Bologna Combel’s Highlights: Publishers’ Love at First Sight

Where instinct meets market reality.

Some books don’t wait around. Back from Bologna, things are already taking shape. The first deals and conversations confirm what we felt at the fair: certain titles just click and find their way quickly.

Standaard has joined the first edition of Numbers & Buttons, a lovely start for our first cloth book illustraded by Cecilia Moreno. Mini Meteo series by aurence Jammes & Marc Clamens is already under negotiation for English World Rights, and Rob & Ot by our beloved Copons &Fortuny keeps growing internationally, with Poland joining for the sixth title.

Ticniks, the series created by Martí & Salomó, is clearly a breakout. With over 50,000 copies sold and rights in nine languages, it continues to prove its global appeal, now boosted by Vampi 3 and its striking silver cover. A real showstopper!

Animal Stuff, by Laurence and Marc Clamens, two lift-the-flap board books, stands out for its bold concept and strong co-edition potential. Scheduled for February 2027, it’s a visual idea made to travel.

Rocks, by Isaac Camps and illustrated by Oscar Julve, turns geology into a rich visual journey, a solid STEM novelty with international reach. And a nice in-house connection too, as Camps is a former Casals editor.

Tuli, by Katia Klein and Rut Pedreño, is one of Combel’s key new bets. With a lift-the-flap board book series, a first comic in development, and a strong central character, it feels playful and full of possibilities, opening the door to a new comic line. One to watch!

I Spy with My Little Eye series, by Cristina Losantos, is already a well-established international series, sold in seven languages and still growing through licensing. Means of Transportation is next in the pipeline.

Last but not least, the new adaptation of The Iliad, adpated by Pau Ballester and illustrated by Arnal Ballester for the Time for Classics series, was one of the most talked-about titles at the stand, a reminder that classics still resonate.

The fair is over, but the real story starts now: deals in motion, rights in play, and books already finding their path. It’s busy, but this is when everything begins to come together!