Walker Books snaps up new picture books ahead of Frankfurt 2024

Walker Books has acquired several new picture books ahead of Frankfurt 2024, welcoming authors with their debut titles and pairing them with illustrators from the Walker list.

Picture books editorial director Maria Tunney acquired world rights to Sarah Crossan’s debut picture book, A Totally Big Umbrella, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, from Julia Churchill at A M Heath, with the illustration rights deal made with Louise Lamont at LBA. "Publishing in September 2025, A Totally Big Umbrella is a reassuring, perceptive and funny story about anxiety and fear, and the ways that these can hold us back from embracing all of life’s joys," the synopsis says. 

Meanwhile, senior commissioning editor Lizzie Sitton acquired world rights for Chris Priestley’s debut picture book, Who Knows the Way to Mr Grimly’s Classroom?, publishing in September 2025, from Philippa Milnes-Smith at The Soho Agency. "On theme with Priestley’s uncanny fiction, this is a story of an eerily Gothic school," the synopsis says. She also acquired rights to the illustrations by Mariachiara Di Giorgio from Stephen Barr at Writers House.

Tunney also bought world rights to Little Passenger—a debut picture book by author Deirdre Sullivan and illustrator Jessica Love—in a two-book deal, from Clare Wallace at Darley Anderson and Associates, with the illustrations acquired through Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, now at The Gernert Company, while at DeFiore and Company. The book will be published in August 2025.

Moreover, Tunney bought world rights to four books by Júlia Sardà from Amy Kitcherside at Pickled Ink. The deal includes a third title in the Three Sisters trilogy, The Witch in the Tower, publishing in September 2025. The editorial director also acquired world rights to a further three books by Chloe Savage from Philippa Perry at SP Agency, and The Search for Our Cosmic Neighbours and The Search in the Amazon will be published in September 2025 and 2026 respectively.

Walker Books picture book publisher Deirdre McDermott commented: “To have one powerful picture book debut at a book fair is an event; so, to have three glittering picture book debuts from such publishing luminaries as Sarah Crossan, Chris Priestley and Deirdre Sullivan is truly remarkable.

"Matching their unique authorial voices with globally renowned illustrators Rebecca Cobb, Mariachiara Di Giorgio and Jessica Love has been a completely inspiring creative experience and has created the most enjoyable collaborations. There is a genuine excitement throughout Walker Books to be showcasing these thrilling debuts at Frankfurt Book Fair, alongside Júlia Sardà and Chloe Savage’s much anticipated new picture book stories—we couldn’t feel any more proud.”