rights guide • picture books • children’s books 1 | P a g e Index New Releases Page 3 Beautiful Stories Page 7 Tales Page 10 Cats Lovers Page 16 Dogs Lovers Page 17 Adventure Page 20 Lessons for Kids Page 26 All Time Favourites Page 33 Rhymes & Poetry Page 40 Bedtime Stories and Sleeping Issues Page 43 Good Reads for Older Ones Page 50 Educational Page 58 Series Page 60 2 | P a g e New Releases Margot and Milligan Curious as Cats Janette Lucas When Margot first visits her grandparent’s farm, she and her dog Milligan aren’t that keen on venturing out to meet all the animals. Instead, they play together in the safety of the garden, watching the animals from behind the fence. However, this only makes the newcomers more interesting for the farm animals and they want to meet these strangers as soon as possible! Still Margot and Milligan aren’t quite ready to get up close. When Pa finally coaxes Margot out onto the farm, she asks him a stream of questions. Eventually, she discovers that it’s not only cats who are inquisitive creatures…there’s a much bigger animal which is far more curious! The Author Janette studied fine arts and has spent many years exhibiting her paintings throughout Australia and Indonesia. She has three children and loves gardening, collecting art, reading, playing ukulele, listening to French pop music and writing. Dividing her time between the north of Australia and a country town 4000 kilometres south means she can enjoy summer all year round. At home in the south, Janette lives upstairs in a two-storey former pub which is filled with art and interesting objects collected over many years. Downstairs is workspace with her picture framing business and art supplies shop which opens onto the street. Publication date: March 2021 Age Group: 3-5 Extent: 60 pages Rights available: All rights UK RRP: £9.99 The Folded Mattress Aunt Nadia This story is about a young boy who suddenly finds himself rejected by his mattress. Change can be spooky, but the boy learns that change can also be an opportunity to grow. This is a funny and quirky bedtime story that will surely make your kids laugh! The Author The author is a mother inspired by her children. Everything she does has her signature – love and passion – baked into it. Whether it be caring for her children, cooking meals, or writing stories, her imagination comes to life through her dedication and creativity. Publication date: March 2021 Age Group: 6-8 Extent: 30 pages Rights available: All rights US RRP: $8.95 3 | P a g e The Lost Coat Sue Ellis All the children’s coats in the school cloakroom are chatting happily with each other about their day. One coat, however, has a horrible, shameful secret! What could that secret be? Find out how one lonely coat turns into a cool coat when its owner makes wise choices! In The Lost Coat, Sue Ellis sensitively handles the difficult topic of knife crime and gang culture in a gentle way for young children to read and discuss. Children, parents, grandparents and teachers will enjoy the humour in the story and agree that sharing a problem with others helps keep us all safe, happy, hopeful, optimistic and confident. In the same vein as Sue Ellis’s first two books, Gorgeous Gwendolen Goose and Other Stories and Proud Patrick Peacock and Other Stories, The Lost Coat encourages all readers to be the best version of themselves! The Ben Kinsella Trust, one of the leading anti-knife crime charities in the UK, will receive a donation from the royalties received for the purchase of this book to help them in their wonderful work campaigning against knife crime and help educate young people about its dangers. The Author Sue Ellis worked in education for 36 years as a secondary teacher, a behaviour and attendance adviser, and lecturer at York St John University. She has a wide experience of listening to children’s issues from the pupils she has taught and her own two children, Katie and Robert. Now retired, Sue spends time visiting schools with her books Gorgeous Gwendolen Goose and Other Stories and Proud Patrick Peacock and Other Stories, encouraging children to be the best version of themselves. Sue was born in Liverpool, attended university in Reading and Oxford. She has lived in York since 1982. Publication date: March 2021 Age Group: 9-11 Extent: 28 pages Rights available: All rights UK RRP: £9.99 If Hugs Were Bugs Kim Yandoli Hugs can be magical and fun. Can you imagine the surprising things that could happen? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could give a big warm hug and out popped a cute friendly bug? In this story, If Hugs Were Bugs, follow a family’s adventure and see what surprises come from their hugs. The Author Kim Yandoli has worked in the medical field for over 30 years and has always dreamed of writing children’s books. She aspires to make people happy and finds joy doing that through writing, laughter, and love. Publication date: March 2021 Age Group: 6-8 Extent: 26 pages Rights available: All rights US RRP: $8.95 4 | P a g e Tessa Tidies Up! Olivia Ward Meet Tessa, a little girl on a mission to save lost litter in her home village of Patchworth. Travel with Tessa as she journeys around town helping a crumpled coffee cup, a crushed tin can, and a soggy crisp packet all make it home safely to their family and friends. Tessa Tidies Up! is a delightful story of love, care, imagination and hope for the future. The Author This is Olivia’s first children’s book and is inspired by a true story of her walks to and from school as a little girl. Olivia lives in Yorkshire with her husband Jamie, her dog Ronnie and Pearl, the three-legged cat aka Tripod. Publication date: March 2021 Age Group: 6-8 Extent: 26 pages Rights available: All rights UK RRP: £9.99 Caught It Rebecca Hobbs Evie loves being with Mummy. Mummy loves being with Evie. But Evie is about to start school. What will she do? How will she get through the day without her Mummy? She will miss her so much. However, what Evie doesn’t know is that she is about to discover a way of coping with letting go. She will learn that comfort can be brought by the invisible… “Catch all the kisses that come your way. They’ll make you feel loved all through the day.” So, join Evie as she discovers the magic of catching and blowing kisses; helping her to enjoy her very first day of school. A heart- warming and touching story showing us that the people we love and miss can still remain near – however far away they may seem. So why not spread the magic? Quick! Catch it! The Author Rebecca Hobbs’ stories are inspired by her day-to-day experiences in the classroom as a primary school teacher and being with her own two young children. When not covered in paint, head to toe in glitter or ‘eating’ playdough creations, Rebecca enjoys writing stories for children, combining relatable themes with a little touch of magic. She is a fan of biscuits, cardigans and daydreaming. Publication date: February 2021 Age Group: 3-5 Extent: 32 pages Rights available: All rights UK RRP: £9.99 5 | P a g e Molly the Mouse and the Untidy House Amanda Roberts Molly the Mouse just loves to play – and making a mess while doing it! But when, at the end of a busy day, Molly can no longer find her bed, this exhausted little mouse may need some help in tidying up. But will there still be a surprise for Molly when she finally tries to go to sleep? The Author By day, Amanda Roberts is a teacher and an ordinary mum of two but by night, she is a secret scribbler who curls up under a blanket, writing down silly rhymes by torchlight. Amanda lives in Lancashire with one messy husband, two energetic children and a very naughty cat. She loves guinea pigs, the seaside and singing loudly in the car but is far less keen on smelly cheese, mushy bananas and tidying up at the end of the day. Perhaps that’s what gave her the idea for her hilarious debut children’s book, Molly the Mouse and the Untidy House! Publication date: March 2021 Age Group: 3-5 Extent: 22 pages Rights available: All rights UK RRP: £8.99 Grandpa, I Wanna Go Fishing Stanley Yoder The reader will quickly be drawn into an audience of grandchildren who are listening to their grandpa tell them a bedtime story. Together they discover, in a most captivating and surprising way, the bonding elements of love between those whom we call family. The story begins when grandpa was five years old and his own grandfather, Ike, took him and his two older brothers fishing. It was going to be the best day of his life. The excitement builds as the story comes alive. But then, suddenly a near tragedy takes place. An event the children’s grandpa had never shared with them before. The Author Stanley Yoder is employed as a carpenter and electrician with Yoder Construction, owned by his son. From January through March, he can be found in his woodworking shop, building fine furniture and cabinets. For 29 years, he was a professor of electrical and computer engineering and holds a PhD in computer engineering, an MS and BS in electrical engineering.