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…
Picture Books
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 White Ravens 2018 Best 50 Kids Books 2018, 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…
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…
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…
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…