Faber teams up Julian Gough and Ross Collins for 'hilarious and anarchic' picture book

Faber is 'delighted to have acquired a brand-new picture book from Julian Gough in an exciting two-book deal', and When Tad Kicked Vlad will be published on 12 February 2026, illustrated by bestselling and award-winning illustrator Ross Collins.

Associate Publisher Alice Swan acquired World Rights for the text from Charlie Campbell at Greyhound Literary and for the illustrations from Neil Dunnicliffe at Spring Literary.

According to the acquisition statement: 'Gough and Collins’ hilarious and anarchic picture book is the perfect teaching tool for young children in learning not to resort to violence when things don’t go their way.

'In a moment of anger, Tad kicks his best friend Vlad and then runs away. Full of anger, Vlad kicks Tad’s mum, who kicks the postman, who kicks a politician. The kick travels around the whole world, only to land back up at Tad's birthday party a year on. It's up to Tad to break the cycle and send something better off round the world.'

Swan said: "There are so many books about love and kindness in our market, but are there enough about violence? If you know any young children, you will have seen that it's their natural instinct to lash out when they are feeling frustrated. This incredible, hilarious, one-of-a-kind picture book explores the consequences of lashing out, and what would happen if we all chose retaliation over reconciliation.

"In a world where bullies currently reign free, this book feels so vital and shows children exactly how to break the cycle – it's not easy, but the effort is worth it! Julian and Ross are extraordinary talents and we are very proud to be publishing this absolute showstopper."

Gough said: "I’m extremely proud of this book – possibly because it’s so personal. I attended a comically violent rural Irish school, and there was also a small war raging just up the road in Northern Ireland. So as a kid, violence was a mysterious, inexplicable and ubiquitous part of the world – and nobody helped me understand it, which was frustrating.

"With When Tad Kicked Vlad, I therefore wanted to give children a funny, accessible way to understand the roots and consequences of violence—and how there ARE ways to break these cycles of violence, even if you can’t always stop them yourself right now.

"That might sound heavy, but the story itself is light-hearted. Ross Collins’s illustrations are so warm, compassionate, and often hilarious—he found an unbelievable number of ways to draw a kick up the arse! I’m incredibly grateful to Alice Swan at Faber for seeing the importance of this book, especially for young boys, who often face (and generate!) so much violence. My own five-year-old thinks it’s hysterical (and he has excellent taste), so I hope you’ll all enjoy it just as much."

Collins said: "I've long been a fan of Julian's writing so jumped at the chance to work with him. When Tad Kicked Vlad is one of the funniest books I've ever illustrated but has a great message at its heart. I still can't quite believe that I get paid to draw people farting and kicking each other's bums!"

Faber supplied some background on the author and illustrator. 'Julian Gough is the Irish author of six beloved children’s books about a rabbit and a bear, four acclaimed novels about human beings, a couple of BBC radio plays and a charming stage play about an economic catastrophe caused by goats. He also wrote the ending to the computer game Minecraft (a mysterious narrative popularly known as the End Poem).

'Ross Collins won the MacMillan Prize for his first picture book. Since then he's illustrated over 150 books for children and written a fair few too. Children in over 25 countries seem to enjoy them. Some of his glittering awards are the UKLA Award, the CILIP Amnesty Honour and The Royal Mail Book Award. He has been twice short listed for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal. His books The Elephantom and There's a Bear on My Chair have both been fabulously adapted for the stage. Ross lives in Glasgow with a strange woman, a hairy boy and a stupid dog.'