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Usborne snaps up ‘pitch-perfect’ The Snow Girl by award-winning Anderson
Usborne has acquired The Snow Girl, a “pitch-perfect wintry story” for 8+ readers that was inspired by the classic fairy tale The Snow Maiden, and one other untitled novel by Sophie Anderson.
Rebecca Hill, fiction director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada in a two-book deal from Gemma Cooper at The Bent Agency.
The Snow Girl will publish in the UK on 26th October and will reunite the author with award-winning illustrator Melissa Castrillón. Castrillón created the cover of Anderson’s debut, The House with Chicken Legs (Usborne), which was shortlisted for the Children’s Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2019 as well as a Carnegie medal and the Blue Peter Award. A lavish gift edition of The Snow Girl will feature two-colour interior illustrations.
Hill said: “Sophie is an incredible and very special talent. I couldn’t be prouder to be her editor and to watch her star shine ever brighter. All of us at Usborne knew what a special book The House with Chicken Legs was from the moment we started reading and to see booksellers, readers, educators, and prize panels everywhere share our belief was a career highlight for me.
“Melissa’s cover was integral to this success so I am delighted that the two will be reunited for Sophie’s first hardback.”
Anderson, who has won the Independent Bookshop Book of the Year Award and the Wales Book of the Year Award for The Girl Who Speaks Bear (Usborne), said: “The Snow Maiden is one of my favourite fairy tales so it’s been wonderful to reimagine the story and bring life to Tasha and the snow girl she builds with her grandpa.
“The gift edition Usborne have planned will be truly stunning and I could not be more thrilled and thankful. I hope children, families and readers of all ages will enjoy snuggling up to adventure with The Snow Girl this winter and when they close the final page to feel that a life lived to the full, chasing love and happiness—even if there are risks—is preferable to a long but empty one.”
Castrillón added: “I’m so delighted to be illustrating The Snow Girl. It was a real joy to create the artwork for The House with Chicken Legs so to get to work with Sophie again is really exciting. The wintry theme of this new fairy tale is a gift to illustrate.”
