PRH Children’s unveils Fletcher’s A Christmasaurus Carol as part of annual showcase

Penguin Random House Children’s has unveiled Tom Fletcher’s upcoming book, A Christmasaurus Carol, as part of its annual highlights showcase. 

Editorial director Natalie Doherty acquired world rights as part of a multi-book deal from Stephanie Thwaites at Curtis Brown. It will be the fourth book in Fletcher’s middle-grade Christmasaurus series and will be published on 12th October in hardback, e-book and audio.

The digital showcase was streamed to an audience of 273 media, retailers and industry figures and brought together video segments from authors and illustrators. Fletcher’s announcement concluded the show, with virtual guests being the first to hear the news.

A Christmasaurus Carol brings together Charles Dickens’ festive classic with the world of the Christmasaurus in a full-length novel the publisher said would be highly anticipated by young fans eager for more magical tales from the series. The book will be illustrated throughout by the author’s long-term middle-grade creative partner, Shane Devries.

The synopsis reads: “William Trundle and his family can’t wait for Christmas. But when powerful magic brings a mysterious old copy of A Christmas Carol to life and Ebenezer Scrooge himself emerges from its pages Christmas is suddenly in grave danger. Can William, Santa and the most unique and magical dinosaur of all—the Christmasaurus— find a way to return Scrooge to the book and save Christmas before it’s too late?”

Fletcher said: “I’ve had a tremendous time bringing together one of my favourite classic Christmas tales and the world of the Christmasaurus. A Christmasaurus Carol celebrates the power of storytelling and the magic of Christmas, both of which are very close to my heart, and I hope that it brings children and families a sprinkling of Christmas joy this autumn.”

Doherty said: “Tom is a children’s publishing phenomenon and the team at Puffin are hugely proud of our longstanding and very successful creative partnership. The Christmasaurus has become a key part of families’ Christmas traditions and we couldn’t be more thrilled to give readers the fantastic festive treat of a brand-new Christmasaurus adventure this year, which we know will be topping Christmas lists and filling stockings right around the UK.

“It’s always such a joy to work with Tom on these stories and it’s one of the highlights of my year when the first draft lands in my inbox, already sparkling with magic, mystery, humour and heart, and I’m able to start sharing it with the team. This latest book has been no exception."