HarperCollins Children’s signs ‘brilliant’ illustrator Bond

HarperCollins Children’s Books has acquired the world rights to a picture book series from debut author and illustrator John Bond.   

Alice Blacker, publishing director of Picture Books, said: “It’s a rare thing to come across talent as brilliant as John Bond’s. He’s a true original whose artwork and characters have such lightness of touch, wit and appeal. I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome him to the HarperCollins picture book list – and introduce his work to a generation of picture book readers.”

Blacker acquired world rights to three books directly from Bond and will publish the first, Mini Rabbit: Not Lost, in hardback, e-book and audiobook in September.

In the first title Mini Rabbit is looking for berries to make a cake. He crosses oceans, mountains and forests but has night falls he realises he is very far away and wonders how he will find his way home for cake.

Bond studied illustration at Kingston University and worked for seven years at a creative agency before becoming a full-time illustrator and designer. He has 119,000 followers on Instagram.