Duncliffe ties up illustrated pair for Pavilion

Pavilion children’s publisher Neil Duncliffe secured two multi-book deals on the eve of the fair, both of which are for illustrated titles.

Duncliffe acquired world rights to Matt Sewell’s Spot the Birdie, a search-and-find book with illustrations of various habitats around the world, and the birds that live in them. Spot the Birdie will be publishing in spring 2017, with a follow-up title planned for 2018. The deal was struck with agent Simon Benham.

The titles will be the first children’s series for illustrator and avid ornithologist Sewell, who has previously authored a hardback adult gift series on birds for Ebury; the six titles in that list have combined to shift 77,000 units in the UK since their release in 2012.      

Duncliffe also acquired three books in a series by William Bee, the author/illustrator whose work includes the Stanley series (Random House Children’s) and Beware of the Frog (Walker/Candlewick). Called William Bee’s Wonderful World of . . ., the series opens with Trucks in spring 2017. The deal, for world rights, was stuck with Jodie Hodges of United Agents.