Hachette Children’s Group has signed two picture books by Shane Hegarty, with illustrations by Ben Mantle. Emma Layfield, picture book development director, north, bought world rights from Marianne Gunn O ‘Connor at Marianne Gunn O’ Connor Literary, Film & TV Agency, and Arabella Stein at the Bright Agency. The first title, Dexter’s Lost his Boo-Woo, is out in Spring 2024, followed by The One and Only You in 2025.

Hegarty is known for his middle grade writing, including Darkmouth (HarperCollins), Boot and The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams (Hodder), and he has been shortlisted and nominated for a number of awards, such as the Sainsbury’s Book Award, the An Post Irish Book Awards and the Waterstones Prize. He said: “I am thrilled that Hachette Children’s Group will be bringing my first picture book to young readers, I’ve long enjoyed the magic of a clever, catchy tale brought to life with captivating illustrations, and which can be read over and over again. I’m hoping young readers – and the grown-ups reading with them- will find much to love in these stories.”