Oliver Jeffers' next book from HCCB reunites boy and penguin, 20 years on from debut

HarperCollins Children’s Books (HCCB) will publish Where to Hide a Star, a new story from bestselling author Oliver Jeffers reuniting the cast of characters from his debut 20 years ago.  

The book is part of an existing deal with HCCB. Rights for the UK and the Commonwealth (including Canada), Europe, and translation across all languages were acquired by publishing director Alice Blacker and colour publisher Juliet Matthews from Paul Moreton at Bell Lomax Moreton. It will be published on 10th October.

“The new book’s publication will be a pinnacle moment in a year that celebrates the 20th anniversary of Oliver’s debut picture book, How to Catch a Star,” HCCB said. “This long-awaited new story is what Jeffers’ fans everywhere have been waiting for.”  

HCCB published Jeffers’ debut, How to Catch a Star, in 2004 after it was discovered in a pile of unsolicited manuscripts. It was the first in a series of bestselling books featuring the boy and the penguin, including Lost and Found, The Way Back Home and Up and Down. The author is now published in 49 languages.  

Twenty years on from his debut, Where to Hide a Star reunites the original cast of characters and “introduces a new friend to the world in a joyful and poignant reunion”.  

The publisher added: “HCCB will celebrate 20 years of Jeffers publishing with marketing and PR activity throughout 2024, highlighting key moments to bring a renewed focus to The Boy and the Penguin series, connecting Oliver’s much-loved backlist to a new generation of readers.”  

“The publication of Where to Hide a Star will be at the heart of the campaign, positioning it as one of the biggest and most anticipated publishing moments of the year. Oliver kicks off the year as a guest at this year’s Bologna Book Fair, where he will be showcasing the new title to publishers across the globe.” In the summer, the stage adaptation of How to Catch a Star will run at the Polka Theatre launching in July.  

Jeffers said: “I always said I would never make another boy and penguin book. Unless the right idea came along. And after many years, it did. I could barely remember how to paint the boy and the penguin, but once my watercolours were dusted off for first time since the last time these characters were painted, the colour combinations, techniques and brushstrokes all came back to me like a forgotten part of myself.  

“It felt like a reunion with long lost family. Then to be able to continue the momentum of this old familiar world into new territory felt exciting enough to remind me of the time I made How to Catch A Star 20 years ago, and hopefully a whole new generation of kids will share that excitement.”  

Blacker said: “It’s hard to believe that Oliver’s best-loved picture-book characters celebrate 20 years this year – and what better way to celebrate than with a brand-new story. Oliver is a storyteller like no other and it’s thrilling to think of a whole new generation of readers being introduced to his incredible world of stories with this total joy of a picture book.”