Happy Pub Day to Andi Watson’s The Book Tour: A Lack of Alibi
I’m happy to celebrate the publication of The Book Tour: A Lack of Alibi by Andi Watson, out today from Top Shelf. This adult graphic novel is perfect for fans of stylish, noir stories filled with unnerving moments of deadpan humor.
Door-to-door encyclopedia salesman Mortimer arrives in the city in a hurry. He wants to get home in time for his daughter’s sports day, but first he needs to make a sale. All that’s stopping him is a murderer on the loose, the police declaring him their prime suspect…and a lack of alibi.
Early Praise
"Every single line holds meaning and import... there’s no wasted mark on the page, everything is just pure comics-making brilliance.” - Richard Bruton
Sample Pages
Rights
Foreign Rights: Available via Editions Ca et La
Film/TV Rights: Available via Janna Co.
Merch/Commercial Rights: Janna Co.
For rights inquiries, please contact me at janna@jannaco.co.
Happy Pub Day to Debbie Fong’s The Faraway Forest: Hester’s Big Dream
Celebrating the publication of The Faraway Forest: Hester’s Big Dream by Debbie Fong, with colors by Kayla Catanzaro, out today from Chronicle Books! This early reader graphic novel is perfect for fans of Owly, Donut Feed the Squirrels, and other sweet-natured, cozy stories featuring charming animals.
Hester the owl has just moved to the Faraway Forest. She rises at sunset and spends her nights dancing, cooking, writing, and making costumes, but she wonders whether there are new friends to be made while the sun is out. Can she stay awake long enough to find out? Or will the forest night turn out to be more magical than she imagined? Either way, Hester is in for an adventure in this follow-up to The Faraway Forest: Wally's Route.
Early Praise
"There is no time of day or night that is not magical here." – Kirkus Reviews
Sample Pages
Rights
- Foreign Rights: Available via Chronicle Books
- Film/TV Rights: Available via Janna Co.
- Merch/Commercial Rights: Available via Janna Co.
For rights inquiries, please contact me at janna@jannaco.co.
Happy Pub Day to Misako Rocks’s How to Draw Kawaii Manga Pets
Celebrating the publication of How to Draw Kawaii Manga Pets by Misako Rocks!, out today from Quarto! This early middle grade how-to-draw book is perfect for kids who love drawing cute animals.
Have you ever wanted to draw your pet, or the pet you wish you had? In the fourth book in the Learn Manga with Misako series, Misako shows kids how to draw irresistibly cute cats, dogs, bunnies, and amphibians, plus magical pets like dragons and unicorn bunnies. Step-by-step lessons and QR codes linking to Misako's video tutorials let young artists draw right alongside a real manga pro.
Early Praise
"An easy-to-follow yet thorough guidebook for artists of all skill levels…" – School Library Journal
Sample Pages
Rights
- Foreign Rights: Available via Quarto
- Film/TV Rights: Available via Janna Co.
- Merch/Commercial Rights: Available via Janna Co.
For rights inquiries, please contact me at janna@jannaco.co.
Happy Pub Day to Misako Rocks’s Double Trouble: Lost in Japan
Celebrating the publication of Double Trouble: Lost in Japan by Misako Rocks!, out today from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan! This middle grade graphic novel is perfect for kids who love Japan and are fans of the Bounce Back series.
Twin sisters Angie and Kiara are spending part of their summer break in Japan with their friend Lilico and teammates from their basketball team. Kiara is nervous about the long flight and not speaking Japanese, but everyone is excited for the sights, the food, and the fashion. Then one of the twins gets lost in the middle of Kyoto, and the friends have to race across the city to find her. Along the way, the girls discover that teamwork matters off the court, too.
Early Praise
"A beautiful, easy introduction to Japanese culture with some familiar faces." - Booklist
Sample Pages
Rights
- Foreign Rights: Available via Macmillan
- Film/TV Rights: Available via New Leaf Literary
- Merch/Commercial Rights: Available via New Leaf Literary
For rights inquiries, please contact me at janna@jannaco.co.
Happy Pub Day to Linda Booth Sweeney and Ariel Rutland’s Do Bees Pee?
I’m happy to celebrate the publication of Do Bees Pee? by Linda Booth Sweeney and Ariel Rutland, out today from Harper Collins. This funny nonfiction picture book about animal poop (ie, the “closed loop waste cycle") is perfect for pre-K through second grade.
We humans flush our poo and pee away, but in the wild, animal waste keeps nature healthy and strong. With bright, graphic art and short, laugh-out-loud text, this book shows how creatures from bees to whales are part of closed-loop systems where nothing goes to waste. It's a memorable introduction to how the natural world is connected.
Early Praise
"A high-spirited info-dump, featuring some particularly choice new vocabulary for young nature lovers." – Kirkus Reviews
Sample Pages
Rights
- Foreign Rights: Available via Harper Collins
- Film/TV Rights: Available via Janna Co.
- Merch/Commercial Rights: Available via Janna Co.
For rights inquiries, please contact me at janna@jannaco.co.
Happy Pub Day to Gibson Twist's Warriors Graphic Novel: The New Prophecy
I'm happy to celebrate the publication of Warriors Graphic Novel: The New Prophecy, Part One of Three, adapted by Gibson Twist and illustrated by Sammy Savos from the novels by Erin Hunter, out today from HarperAlley. This middle grade graphic novel is perfect for longtime Warriors fans and readers who love epic animal fantasy full of loyalty, rivalry, and destiny.
Covering Midnight and Moonrise, the first two novels of the New Prophecy arc, the story begins when Brambleclaw of ThunderClan receives a warning from StarClan about a mysterious danger. He sets out for the mountains with warriors from every Clan in search of answers. Meanwhile, back in the forest, Firestar and Leafpaw watch ThunderClan's world start to come apart.
Good News
Warriors Graphic Novel: The New Prophecy, Part One of Three was an instant bestseller, hitting #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
Sample Pages
Rights
- Foreign Rights: Available via HarperCollins
- Film/TV Rights: Available via Working Partners
- Merch/Commercial Rights: Available via HarperCollins
For rights inquiries, please contact me at janna@jannaco.co.
Happy Pub Day to Katie Risor’s Welcome to the Forest: The Lake Trip!
I’m happy to celebrate the publication of Welcome to the Forest: The Lake Trip by Katie Risor, out today from Andrews McMeel Publishing. This early reader graphic novel is perfect for readers who love the gentle worlds of Studio Ghibli, cozy comics, and collectible characters in the spirit of Brambly Hedge and Calico Critters.
At a Glance
- Format: Paper over board graphic novel
- Age Level: Ages 6–8 (Grades 1–3)
- Page Count: 80 pages
- Genre: Early reader cozy fantasy graphic novel
- Foreign Rights: Available via Andrews McMeel
- Film/TV Rights: Available via Janna Co.
- Merch/Commercial Rights: Available via Janna Co.
- Best for Readers Who Like: classic Mercer Mayer, Brambly Hedge, and Calico Critters
In The Lake Trip, the second book in the Welcome to the Forest series, Mossman, Wallace, and their friends set off on a lakeside adventure. When Fiona’s friend Sue Ellen invites the gang to visit Lake Sunny Splash, they take a road trip to a brand-new place, survive a surprising fishing trip, and celebrate summer with an island picnic. The book closes with a fun nonfiction fact sheet about lakes and their natural wonders.
The Lake Trip combines the appeal of its quirky forest characters with a warm story about friendship and trying new things, making it especially appealing for emerging readers, English-language learners, and classroom and library shelves.
Sample Pages
What Makes It Special
- An early reader graphic novel for Grades 1–3 (ages 6–8) in a fast-growing category, built for accessibility with a dyslexia-friendly font, simple dialogue, and sight words for beginning readers and ESL learners.
- Katie Risor’s hand-painted gouache and colored-pencil art gives the series a distinctive, cozy look, with funny, expressive characters readers want to return to.
- This is Book #2 in the Welcome to the Forest series, building a recognizable cast and a returnable world across installments.
- A character-driven, episodic premise with clear potential for translation, licensing, and merchandising.
Early Praise
- “Risor’s soft artwork, in gouache and colored pencil, nicely carries the episodic stories … gentle fantasy forest creatures with rounded shapes and expressive faces … the warm palette will appeal to kids.” – Booklist, on the series
For rights inquiries, please contact me at janna@jannaco.co.
Happy Pub Day! BABYSITTERS LITTLE SISTERS: KAREN'S PRIZE by Shauna J. Grant
Happy Publication Day to Shauna J. Grant for her graphic novel adaptation of Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Prize (from the original by Ann M. Martin)! Congrats to Shauna and the whole team at Scholastic!
Claudia Rueda's Smushkins burst into the world!
Oops, that's just Bloo, riding on their scooter! I meant to introduce you to ALL the Smushkins.
Leo, Opie, Ook, Dog, Tippi, Iona, Puff, Ki, Moe... and yes, Bloo:
The Smushkins are good friends with each other. Right now, they're busy with something important.
They have some strict qualifications for this house, though. It needs:
There's one thing the Smushkins' house needs more than anything else, though...
What could it be? You'll have to read the book to find out!
Where Did the Smushkins Come From?
The Smushkins came from the imagination of Colombian author-illustrator Claudia Rueda. We were bouncing ideas around during Covid times, and at a certain point Claudia showed me some sketches of odd-looking creatures like this:
I thought these little guys were quite intriguing. Claudia kept playing with them, and they evolved into this:
And then Claudia started putting them into their environment...
And asking, what would the Smushkins do together?
It turns out the Smushkins are very, very busy doing all kinds of things!! And there are more Smushkins waiting for their moment in the sun!
Don't worry, you won't have to wait for too long to see what else the Smushkins are up to. There are two more books coming in March 2025 (and after that, another two books in 2026!)
Celebrating the Smushkins' Big Day
Trust me, the Smushkins didn't tiptoe into the world. THEY ANNOUNCED THEMSELVES WITH A PARTY.
Claudia celebrated their very first book birthday with a talk and dinner at the Smushkins' favorite bookstore, Sullaluna on Carmine Street in NYC.
It was a packed house of picture book lovers who wanted to hear more about the Smushkins' philosophy of life.
In fact, the Smushkins already have die-hard fans -- one of them presented Claudia with a hand-sewn felt plushie of Moe. Carrying a colored pencil in case she needed to doodle at any moment.
And the Smushkins, being good hosts, know that you don't want your guests to go hungry. You should serve popcorn to the audience.
After the presentation, party-goers retired to the upstairs restaurant for Crocchette Cacio e Uovo, Fettuccine ai Funghi, and other delicacies. The Smushkins have good taste.
What Are People Saying About the Smushkins?
Don't just take my word for it. People are talkin'. They really, really like the Smushkins.
- “A vision of childhood that’s generous, validating, and cute as all get out.” – Publishers Weekly
- “You know what’s going to save us from AI? .... I’m talking Smushkins, people. The kind of creations that only people like creator Claudia Rueda could come up with.” – Betsy Bird, A Fuse 8 Production
- “Little ones will love poring over the light, breezy, and pleasantly jumbled pastel-colored illustrations of the characters as they demonstrate all the places and activities they believe are important to a home.” – Booklist
- “Deftly taps into the fun of coming up with one’s dream home with all one’s best friends.” – Kirkus Reviews
- “[The Smushkins] have pretty good taste in their choice of location; who doesn’t want to live near a park with a playground and hill for picnics AND near a library?” – YA Books Central
Click to find out more about Meet the Smushkins, The Smushkins ABC Zoinks, and The Smushkins Colors.
Find out more about Claudia Rueda on her website, and sign up for her newsletter here!
Congratulations, Claudia (and Leo, Opie, Ook, Dog, Tippi, Iona, Puff, Ki, Moe, and Bloo)!
MY DAY WITH DAD by Rae Crawford published today!
Congrats, Rae Crawford, on the publication of MY DAY WITH DAD!
Games, kites, a bike ride, and mac and cheese–it’s fun to spend a day with Dad. First-graders can read this Level G story on their own!
A day with Dad is a day packed with fun! Eating too many pancakes is just the beginning. Morning rain means it’s time for board games. When the sun comes back out, so do bikes and kites. Pup the dog tags along, too! Back home, the evening continues with mac and cheese, movies, and a phone call from Mom. Then Dad has one more surprise: PILLOW FIGHT!
This is one adorable, irresistible early reader.