HarperCollins Children’s Books lands new mystery series by ‘inimitable’ Vulliamy

HarperCollins Children’s Books has acquired a new mystery series about family, friends and dogs, written and illustrated by Clara Vulliamy.

Publishing director Michelle Misra acquired world rights in all languages for three titles from Hilary Delamere at The Agency. The first book in The Dog Squad series, for readers aged seven and up, will publish in August 2023, with the second title scheduled for January 2024 and the third following in April of the same year.

The first book, entitled Dog Squad, stars three budding journalist friends Eva, Simone and Ash, and their faithful hound Wafer, who uncover top local news stories.

The synopsis continues: “In the first instalment in the series, Eva has always wanted to be a journalist, so when she finds a stray dog outside her home, she might just have found her first big case. Can she, along with her best friends, find Wafer’s real owner? As the trail leads from one dead end to another, Eva realises that she might not want to get to the bottom of the mystery after all—because won’t that just mean that she has to give Wafer back?”

Vulliamy has previously written both the Dotty Detective and Marshmallow Pie the Cat Superstar series for HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Misra said: “Told in Clara’s inimitable style, this series has so many wonderful ingredients: family, friends and dogs! But weaved inbetween the pages is an added layer of belonging and understanding, with non-binary representation. Clara is the master of storytelling for young readers and I couldn’t be happier to see this on our list.”

Vulliamy said: “I am so thrilled to be introducing readers to The Dog Squad: Eva, Simone, Ash and their irresistible whippet Wafer. These characters are very close to my heart. As young journalists, they have a nose for a good story, as well as a strong sense of right and wrong, a quality to be greatly celebrated. And for dog fans, I can promise a blur of waggy joy on practically every page!”

Nick Lake, fiction publisher, added: “Clara is such a talented author and illustrator and we’re so proud—as highly illustrated children’s fiction starts to receive the space and recognition it deserves—to add this warm, inclusive and charming mystery for readers aged seven-plus to the growing HarperCollins Children’s Books fiction list.”