Publisher picks: Australian nonfiction children’s books
Australian publishers offer not one but two Dogs with Jobs children’s books, among a range of nonfiction titles on offer at Bologna.
We suppose publishers must be onto something when two of them pitch a nonfiction book with the same topic and title! Dogs with Jobs is the name and premise of forthcoming books from both Allen & Unwin (A&U) (Max Hamilton, October) and Hardie Grant (Andrea Rowe, illus by Julia Murray).
As A&U publisher Susannah Chambers comments: ‘Everybody loves dogs doing jobs – they are so serious and committed and joyfully helpful.’
Says Chambers of A&U’s title, which is pitched at children from 3 to 6 years of age: ‘Max Hamilton’s beautiful watercolour art and gently informative text introduces us to skilful canines all over the world. From a penguin-protecting Labrador in Australia, to a water rescue Newfoundland in Italy, or a shop assistant Shiba Inu in Japan – they are all very good dogs.’ Hamilton’s book also invites readers to meet the doggie ‘bee-keepers, the whale poop sniffers, the dental assistants […] from around the world who prove that dogs have more jobs than you can throw a stick at’. (Carey Schroeter, rights and international sales manager, books for children and young adults at A&U, will be attending Bologna in person alongside A&U publisher Anna McFarlane, for those who want to find them in person and take a peek.)
Hardie Grant rights manager Evie Green will be attending Bologna in person alongside Hardie Grant publisher Chren Byng. Byng says of Hardie Grant’s title: ‘Dogs with Jobs is an exciting foray into nonfiction from nature-lover and award-winning children’s writer Andrea Rowe (Jetty Jumping). Julia Murray’s gorgeous illustrations have brought so much warmth and charm to this fact-filled exploration of all the roles our canine friends play in human society.’ Says Green: ‘Dogs with Jobs is a celebration of the vital roles dogs play within our societies. All over the world, there are dogs acting every day to support humans, from search and rescue, to tracking and herding, and therapy and companion dogs […] Dogs with Jobs will resonate with any reader who has an appreciation for dogs, whether as companions or colleagues, and we cannot wait to share it with international publishers at Bologna.’ The Hardie Grant title is recommended for dog-lovers aged 6–10.
Magabala Books will be represented at Bologna by editor Melena Cole-Manolis and rights manager Kate McCormack. In children’s nonfiction, they highlight Always Was, Always Will Be by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson, describing it as ‘an important book that celebrates the achievements of First Nations heroes and educates about significant social movements in history’. The book was described by Books+Publishing reviewer Angela Glindemann as an ‘indispensable resource for young people looking to understand First Nations resistance in Australia’. It was longlisted in the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s prestigious Book of the Year awards, as well as for the Australian School Library Association DANZ (Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand) Children’s Book Award.
Emma Dorph, rights, contracts and international sales manager at Hachette Australia, will be attending Bologna in person. ‘We have a beautiful new illustrated nonfiction series by crowd favourite Jess McGeachin, in which each book will focus on a different ecosystem – coast, desert, mountain and forest – and introduce children to animals and landscapes from around the world,’ says Dorph. ‘Find Me: On the Coast (August 25) is the first of the four, featuring coastlines and their creature inhabitants from Japan to Alaska, Antarctica to South Africa.’
Western Australian independent Fremantle Press will be represented at the Bologna by subagents. Among the nonfiction titles the publisher has on offer, Fremantle CEO Alex Allan singles out A New World Rises: Tales of a Lego Future (Jackson Harvey & Alex Towler with Cristy Burne). ‘Alex and Jackson wowed the world when they won Lego Masters, and now the world gets to see what they did next,’ says Allan. ‘Pushing the limits of the art you can create using the humble Lego brick, the book looks into a future run by whole populations of minifigures nestled inside humanity’s discarded objects.’
Category: Think Australian feature
