Peter Brown returns to Templar for new picture book

Templar is to publish Fred Gets Dressed by American author-illustrator Peter Brown. 

Bonnier Books UK stablemate Piccadilly Press previously published Brown's middle grade titles The Wild Robot and The Wild Robot Escapes in 2018. 

Commissioning editor Georgia Murray—who worked on Brown's Wild Robot series—acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Janelle DeLuise, children’s director of subsidiary rights at Little Brown US. 

To be published on 4th May 2021, Fred Gets Dressed will observe the mischievous Fred as he romps freely around his house naked. Entering his parents’ bedroom he is inspired, finally, to get dressed. 

Murray commented: "Fred Gets Dressed is a love letter to the joys of childhood freedom and self-expression, a story bursting with exuberance and playfulness that will enchant children (clothed or unclothed) everywhere. I loved working with Peter on his brilliant Wild Robot series for older readers, published by Piccadilly Press, and am so thrilled to bring Peter’s first picture book since Mr Tiger Goes Wild to the Templar list."

Brown added: "There are a few brief, wonderful years, early in a child’s life, when they don’t yet understand the meaning of shame. They certainly don’t understand why they’d ever be ashamed of their own bodies. To most little kids, being naked is simply a fun break from wearing clothes. When I was very young, after a bath I would routinely go running and giggling into the living room to air-dry beside the fireplace. It was delightful. I couldn’t understand why the rest of my family didn’t dry off that way. Like four-year-old me, Fred proudly, happily, frolics naked through the house, without a care in the world, and we see the sweet innocence of childhood in all its glory."

Brown's last picture book Mr Tiger Goes Wild was published by Two Hoots in 2017.