You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books nabs debut picture book from author Darnton and illustrator Ismail
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books has nabbed the debut picture book from Waterstones Prize-shortlisted author Tracy Darnton in new partnership with illustrator Yasmeen Ismail.
Helen Mackenzie Smith, picture books publisher, bought world rights for two books from the pair. Darnton’s text was acquired from Jo Williamson at Antony Harwood Literary Agency and Ismail’s illustrations from Arabella Stein at The Bright Agency. Rights have already been sold in the US, Argentina, Portugal, Brazil and Greece, with more deals to follow shortly.
My Brother is An Avocado publishes in May 2023, with a second title to follow in 2025. A girl awaits the arrival of a new sibling and imagines the changing size of the growing baby.
Smith said: “We are thrilled to be publishing this delightfully warm and accessible picture book from Tracy and Yasmeen, and to be welcoming them both to our list at Simon & Schuster Children’s Books UK. Waiting for a new baby has never been so wildly imaginative!"
Darnton said: "I wanted to write a picture book that gave a fresh twist on the excitement and anxieties for siblings of a new baby on the way. What if the stages of pregnancy explained as going from poppy seed to watermelon size were taken literally — would they wonder about how they’re going to play with a lemon? And that all-important question: can you cuddle an avocado?”
Ismail said: "I am so proud to be published with Simon & Schuster UK. It has been a delight to illustrate Tracy’s writing and the team at the publishing house has been amazing. I hope the readers can see in the pictures how much fun I had working on this book.’
Darnton was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for her debut novel The Truth About Lies (Little Tiger) which was also a World Book Night title. Tracy won the Stripes YA Short Story Prize, run in partnership with The Bookseller’s YA Book Prize, which led to publication in the young adult anthology I’ll Be Home for Christmas (Stripes Publishing).
Ismail is an award-winning author, illustrator and animator. Her first picture book, Time for Bed, Fred (Bloomsbury Children’s Books), won her the Book Illustration category at the V&A Illustration Awards and was featured as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the year. It was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, longlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, and nominated for the National Cartoonists Society Silver Reuben Award.
