Most of what is constituent for the publishing house in Wuppertal is implied in the name that was chosen by its founders in 1966. “Peter Hammer” is the literal translation of French “Pierre Marteau”. In the 17th century authors of oppositional works started to use “Pierre Marteau” as a code name to escape the sanctions by the authorities. It was this subversiveness which the founders thought to be most suitable for what they had in mind. Their intention was to publish books against the main stream. And this is what actually happened: For almost 50 years books about left wing political subjects and works from and about Africa and Latin America have been published.
When in 1989 Werner Holzwarth’s and Wolf Erlbruch’s picture book “Vom kleinen Maulwurf, der wissen wollte, wer ihm auf den Kopf gemacht hat” came out, this marked the beginning of an additional focus: Children’s Books. The books for young readers follow the emancipatory tradition of the publishing house in their own way: They take children seriously, they have confidence in their capability to sympathize with peculiar types and to look at the world from new perspectives. Children’s Books today are the largest and top-selling segment of Peter Hammer’s programme.
The continuing commitment to African and Latin American Literature, the exceptional list of Children’s Books and the careful book design of the independent publishing house was honored with the Kurt Wolff Award.
The authors and illustrators of the publishing house won important prizes, among these were: Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, Troisdorfer Bilderbuchpreis, Oldenburger Kinder- und Jugendbuchpreis, Rattenfänger Literaturpreis, Hans-Christian-Andersen-Medaille, nationaler und internationaler Preis der Stiftung Buchkunst, Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels.
Many of the books for children and young people tie in with the books for adults in that they tell stories about the encounter with foreign cultures. The picture books however have no thematic restrictions, but nevertheless a distinctive profile: They encourage young readers to adopt new perspectives, they are fun due to true surprises – with regard to both contents and aesthetics. The enthusiasm for Peter Hammer’s picture books has no age limit.
worldwide
Will Gmehling & Anna Schilling Molly Blume It buzzes and it beeps and goes pling About parents, mobile phones and a daughter who takes action Molly is really annoyed, her parents are addicted! Addicted to their smartphones. They stare at the screen all the time, never really listen to Molly and even miss the leopard…
Wolf Erlbruch & Werner Holzwarth The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew it was None of His Business “What a nasty thing to do,” the little mole grumbled. “Who did this?” Here the little fans help the mole to find the culprit! The robust board book edition with sliding elements on all pages promotes…
Lutz van Dijk/Rozette Kats & Francis Kaiser My Name was Rita Back Then Trust in a world of horror The story of a Jewish girl, told for children If little Rozette had not found protection as a baby with a couple she did not know, she would have been murdered in Auschwitz like her Jewish…
Jens Rassmus Rainy Day Heavy rain outside the window, the whole world black and white. Two children sit helplessly in the room, but then they push open other, fantastic windows! “Imagine…” is the magic formula they use to transform the world and themselves. Jens Rassmus swaps ink for acrylic colours and creates wide, bright spaces…
Arne Rautenberg & Wolf Erlbruch Courage is a Good Thing For those who take their courage in both hands and overcome procrastination, real elation awaits! Wolf Erlbruch has captured this special moment in ravishing images. Arne Rautenberg has been inspired by them to write enjoyable poems. Peter Hammer Verlag Poems | Picture Book Original title:…
Karin Koch Lina’s Secret Lina’s life is upside down. First her best friend moves away, then there’s the matter of the embarrassing video. Everyone at school has seen it on their cell phones and it will make her look ridiculous forever. And when things almost can’t get any worse, a horn grows on Lina’s forehead….
Sascha Mamczak, Martina Vogl & Katrin Stangl Life Everywhere – The amazing coexistence of species on our planet After their highly acclaimed book A New World, the dedicated duo Sascha Mamczak and Martina Vogl now turn their attention to another ecological topic: biodiversity. Preserving it is one of the greatest tasks facing humanity. Exciting, clear…
Yayo Kawamura & Harriet Grundmann I Have to Go, said the Bear When the bear said goodbye, everyone was at a loss. Do you want to look for sweeter berries? asked the blackbird. Do you have an appointment? the dog wanted to know. Nobody understood why the bear had to leave, not even Bear himself….
Susanne Straßer So Light So Heavy 12 o’clock – time for soup! Everyone can swing and slide, but seesawing is the ultimate discipline at the playground, because there are only two options: utter frustration or huge fun! Susanne Straßer puts an elephant onto the seesaw and it is immediately clear that an entire menagerie of…
Susanne Straßer Raccoon Does the Laundry There’s nothing Raccoon likes better than washing dirty things clean again. Scrub, scrub, wipe, wipe. The frog brings his green socks, the tiger his yellow skirt, the sheep his white jumper. Scrub, scrub, wipe, wipe. The line on which everything hangs to dry in the sun gets longer and…
Susanne Straßer The Whale Takes a Bath Today is bath day. The whale takes a bath. Lovely! But what the whale enjoys is also craved by the others—as is to be expected. Here they are already and keen to join the whale amidst the bubbles: The tortoise, because her back hurts, the beaver, because he…
Susanne Straßer Fox Goes For A Ride Fox drives a car. Tap tap, with his feet. Slow at first, then faster and faster. Over gravel – helter-skelter! Through puddles – splash! The fox whizzes through the pictures so fast that he doesn’t even notice others hopping on on every double page: mouse and mole, beetle…
Susanne Straßer Can I Sit in the Middle? “Come on, let‘s read a book!“ calls the child and right away everyone sits on the sofa: the zebra, the cat, the child, the hamster, the lion. They are ready to go. “Wait!“ whinnies the zebra, “the stork isn‘t here yet!“ Here he comes. So they can…
Susanne Straßer So Tired and Wide Awake Tired, yet wide awake; the eternal bedtime issue! And there are many characters in this perky board book who cannot with all the will in the world fall asleep. Hedgehog, Fox, Donkey, Pelican and Crocodile are so tired. Only Seal is wide awake. He skips out of bed—he…
Arne Rautenberg & Nadia Budde This Day is My Friend Poems for the good minutes Arne Rautenberg puts all senses on reception, touches the long ears of rabbit and dog with nose and mouth. Inhale someone’s scent deeply: half of sleep, half of sand and full of the scent of the land of milk and…
Jan Kaiser & Maja Bohn For Marylee Mary likes her grandpa very much, especially the funny things he always thinks up for her. His neighbours do say: “The old man has lost his marbles”, but grandpa can reassure Marylee – as he calls Mary: He’s not only not lost his marbles, he’s a poet! And…
Birgit Schössow Oskar Holidaybear Holiday time! Excited Mimi is expecting guests for the first time at her hotel by the sea. Already the bus arrives with lots of people, suitcases and boxes – and a bear! The big, shaggy guest introduces himself at Mimi’s reception as “Oskar Holidaybear”. The adults anxiously keep their distance from…
Antje Damm & Will Gmehling Pizza Cat Here’s comes Pia the pizza cat, nimble and nippy – MAMMA MIA! She whizzes through this picture book on her yellow Vespa, loaded with pizza that is so delicious that you won’t forget it. Will Gmehling gives the pizza cat a boost, in fast-paced verses he lets her…
Susanne Straßer Zebra, Bear, and Pelican A birthday calendar by Susanne Straßer When is grandpa‘s birthday? Susanne Straßer‘s everlasting calendar not only reliably reminds children (and parents!) of the birthdays of the most important people. Zebra, bear and pelican and all the other funny characters from much-loved picture books ensure a good mood in children‘s…
Will Gmehling The Kiosk on Elser Corner – The Bukowskis Keep Going Here they are again, the Bukowskis: Alf, a real boxer by now and still in love with Joanna. Katinka, his annoying but ingenious sister, always busy with the fashion world. And the dreamy Robbie, who should never be underestimated. Things are going well…
Julia Willmann & Jens Rassmus Rascha and the Door to Heaven For Rascha, Ima is the dearest person. There is always a smile on his grandma’s face, even when she looks serious. Ima doesn’t say many words – and when she does, they are sentences like boulders, so powerful that no one can get past…
Hanna Jansen, Leonard Erlbruch Bottom in the Hay A story about arriving in a new home When Jakob moved to the countryside in the summer, he thought everything was stupid. Life as a threesome with his mother’s boyfriend Hannes, the villagers, their dogs, the smell – just everything. But then Pia turned up and showed…
Friederike Dammermann Not Without My Duck Giraffe and Duck sit in the bathtub, warble a song and feel: there is talent at play here; it demands a microphone and a stage! In a paper boat they paddle into the harbour of the big city. And really, success is not long in coming. Giraffe and Duck…
Brigitte Schär, Heike Herold The Christmas Party At Christmas of all times, the triplets Lola, Linus and Levin have to do without their grandparents, who are on holiday recovering from looking after the children. Now the three children want to ask Father Christmas to be their grandfather, at least over the holidays. On the morning…
Susanne Straßer Soup’s Ready! 12 o’clock – time for soup! Everyone knows what goes in: the horse brings a red turnip. Lid open – lid closed. The goat brings tender twigs, the dog a crunchy bone, the squirrel fresh spruce cones. Lid open – lid closed. Finally ready: Bon appétit! But what if the soup…
Sensitively told, luminously staged The little story by Jürg Schubiger—discovered in the great Swiss author‘s estate—looks into a distant night. Into a time in which everything is still intact and lasts forever.Adam and Eve lie on a cushion of moss and look up at the stars, dense as snowflakes. Surrounded by everything they need and…
Wieke is angry. She likes neither Xandra, her dad‘s new girlfriend, nor her annoying little daughter. And now she is supposed to spend her holiday in an Italian mountain village with them! When Ken comes along, the refugee boy from Nigeria for whom Xandra has taken over guardianship, Wieke has had enough. As it happens,…
How about that! After more than two decades, there finally is a Christmas successor to Nadia Budde‘s One Two Three Me. In a handy gift book format, One Two Three Reindeer nicely fits into Santa‘s Christmas bag and any Secret Santa package or stocking. Again, it is as simple as it is ingenious: three Christmas…
Jacob is really cheesed off that Mum has moved to the country with him, just because she wants to live with her boyfriend Hannes. And yet they had a nice time together in their small apartment under the roof. Jacob is disgruntled as he roams through the fields. He feels left out and dwells on…
The girl on the book was me A middle grade novel about the power of language and literature When Lama’s mother leaves for Morocco to trace her roots, the eleven-year-old girl feels abandoned. Even more so because her best friend has also moved away. If that hadn’t been the case, the stupid thing wouldn’t have…
Did you ever kill a rabbit when you were young? Or did you study something that doesn’t interest you? There’s a second chance! Henning Wagenbreth turns back the time in Land in Reverse and you can do all those things again and better. In panels, full-page illustrations and with spot-on rhymes, the Berlin-based illustrator…
The Bukowskis fight their way through The Bukowski siblings have had a long summer at the lido. The days are getting shorter – but no less exciting! For Alf, the narrator, who finally takes up boxing and still thinks about the beautiful Johanna. (So often that he drops his guard while boxing and that hurts!)…
“Hurry up,“ says mum. “I‘ll be right there,“ says Peter. With a glance at her watch, the mother urges him to be quick. But Peter is detained by major sensations that demand his full attention: The beetle on the stairs, a thousand flying umbrellas in the summer air and the very friendly dog next door….
When Alice Littlebird, a girl from the people of the Cree, is separated from her family and taken to the Black Lake Residential School, she loses everything. The nuns take away her clothes and shave off her hair. She is not allowed to speak her language and is forced to pray to a God she…
Together, Pit and Pelle are big enough to do the shopping for dinner by themselves this time. They set off with dad‘s shopping list. Pit pushes his little brother through the supermarket in the shopping trolley and Pelle manages to reach everything. When they are done with the list, they add all those things that…
An whole summer in the sunshine Because the Bukowski siblings have saved a toddler from drowning at the indoor pool, they are famous for a few days. But the entrance card for the outdoor pool, which they receive as a reward for their heroic deed, is far better than the glory: free entry throughout a…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
On silent paws A suspenseful children’s book prompting a fascination with wolves A wolf is trotting through the Mark of Brandenburg. He caught prey for his family, as the little ones are already in need of meat and show the urge to leave the cave. Only Blackear, the smallest whelp, appears still weak and mother…
Long overdue: The sequel to One Two Three Me New unexpected rhymes for the youngest In 1999, Nadia Budde’s first picture book was published: One Two Three Me – it was hailed as a stroke of genius, won the most prestigious awards, and has long since become a classic. The author and the publisher agreed:…
One heart and two names A children’s book about friendship Maxima, the little blonde first grader girl with the gap between her front teeth brings light into David’s life. She drew a heart and wrote their names inside – Maxima loves him! The boy from Nigeria is so happy about her affection that he, finally,…
Everyone with family, friends and colleagues will value this birthday calendar. Properly managed, this will be a reliable reminder of birthdays for decades. Wolf Erlbruch’s perpetual birthday calendar is beautifully designed, clearly laid out and offers lots of space for notes, even if thee are several birthdays on the same day. Peter Hammer…
From now on, it will all be different A story about bullying with a liberating ending Finn feels queasy with fear on his way to school – every morning. This has been going on for weeks because of the three boys from his class, who wait for him in the schoolyard to make his life…
King will come! – this sentence, spoken by the mother, bathes everything in a new light. The boy, his parents and the baby have been in this new country for three days. Only King isn’t here, his dog and best friend. But King will follow and find them! But how is King to find the…
14-year-old Juni lives with her dad in Potsdam most of the time—fortunately! Her mother is a real control freak; there’s a fixed schedule for everything, there is no provision for leeway. Juni hates that so much! And now she is to spend her holidays at her mum’s place in Berlin, because her father needs to…
Ten tykes – full of beans Finger rhymes are meant to introduce some form of order within the bustle of seemingly endless shorter and longer tiny fingers. There is not one child that doesn’t love finger rhymes! Rhyming and playing is an excellent combination. The gang of five sets out as is customary in finger…
The more colorful, the better! A cardboard picture book about the fun of being different Even the youngest kids will understand it right away: This story is about two individuals, who couldn’t be more different if they tried. Anotherway is tall, Different is short. She is made of cotton wool and he is made of…
Who Am I, Really? An enchanting poetic diary in cartoon style Viola—no longer a child, but not yet an adult—ponders life’s big and small questions. Her thoughts and emotions evolve around friendship and the fear of being ostracised. Around the trouble with her family, love and the support that comes with it. Around boys, looks…
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
Lisa is a single child. She has a good time with her mum and dad. But all of a sudden she begins to experience most extraordinary things and her mum expects another baby after all. The oddities begin when Lisa’s teacher, Mrs. Fish, seems to be having a doppelgänger. With this look-alike, Lisa goes on…
Whether you are three years of age or a big child: you will immediately take the little lion and the little clown to your heart! This lovely book includes eight little stories about the two children from the circus: How the little lion once urgently had to have its hair cut, but couldn’t sit still…
Africa—with 54 states, more than 1,000 languages and the youngest population of the world—is multicoloured and multifaceted, age-old and modern. This diversity is rarely addressed in Europe’s narrative about the “dark continent”. It clings to the fairy-tale of Africa’s lack of history and political insignificance with incredible tenacity. Current media portraits remain reduced to terrible…
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…
Chemistry and Alchemy for the Unafraid When we think of chemistry, we envisage scientists in white lab coats that handle conical flasks and raw chemicals over Bunsen burners in their laboratory. Or we think of complicated formulae which we already failed to understand in school. Who would have thought that today’s white-lab-coats’ chemistry has a…
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…
What do philosophers do when they philosophise? Books that deal with philosophy tell of great thinkers, their views and their lives. Philosophising itself remains in the dark. How it works, how it fosters creative and independent thinking, is now demonstrated by Jens Soentgen. He introduces the most popular and effective practices of philosophy, not abstract,…
It is difficult to say what love is. But this much is clear: it is something to do with kissing or so. Two in Love is a little gift book for all those who contemplate love. Wondering who wants to kiss whom and who may or even should do so. Wondering about the before and after. The longing,…
Leonard loves dogs and he knows everything about them. But at the same time he fears nothing as much as dogs. Until one day a little fairy appears on his bed cover and fulfills his biggest wish: she transforms him into a dog. But now something unexpected happens: Leonard the dog fears nothing as much…
Five animals meet in the shade of an old bridge: hyena, rat, spider, bat and toad – the frightful five! They are not there to make any mischievous plans; rather they are all very unhappy because nobody really likes them. But after a while the five become tired of their moaning and make plans to…
A man catches an eagle and brings it up amongst chickens. The eagle eventually lives like the chickens until one day, a naturalist passes by and immediately recognizes the bird as an eagle. That’s where the story begins. by Wolf Erlbruch & James Aggrey Peter Hammer Verlag | hc | 32 pp | 215 x…