Faber seizes new illustrated non-fiction series by Barry Loser author Jim Smith

Faber has seized Jim Smith’s new illustrated non-fiction series, launching in June with How to be a Genius Kid.

Publisher Leah Thaxton acquired world rights from Caroline Sheldon at the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency, and How to be a Genius Kid will be published in paperback on 6th June 2024.

"From the author and illustrator of Barry Loser [Farshore], this zany and laugh-out-loud graphic novel is full of large and small facts helping young readers to get super brainy with zero effort," the synopsis says. 

The author, who is a winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Laugh-Out-Loud Award for six to eight-year-olds, said: "I really enjoyed researching and writing this book and hope it’s a fun way for kids to become a little bit cleverer. I’m so happy to be back working with Leah Thaxton at Faber again, she always knows how to bring the best out in my work."

Thaxton added: "In another life I signed Jim Smith a.k.a. Waldo Pancake to write and illustrate the Barry Loser books... and they have done quite well what with over a million copies sold, so it took me all of a millisecond to say yes please to this fabulous, funny and factual graphic novel series.

"Who doesn’t want to get brainy with zero effort?! Jim Smith has got seriously funny bones. He’s a comic genius."