The Cook who Cooked for Captain Cook Cook’s Cook follows the 1768 journey of James Cook’s H.M.S. Endeavour with his ship’s cook, the one-handed John Thompson, as story teller. Through real recipes, events on board and the places the ship travelled on its way to the Pacific, the book tells multiple stories. Here are stories…
Picture Books
When bus driver Ben Brause wants to start his bus on Monday morning, an unusual passenger comes running at the last moment: It is a dung beetle who rolls a huge dung ball in front of him and actually heaves the stinking thing into the bus. There are complaints about the smell immediately, although this…
Litos walks around all day sleeping in corners here and there. It‘s because of the monster in his closet. The problem is not that he is scared of it, but the monster is bored during the day. At night, when Litos goes to bed, it comes out of the closet with a monstrous desire to…
Animalistic Two-Parters Two images and a cracking two-liner—Nadia Budde doesn’t need more than this to tell a funny story on a single double page spread! Just like this: Image no. 1: A late-adolescent kangaroo begrudgingly leaves the pouch of its annoyed mother. Image no. 2: The nursery is finally vacated, but there are two conspicuous…
The busy day of a deer walking through the city—a story to tell and colour in (and 3 little naughty hedgehogs to find on the pages). by Lili la Baleine Maison Eliza | hc | 32 | 175 x 245 mm | 2019 | 3+ All rights available except Simplified Chinese [original title: À petits…
In this resonant story from Joy Cowley, Cam the mountain boy follows the river from its trickling source in the snow all the way to the sea. The river leads him through forest, farms and towns to the salty wind of the sea. The dramatic landscapes are packed with detail to discover in the world…
Spiders spin spiders’ webs. That is normal. But one little spider in the meadow is different. Arachnida cannot spin webs. The old cross spider urges her to keep practicing and grows increasingly impatient when Arachnida keeps failing to accomplish this task. In the end, all the other insects and animals in the meadow laugh at…
Luna has a special best friend. It is a giant, a real, born-and-bred giant. They spend all their time together, from morning to night. But one day he disappears, where can he possibly have gone? Luna searches for him everywhere, until she receives a letter from her best friend. He is in trouble and only…
Moon lived at the edge of the water, alone in a charming small house surrounded by a pretty garden. Vegetables and frutis, flowers and bushes: It was brimming with colours and flavours throughout the seasons … What Moon loves most of all is making soap bubbles that travel towards the horizon for her. … But…
A child comes home with a fish in water inside a plastic bag, that he just won at the fair. He goes to sleep early to enjoy the calm of his fish. The next day, he is woken by the noise of a cow sailing in the sky. He is surprised to discover that everything…
Tim is not at a loss for excuses. In fact, he is in desperate need of excuses—every day of the week. On Monday, because he’s late for school. On Tuesday, because he forgets his socks. On Wednesday, because he brings home a dog instead of the shopping. That’s the way it works all through the…
A sheet of paper blown about by a sandstorm ends up in the hands of Moussa. He immediately thinks about using it to make a drawing of his village Thille Boubacar for his father, who lives abroad. But the whole village does not fit on one page. Moussa undertakes a tour through different typical scenes…
Honoring Leonardo Da Vinci 500 years after his death († 2 May 1519) Still today one is astonished at the universal genius Leonardo da Vinci: his creativity, his spirit of discovery and his futuristic thirst for exploration have infuenced centuries and still impress the world today. Whether it was the dream of fying, curiosity about human…
Talking to yourself? Drying your dishes in the garden? Wearing huge and colourful dresses? Drawing on the walls of the house? Who would do things like that? Adèle, of course! Incidentally, she is a little bit strange … but then again, who is really normal? by Bérengère Mariller “Like the heroine who colors the walls…
Night after night the night riders guide the people into the land of dreams. But one starless night, the shadows turn up out of nowhere. They are fast, cunning and determined to destroy all dreams. The land of dreams seems to be lost forever. But the night riders bravely wage the unequal struggle against the…
Rainer Maria Rilke tells in his famous poem about a locked-in panther that he saw in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. He lends a voice to the graceful animal and introduces the reader into the emotional world of the black cat behind the bars: As if you were seeing the world through the eyes…
1 garden, 3 children, 1 cat, 1 red ball, some birds… 4 seasons and a multitude of stories to be invented. by Irene Penazzi Maison Eliza | hc | 48 pp | 230 x 320 mm | 2018 | 3+ Rights sold: Chinese (simpl.), Italian [original title: Dans le jardin]
A comical story about a very busy bath Pig has been looking forward to a lovely peaceful bath all day… In come Sheep, then Cow and Horse. They are very noisy! But Pig finds a way to make them go away. Oink! by David Elliot Best 50 Kids Books 2018, The Listener (NZ) “The…
Hugo hates rain, Kalina, however, can imagine nothing better than jumping into water puddles in the rain so that the water splashes to all sides. This picture book narrates in sweeping images how nice it is to have a friend who carries you along. Even if you’d much rather retreat into your shell in a…
One day, a polar bear knocks on Sophia’s door. He’s desperate; his Arctic home has melted away and he has nowhere to go. It turns out that the polar bear isn’t the only one with a problem. More and more animals and people arrive at Sophia’s door: farmers whose land has flooded, fishermen without anything…
A teemingly funny picture book about chaos and order What a wonderful mess this is! Dozens of colourful tiny animals are bustling about the white pages. On two, four or more legs, with feathers, fins and tentacles. Scrawly and somehow in a good mood. Then someone calls for a bit of order: Please queue up…
I live in a house on the edge of a forest. Where does the forest begin? I do not really know. Where does our garden begin? Animals do not know it either. Ever since I can remember we have shared each other‘s space. And we were all fine with that. But one day, Dad installed…
Mizu is keen to learn how to fly. Always accompanied by his friend Yoko, he comes up with funny ideas how to achieve this: jumping from a springboard, building a strange propeller machine, hanging onto the back of another bird… Will he manage to fly in the end? by Marjorie Béal & Laurie Cohen Maison…
Mizu is a cute little penguin; a little bit awkward, but very touching. His feeling lonely comes to an end when he meets Yoko, a big polar bear. They become friends for life and from now on share their adventures. Because out there, on he huge empty ice floe, it feels good to have a…
The artists of this circus share a secret: Despite their triumphs in the arena, everyone dreams of doing other acts. The clown would love to get on the trapeze, the trapeze artist dies for juggling, the juggler dreams of being the human cannonball and the human cannonball would like to walk on a rope several…
The Longest Breakfast by Sarah Wilkins & Jenny Bornholdt is amongst the finalists for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults. Congratulations!
A story about finding, holding on, and letting go With pictures that are touching and, in a quiet way, funny The moment Mrs. Trueheart, the piano teacher, walks by the poulterer’s store and lays eyes on the white drake, she doesn’t have to think. She just knows: the name of this bird is Ellington. And…
Contemplating Nature Is nature of equal importance to all people?, asks Antje Damm and places the photograph of three children in India right next to this question. To her, nature is of such great significance that she raises more than 60 questions which can be the basis for a long and deep conversation with children:…
When Digger Dan and his friends work on a new project at the Digger Day Care, every single vehicle has to give a helping hand. Each little vehicle is given a specific task. But how can the new vehicle, Finn Fire Engine, be of use? Is he just getting in the way of everyone else—or…
A Good Night Story from the Construction Site Every morning Digger Dan and his friends go to Digger Day Care. But this morning is very special. The Mice have a building plan and every little vehicle has its very own task to complete. Leo the Wheel Loader lifts a heavy stone. Digger Dan digs and…
When two quarrel, the third rejoices. That’s also the case in this beautiful book, which is about sharing, arguing and being outwitted. The bear finds three tasty mushrooms on his way home through the woods. His friend, the weasel, immediately braises them in the heavy frying pan. But then the two friends have a problem:…
The inhabitants at the top of the mountain think their village is the best. Unfortunately, at the foot of the mountain, another village thinks the same of their own. The inhabitants at the top of the mountain live happily in their village, where they enjoy the sun and the cool breeze; they believe their village…
Wearing new clothes doesn’t have to be incompatible with a stroll in the rain. There is no way she will soil her new clothes, her shiny new shoes or white socks. So the girl thinks of all sorts of strategies to avoid the puddles, which in her mind are traps blocking her way. But despite…
Stories about angry clouds, adventurous nights, and thunderstorms in the belly Kristina Andres has come up with new read aloud stories that are beautifully illustrated: They are about going into winter sleep in summer (with ice cream in the tummy to get ready for it); about an adventurous night on the lake (with a hungry…
One normal day, the drawbridge operator is going about his work when he suddenly discovers a bridge troll, who is sleeping under his drawbridge. At first, he is furious. The bridge troll has no business under his bridge, of all places, so why is he here? Gradually, though, the bridge troll and the drawbridge operator…
Stephanie Stunned is a little girl with a huge imagination. The strangest thngs happen to her. Come along into Stephanie‘s world: You‘ll be stunned! Stephanie stands at the window, watching the snow flakes. Her mother tells her that “tomorrow everything will be white“ and this turns out to be the case. Stephanie and her polar…
The little big book of opposites Opposites attract: Short and long, black and white, but also up and down, light and heavy, and rusty and shiny. Sabine Lohf took 50 opposite pairings and used her wonderful artistic means to create a thick little book that children will love to leaf through, again and again. Furthermore,…
What is that supposed to mean: The mice are ordered to let a stranger move in with them? This is outrageous! A letter from the mayor changes the quiet subterranean lives of the mice: Someone is going to move in with them, someone, who lost his home. “Where is this person going to sleep? We…
One morning Mr. Early hears a report on the radio that is so boring, it makes him yawn. Who’d have guessed what that would lead to! A wonderful wake-up story. Lena Hesse has once more accomplished the transfer of an exceptionally clever idea with few words into a funny narrative. The story suggests a nostalgia…
When little Anouk gets lost in the forest she encounters the much dreaded bear. But she quickly realises that contrary to the rumours the big animal is utterly harmless. An exceptional friendship ensues. A modern interpretation of the old Russian fairy tale. Anouk and Mister Bear demonstrates how brave childish innocence can be. by Mascha…
The baby wants breakfast so Malcolm gets out of bed to get started. Then in comes Toby. And Una and Toto, then Alice—they’re hungry too. And Conrad from next door and his sister Ruby! Everyone has a request for breakfast. But who is taking notice of the baby? The Longest Breakfast is a fun stroy…
If you had been born in another land, you could be white, you could be black… The colour of our skin, our languages, food, clothes, games … it could all be different if we had been in another place. Some things would be better, others worse, but what is for sure is that we are…
A strong and simple picture book that perfectly encapsulates the world of a child If I was a banana, I would be that one, so beautifully yellow and full of banana … This boy’s eye-view of the everyday brings alive all the wonder and oddity of the world inside our own heads. It beautifully captures…
It was an ordinary day when God turned up. A place like many others, between the tower blocks, where the bins are placed. The boy on the swings immediately saw that it was God; this bloke in the old jacket and weird hat. When the boy joined God for a walk, he wasn’t afraid of…
Magnificent Story Between Heaven and Hell When Luci joins the class, it quickly becomes apparent that he is no child like the others. The little horn peaks on his head and his hoof leave little room for doubt: Luci is a young devil straight from hell. Devils, even little ones, can do things others are…
Even though bears of various kinds lived in the town—black and white, striped and nicely coiffed—one of them always stood out: Linus. His fur was so scraggy that you could only see the tip of his nose. He didn’t work and danced through the streets like a spinning top. This bear was a hair-raising nuisance….
A deft and delightful tale, packed with word play and madcap energy A class trip to the zoo descents into a chaotic hunt for the missing hippopotamus. Teacher, zookeeper and all the children join the search. The noise and drama reach a pitch, and no one thinks to listen to quiet Liam, who really might…
Eleven and half good night stories with Fox and Rabbit Fox and rabbit lived far away, behind the mole hills, in a small yel-low house. If they can’t sleep, they count the good nights (335 in total). If they wish each other a good night, the rustling pear tree, the raspberries and the stars join…
The most terrible monster in the whole world is here! Everyone runs away, screaming in fear! But no, not everyone: we, the brave picture book readers are not afraid. We will not be scared by a grimace and hideous face! The monster is trying harder and harder, tries to startle us, tries a disguise and…
A bear sits on a bench at the bus stop and tells everyone who passes by that he is waiting for Goliath. Goliath is strong and clever: “He can even count up to 18!”. At last, a bus arrives—but no one gets off. But Bear is certain: “He’s coming. He won’t let me wait in…
Nadia Budde’s hero is no longer the master in his own house, because he has a permanent resident: the rat. Day after day he finds the rat on his doormat when he gets home; huge and in good humour. Once she’s inside the house, she puts on his slippers and makes herself at home: on…
A picture book for close inspection When you open this book you find an abundance of images with challenges and questions that require a very close look at the illustrations. The scenes are set on a sheet of floating ice in the sea or in the busy jungle. They sometimes revolve around little octopuses, at…
Caterpillar—cocoon—butterfly: this is nature’s clear-cut course and fascination. But Wilma doesn’t want to venture outside. It is so comfy and cosy inside her cocoon! Terrible dangers are likely to lurk outside. Monsters! But you won’t know if that’s true unless you have checked and seen for yourself. That takes courage. You have to be brave…
Take a trip through the zoo with this irrepressible pigeon, as she preens and poses alongside all the animals, right up to the sharp teeth of a grumpy lion… Fantastic satire with deadpan black humour! by Michal Shalev “Simple written text with superb pencil and watercolour illustrations. The crocodile runway is terrific. If you miss…
Helios’ arrival in the world generates a lot of curiosity in Estrella, his brother, who observes fascinated by this little person who now forms part of the family. But little by little, fascination turns into suspicion when she sees that Helios has become the center of their parents’ attention, when before, she was that center….
Many things are floating around in Minna’s head and not only because she will soon go to school. She leads a turbulent life with her cool brother, who only likes dangerous things, her stressed dad, who occasionally leaves the house without socks and Tarzan, who frolics around in mum’s tummy to such a degree that…
Paul, the little fly, can do a lot of tricks and he’s convinced that he is something really special. When Martha the tortoise gets tired of watching him, Paul suddenly realises that there might be more important things in life. Lena Hesse is one of those rare individuals whose sharp story-telling abilities are only matched…
Chicken is delighted, because she gets a box for her birthday. But hey! There’s nothing in it! Lena Hesse has once again succeeded in telling a wonderful story in very few words. The imaginative and funny text is only outdone by Lena Hesse’s playful illustrations. The reduced, yet immensely expressive images emphasize ALL the things…
We are all familiar with this story: the occupied hostel in Bethlehem, the angel, the shepherds in the fields, King Herod, the infanticide. But here, we don’t read the story in Luther’s words, but retold in such a way that the people’s longing for peace is at the heart of it. And we read it…
Berlin based comic artist Henning Wagenbreth has discovered a number of ballads in Robert Louis Stevenson’s work that are entirely unknown. Fascinated by the power of these stories, he has translated one of them into German and has illustrated it: The Pirate and the Apothecary—”a jewel filled with colourful facets of good and bad, honour…
The only delightful thing about Cleopatra is her name. She is a laughing hyaena with everything that comes with a hyaena: a pungent smell, shrill laughter, spotted shaggy fur. Cleopatra runs a little shop at the end of the world, right next to the garbage dump. This is where she finds everything she needs in…
The crossover between a human being and an animal is blurry. In any case the crossover between some people and animals. Who doesn’t know the swimmer at the open air pool who emerges from the water with a bald round head, round eyes and a large moustache and resembles a popular sea animal so amazingly…
We all occasionally dream of being a little prettier. Taller, slimmer, a bit more muscular, somewhat blonder. We are not alone with our vanities! Nadia Budde gets a lot of zany characters on the pages of her picture book – neighbours, relatives, friends – and we immediately realize their little imperfections. Too many kilograms, a…
Cat Fred and goose Anabel have enjoyed a wonderful summer in each other’s company. But then autumn arrived. Anabel started to get cold and had to fly south. But Anabel can’t bear to be without Fred. And Fred misses Anabel, too. After all, spring follows winter. And it turns out that Anabel and Fred weren’t…
Every day, the strongest man in the world has to face limitations imposed by his age and height. People confuse him with his aunt on the telephone, he has to take the stairs to his apartment, because he can’t reach the button for the elevator. He gets sick in the car, broccoli terrorizes him, and…
Nele’s home is the circus. Her family is amongst the world’s best tightrope artists and has been for generations. But then Nele’s father gets ill. His soul catches a cold. In a world that is full of colour and cheerfulness and in which everyone could easily be happy. Nele has to witness how somebody close…
Quima goes for a walk and discovers that something is following her everywhere, even if she tries to get rid of it: it’s her shadow. This discovery leads her to wonder about the origin and essence of shadows: what are they? What are they made of? Where do they come from? To find out, Quima…
Quima is unable to go to sleep. No matter how often her parents ask her to try. She has lost Sleep. Her parents help her look for it and in the end, they find it hidden in the duvet. Sleep is trying to flee, but they have to catch it if they want Quima to…
You don’t have to be big and fat in order to know what it would feel like. Not to fit into your clothes and not to fit in anywhere. This is what Jelena suffered. Jelena was so fat and so tall that she didn’t fit into her mother’s small shooting gallery. And as the funfair…
What is this? That’s how a curious person asks and he asks from morning till nighttime, so that he will be wiser. What is this? A fairy, a shrew mouse, a wart hog, a doll munching beast. That’s how someone, who has already seen more of the world, would answer without hesitation. But as he…
52 Opportunities to Talk About Lies and the Truth Does everyone lie every now and again? Is it allowed to tell white lies? Why do we want to know the truth? Is there always just one truth? Can animals lie? Lies can have far-reaching consequences. But they can also be a last resort. When do…
Kids tend to have mood swings. Absolute joy and happiness can turn into an attack of rage and a noisy tantrum, the reason for which is often hard to identify in the middle of the commotion. One minute everything is painted pink, and the next there’s tension and the grey clouds roll in and end…
Elise is lonely and fearful. She never leaves her flat. But one day, a strange object flies in through the open window. And the following day, Elise has an unexpected visitor. This is to be a visit that will change everything … A beautiful, gentle and sympathetic story about how an inquisitive and self-confident child…
In bygone times, when this and that was still missing – the humps on the camel’s back or the elephant’s trunk for example – there were no armardillos either. Rudyard Kipling has resolved the greatest mysteries in his famous Just So Stories – amongst them the puzzle surrounding the origin of the armadillos: The hedgehog…
Raul has looked after his sheep for so long that he has begun to look a little bit like a sheep himself. This has to change. The shepherd moves into the city, gets new clothes and soon meets Barbara, who he really likes. But his sheep are missing him and they set out to look for him. An amusing and…
A very special leporello climbing tour! 2.75 metres long! In the North, where you find elks and dwarfs in knitted hats, there is a tree in the woods. At the very bottom, right by the roots lives a dwarf in his cave – this is the root dwarf. At the very top, right in the…
Mama Sambona, the wise old queen, lives in the heart of Africa. One day an elegant gentleman comes to see her. He wants to bring Mama Sambona to her forefathers: He is Death. But Mama Sambona is still loving life and has got a lot of plans: She is not at all willing to go…
The story of an incredible transformation, moving and funny! Herman is a guard dog and always angry. He barks at everyone who dares come near him. Not even the birds settle in his garden. But then Stig arrives on his bicycle. He wants to know what is really the matter with Herman. Once he manages…
The moon – near yet unreachable – captivates our gaze and focuses our desires. But who would have thought that it is just the same the other way round? That there is a man, his wife and a child in the Moon, looking down to Earth and yearning just the same? This is what it…
When someone living in the land of the giants is small, he’ll have a hard time. Just like someone who turns out very tall in the land of the dwarves. The giants laugh about the short one, the dwarves ridicule the tall one. A vividly told story that explains the issue of being different to…
The little girl is lying in her bed, her eyes wide open. The night is black and you can get lost in the dark room like in a dark forest. But thank God, there is the white bear! He is sitting at the little girl’s bedside every night, slightly shimmering in the darkness. One day…
Four days left until Christmas. Mr Melcher doesn’t like to think about it. Being alone is particularly sad at Christmas. Suddenly a gust of wind blows his cap off his head. The wind and the flying hat round up a mixed group of people and it is soon evident that nobody will be on their…
The little girl and her grandfather spend a lot of time together. They look at the trains at the station and watch the animals in the zoo, they buy bread on the market and weed grandfather’s garden. But whatever they decide to do, the old man always notes: maybe this is the last time we…
Are we nothing before we are born? Is it possible that nothingness is a hole? Where does a journey into nothingness lead? It is questions such as these that Antje Damm asks in this book and she thus takes children absolutely seriously. Her unique composition of succinct phrases with often mind-boggling pictures instantaneously animates children…
Will the earth always be there? This is one of the questions Antje Damm poses in her book. Who wants to answer it? But to discuss it, to philosophise about it is fun and prompts us to think about the world in which we live. Where does fear come from? Does it hurt to grow…
His lonely way to school saddens the little boy’s heart every morning. There are so many things scaring him. The dark tunnel. The fierce old man. But one afternoon someone is waiting for him in front of the school. A nice guy with floppy ears and an amazing friendliness. It’s a big dog who, from…
Juri has finished his rocket and together with his sausage dog Laika sets out on his first flight into space. Everything seems perfect when they are suddenly drawn into an enormous storm in outer space. Having landed on an unknown star, they find that the rocket has been badly damaged. To make matters worse, they…
A wild thing has been waiting for Kira on her way to kindergarten as of late! It sits in a tree, has sharp teeth and is frightening. Kira would rather die than walk past the Wild once more. So she accompanies her dad to the office instead. It is boring at the office and all…
One fine day, the bees called for a grand assembly in the beehive. The purpose of the meeting? To discuss why it was that they were always all squashed together in cramped working conditions. After many complex computations, equations and calculations, they realized that there was one bee too many in their beehive! The bees…
A tale about a silent encounter: one day, Saída arrives at school – but she doesn’t speak! She comes from another country far away, and it seems as if she lost all her words during the journey. But Saída and her friend don’t give up, even though they lack a common language. They discover new ways…