Jens Soentgen’s How to Philosophise with Fire has won the award of Non-fiction Book of the Year 2016 – as the most knowledgeable young adult book. The prize is awarded by the magazine Bild der Wissenschaft, which has chosen six books that deal with scientific and research topics in a particularly competent, accessible and entertaining…
Anja
The Mystery of Captain Triangle’s Treasure Map The wizard pupils Elmar, Clarissa and Marlon go to the wizards’ school Abracadabra. Here, lunch isn’t cooked, it is conjured! And the lessons don’t cover any trivial things, but broom riding, magic animals and magic spells. In this environment, the three wizard pupils have to solve tricky (but…
One morning there is a zebra under Hanna’s bed. A living zebra! Just like that. Hanna has only recently moved into the area with her two dads, so she is happy when Brownlee—that’s the zebra’s name—comes along to school with her. A zebra in the classroom? Impossible! But as Brownlee is darned good at writing,…
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…
Scary Poems for Brave Children What could be more enjoyable than to get the creeps? Arne Rautenberg revives the undead and has them rattle, slime and screech through his poems. Skeletons, cyclops, zombies and frops. He rhymes with wonderfully disgusting ingredients and has huge fun with syllables, words and their sound. And as creeps and…
Leo and his inventor aunt travel to the dinosaurs—unfortunately one of the huge creatures travels back with them and is suddenly standing in Aunt Agnetha’s garden! Leo is to give a presentation on his favourite animal in class. But how is he supposed to observe an Apatosaurus that has been extinct for a long time?…
In many families Christmas Eve is no longer very sacred. Fidgety children, nervous parents. The house must be cleaned, the tree decorated, the duck crispy. The giving of the gifts takes place at an appointed time and deserves its own festive context. This is just what Jonas, Julia and Janni want and that’s why the…
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….
Lenny’s head is full of hodgepodge. So Hilda claims, who lives in the park through which Lenny passes through on his way home from school. That is to say that he always has funny and crazy ideas. When the school holidays begin Lenny is to go and stay with his grandparents who live in the…
Two cat brothers battle against a crazy scientist who wants to extract the 7-lives-serum out of 100 cats The two tomcats Giovanni and his twin brother Othello are bosom buddies. But then this strange man turns up and Othello doesn’t return from one of his excursion. Giovanni is forced to venture out into the big,…
Wolf is earning his money with raids in the woods. He has had a stressful year and it is finally high time for a holiday. So the deserted houseboat on the river comes in very handy! But just as he is about to set sail, Fox turns up, makes himself comfortable and just won’t clear…
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…
Nadia Budde’s new book Outside My Door on the Footmat has been chosen as one of the “Remarkable Books 2016”; a prize that is awarded as part of the 16th International Literary Festival in Berlin. The organisers ask themselves the question “Which remarkable book should children, teenagers or young adults read at all costs?” We…
Little Mehrnousch and her three siblings, children of a surgeon, have a privileged childhood in the lovely city of Isfahan in Iran in the 70s. Like most others, the family celebrates the eviction of the Shah as a fortunate event—little do they expect that the new ruler Ayatollah Chomeini would establish a despotic rule and…