OUP Children's to publish Tony De Saulles series

Oxford University Press (OUP) Children’s has acquired a fiction series by Tony De Saulles, the illustrator of Scholastic’s Horrible Science series.

The 8+ cartoon-based series, entitled Bee Boy, is about a boy called Melvin who turns into a superhero when a group of bees choose him as their protector. It will be written and illustratd by De Saulles in a black and yellow colour scheme.

The first book, Clash of the Killer Queens, will be published in paperback in summer 2018. Books two and three will follow in autumn 2018 and spring 2019 respectively.

Liz Cross, head of publishing at OUP Children's, bought world rights to three books from Sarah Such at the Sarah Such Literary Agency.

Cross said: “Bee Boy is one of those series that got the whole team here buzzing from the start. It manages to combine accessible, pacy storytelling with hugely relatable characters, appealing artwork on every page, an incredibly engaging voice, and a really big, exciting story too. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with Tony.”