Scallywag Press acquires Doerrfeld picture book about loss

Scallywag Press has acquired world rights, excluding the US and Canada, to a picture book about loss by Cori Doerrfeld.

Founder of Scallywag Press Sarah Pakenham said: “The Rabbit Listened is so extraordinary because it is a really touching book about how to deal with grief or loss, but approaches the subject with humour and wit.  The protagonist, Taylor, is assailed by all sorts of advice from a succession of noisy and annoying characters who eventually give up and leave. Then a rabbit appears offering silent support while Taylor takes time to process emotions and gradually recover.

“This simple looking picture book offers genuinely useful advice to adults and children who have suffered a loss big or small, but it is also a satisfying drama that will raise a few smiles along the way.”

Pakenham acquired the book from Dial Books for Young Readers, part of Penguin Random House USA, and will publish in 2019 in hardback.