Deals

Feather Flores at Chronicle has bought world rights to Maria Mariposa by Karla Arenas Valenti (l.), a bilingual story about a girl who receives a gift from her home in Mexico, on her first day of school in the U.S.—and how she finds a way to share the magic of that gift with everyone around her. Ana Ramírez González will illustrate; publication is scheduled for fall 2023. Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary represented the author, and Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Feather Flores at Chronicle has bought world rights to A Treasure of Measures by Mike Downs, a nonfiction picture book that introduces readers to units of measurement, while also encouraging them to be silly, use their imaginations, and immerse themselves in the wonder of the world around them. Joy Hwang Ruiz will illustrate; publication is scheduled for fall 2023. Tracy Marchini at BookEnds Literary represented the author, and Molly O'Neill at Root Literary represented the illustrator.
Feather Flores at Atheneum has bought, in a six-figure preempt, The No-Girlfriend Rule, a queer YA romance by debut author Christen Randall, pitched as Heartstopper meets Fangirl with the fat pride of Dumplin'. When her boyfriend's "no girlfriends at the table" rule excludes her from participating in a roleplaying game, high school senior Hollis Beckwith joins an all-girls group instead. As Hollis starts to believe she can be more than just fat, anxious, and a little lost, an in-game crush develops between her character and charismatic Aini Amin-Shaw's—but Hollis wants their romance to be more than just pretend. Publication is set for spring 2024; Becca Langton at Darley Anderson did the two-book deal for North American rights.
Alex Borbolla, while at Atheneum, has bought middle grade novel Sunny Parker Is Here to Stay by Margaret Finnegan, in a two-book deal, to be edited by Feather Flores. Sunny never thought living in an affordable housing complex made her different—until the development of a new complex is halted by her affluent neighborhood's loud opposition. As rumors of "people like her" damaging the community begin to spread, Sunny teams up with her best friend to change the narrative. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Tracy Marchini at Bookends Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Feather Flores, while at Chronicle Books, acquired world rights, at auction, to The Ofrenda That We Built, written by mother-daughter duo Jolene Gutiérrez (l.) and Shaian Gutiérrez (c.), illustrated by Gabby Zapata (r.) in her picture book debut. This celebration of Día de Muertos invites readers of all backgrounds to join in the building of the family ofrenda, one special element at a time. Publication is set for fall 2024; Elizabeth Lazowski will edit. Kaitlyn Sanchez at Context Literary Agency represented the authors, and Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary represented the illustrator.
Feather Flores while at Chronicle acquired world rights to The Rise (and Falls) of Jackie Chan author Kristen Mai Giang's (l.) picture book biography Michelle the First: How Action Hero Michelle Yeoh Danced, Acted, and Dreamed Her Own Path, illustrated by Kuri Huang. This true story follows the rise of the Malaysian Chinese movie star from the ballet stage, to the action-packed sets of Hong Kong, to the dazzling lights of Hollywood, as she broke new ground while staying true to her creative self—even, and especially, in situations where she found she was the "only one." Publication is set for spring 2025; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Sally Heflin at Heflinreps represented the illustrator.
Feather Flores at Chronicle Books has bought world rights to Viva!, the middle grade debut of Mónica Mancillas (l.) (Mariana and Her Familia), illustrated by Isadora Zeferino (Mismatched). This nonfiction compendium introduces young readers to visionary figures of Latine heritage, from Amalia Hernandez and Sylvia Rivera to César Milstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat, and encourages future Latine leaders to make their own impact on the world. Publication is planned for fall 2024; Melissa Edwards at Stonesong represented the author, and Britt Siess at Britt Siess Creative Management represented the illustrator.

Deals ordered by approximate publication date