HCCB takes three more in Biddulph's Draw With Rob series

HarperCollins Children’s Books has signed a deal with Rob Biddulph for three more titles in his Draw With Rob series.

World rights were secured by Alice Blacker, publishing director for picture books, from Jodie Hodges at United Agents.

Biddulph has published his picture books exclusively with HarperCollins since 2014 and launched his first Draw With Rob book in July 2020. It was number one on the Bookseller’s Pre-School Bestseller list and has since sold over 50,000 copies, according to the publisher, winning both the Activity Book of the Year and Overall Winner at the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award 2020. Draw With Rob at Christmas followed with the third book, Draw With Rob: Build a Story, due to be published on 4th March.

Hot on the heels of those titles, the new activity books will all be 64-page, full-colour paperbacks with perforated pages, priced at £6.99. The first in the new deal, Monster Madness, publishes in July 2021, followed by book five in March 2022 and book six with a Halloween theme in September 2022. Monster Madness “will feature step-by-step instructions on how to draw marvellous monsters and creepy creatures as well as spooky activities to keep children entertained for hours”.

Biddulph said: “I couldn’t be more delighted to be making another three Draw With Rob activity books with my fantastic HarperCollins family. The thousands of pictures I receive every week are proof that, in an increasingly digital world, there is still a huge appetite for good old-fashioned analogue drawing. I’m very proud to have inspired so many children (and grown-ups) to pick up their pencils and can’t wait for them to unleash their creativity further with the help of these new titles.”

Blacker added: “The Draw With Rob videos and activity books have been a huge source of entertainment and joy over the past year – and Rob has inspired such love for drawing and art for all the family. There’s something for all seasons in the next three brilliant activity books and we can’t wait to share them with Rob’s fans.”

Biddulph’s weekly Draw With Rob draw-along videos have been a huge hit for parents and home-schoolers across the country during lockdown. There are now over 70 Draw With Rob videos, which have been viewed more than five million times across the globe.