Lena Zeise

How the Cat Came to Us

Wie die Katze zu uns kam
Of Cats and Men.

Egyptian deity or shipboard mouse catcher, heroine of fairy tales and myths or beloved pet: it is impossible to imagine our lives without cats! For many thousands of years, they have had a place in our homes, yards and hearts. We accompany the cat on its foray through world events - from the hearths of our Stone Age ancestors to its celebrity appearance in millions of YouTube clicks .
This book gives a fascinating account of the many ways those velvet paws came to us - and have stayed until today! Innovative comic strips complement the informative text and animate the stories of these whiskered protagonists in an entertaining way.

Lena Zeise

Balto and Togo - The Run to Nome

Balto & Togo
Alaska, 1925. In the dead of winter, an epidemic has taken hold in the small city of Nome. Isolated as it is by snow and ice, the only way the city can obtain much-needed medication is by dogsled.
For 650 miles dog drivers and their teams of sled dogs, depending completely on each other, fight heavy snow and ice storms in a race against time. The “Serum Run to Nome”, as this real event became known, captured the world’s attention well beyond the Alaskan border.

Lena Zeise’s retelling and illustrations of this true story of wilderness survival makes a breathtaking tale of companionship, courage and the unique bond between the dog drivers and their teams.
Mehrdad Zaeri, Werner Holzwarth

Winter of the Squirrel

Der Winter des Eichhörnchens
The Happiness of Not Finding!
Squirrel is young, and life is beautiful! Gathering nuts, burying them, and having a good winter - no problem at all!

Then, squirrel grows old. Gathering nuts and burying them takes a lot of energy. Finding the nuts again is an even bigger problem - especially when one forgets what one was looking for! It's enough to make a squirrel tired, a little sad, even angry!

Then, everything starts to make sense again.

Mehrdad Zaeri's magical illustrations invoke the inner life of a squirrel. A positive parable of life in this picture book story written by Werner Holzwarth.
Kathrin Wolf, Isabel Kreitz

In an Old House in Berlin

In einem alten Haus in Berlin
In 1871 the Schwartz family, keeper of a pharmacy, proudly moves into their new house – a house that will showcase German history and everyday life in Berlin for the next 150 years. We follow the family through five generations and witness with them the days of Empire and World Wars, and the building, then the fall, of the Wall. And throughout, we see the constant activity of its children: Karl and Martha, Ursula and Peter, and Laura and Ben. We look on as the events of the wider world shape their own lives.

Detailed pictures teeming with activity and informative captions make history easier to grasp, and bring Berlin to life!
Henrike Wilson: Ganz schön langweilig!
Henrike Wilson

Pretty Darn Boring!

Ganz schön langweilig!
A little bear trots through the forest and isn’t quite sure where to go. He’s bored and
no one has time for him- everyone’s busy. At last, he lies down on the forest floor
and decides to do nothing- absolutely nothing. And even though he isn’t occupied,
lots of things are happening. Slowly but surely he begins to feel calm and his senses
begin to awaken. He begins to pay attention to the sounds around him and to feel,
see, sense, and discover more and more. His head feels free, his curiosity is
awakened, and lots of new ideas begin to come to him. Entertained and restored, he
starts off on his next adventure.
In a time in which even kindergartners need weekly planners and everyone always
has something to do (at least on a tablet or the like), Henrike Wilson remembers the
value and necessity of boredom and free, unstructured time, and pays homage to
these with vivid visuals. The ability to enjoy aimless time can be so fulfilling.

Rights sold to China, USA, Spain, Italy

Henrike Wilson

Squirrel Finds a New Home

Eichhörnchen zieht um
It’s springtime! Squirrel wakes up from its winter sleep full of energy and purpose, and is amazed to see flowers in front of its usual nest opening. How can that be? Flowers in the middle of the treetops? Mouse knows: a storm blew the
tree over last night. So squirrel has to find a new place to live! Squirrel’s garden companions offer to share their homes.

That’s nice, but squirrel needs a cozy place of its own, so the search begins for a new home in the most beautiful tree in the garden – and there, squirrel finds a delightful surprise!

This is a story of helping hands and friendship, garden creatures and the magic of springtime, in a warm-spirited, richly illustrated new book by Henrike Wilson.
Henrike Wilson

Felix and His Monster

Felix und sein Monster
Monster Alert!

Felix would be content with life, and with himself, if he just weren't so afraid! He often has this feeling that something scary is lurking ahead. He gets spooked easily and then he worries about what the other kids will think of him. Then one day he gets into a terrible rage about this fear he can't shake. He takes it out in wild scribbling on a piece of paper. What's left is a monster! A super-cool monster!

Henrike Wilson writes with great sensitivity about finding the courage to face one's fears. A book about courage and friendship - and a very special monster!
Henrike Wilson: Fünf Nüsse für Eichhörnchen
Henrike Wilson

Five Nuts, Squirreled Away

Fünf Nüsse für Eichhörnchen
It's fall! The leaves whirl in the wind and the squirrel is beginning to stockpile nuts for the winter. So far, five nuts have been gathered. The squirrel wants to hide them where no one will find them. It does so with great enthusiasm and finds excellent hiding spots. However, it was working with such zeal that it, unlike the reader, didn't notice that other animals were watching the whole time. When winter comes and everything's covered by a thick blanket of snow, the cheerful little squirrel tries to gather its nuts—only to find that the first four have apparently grown legs and escaped! Luckily the fifth and best nut (the one with the tiny hat!) is still there in its fantastic hiding place.
So it's no problem that the other animals helped themselves to his supply.
A book about the art of finding pleasure in what you do have instead of worrying about what you don't. But this is also a story about garden animals and the changing of the seasons, with all its many marvels—lovingly told with atmospheric illustrations by Henrike Wilson.

Rights sold to China, Denmark, France, Spain and Korea

Henrike Wilson: Ich war einmal abends...
Henrike Wilson

I Was Sitting in My Room One Night...

Ich war einmal abends...
„I was sitting in my room one night, all snug and comfy, when there was a knock on
the door. Now, who might it be …. my friend!“
Now, that’s as snug and promising a beginning to a never-ending book as one could
wish for, isn’t it? The bear gets a visit from the fox, who is in turn visited by the
hare, the squirrel goes to see the hare and is visited by the owl. And the owl? Well,
the owl is comfortably ensconced in her wing chair knitting happily away until
Kingdom come. But who could ever be in need of such a long scarf as this? Well, if it
isn’t her friend, the big brown bear, whom we’ve already met at the very beginning!
Henrike Wilson’s cosy pictures tell a story that is no less exciting for being simple,
and which never really comes to an end. Not only will the readers enjoy guessing
who it might be now knocking on the door, but they’ll be amazed at what all those
animals of the forest will get up to of a night, how and where they live, and how glad
they are to have their friends over. This is a great book about friendship, and about
the art of storytelling - you couldn’t ask more for a bedtime story!

Right sold to China, Faroe Islands, Hungary, Korea, The Netherlands/Belgium, Slovenia and Spain

Silke Vry, Claudia Lieb

The Dinosaur at the Rock. The Adventures of the First Bone Hunters.

Der Dinosaurier im Fels
Who discovered Tyrannosaurus rex?

A twelve-year old girl stands alone on the rough cliffs of southern England and taps rhythmically with a hammer against the rock; two renowned scientists compete for a discovery in a »fight to the bones«; one day, a young adventurer peeks into the empty eye sockets of a Tyrannosaurus rex... this book tells the suspenseful stories of the first fossil hunters. At a time when most people still believed that the Earth was just a few thousand years old, and few imagined that giant prehistoric lizards once ruled the planet, these hardy pioneering researchers were literally prying dinosaur bones out of the rock – and proving just the opposite to a skeptical world.
With many illustrations, fossil and research profiles, and appendices.
Silke Vry, Martin Haake

Sunken Cities, Forgotten Cultures Great Archeologists and their Discoveries

Verborgene Schätze, versunkene Welten
What could be more exciting than to bring remnants of bygone times-buried cities, archaic cultures, ancient treasures- to light?

This large nonfiction book takes us along into the exciting world of archaeology. The lively narration invites us to join the scholars on their journey and learn everything about the most significant archaeological finds of the past 500 years, including the discovery of the Mayans, the ancient sports stadium Olympia, the grave of Tutankhamen, and the Terracotta Army in China. We run into many of the people who laid the groundwork for modern archeology (Heinrich Schliemann, Robert Koldewey, and Johann Winckelmann) and learn about the pioneering archaeologists of today (Thor Heyerdahl and Franck Goddio). The adventurous stories behind these great discoveries also familiarize us with the exciting excavation techniques used in the process. The large-format, collage-like illustrations help us delve even deeper into the adventure of archeology.

Rights sold to Romania, China and Korea

Julie Völk

A Time When Wishing Still Helped

Zur Zeit, wo das Wünschen noch geholfen hat
Grimm's Fairy Tales as seen by artist Julie Völk - A Magical Masterpiece

This selection of stories unites familiar and beloved tales with a few others that deserve to be discovered anew. Julie Völk guides us through enchanted waterways, through thick forests and breathtaking mountain landscapes; she shows us magical gardens and pauses while we marvel at secret cottages and mighty palaces.

There are strange creatures to discover, along with clever girls and boys; witches playing tricks, and yes, even the Devil is at work. Just as the tales themselves enter our dreams, make us shiver and sometimes cause us to laugh out loud, the illustrations cast their own spell. In numerous vignettes and colorful larger scenes, Julie Völk presents the stories anew in her own unique style. She references the familiar while calling our attention to new details. This treasury of stories becomes, in the best sense, a gift to all - children will discover countless details, and in the red-and-white vignettes they will "read" the stories on their own; more seasoned readers will be surprised by new perspectives. The pictures, like the stories, allow us to travel back in time, but they remain modern and fresh. The unique environment created by these intimate, yet powerful pictures will enchant young and old alike.
Julie Völk: Wenn ich in die Schule geh
Julie Völk

Going to school

Wenn ich in die Schule geh
A girl and her little brother leave to go to school. Because the walk feels shorter and more fun with a larger group of people, they gather more and more children along the way. The reader is lucky enough to meet all of these different people and their equally different homes.
 
The path to school leads through a springtime birch forest to the river where the fishing family lives, past the farm, past the fields leading towards the city, past the auto repair shop, the circus tent, the bakery, and the pet shop, until it finally ends at the school. And the teacher? Oops – he overslept and is in a big hurry. Anyone who sets off down the path again will see him rushing off to school in the background.
 
Julie Völk’s illustrations depict the appeal of changing landscapes and the colourful diversity of people. Without the use of text, they show the importance, social function, and fun of going places on foot.

Rights sold to Brazil (Portuguese Worldwide)

Julie Völk
Kleine Schwester, große Schwester
Ada is still small. Small ears, small nose, small hands, small feet. Just like a little sister. And as it is with little sisters, their little heads are full of big ideas. On Monday, Ada decides that she would rather be a little elephant. With a big trunk. On Tuesday, she wishes she had the matching elephant ears to go with it, and so it continues merrily through the week. But suddenly, when something goes wrong for Ada the elephant, she's gone or is she?
Julie Völk tells the story of two sisters in clear, reduced images with bright color accents. In doing so, she cleverly combines "pretend play" with the relationship between the two. As clear and focused as the story is, as strong is the homage to play and the childlike imagination.
Julie Völk

Rainy Dragon Days

Drachenregentage
How a Cozy Rainy Day Led To an Exciting Trip to Dragonland

Actually, Toni and the dog wanted to spend the rainy day on the sofa - with pillows and cocoa and books. Then the doorbell rang and in walked Fred, an elegant dragon and a great friend, carrying an umbrella. Fred needed to pee, but Toni's loo was much too small for a dragon. What to do? Toni and the dog offer suggestions, but none of them seem right for a dragon with style. After all, who has ever seen a dragon peeing against a tree? No one! Fred has to deal with it, because it's becoming urgent. So he sweeps up his friends and sets them on his back for a flight to Dragonland, where there are magnificent floating pagodas . . .

Julie Völk's atmospheric picture worlds are not just an homage to cozy rainy days. The artist manages to tell a witty dragon adventure story while addressing a need that we all, not just dragons, sometimes have when we need to find a private place to go.

Sold to Brazil and New Zealand (English World Rights)

Einar Turkowski: Aus dem Schatten trat ein Fuchs
Einar Turkowski

Out of the shadows stepped a Fox

Aus dem Schatten trat ein Fuchs
“Out of the shadows crept a fox”... this is how Einar Turkowski's new masterpiece begins. For the first time ever, he combines his unique pencil drawings with colour. He takes the viewer on a search for happiness in his very own visual language. The fox roams through the night and a bird of paradise joins him. Both are colourful, both are looking for something, and neither one is quite sure where he’s going.
The landscape sometimes seems enchanted and reassuring, other times forbidding and threatening.
The night is still young, still long. But the more it advances, the more power it gains. The wanderers are close to losing heart and close to giving in to the dark mood. But the colour has been waiting to be found. It shows itself and gives the fox new courage for facing life. And the bird? He too finds his place and enchants us with his sad songs.
Einar Turkowski

The Moon Flower

Die Mondblume
In an old stone house on an island, there lives a man. Every day he traces the meandering paths, steep steps and hidden corners of his garden. One evening, in his favorite place in the garden he discovers a new plant. The man is eager to know what kind of plant it is, but he can’t find the plant in any of his gardening books. He nurtures and cares for the plant, and it begins to grow and sprout leaves, then one day it produces a huge bud. The man waits patiently for the bud to open.

He keeps the plant company at tea-time, and even puts on a play for it. But the bud stays closed – until the night of the full moon . . .

Einar Turkowski’s delicate penciled masterpieces reveal even the tiniest detail. Even though the pictures are in black and white, they are rich with nuance and they suggest a richly poetic world that transports and amazes the reader.
 

Rights sold to Italy, Taiwan, China, South Africa, Sweden, Spain (Spanish and Catalan), Belarus and Turkey

Kirsten Traynor, Carim Nahaboo

Leaving Home

Der große Schwarm
A Field Trip with the Bees!

Henrietta is a scout, a so-called field bee. Though she spent her youth inside the hive working, now she has a big responsibility outside - she has to find a new home for the bee colony! The colony has grown too large for the many worker bees to survive. And so Henrietta leaves home with a huge swarm --thousands of her sisters. But where will the bees find a new home?

Dive into the fascinating world of bees and join them on their journey! Bee expert Kirsten Traynor knows lots of amazing stories about a largely unknown part of these fascinating insects' lives. Accompanied by wonderful illustrations, these stories bring the bee colony to life.
Karsten Teich: Paul und Opa fahren Rad
Karsten Teich

Grandpa goes for a bike ride

Paul und Opa fahren Rad
Paul is spending his summer holiday with Grandpa in the country.
Grandpa’s great – but life in the country sure isn’t! No Internet, no cinema – Grandpa doesn’t even have a car! But then the two find a red folding bicycle in a ditch on the side of the road. They work together to fix it up. The tires need to be patched and the chain oiled, and of course it needs working brakes and a bell. Paul also has to get a helmet.
Finally they’re ready and Paul and Grandpa ride uphill and downhill on the path to the lake.
Not even a flat tire can stop them now!
In this heartwarming and humorous picture book, children learn all the essentials about owning and riding a bicycle. It’s a grandfather and grandson holiday adventure for bike-lovers great and small!

Rights sold to Slovenia and Russia

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Karsten Teich: Paul und Opa zelten
Karsten Teich

Grandpa goes camping

Paul und Opa zelten
Paul is on vacation with grandpa in the country. Grandpa's house is so cozy! Paul doesn't like to go outside. There are all kinds of things that prick and sting thistles, nettles, insects. Besides, the sun is shining way too much! But when the house is suddenly full of wasps, the two seek refuge in the nearby forest with their tent. A whole new world for Paul! What are the strange pegs for? How do you make a fire for
dinner? And why is it so quiet in the forest?
A new fun adventure with Paul and Grandpa, where children learn a lot about nature and everything about camping!