HCG happy to acquire emotional picture book

Hachette Children’s Group will next year publish The Colour of Happy, a picture book about emotions and empathy.

The rhyming text is by debut picture book author Laura Baker and illustrated by Angie Rozelaar and explores feelings as one little boy navigates a range of emotions, from happiness and excitement to hope and love.

Group picture book publisher Emma Layfield acquired word rights from Jodie Hodges at United Agents for Laura Baker and Eunice McMullen for Angie Rozelaar, and will publish under the Hodder Children’s Books imprint in 2019.

“We are so happy to be publishing this stunning, heartfelt picture book from Laura Baker,” said Layfield. “It’s a beautiful exploration of feelings shown through colour with Angie Rozelaar’s emotive illustrations. There’s been increasing awareness of the necessity of teaching children empathy at the earliest age, and The Colour of Happy is not only a stunning picture book but a fantastically useful means to begin thinking about others’ emotions as well as your own.”