Compiled by Cecilia Cackley

This is a bi-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 com

 

October 31

Nancy Mercado at Dial has bought world rights to Flora la Fresca, first in a young middle grade series by Veronica Chambers, illustrated by Sujean Rim, in a two-book deal. When fearless and fun-loving Flora Bayano’s best friend Clara breaks the news that she’s moving, the girls set out to find Flora a new BFF, only to discover that replacing one friend with another is more complicated than it seems. Publication is planned for 2021. Author agent: Kimberly Witherspoon at InkWell Management.

 

Liz Szabla at Feiwel and Friends has bought world rights to Watch Me by parenting influencer Doyin Richards, illustrated by Pura Belpré Honor recipient Joe Cepeda, a picture book about the challenges of immigrating to America and the many contributions that immigrants make. Publication is slated for spring 2021. Illustrator agent: Jennifer Rofé at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

 

October 29

Nancy Mercado at Dial has acquired world rights to Shirley Chisholm Is a Verb by Veronica Chambers, illustrated by Rachelle Baker. This picture book biography celebrates the contributions of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman in Congress who eventually sought the Democratic U.S. presidential nomination, and highlights the many verbs Shirley embodied throughout her life. Publication is set for summer 2020. Author agent: Kimberly Witherspoon at InkWell Management.

 

October 24

Andrea Colvin at Little, Brown has acquired Deya Muniz‘s debut middle-grade graphic novel, The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich, and a second book, in which Lady Camembert, a denizen of the Kingdom of Fromage, must disguise herself as a man to inherit her father’s estate, but her secret becomes difficult to keep once she falls in love with the royal Princess Brie. Publication will begin in spring 2021.

 

Jess Harold at Scholastic has bought, at auction, world rights to Bisa’s Carnaval by Joana Pastro, illustrated by Carolina Coroa, a picture book told through the eyes of a girl eager to celebrate Carnaval with her bisa (great-grandmother), complete with bright costumes, flowers, feathers, and plenty of glitter. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021. Author agent: Natascha Morris at BookEnds Literary. Illustrator agent: Amanda Hendon at Advocate Art.

 

October 22

Nancy Mercado at Dial has acquired world rights to ¡Canta Conmigo! The Story of Selena Quintanilla, a debut picture book by author and Corpus Christi native Diana López, illustrated by Teresa Martinez. Known as the Queen of Tejano Music, Selena never forgot her roots in Corpus Christi and continues to inspire others to follow their dreams. Publication is set for April 2021, to coincide with what would have been Selena’s 50th birthday. Author agent: Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary. Illustrator agent: Emily Coggins at Astound.

 

Kate DePalma at Barefoot Books has bought world rights to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes by Lisa Rosinsky, writing as Skye Silver, illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson (While You Are Sleeping). This sing-along book features a modern family enjoying a day of healthy habits, set to the familiar children’s tune. Publication is scheduled for autumn 2020.

 

October 17

None.

 

October 10

Stacy Whitman at Tu Books has acquired Echoes of Grace by Pura Belpré Award-winning author Guadalupe García McCall. In this YA gothic mystery set on the border, Grace’s relationship with her younger sister, Mercy, is fractured when Mercy’s two-year-old son is accidentally killed, bringing to the surface old traumas and literal ghosts as the family flounders to heal. Publication is planned for spring 2021. Author agent: Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Agency.

 

Ashley Hearn at Page Street has bought Amparo Ortiz‘s YA debut, Blazewrath, a contemporary fantasy pitched as How to Train Your Dragon meets Quidditch Through the Ages, about 17-year-old Lana Torres, who after rescuing a prized dragon from an attacker is awarded a spot on her native Puerto Rico’s Blazewrath World Cup team. But the return of the Sire, an ancient dragon who’s cursed to remain in human form, threatens to compromise this year’s tournament. Publication is set for fall 2020. Author agent: Linda Camacho at Gallt & Zacker.

 

October 8

Margaret Raymo at HMH/Versify has acquired Lola StVil‘s The Summer I Flew Away, in her debut middle grade work written as Marie Arnold, which follows 10-year-old Fabiola on her journey from her native Haiti to America as she reexamines the concepts of family and home and embraces a power all her own. Publication is planned for fall 2020. Author agent: Adrienne Rosado at Stonesong.

 

Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to The Sock Thief: A Soccer Story author Ana Crespo‘s Hello, Tree, a story about the friendship between a girl and a tree, and the fire that threatens it, told through the perspective of the tree and inspired by the 2013 Black Forest Fire in Colorado. Dow Phumiruk (Counting on Katherine), winner of the 2019 Cook Prize, will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021. Author agent: Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency.

 

October 3

Kait Feldmann at Scholastic/Orchard has bought Finding Home, the U.S. picture book debut of author-illustrator Estelí Meza. Conejo turns to his friends when his house is blown away in a storm; while they cannot find his house, they help him find his way. The book will be published in a simultaneous Spanish-language edition, Buscando un hogar, in spring 2021. Author agent: Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary.

 

September 19

Kristen Pettit at HarperTeen has acquired Monica Gomez-Hira‘s Once Upon a Quinceañera in a six-figure, two-book auction. Pitched as Jane the Virgin meets Jenny Han, the YA debut follows a Miami party princess/performer-for-hire forced to work her loathsome, wealthy cousin’s quinceañera alongside her even more loathsome ex-boyfriend. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021. Author agent: Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

 

Mallory Kass at Scholastic has acquired Zoraida Córdova‘s middle grade debut, The Way to Rio Luna. Eleven-year-old Danny Monteverde discovers a magical book at the library that holds a map to an enchanted fairyland, and the key to reuniting with his missing sister. Along with unlikely friends—a runaway jackalope prince and a bookworm named Glory—Danny’s adventure takes him from New York to Ecuador to Brazil, racing against time and the greatest threat the magical realm has ever known. Publication is set for summer 2020. Author agent: Adrienne Rosado at Stonesong.

 

September 17

Liza Kaplan at Philomel has bought world rights to former Knopf Books for Young Readers senior editor Allison Wortche‘s picture book, Oliver’s Lollipop, about a boy who just wants a sweet treat and almost misses out on a fun day at the zoo—and the beauty of the world around him—until a pesky giraffe and his little brother help remind him what’s really important. Andrés Landazabal will illustrate; publication is planned for summer 2021. Illustrator agent: Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency.

 

September 12

Trisha de Guzman at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has bought world rights to debut author Tootie Nienow‘s nonfiction picture book There Goes Patti McGee!, illustrated by Erika Medina. The book follows Patti McGee, the first-ever female professional skateboarder, and how she became the 1964 Woman’s National Skateboard Champion. Publication is slated for winter 2021.

 

Kelsey Skea at Amazon/Two Lions has acquired Jackie Azúa Kramer‘s We Are One, which celebrates friendship between children from different backgrounds. The book will be jointly illustrated by Raissa Figueroa (center) and Nina Mata; publication is planned for spring 2021. Illustrator agent: Natascha Morris at BookEnds Literary Agency.

 

September 10

Namrata Tripathi at Kokila has acquired, on exclusive submission, Sanctuary by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, author of the forthcoming Undocumented America. The YA novel follows Marcela, a 16-year-old New Yorker and budding journalist whose world comes crashing down when she finds out her father is scheduled for immediate deportation. When he seeks sanctuary at a local church, Marcela finds herself fighting for her father’s rights and fending off exploitative media outlets she once hoped to join. Publication is set for fall 2021. Author agent:  Peter Steinberg at Foundry Literary + Media.

 

September 5

Katie Cunningham at Candlewick has acquired world rights to ‘Twas the Night Before Pride, a picture book by debut author Joanna McClintick, illustrated by Pura Belpré Award winner Juana Medina. On the eve of the LGBTQ+ community’s biggest holiday, a queer family prepares for the next day’s festivities, remembering the revelry of years past, revisiting the history behind the first Pride march, and reaffirming what it means to have pride. Publication is set for spring 2022. Illustrator agent: Gillian MacKenzie at MacKenzie Wolf.

 

Kate DePalma at Barefoot Books has signed Dance Like a Leaf by debut author AJ Irving, illustrated by Claudia Navarro (La Frontera). The bittersweet story follows a girl coping with the decline and death of her grandmother and finding comfort in the autumn leaves they used to enjoy together. Publication is slated for fall 2020.

 

 

Cecilia Cackley is a Mexican-American playwright and puppeteer based in Washington, DC. A longtime bookseller, she is currently the Children’s/YA buyer and event coordinator for East City Bookshop on Capitol Hill. Find out more about her art at www.ceciliacackley.com or follow her on Twitter @citymousedc