OUP snaps up sequel to Naomi and James Jones' picture book

Oxford University Press (OUP) has snapped up a sequel to husband and wife team Naomi and James Jones' picture book The Perfect Fit (OUP).

OUP bought world all language rights to One More Try from Anwen Hooson at the Bird Literary Agency. It will publish in spring 2022.

The Perfect Fit told the story of a triangle trying to find her place in the world. In One More Try, a determined circle goes on a journey of self-discovery, refusing to give up on his dream of making a tower, just because he’s not the right shape.

Lou John, head of children’s publishing at OUP, said: "We’re delighted to be publishing a follow-up to The Perfect Fit, which continues to capture the imaginations of children, parents, booksellers, reviewers and educators alike. Sales have been extraordinary, especially given that bookshops were closed when it was published. We have similar high hopes for One More Try, which once again — through Naomi’s brilliant text and James’ vivid and stylish illustrations – combines a core Early Years Foundation Stage subject, in this case, maths, with a personal, social and emotional development area. For us at OUP, that’s an incredibly potent mix.”

Naomi Jones said: “As our boys have grown up, we’ve always encouraged them to try new things and not give up when something doesn’t work out first time. We wanted to write a story about a character who sets out to do something that seems impossible but through perseverance and imagination, achieves his dreams.”

James Jones added: “We’ve been blown away by the response and support we’ve had for The Perfect Fit. It’s been amazing to see teachers and parents using it to both investigate all the fun you can have with shapes, and to discuss the importance of inclusion. We can’t wait to share another shape story with everyone.”