Penguin Young Readers Acquires Sequel to New York Times Bestselling Picture Book, ‘Dragons Love Tacos’
July 28, 2016 — Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, has acquired Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel, companion to the popular, New York Times bestselling picture book,Dragons Love Tacos, written by Adam Rubin and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri. Featuring the same beloved clan of dragons who couldn’t get enough of their delectable tacos, Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel will be published in May 2017. Lauri Hornik, President and Publisher, Dial Books for Young Readers, negotiated the deal for world rights with Jennifer Joel of ICM Partners representing Rubin, and Rebecca Sherman of Writers House Literary Agency representing Salmieri. Kate Harrison, Executive Editor of Dial Books for Young Readers, will edit the book.
With over 1 million copies in print, Dragons Love Tacos has spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. A New York Times Notable Book, USA Today bestseller, and Indie Kids Book List selection,Dragons Love Tacos has been called “[An] irresistible story…a wacky delight…also strangely beautiful” (New York Times Book Review), “a heaping helping of silly” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “zesty and fresh” (School Library Journal). Dragons Love Tacos was also chosen by Tony-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris as one of his top ten picture books for kids in New York Times T Magazine. The book has been translated into Spanish (Dragones y Tacos), and is available in five other languages. This will be the fourth Penguin Young Readers collaboration for Rubin and Salmieri, including bestselling titles Robo-Sauce and Secret Pizza Party.
In Dragons Love Tacos Robbie learns a valuable lesson about what happens when you accidentally give dragons some tacos with spicy smooth salsa (hint, lots of fire and burnt houses!). In Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel, something devastating has occurred—all the tacos have been eaten. Rather than living in a taco-less universe, Robbie and his trusty dog decide to fire up their time machine in the garage so they can travel back in time when tacos weren’t extinct. The result is a gut-bustlingly hilarious adventure.
Executive Editor Kate Harrison is thrilled to be releasing this companion: “Everyone probably thinks that these dragons have just been partying and bingeing on tacos since the publication of the first book, so I’m excited to publish a sequel in which the truth will finally come out. I know every taco lover out there will share my gratitude for these dragons’ valiant, extraordinary efforts to save us from a world without tacos.”
“After the success of the first book, I struggled with ideas for a worthy follow up,” says author Adam Rubin. “Failed attempts include: ‘Ogres Love Ice Cream’, ‘Dragons Love Nachos’, ‘Dragons Love Tacos: In Space’, ‘Dragons Love Christmas’, and ‘Dragons Make Tacos: an illustrated guide to Mexican Cuisine’. Finally, I asked myself, ‘What would happen if the world ran out of tacos?’ The answer is: I would finally write a sequel that I really like.”
Illustrator Daniel Salmieri adds, “After four years, I was worried I had forgotten how to paint tacos, but it turns out it’s just like riding two thousand tiny bicycles.”
This October, Dial Books for Young Readers will release a special book and toy set, which includes a smaller on-the-go trim-sized copy of Dragons Love Tacos and an adorable dragon plush. Children’s clothing including t-shirts, shorts and other merchandise featuring Salmieri’s artwork is also available at Target department stores nationwide.
Adam Rubin is the New York Times best-selling author of a half dozen critically-acclaimed picture books including Robo-Sauce, and Secret Pizza Party. He spent ten years working as a creative director in the advertising industry before leaving his day job to write full time. Adam has a keen interest in improv comedy, camping and magic tricks. He lives in New York City.
Daniel Salmieri has illustrated many fantastic picture books and his work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators and American Illustration. He grew up in Brooklyn, constantly drawing and painting images of ninja turtles, dinosaurs, and fighter jets (not in the same scene…), and graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He lives with his wife in Brooklyn, New York.
Dial Books for Young Readers, established in 1961, is a hardcover division publishing approximately 70 titles a year for children of all ages. One of the first houses to publish high-quality board books and an early leader in multicultural publishing, Dial continues to focus on books that combine artistic excellence and kid-relevance. Its list of acclaimed authors and illustrators includes Newbery Medal winner Richard Peck, Newbery Honor winners Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Victoria Jamieson, New York Times Bestselling novelist Holly Goldberg Sloan, Printz Medal winner Jandy Nelson, Coretta Scott King Honor winner Marilyn Nelson, and New York Times Bestselling picture book creators Judy Schachner, B.J. Novak, Kadir Nelson, and Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri.
Penguin Random House (http://global.penguinrandomhouse.com/) is the world’s most global trade book publisher. It was formed on July 1, 2013, upon the completion of an agreement between Bertelsmann and Pearson to merge their respective trade publishing companies, Random House and Penguin, with the parent companies owning 53% and 47%, respectively. Penguin Random House comprises the adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital trade book publishing businesses of Penguin and Random House in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa, and Penguin’s trade publishing activity in Asia and Brazil; DK worldwide; and Penguin Random House Group Editorial’s Spanish-language companies in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and Chile. Penguin Random House employs more than 10,000 people globally across almost 250 editorially and creatively independent imprints and publishing houses that collectively publish more than 15,000 new titles annually. Its publishing lists include more than 70 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.
