Puffin gobbles up rights to Jamie Oliver’s first children’s book

Puffin has gobbled up the rights to Jamie Oliver’s first children’s book. 

Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s Books, and Jane Griffiths, Puffin 6+ publisher, acquired world rights for two books from Jamie Oliver. The first, Billy and the Giant Adventure, will publish on 13th April 2023, with the second as-yet-untitled sequel to follow in spring 2024.  

Both will be backed by major campaigns and author activity. Billy and the Giant Adventure will feature illustrations from Mónica Armiño. There will also be a simultaneous audio release. 

The synopsis says: “Billy and his friends know that Waterfall Woods is out of bounds; strange things are rumoured to have happened there and no one in their village has ventured past its walls for decades... But when they discover a secret way in, Billy and his best friends, Anna, Jimmy and Andy, can’t resist the temptation to explore! Only to quickly discover that the woods are brimming with magic and inhabited by all sorts of unusual creatures, including a whole community of sprites who need the children’s help!” 

Oliver, who shared news of the book on his Instagram channel, said: “Yes, guys, I’ve written a kids’ book and I’m so excited to share it with you. Growing up with dyslexia meant reading and writing didn’t come easily, but rather than holding me back, it’s only ever helped me achieve anything I’ve set my mind to. I look at things differently, which has meant an overactive imagination – brilliant for being creative and coming up with great stories for the kids at bedtime. So, I’m beyond excited to be publishing my first children’s book, based on a story I used to tell Petal, Buddy and River. 

“And what a journey it’s been! My writing process probably isn’t the most conventional, but I’ve loved every second and just hope that families everywhere enjoy reading (or listening to, yes, I’ve done an audiobook!) Billy and the Giant Adventure as much as I’ve enjoyed dreaming it up.” 

Dow said: “When Jamie first spoke about his ideas for a children’s book, it was clear he had a whole magical world of stories and characters in his imagination, bursting to be shared and brought to life on the page. And brought to life they are! We’re so proud and excited to collaborate with Jamie and publish his first book for children – a beautiful story of friendship, family and food (of course!). It truly is a wonderful way of working, an intense storytelling immersion with Jamie and his energy and ideas, and we can’t wait to share Billy and the Giant Adventure with new readers.” 

Griffiths added: “It’s been such an amazing experience to work with Jamie on his children’s fiction début. Packed with magical battles, epic quests and wonderful characters, Billy and the Giant Adventure is a story about friendship, finding your own way and the importance of caring for the world around us. Jamie’s passion for stories is infectious and his warm and funny tone is perfectly pitched for middle-grade readers – I couldn’t be more excited for children and families everywhere to discover the magic of Waterfall Woods!”