Irish Authors Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers to Collaborate on Original Picture Book

Posted on March 28, 2014

HarperCollins announced that it will publish a new picture book called Imaginary Fred which will be written by internationally bestselling Irish authors Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers. The book will be published in both the U.S. and the UK in the fall of 2015.

Imaginary Fred is a story about the idea of imaginary friends in childhood. The story follows two little boys who both love comic books, movies and music. HarperCollins described the book this way: "It is about how a little bit of electricity, a little bit of luck, and a little bit of magic can spark a friendship like no other."

Eoin Colfer, who is best known for his Artemis Fowl series and the novel Airman will write the text. Oliver Jeffers, the award-winning author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Day the Crayons Quit will do the artwork for the book.

Kate Jackson, Senior Vice President, Associate Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of HarperCollins, said in a statement, "We're thrilled to help bring to life Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers's Imaginary Fred, a story that's sure to become an instant children's classic, with its unforgettable characters and clever storytelling. It's filled with hilarity and heart, and we knew right away we wanted this dream team on our list."

Rachel Denwood, Publishing and Creative Director, HarperCollins UK, had this to say of the project, "An Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers collaboration is pretty much the stuff of dreams � they are simply two of the finest children's book creators on the planet. Imaginary Fred is completely unique � it's funny, poignant, original. It's genius."

We are really excited about this collaboration and can't wait to see what they come up with.