Walker Books Group acquires Scieszka title

The Walker Books Group has acquired a new book by Jon Scieszka, the author who satirises traditional fairy tales in his books The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! and The Stinky Cheese Man (Puffin).

In DaDa Goose’s Book of Complete Nonsense, Scieszka casts his satirical eye on nursery rhymes after being inspired by the story Mother Goose.

He said: “The idea for this book came out of playing around. Surrounding myself with the books and art and music I love most, from Borges and Barth to Duchamp, Calvino, Man Ray, and Banksy, I found my pile of myths, fairy tales, and nursery rhymes sandwiched between Raymond Queneau’s Exercises in Style and my collections of Zen koans. And realized: I Love Nonsense. Deeply connected literate historical nonsense.”

Liz Bicknell, executive editorial director and associate publisher at Candlewick, the Walker Books Group’s US publishing company, acquired the world English rights from Steven Malk of Writer’s House.

“I laughed out loud so many times reading this witty, inventive text,” she said. “Jon Scieszka epitomizes what Iona Opie deemed a necessary ‘nursery rhymesical attitude toward life,’ and when there is so much fun and possibly even mischief to be had making a book; I want to be in the middle of it.”

Walker Books UK will publish DaDa Goose’s Book of Complete Nonsense alongside Candlewick Press and Walker Books Australia, although the release date has not been announced.