Quarto Kids acquires award-winning 'Bust or Trust' family podcast tie-in

Quarto imprint Words & Pictures has bagged an illustrated book for ages eight-plus based on the award-winning mystery podcast "Bust or Trust", produced by children’s audio consultancy and production company Small Wardour.

Tackling subjects "from Big Foot to the Hidden Folk of Iceland", "Bust or Trust" is a "podcast for curious kids who’d like to get to the bottom of some of the world’s most interesting mysteries". Words & Pictures will translate the podcast content to the page with interactive maps, photos and facts. Children then decide if they "bust" the myth or "trust" it. "Bust or Trust" triumphed as best Children’s podcast at the 2023 Independent Podcast Awards; the series is hosted by Athena Kugblenu and Tiernan Douieb.

Words & Pictures associate publisher Holly Willsher and editor Alice Hobbs acquired world rights to Bust or Trust directly from Carla Herbertson and David Smith of Small Wardour. Herbertson, co-founder and director, appeared at today’s (10th April) inaugural BolognaBooksPlus audio forum.  

Willsher said: "We are delighted to be bringing the cryptic thrill of ’Bust or Trust’ to a book audience, expanding on the success of the podcast and building those all-important critical-thinking skills in children. Encouraging them to debate ideas in a playful and productive way makes this a great book for the whole family to engage with."

Herbertson added: "Bringing the captivating world of podcasts to the pages of a book is an exciting endeavour, and we’re thrilled to see ’Bust or Trust’ evolve into a new medium. We firmly believe in the transformative power of audio, as it can enrich children’s imagination, communication skills, and contribute to their mental wellbeing and emotional intelligence."
Words & Pictures will publish Bust or Trust in September 2025.