Macmillan Children’s Books pre-empts 'Strictly Come Dancing' star Yassin's new book

Macmillan Children’s Books has pre-empted Wild World, a "fun fact-filled book" about the natural world from wildlife cameraman, conservationist and presenter Hamza Yassin.

Associate publisher Gaby Morgan bought world rights from Louise Leftwich at DML Talent. The book will be published as a highly-illustrated gift hardback for a middle-grade audience in October 2024. Publication will be supported by a "major" PR and marketing campaign involving media, events, festival appearances, partnerships and consumer advertising.

The synopsis says: "Hamza’s Wild World is packed with incredible facts, Hamza’s Top Tens, warm, funny stories, and big topic features about our planet and everything that lives on it, underneath the sea and in the sky. Filled with illustrations, photos and infographics, this is a brilliantly fun look at the animal kingdom highlighting why we need to pay attention to our precious planet."

The synopsis adds that the author is dyslexic and the book will be "accessible for all readers". It explains: "His warm and charming stories weave through the book, as he shares his unique experiences from the perspective of a cameraman, ranging from what to do when a cheetah sits beside you when you’re filming, to how long you might need to wait to get the perfect photo of golden eagles."

Yassin said: “I have really enjoyed working with Macmillan Children’s Book on this fantastic collection of animal facts and figures, knitted together with stories from my life as a naturalist and cameraman, and I look forward to talking about it and meeting readers next autumn. I hope children can enjoy this book and learn something from it about the natural world. Let’s hope more and more children get the chance to experience the love of mother nature.”

Morgan added: “Hamza is the perfect person to speak to children and their families about nature and conservation. He is positive and engaging, and his joy and delight in the natural world is captivating and inspiring. I would like to bring that awe and wonder to as many kids as possible and know that Hamza will be absolutely brilliant at doing just this.”

Samantha Smith, publisher at Macmillan Children’s Books, commented: “The Macmillan Children’s Books’ non-fiction list is committed to bringing the best voices to the most important topics for kids today. Hamza Yassin has an unparalleled gift in engaging and educating on the awe-inspiring world we live in. Hamza’s Wild World is going to be a must-have for every young person’s bookshelf.”