LITTLE, BROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS TO PUBLISH #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR LEIGH BARDUGO AND AWARD-WINNING ARTIST JOHN PICACIO’S DEBUT PICTURE BOOK THE INVISIBLE PARADE will publish on September 2, 2025.
I don’t know about you but I would love to have a copy of The Invisible Parade to read and then share with my nieces and nephews. If Charlie and I had still been #Homeschooling we could have studied the Author Leigh Bardugo and Artist John Picacio who I’ve never heard of. Have you?
NEW YORK, NY, February 7, 2025—Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (LBYR) will publish THE INVISIBLE PARADE co-written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo and World Fantasy Award and Hugo Award winner John Picacio, featuring illustrations by Picacio, it was announced today by LBYR President & Publisher Megan Tingley.
VP, Editor-In-Chief Alvina Ling acquired World English rights to the book from Joanna Volpe of New Leaf Literary & Media. The book will be published in hardcover and ebook editions on September 2, 2025 and will also be available in the United Kingdom through Orion Children’s Books, an imprint of Hachette Children’s Group.
Bardugo, one of the most popular fantasy Authors of our time whose books have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 50 languages, and Picacio,a multi-award-winning Mexican American artist who has illustrated numerous blockbuster bestsellers by the likes of George R.R. Martin and Rebecca Roanhorse, have come together to create a stunningly illustrated picture book about grief, fear, and ultimately, love.
Set against the backdrop of Día de Muertos, this deeply ruminative yet joyful story follows a young girl, who is grieving the death of her Grandfather, as she meets the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, each with a lesson to teach her.
The Wizard of Oz set in a graveyard, this stunning collaboration of sophisticated storytelling and cinematic artwork seeks to help kids through tough times and is poised to become a modern classic.
“Back in 2016, John pitched me this idea with a single line: ‘It’s the Wizard of Oz set in a Graveyard,’” said Bardugo. “We started walking Cemeteries together, going to Museums, exchanging books and stories we loved, as we built Cala’s story.
We wanted to find a way for families to reframe the way they talk about grief and fear. But I’ll never forget when John sent me the first sketches for War. I knew he was going to take readers someplace extraordinary.”
“Leigh and I met in the months before Shadow and Bone debuted. We hit it off right away,” John recalled. “I wanted us to create this tale together because she makes me laugh, and I trust her. I’ve discovered the only thing better than reading a Leigh Bardugo book is conjuring one with her,
I look forward to sharing Cala’s journey with story lovers everywhere. This book is Leigh’s heart and my soul. We made it for people of all ages who have felt loss, or have lost someone they love.”
About the Book: There’s a party tonight, but Cala doesn’t want to go. While her family prepares for the celebration, Cala grieves her Grandfather and tries to pretend she’s not afraid. But when she is separated from her family at the Cemetery, Cala encounters four mysterious riders who will show her she is actually quite brave after all.
Said Tingley, “With this remarkable project, Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio have delivered all of the magic, wonder, emotion, and beauty that have made them superstars of the fantasy genre. We are honored to be publishing their picture book debut, a glimpse of the alchemy that can only be achieved when two powerhouse creatives come together.”
“The proposal for INVISIBLE PARADE landed on my desk on the Day of the Dead in 2020, and I was immediately intrigued and enamored,” said Ling. “John and Leigh together have crafted such a beautiful meditation on fear, death, grief, and love.
John’s art for this book is a true triumph—I feel lucky to have seen his intricate, stunning art in person. There are so many layers to this book, so many new details to discover upon repeat readings—the sign of a true classic. We are extremely proud to be introducing this team’s debut picture book to the world.”
ABOUT LEIGH BARDUGO
Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Familiar, Ninth House and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology—and much more.
Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University.
ABOUT JOHN PICACIO
John Picacio is a World Fantasy Award and Hugo Award–winning artist who has created book illustrations for major works by George R. R. Martin, Rebecca Roanhorse, and many more. He’s the founder of the Mexicanx Initiative, spearheading the journeys of more than forty Mexican and Mexican American creators into the wider awareness of fantasy and science fiction audiences. John lives in San Antonio.
ABOUT LITTLE, BROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is a division of Hachette Book Group, a leading book publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest publisher in the world. Hachette Book Group is made up of dozens of esteemed imprints within the publishing groups Basic Books Group, Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Audio, Little, Brown and Company, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Orbit, Running Press Group, and Workman Publishing. For more information.
On Sale: September 2, 2025
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | Ages 4 & up
Hardcover ISBN: 9780316295703, $19.99 Ebook ISBN: 9780316596268, $12.99
Audiobook Downloadable ISBN: 9781668649299, $4.99
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
