ;amazing growth and wondrous deeds / now promised in these tiny seeds' planted both in the literal soil and readers' imaginations through her lyric acrostic poems and Thisdale's evocative pastoral illustrations...Throughout the work, Thisdale's sumptuously colored and detailed mixed-media double-page spreads deftly underscore Pignat's focus on the continuity of being, not only by depicting how a seed transforms from sapling to tree to bearer of fruit to kindling, but by subtly suggesting the stages of human life by following the silhouette of a boy in spring through adolescence in summer, to a man harvesting apples in fall before shuffling off into the distance in the snow. Pignat and Thisdale's joint effort yields a rewarding and engagingly layered introduction to the life cycle and poetic form."
-Kirkus, starred review
"powerful and extraordinary...POETREE needs to be in all libraries for lessons on the seasons and acrostic poetry and life cycles in nature and for evoking the beauty of our enduring and fragile environment...A masterful exploration of arboreal life from beginning to end and to new again through the four seasons, POETREE sustains the reader with verse and art as dramatically as the earth does our natural world." -CanLit for Little Canadians
Praise for THE REPTILE CLUB by Maureen Fergus (World Rights, Kids Can Press). Contact [email protected]:
"This testament to imagination, confidence, and entrepreneurship offers refreshing takes on learning about animals and how to make friends."
-Kirkus
"Fergus' well-paced story includes a good deal of droll humor that kids will enjoy, from the reptiles' amazing facts and personal anecdotes to their initial reluctance to let mammals join the club. That awkward moment turns into a teachable one when Rory points out that he is a mammal and that prejudice against those with hair and body-temperature regulation is unkind. An appealing picture book especially for reptile fans." -Booklist
|
|
 Melanie Florence
Melanie Florence is an award-winning writer of Cree and Scottish heritage based in Toronto. She was close to her grandfather as a child, a relationship that sparked her interest in writing about Aboriginal themes and characters. She is the author of Missing Nimama, which won the 2016 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, the 2017 Forest of Reading Golden Oak Award and was a finalist for the 2017 First Nation Communities READ award. Her most recent picture book, Stolen Words, won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award and was given a starred review by Kirkus, who listed it as one of the best picture books of 2017 to give readers strength. Her other books include Righting Canada's Wrongs: Residential Schools and the teen novels He Who Dreams, The Missing, One Night, and Rez Runaway.
 Polly Horvath
Polly Horvath will now be represented for world rights by Andrea Cascardi, [email protected].
Polly Horvath is the author of many books for young people, including Everything on a Waffle, The Pepins and Their Problems, The Canning Season and The Trolls. Her numerous awards include the Newbery Honor, the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature, the Mr. Christie Award, the international White Raven, and the Young Adult Canadian Book of the Year.
 Michelle Mulder
Michelle Mulder is the award-winning author of many books for children, including several titles in the Orca Footprints series and the middle-grade novels After Peaches, Out of the Box, Not a Chance, and The Vegetable Museum (forthcoming 2019, Orca Books). She has written on topics ranging from pedal-powered blenders, to book exchange boxes, to buildings made from trash. She regularly visits schools and loves talking to kids about books and writing. When not writing, she can be found riding her bicycle, foraging for wild food, or wandering along the beach near her home in Victoria, British Columbia. You can visit her website at michellemulder.com.
 Catherine Odell
Catherine Odell joins Transatlantic as a writer and illustrator. Catherine's childhood spanned the globe, and helped her to develop an appreciation for all the different lives a person can live. She earned a Bachelor of Industrial Design at Syracuse University, and continued to develop her observational skills while working as a product designer at Ziba Design. While working to develop her personal style as an illustrator, she began selling her art at local street fairs and now spends her weekends at the Portland Saturday Market. She has illustrated for both public presentation and internal concept storyboarding, counting  Pampers, Thomas & Friends, Intel, Starbucks, John Prine, Comet Skateboards, OHSU Children's Hospital and The New York Times among her list of past clients. Her first illustrated book, I'M DONE written by Gretchen McClellan, comes out this fall from Holiday House, and her first written and illustrated book, PEPPER AND FRANNIE will be released on March 23, 2019 by Page Street Kids. You can visit her website at Canyoufeedthedog.com.
 Carey Sookocheff
Carey Sookocheff is the illustrator of the critically acclaimed Buddy and Earl series, now publishing its fifth title with Groundwood Books. Carey is also the author/illustrator of Wet (Henry Holt), which was included in the Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibition in 2017, and Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems (Tundra), which is currently a selection for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Her most recent illustration project is a picture book titled Sprout, Seed, Sprout! which will publish in 2019 with Owlkids Books. Since pursuing children's book illustration in 2014, she has worked on nine picture  books. She is also a recent recipient of an Ontario Arts Council Recommender Grant for Writers.
A graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, she began her illustration career working for clients such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Real Simple Magazine. Her editorial work has received recognition from The Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Communication Arts and a National Magazine Award. Carey recently traveled to Nunavut as part of the TD Canadian Children's Book Week. She lives in Toronto with her family and their dog Rosie. For more information about Carey you can visit her website at Careysookocheff.com.
|
|
Cats of Transatlantic Agency
|
Moonie the cat is neglecting his duties as Amy Tompkins' office assistant to read
CLARA HUMBLE AND THE KITTEN CABOODLE. Though deeply immersed in Chapter 14, he paused to provide the following review quote: "Human, the cats in the book have a deluxe kitten jungle gym, when are you building mine?" He also gave it 6 out of 5 paws. He's a keen reader, but Moonie has never been great at math.
|
|
|
|
Korean rights to ARA THE STAR ENGINEER by Komal Singh at auction to Book 21 by Jully Lee of EYA Agency in association with Stephanie Sinclair on behalf of Page Two Strategies. Contact: Stephanie Sinclair, 
Korean rights to ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL by Robin Ha to Gilbutschool by Jully Lee of EYA Agency in association with Stephanie Sinclair on behalf of Samantha Haywood. Contact: Stephanie Sinclair, 
French rights to Kiersi Burkhart's YA contemporary novel HONOR CODE sold to Fleurus by Lora Fountain in association with Fiona Kenshole. Contact: Fiona Kenshole, 
Heather Smith's novel THE AGONY OF BUN O'KEEFE, which won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz award in June, has also been shortlisted in two categories for the CCBC awards: the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, and the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award.
Sarah Elton's MEATLESS? A Fresh Look at What You Eat, illustrated by Julie McLaughlin, has been shortlisted for the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction at the CCBC Awards.
MEGABAT by Anna Humphrey and Kass Reich was a Publisher's Weekly 
INNOCENT HEROES: Stories of Animals in the First World War by Sigmund Brouwer has been shortlisted for the Rocky Mountain Book Award in the fiction category.
UNDERNEATH IT ALL by
Amber J. Keyser was featured in the
Irish Examiner in "
