You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Puffin lands ‘stunning’ picture book about life on earth from Woollard and Brouwers
Puffin has landed a new picture book by author Elli Woollard and illustrator Dorien Brouwers that tells the entire story of life on earth for the youngest of readers.
Andrea MacDonald, editorial director, acquired world rights to Life from Eve White at Eve White Literary Agency. World rights for Dorien Brouwers’s illustrations were acquired by Laura Hall, design manager, from Angharad Kowal Stannus at Kowal Stannus Agency. Keren Greenfeld, art director for Puffin Picture Books will design. Life will publish on 21st September 2023.
The publisher said: “From tiny dots of microscopic bacteria to enormous dinosaurs, through Ice Ages and the gallop of evolution, Elli Woollard’s poetic text is a pitch-perfect blend of storytelling, science and wonder, brought to life by Dorien Brouwers’ immersive, stunningly detailed artwork.”
Woollard said; “I’m thrilled that Life has been acquired by the brilliant people at Puffin, and that they have found the perfect illustrator in Dorien Brouwers. I couldn’t have hoped for a better team. Our planet has an incredible history, and at the same time has never before been so threatened by forces under our control. I conceived of Life as a secular creation story, but it is more than that – it is also an urgent appeal to protect our beautiful home.”
Brouwers added: “Upon reading Elli Woollard’s beautiful manuscript, I felt an instant surge of enthusiasm. I had never read a book about evolution quite like it. I immediately knew I had to illustrate this. I loved immersing myself in the research; from figuring out how best to draw microbes, to which texture to use on a woolly mammoth. What an absolute joy and honour to paint so much of the story of life on planet earth in combination with such moving words.”
MacDonald said she was “staggered” by Life, calling it “a stunning feat”. “This is the perfect introduction to and celebration of planet earth’s history – it needs to be seen to be believed,” she said.
