Australian fashion designer to create two picture books for Berbay

Berbay Publishing has acquired world rights to two picture books by one of Australia’s most celebrated fashion designers Collette Dinnigan. Berbay publishing director Alexandra Yatomi-Clarke said Dinnigan’s ‘fashion collections have always had strong unique narratives and this ability to tell stories will translate beautifully into a children’s picture book’.

Affirm Press has acquired middle-grade novel Hattie Maxwell and the Library of Lost Words by debut author and librarian Julianne Negri. The story follows almost-10-year-old Hattie Maxwell as she deals with her parents’ separation, her little sister’s imaginary pet eagle, a mystery yarn-bomber and an old house full of secrets and magic.

Allen & Unwin has sold North American rights to You’re One! and You’re Two! by Shelly Unwin and Katherine Battersby—the first two titles in a series of board books that celebrate early childhood—to Penguin Random House’s Doubleday division. The publisher has also sold simplified Chinese language rights to Trace Balla’s picture books Rivertime and Rockhopping—which encourage kids to slow down and explore nature—to CITIC.

Walker Books has sold North American and Polish rights to Allison Rushby’s middle-grade mystery The Mulberry Tree to Candlewick Press and Wydawnictwo Zielona Sowa, respectively. The publisher has also sold Romanian rights to four books in the Chook Doolan series for emerging readers, written by James Roy and illustrated by Lucinda Gifford, to Aramis Print SRL.

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Category: Think Junior rights sales