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Bryson science book for kids

09.10.07 Caroline Horn

Random House Children's Books is to publish a children's version of A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, with full colour illustrations throughout. The abridged, adapted title will be published in hardback in autumn 2008.

The deal was agented by Carol Heaton of Greene and Heaton Ltd. Philippa Dickinson, m.d. at RHCB, said: "Like millions of other readers, I love A Short History of Nearly Everything for the very visual and accessible way Bill manages to explain complex facts and concepts. Children are well able to handle these concepts and I'm delighted that we've found a way to present Bill's work in a way which will appeal to this younger audience."

RHCB recently published a book by Lucy and Stephen Hawking, George's Secret Key to the Universe, which also explains key scientific concepts to children. It has also had success with a children's version of footballer Steven Gerrard's autobiography. Foreign rights are to be handled by Fred Morris at the Jed Mattes Agency, New York and the Marsh Agency on a co-production basis in conjunction with Random House Children's Books.

Bill Bryson's popular science title was first published by Doubleday in the UK and USA in 2003. It has sold over four million copies worldwide and has been translated into 33 languages. The paperback version by Black Swan is the UK's bestselling non-fiction paperback of the 21st Century.

Caroline Horn Rights deal children's Bill Bryson

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