Peachtree Publishing Company Inc. Acquires Global Rights for
Wombat Said Come In by New York Times Best-Selling Author Carmen Agra Deedy, Illustrated by Caldecott Honor-Winning Artist Brian Lies
ATLANTA (Mar. 25, 2021) – Peachtree Publishing Company Inc. announced that it has acquired global rights to Wombat Said Come In, a new picture book written by New York Times best-selling author Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrated by Caldecott Honor-winning artist Brian Lies, who is also a New York Times best-selling author-illustrator. Publication is slated for Fall 2022. Deedy’s agent is Brenda Bowen; Erin Murphy represented Brian Lies in the deal.
Wombat Said Come In is the story of a kindhearted wombat who sacrifices personal space and comfort to shelter a series of animals escaping a wildfire. The text was inspired by the 2019 Australian bushfire tragedy, specifically the stories of animals who took shelter in wombat burrows. Deedy also drew from her personal experience as a refugee.
“I began work on the story in early 2020. The first iterations focused on the playful confusion––and frequent mayhem––that ensues when unlikely companions are forced to shelter in one place,” said Deedy. “Yet, as the story evolved, I realized my own arrival in this country as a child refugee had woven itself into the tale, as well. You never forget those who open the door to you when you are fleeing the world's troubles.”
Deedy is the New York Times best-selling author of 14 Cows for America and 11 other books for children. Brian Lies is a New York Times best-selling author-illustrator of several books for young readers, including the 2019 Caldecott Honor-winning picture book The Rough Patch (Greenwillow/HarperCollins) and the forthcoming Little Bat in Night School (June 2021, HMH Books for Young Readers).
“It’s a real delight to work with a Carmen Agra Deedy text—she’s got such a strong and engaging storytelling voice. And underneath the humor, this story features kindness and hospitality, two things which we desperately need more of right now,” said Lies.
“I am elated to be working again with Carmen Deedy on a wonderful manuscript, and pairing Carmen with Brian Lies, a magnificent artist and strong storyteller in his own right, is a match made in heaven. It makes my heart go pit-a-pat.”
Peachtree Publishing Company Inc. produces award-winning children’s books, ranging from board books and picture books to middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction. We create books that educate, entertain, encourage, and endure.
