Compiled by Cecilia Cackley

This is a monthly series keeping track of the book deals announced by Latinx writers and illustrators. The purpose of this series is to celebrate book deals by authors and illustrators in our community and to advocate for more of them. If you are an agent and you have a Latinx client who just announced a deal, you can let me know on Twitter, @citymousedc. If you are a Latinx author or illustrator writing for children or young adults, and you just got a book deal, send me a message and we will celebrate with you! And if I left anyone out here, please let me know! Here’s to many more wonderful books in the years to come.

AUGUST

Carolina Ortiz at HarperCollins has acquired debut middle grade novel Sincerely Sicily by founder of Es Mi Cultura Tamika Burgess, in a two-book deal. The book features 11-year-old Sicily, who learns to use her voice and take pride in her Black Panamanian heritage while confronting a new school, friendship drama, and prejudice both in the classroom and at home. Publication is planned for winter 2023, with an untitled second book to follow in winter 2024.

Mary Kate Castellani at Bloomsbury has acquired world rights to The Moon Conch by novelists David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall, in a two-book deal. In the YA fantasy romance, a young Aztec warrior and a contemporary immigrant Mexican girl, connected across the centuries by a sacred conch, flee oppression and fight to survive. Against all odds, they struggle to find their way to each other, for even 500 years isn’t enough to keep them apart. Publication is slated for 2023.

Sophia Jimenez at Atheneum has bought world rights to author-illustrator debut As the Seas Rise by Angela Quezada Padron. The picture book is about environmental scientist and activist Nicole Hernandez Hammer, who was recognized by former First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2015 State of the Union address for her efforts to educate people about climate change and its disproportionate impact on communities of color. Publication is set for September 2023.

Lisa Rosinsky at Barefoot Books has bought, and Kate DePalma will edit, Rooftop Garden by Danna Smith (The Hawk of the Castle; Swallow the Leader), illustrated by Pati Aguilera. This picture book about a modern urban community working together to grow a garden on the roof of their apartment building joins Barefoot’s collection of singalong picture books. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022.

Kate Harrison at Dial has bought world English rights to Just Try One Bite written by Camila Alves McConaughey and Adam Mansbach, illustrated by Mike Boldt. This debut picture book is a role-reversal tale of three kids who try to convince their picky eater parents to put down the ice cream and cake to just try one bite of healthy foods. Publication is set for March 2022.

Michelle Frey and Christopher Myers at Make Me a World have bought world rights, in a two-book deal, to Planet Brooklyn by screenwriter Tony Patrick, illustrated by Goñi Montes. In this middle grade graphic novel, a teenager discovers that he’s trapped in a planetary-sized replica of Brooklyn created by inter-dimensional aliens smitten with his Bed-Stuy neighborhood, in a look at gentrification through a sci-fi lens. Publication is set for spring 2024.

Kendra Levin of Simon & Schuster has acquired Once I Was You: Young Readers Edition by Emmy Award-winning journalist and anchor of Latino USA Maria Hinojosa. The book blends stories of Hinojosa’s childhood and teen years not included in her adult memoir with her newly penned perspectives about how the next generation can shape today’s America. It will be published simultaneously in English- and Spanish-language editions in fall 2022.

Katherine Harrison at Knopf has acquired, at auction, Turtles of the Midnight Moon, by Honduran American debut author Maria Jose Fitzgerald, a middle-grade eco-mystery with magical elements, set in Honduras. The story follows Barana and Abby, who reluctantly come together to solve a sea turtle egg poaching mystery plaguing Barana’s coastal village, and learn the true meaning of friendship, courage, and community. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Catriella Freedman at PJ Publishing has bought rights for Detour Ahead by Pamela Ehrenberg and Tracy López. In alternating chapters of prose and verse, this dual-POV contemporary middle grade novel depicts the friendship between Gilah, a neurodiverse Jewish girl preparing for her bat mitzvah, and Guillermo, a Salvadoran American boy who is new to Washington, D.C. Riding the bus together every day, Gilah and Guillermo learn to navigate life’s detours. Publication is slated for winter 2022.

Katie Carella at Scholastic has bought world rights to the Adventure Friends series written by Brandon Todd (Tou-Can’t) and illustrated by Gloria Félix, for the Acorn early reader line. Beginning readers can follow Miguel and Clarke as they explore their neighborhood and draw maps along the way. The first book, The Adventure Friends: Treasure Map, is due out in spring 2023.

Rachel Diebel at Feiwel and Friends has bought world rights to Out of Our League, a YA anthology of contemporary short stories about girls in sports, co-edited by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli. Contributors include Carrie Allen, Sara Farizan, Juliana Goodman, Maggie Hall, Leah Henderson, Sarah Henning, Naomi Kanakia, Miranda Kenneally, Yamile Saied Méndez, Cam Montgomery, Marieke Nijkamp, Amparo Ortiz, Aminah Mae Safi, and Kayla Whaley. Publication is planned for summer 2023.

Kiara Valdez at First Second has bought The Odyssey by Rex Ogle writing as Rey Terciero and illustrator Joe Casanova, a middle grade graphic novel following a mouse on an epic journey back to his home in Ithaca. Publication is slated for fall 2025.

Grace Maccarone at Holiday House has acquired world rights, in a two-book deal, to the first two titles in a bilingual picture book series about friends who speak English and Spanish in a dual-language classroom: Let’s Be Friends/Seamos amigos and We Play Soccer/Jugamos al fútbol by Premio Actitud Award winner René Colato Laínez, based on his experiences as a teacher at one of Los Angeles Unified School District’s most innovative bilingual elementary schools. The books will be illustrated by Nomar Perez; publication will start in winter 2022.

Rotem Moscovich at Knopf has bought world rights to Baller Ina by author-illustrator Liz Casal, a debut rhyming picture book about a ballerina who helps her basketball team leap to victory, celebrating the multifaceted nature of kids. Publication is planned for summer 2023.

SEPTEMBER

Nancy Paulsen of Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has acquired world rights in English and Spanish languages for two books by award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson. The Year We Learned to Fly, illustrated by Rafael López, is a follow-up to their bestselling picture book The Day You Begin. Angelina, the Black girl in The Day You Begin, and her younger brother, follow their grandmother’s advice to use their “brilliant minds” to lift them out of challenging situations and emotions and imagine a better world, just as their ancestors did before them. The World Belonged to Us will be illustrated by Leo Espinosa, and is about celebrating the joy and freedom of summer in the city. Publication will be January 4, 2022 and May 17, 2022 respectively.

Stacy Whitman at Lee & Low Books/Tu Books has acquired world rights to Moonlit Vine by Elizabeth Santiago, a contemporary YA novel with interstitial historical vignettes. The story follows 14-year-old Taína, who must draw from the strength of her Taíno ancestors to bring her family and community hope and healing after a devastating incident. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022.

Trisha de Guzman at FSG has acquired, at auction, in a two-book deal, world English rights to The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, a contemporary fantasy YA about a Haitian American teen zombie who uses her skills in the kitchen—and taste for human flesh—to get revenge on the wealthy elite responsible for her family’s pain. Publication is slated for fall 2023.

Zareen Jaffery at Kokila has acquired, in a preempt, North American rights to Viva Lola Espinoza, the debut novel by author Ella Cerón. It’s a coming-of-age romance with a dash of magical realism, about a booksmart teen whose summer plans are derailed when she is sent to live with her grandmother in Mexico City and learns a family secret that changes her life forever. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023.

Sophia Jimenez at Atheneum has acquired world rights to The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía, a debut middle grade fantasy novel by International Latino Book Award-winning author Alexandra Alessandri, featuring legends of the author’s rural Colombia. Twelve-year-old Valentina doesn’t believe in her father’s tales about the mano peluda, madremonte, and patasola, but when an earthquake injures Papi and leaves her stranded with her brother in a strange—and magical—land, she must face the madremonte’s wrath if she has any hopes of getting home and saving Papi. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has acquired The Worst Teddy Ever by debut author-artist Marcelo Verdad, in a seven-house auction. This humorous bedtime picture book stars a child who is disappointed that his teddy bear is always too tired to play games like all the other children’s cuddly toys do—but unbeknownst to him, behind the scenes, Teddy is awake all night heroically protecting the child from unwelcome visitors. Publication is planned for fall 2022.

Luisa Beguiristain at Roaring Brook has bought world rights to The Worry Balloon by Mónica Mancillas, author of the forthcoming picture book Mariana in México, illustrated by Betty C. Tang. Isla is anxiously walking to school, and she uses imaginative techniques to make peace with her anxiety regarding the coming school day. Publication is planned for winter 2023.

Andrew Arnold at HarperAlley has acquired, in a two-book preempt, Silenced Voices by Eisner-nominated Pablo Leon, a YA graphic novel about two sisters who find their way back to each other after being separated during a military raid on their village during the civil war in Guatemala in 1982. Publication of the first book is planned for winter 2024.

Tricia Lin at Random House has bought, in a preempt, Iveliz Explains It All, a debut middle grade novel in verse by Andrea Beatriz Arango. Pitched as The Poet X for middle graders, the novel follows Iveliz as she tries to manage her mental health, all while her new friend calls her crazy and her abuela dismisses the pills and therapy that Iveliz needs to feel like herself. Publication is planned for fall 2022.

Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook has bought world rights to Paka Paka con la Papa: Alberto Salas Plays Potato Hide-and-Seek by Sara Fajardo, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Juana Martinez-Neal. In this picture book about one of the world’s most successful plant collectors, Alberto Salas pursues rare potato plants up and down the Peruvian Andes, on a lifelong quest to help feed the world through protecting biodiversity. Publication is set for 2023.

Lucas Wetzel at Andrews McMeel has bought middle grade graphic novel series Peculiar Woods by the creator of Wawawiwa comics, Andrés J. Colmenares, pitched as Adventure Time meets The Brave Little Toaster. It’s the whimsical and adventurous tale of a lonely boy who teams up with a chair and blanket to help other courageous little objects with their problems. The first book, Peculiar Woods, is scheduled for spring 2023.

Jessica Anderson at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Gloriana, Presente: A First Day of School Story by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, illustrated by Doris Rodriguez. Pitched as The Day You Begin meets The King of Kindergarten, this bilingual picture book features a Dominican American girl overcoming anxiety and finding her voice in the classroom. The book is scheduled for 2023.

Bria Ragin with Nicola and David Yoon at Joy Revolution have acquired House Party, a multi-authored YA contemporary rom-com edited by justin a. reynolds (Opposite of Always; Early Departures). House Party is told through a series of interconnected stories in which 10 teens intermingle for one epic, life-changing night at the last house party before high school graduation. Contributors include Angeline Boulley, Jerry Craft, Natasha Diaz, Lamar Giles, Ryan La Sala, Jasmine Warga, Randy Ribay, justin a. reynolds, Christina Hammonds Reed, and Yamile Saied Méndez. Publication is set for summer 2023.

Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired, at auction, in a two-book deal, world rights to Por un Ratito by Gabriela Orozco Belt, illustrated by Richy Sanchez Ayala, a bilingual picture book in which Maribel and her family must move in with her aunt and cousins por un ratito—for a little while—and observe and appreciate all the differences that come with living in a new place. Publication is slated for spring 2023.

Emma Ledbetter at Abrams has acquired world rights to The Yellow Handkerchief (El Pañuelo Amarillo) by Pura Belpré Honor winner Donna Barba Higuera, illustrated by Cynthia Alonso. In this picture book, a girl struggles with the way her Mexican grandmother and her pañuelo amarillo—a yellow handkerchief—makes her feel different. But she grows to love the handkerchief, which represents a language and a culture she once feared others would not understand. Publication is set for spring 2023.

OCTOBER

Author of Pura Belpre Honor winner THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF NESTOR LOPEZ and CUBA IN MY POCKET Adrianna Cuevas‘s THE GHOSTS OF RANCHO ESPANTO, about a Cuban American boy who is sent to work on a ranch as punishment for a school prank gone wrong, where he’s confronted with an inexplicable mystery that reveals his greatest fears and forces him to rely on unexpected allies, to Trisha de Guzman at Farrar, Straus Children’s, in an exclusive submission, in a two-book deal, for publication in winter 2023.

Author-illustrator Joe Cepeda‘s SUMO LIBRE, the story of one boy who loves lucha libre and another who loves sumo wrestling, and how their disagreement about which is better leads the friends to create something unexpected and spectacular, to Nikki Garcia at Little, Brown Children’s, in an exclusive submission, for publication in summer 2024.

NYT-bestselling author of CEMETERY BOYS Aiden Thomas‘s JUST MAX, in which a stealth transgender college student faces the usual stress of freshman year—making new friends and trying to fit in—all while managing testosterone shots, navigating the perils of communal bathrooms, and falling in love with the handsome soccer player down the hall, to Holly West at Feiwel and Friends, in a good deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in winter 2024.

Ann Whitford Paul Honor recipient Belen Medina Cabot‘s DAUGHTERS OF THE SUN, about the interconnectedness of immigration and migration through the eyes of a human and a monarch butterfly, illustrated by Caldecott Honor recipient Juana Martinez-Neal, to Esther Cajahuaringa at Little, Brown Children’s, with Andrea Spooner editing, for publication in fall 2024.

Author Rio Cortez‘s THE RIVER IS MY SEA, about a child’s Saturday walk with their abuela and the love they share for the Hudson River, Harlem, and Yemaya, the ocean mother goddess of Santeria, a widely worshipped Yoruba orisha, illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin, to Denene Millner at Denene Millner Books, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2024.

YouTube slime queen Karina Garcia and Kevin Panetta‘s SLIME SHOP, in which a girl, her sister, and their friend run a small slime shop out of her bedroom, making and selling all kinds of different slime—gloopy, fluffy, crunchy, glittery, and many more—and ship them to loving homes all around the world, but what the girl doesn’t know is that when she’s not around, the slimes come to joyful life; when a crusty old slime insists that she’s sending them to their doom, the slimes set out on a quest to prove him wrong, illustrated by Niki Smith, to Erika Turner at Versify, with Weslie Turner editing, for publication in summer 2023.

Author of the forthcoming Mi Ciudad Sings Cynthia Harmony‘s A FLICKER OF HOPE, chronicling the parallel journey north of a Mexican girl’s father in search of harvest, and the migration of Monarch butterflies that will lead her Papa home, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth, to Liza Kaplan at Viking Children’s, for publication in fall 2023.

Professional harpsichordist, first generation Guyanese-American, and arts entrepreneur Leslie Kwan‘s A IS FOR ARETHA, the first ABC board book featuring female Black musicians whose artistry and activism globally changed the way we hear and interact with music, one song at a time, illustrated by Rachelle Baker, to Jasmin Rubero at Kokila, for publication in spring 2023.

NOVEMBER

Allison Cohen at Running Press Kids has bought North American rights to The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad, a YA novel by Natasha Deen, in an exclusive submission. The story follows Tuna Rashad, who is always on the lookout for messages from her Caribbean ancestors who have passed on, as she tries to win over her crush before she leaves for college. Publication is set for summer 2022.

Marilyn Brigham at Amazon Crossing Kids has bought middle-grade memoir Piece by Piece by David Aguilar and Ferran Aguilar, translated from the Spanish by Lawrence Schimel. The memoir tells the story of David Aguilar, who was born with one arm due to a rare disease, and the surprising international fame and success he attained after building himself a prosthetic arm out of Lego pieces. Publication is scheduled for September 2022.

Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has bought world rights for Sebastian the Littlest Food Critic by Debbie Rigaud, illustrated by Rachel Más Davidson, featuring a picky eater who rates most meals with “one binky” until he learns his family’s secret ingredient, which yields the rave review of “five binkies.” Publication is slated for 2024.

Patricia Stockland at Kind World has acquired world rights to Viva’s Voice by Raquel Donoso, illustrated by Carlos Vélez Aguilera. After learning what a strike is, five-year-old Viva convinces Papi to take her to the picket line. When quiet Papi is too nervous to give his speech, Viva uses her voice to help him find the confidence to use his own. Donoso’s childhood experience on the picket line with her father inspired this debut picture book. Publication is set for August 2022.

Alexandra Cooper at Quill Tree has acquired, in an exclusive submission, The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera, a prequel to They Both Die at the End. In the story, new star-crossed lovers are put to the test on the first day of Death-Cast’s fateful calls. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022.

Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab has acquired world rights to Marcia Argueta Mickelson‘s (Where I Belong) next YA novel, The Weight of Everything. Sarah leaves boarding school to care for her grieving father and younger brother after her mother’s death. Finding solace in painting, she researches her mother’s Guatemalan and Mexican roots and begins to understand how art is one way to have a voice. Publication is planned for spring 2023.

Christopher Robbins at Familius has bought world rights to June Moon, a bedtime picture book by Lynn Becker, illustrated by Nate Carvalho, that captures a languid summer evening as child and moon reluctantly prepare for sleep. Publication is slated for May 2023.

Patricia Stockland at Kind World has acquired world rights to Abuelito by David Corredor Benavides and Nelly Buchet (Cat Dog Dog), illustrated by Ana Sanfelippo (Amor, Amor), about a boy who loved his abuelo so much that he was called “Abuelito.” Publication is planned for spring 2023.

Ashley Hearn at Peachtree Teen has bought The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora (Fragile Remedy), a queer contemporary YA with a speculative twist, set in the Florida mangroves. Fifteen-year-old Brynn is obsessed with death, and her severe anxiety leaves her feeling isolated; but when her parents decide she’s going to spend the summer on her father’s houseboat, she meets—and starts crushing on—sultry and confident Skylar, who is hiding a dark secret. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Nancy Mercado at Dial has bought world rights at auction to La Chiva: Colorful Bus of the Andes by debut author Karol Hernández, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez (Nightlights). In verse that incorporates Spanish vocabulary, the story follows one of the gaily painted buses common throughout Colombia and other South American countries, as it transports villagers through the mountains to the marketplace. Publication is set for spring 2024.

Jon Westmark at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to Call Me Calvin, in which a boy becomes frustrated that he isn’t growing big, tall, or strong enough, and wonders if there’s more to being a man than just size and strength, written by Mary Vander Plas and illustrated by André Ceolin. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Kayla Tostevin at Page Street Kids has acquired world rights to A Cloud in a Jar by Aaron Lewis Krol, illustrated by Carlos Vélez Aguilera, in which two children set out across the sea to bring a fantasy land the gift of rain. Publication is scheduled for fall 2023.

Karen Boss at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to The Penguin of Ilha Grande: From Animal Rescue to Extraordinary Friendship, which showcases how one person’s act of kindness led to a life-changing friendship between a penguin, a man, and a community, written by Shannon Earle and illustrated by Renato Alarcão. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has acquired world rights to Newbery Honor and Pura Belpré Award winner Margarita Engle‘s Water Day, illustrated by debut artist Olivia Sua, about a girl and her community celebrating the arrival of the water man when he comes on his weekly visit to distribute water to a Cuban village. Publication is slated for summer 2023.

Julie Bliven at Charlesbridge has acquired world rights to Our Roof Is Blue by Sara Echenique, illustrated by Ashley Vargas. This picture book is about a younger sibling who experiences post-traumatic stress disorder after a hurricane damages his home in Puerto Rico. With the support of his older sister—and through storytelling, play, and rebuilding their roof—the boy finds his voice and sense of safety once more. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Neal Porter at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has acquired world rights to Saudade by Ana Crespo, a love letter to Brazil in picture book form, featuring a child and her immigrant mother as they explore the meaning of saudade, a Portuguese word for a strong feeling of longing for something you can’t have. Brazilian artist André Ceolin will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2024.

Orlando Dos Reis at Scholastic Press has bought, in a two-book deal, This Is Our Place and an untitled second YA novel by Vitor Martins (Here the Whole Time), originally published in Brazil as Se a Casa 8 Falasse; Larissa Helena will translate. Set in—and narrated by—a house, this contemporary novel alternates between Ana in 2000, Greg in 2010, and Beto in 2020 as they navigate first loves, heartfelt goodbyes, and new beginnings. Publication is set for fall 2022.

Nancy Mercado at Dial has acquired, at auction, in a six-figure, two-book deal, the middle grade debut by poet Jasminne Mendez, Aniana del Mar Jumps In, a novel-in-verse about a young swimmer who is diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. In this tale set in Galveston, Texas, about chronic illness and disability, mothers and daughters and the secrets they keep, Aniana must learn how to grieve who she once was in order to become who she was meant to be. Publication is set for 2023.

Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers has bought world rights to the picture book Fast Feet, Big Brains, a kid-friendly look at human origins through the lens of six famous hominid fossils by Elizabeth Shreeve (Out of the Blue), illustrated by paleo-artist Juan Carlos Alonso. Publication is set for fall 2023.

Luana Kay Horry has bought world rights to A Good Thing Happened Today, a debut picture book written by Good News Movement creator Michelle Figueroa. A lighthearted and rhythmic reminder that good things happen every day, this picture book is meant to inspire readers to continue being the change they want to see in the world. Ramona Kaulitzki will illustrate; publication is set for winter 2022. 

Rebecca Kuss while at Inkyard Press bought, at auction, world rights to Bridges and Islands, a YA anthology centering multiracial and multicultural experiences edited by Rebecca Balcárcel and Ismée Williams; Stephanie Cohen will edit. In addition to contributions from Balcárcel and Williams, the volume will include short stories from Adi Alsaid, Akemi Bowman, Anika Fajardo, Shannon Gibney, I.W. Gregorio, Veera Hiranandani, Rainey Nasugraq Hopson, Emiko Jean, Erin Entrada Kelly, Torrey Maldonado, Melina Mangal, Goldy Moldavsky, Randy Ribay, Loriel Ryan, Tara Sim, Eric Smith, Jasmine Warga, and Karen Yin. Publication is set for winter 2023.

Kyra Ostendorf at Free Spirit has bought world rights to Laney Dances in the Rain by Ken Willard, illustrated by Matthew Rivera. This wordless picture book about a girl who loves to dance in the pouring rain shows how her encounter with a boy who tries to ruin her fun allows her to embrace her true self and bring joy to herself and her neighbors. Publication is planned for fall 2022.

SELENA QUINTANILLA: QUEEN OF TEJANO MUSIC author Silvia Lopez‘s SONIA SOTOMAYOR, a story about the inspirational life of Sonia Sotomayor, illustrated by Nomar Perez, to Andrea Posner-Sanchez at Little Golden Books, for publication in August 2022.

Frank Berrios‘s One Good Night ‘Til series, featuring an array of children and their families getting ready for all the fun that comes with celebrating their favorite holiday: VALENTINE’S DAY, illustrated by Nneka Myers, for publication in fall 2021; EASTER, illustrated by Ramon Olivera, for publication in winter 2022; HALLOWEEN, illustrated by Debby Rahmalia, for publication in summer 2022; and CHRISTMAS, illustrated by Eduardo Marticorena, for publication in fall 2022, to Mary-Kate Gaudet at Little, Brown Children’s.

Panamanian American professional translator and member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Gabriella Aldeman‘s PAULA’S PATCHES, in which a girl with ripped pants finds a creative solution to making the best of hand-me-downs and learns she isn’t the only one who needs some patching up, to Meg Bratsch at Free Spirit.

DECEMBER

Seven-time Grammy Award–winning singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette, Diablo Cody, Glen Ballard, and Eric Smith‘s JAGGED LITTLE PILL: THE NOVEL, based on the musical following the intertwining lives of five teens whose world is changed forever after the events at a party, to Maggie Lehrman at Amulet, for publication in March 2022.

Tamara Grasty at Page Street has bought Amparo Ortiz‘s YA novel Last Sunrise in Eterna, the enchanted home of elves off the coast of Puerto Rico where human visitors are rarely allowed. It’s the last place that Sevim Burgos, who makes a living snatching elf corpses, would ever want to go—until she’s forced to ally herself with an elf prince to save her kidnapped mother. Publication is scheduled for 2023.

Author Silvia Lopez and Broadway producer Susan Rose‘s JOSE AND EL PERRO, a bilingual easy reader series chronicling one boy’s confusion when his newly adopted dog doesn’t understand his Spanish commands, illustrated by Gloria Felix, to Renee Kelly at Penguin Workshop, in a two-book deal, for publication in March 2023.

Tennis superstar Serena Williams‘s THE ADVENTURES OF QAI QAI, featuring the celebrated family doll Qai Qai, teaching a little girl the importance of believing in herself, exploring evergreen themes like friendship and the power of imagination, illustrated by Yesenia Moises, produced with entertainment technology company Invisible Universe, in which Williams is an investor, to Jean Feiwel at Feiwel and Friends, with Foyinsi Adegbonmire also editing, for publication on September 27, 2022.

Rosie Ahmed at Dial has bought, in a six-house auction, world rights to Barrio Rising by debut author Maria Dolores Aguila, illustrated by Magdalena Mora, in a two-book deal. This picture book unfolds through the determined voice of a girl participating in the protest that led to the creation of the iconic Chicano Park in San Diego. Publication in both English and Spanish is scheduled for spring 2024.

Christy Ottaviano at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has bought, in a two-book deal, world rights to Uno Más, One More, written by Silvia Lopez and illustrated by Olivia Sua. This bilingual retelling of the folktale “Always Room for One More” follows Don Manuel, Doña Lila, and their children and assorted pets as they welcome all to their one-room casita for a fiesta. Publication is slated for winter 2024

Nick Thomas at Levine Querido has acquired world rights to The Prince & the Coyote, an historical YA novel from Pura Belpré Honor author David Bowles, illustrated by Amanda Mijangos. After his city falls in 1418 and his family is slaughtered, the 16-year-old crown prince of Tetzcoco goes on the run from a tyrant. Adopting the name Nezahualcoyotl—Fasting Coyote—he manages to survive, retaking his homeland and establishing a powerful new alliance: the Aztec Empire. Publication is slated for fall 2022.

Kiara Valdez at First Second has acquired world rights to Area 51 and Unwanted Guests, the first two titles in the Strange Mystery Comics middle grade graphic novel series. Steve Foxe, the writer for the series, artist Fran Bueno (Area 51) and artist Naomi Franquiz (Unwanted Guests) will take strange events and examine what occurred. Jill Freshney will also edit; publication is planned for 2024.

Alyza Liu at Simon & Schuster has acquired, at auction, Empanadas for Everyone, written by Jackie Azúa Kramer and illustrated by Lenny Wen, about a girl whose weekend visit to her tía’s neighborhood teaches her the importance of community—and of empanadas. Publication is scheduled for summer 2023.

Andrea Colvin at Little, Brown has acquired Deya Muniz and Emily Erdos‘s YA graphic novel Blades of Furry, based on their webcomic of the same name, in which Emile, a promising rookie in the high-stakes world of battle ice skating, learns the deepest secret of reigning champion Radu’s and must decide whether to use it to take his rival down, while getting closer and closer to him. Publication is scheduled for fall 2023.

Renee Kelly at Penguin Workshop has acquired, in a two-book deal, world rights to children’s author Silvia López and Broadway producer Susan Rose‘s easy reader series José and El Perro, illustrated by visual development artist Gloria Felix. The first book of the bilingual series chronicles one boy’s confusion when his newly adopted dog, Feliz, doesn’t understand his Spanish commands. Publication is set for March 2023.

Hannah Lambert at Little Simon has acquired world rights to The Thank You Book by Danna Smith, illustrated by Juliana Perdomo, a board book that encourages readers to say thank you to those who help us every day. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022.