Hachette Children’s Group acquires two new Rabbit and Bear titles
Hachette Children’s Group has acquired two new books in the Rabbit and Bear series by Julian Gough and Jim Field.
Rachel Wade, publishing director at Hachette Children’s Group, acquired world rights in all languages from Charlie Campbell at Greyhound Literary and Jodie Hodges at United Agents. Books seven and eight in the series have been contracted, with Rabbit and Bear: The Bog of Frogs, set to publish on the Orchard imprint in hardback in October 2026.
To mark the 10-year anniversary of the series, Hachette Children’s Group will also publish a new edition of the first book, Rabbit and Bear: Rabbit’s Bad Habits. Publishing alongside the seventh title, the anniversary edition will be released as a gift-format hardback with a foiled cover and larger trim.
The synopsis says: “Rabbit – who loves the sky at night – wonders what stars are made of. And where they go in the daytime. And why they’re there… Bear is confident she knows someone with a Far-Looking Machine who will be able to answer these big questions. But that just makes Rabbit feel tiny in a big world. Maybe his new friends in the Bog of Frogs will be able to help him see things from a different angle…”
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Wade said: “All editors, like all parents, pretend they don’t have favourite children’s (books). But this series is one of my most treasured book-children, and working on it is one of the highlights of my whole career. Julian and Jim are both stone-cold geniuses, and the exploits of the irritable Rabbit and the comforting Bear have captured the hearts of children – and those who read with them – across the world for the past 10 years. Kids need more stories to carry them safely from the delights of picture books to the wilds of independent reading, and these are some of the best there are.”
Gough said: “I have been so lucky to work with the perfect editor in Rachel, the perfect designer in Lynne, and of course the perfect illustrator in Jim: a magnificently talented artist with tremendous range. Rabbit and Bear changed my life. Thank you to all who have worked so hard behind the scenes, both in the UK and internationally, to make the series such a marvellous, long-lived, global success.”
Field said: “These books are a real pleasure to illustrate – it’s like hiking back into the valley with old furry friends each time. Julian is a genius (a science one too), his writing has me literally laughing my head off and he comes up with the most brilliantly bonkers ideas to push my drawing capabilities to the limits – in a good way! The whole R&B team are fabulous and have been there from book 1 and I hope the series continues.”
