Pablo
ISBN 9781776573240
Regular price $21.99 Sale price $19.80 Save 10%An immersive learning experience with Pablo, the little chick, as he discovers the world and many firsts.
Hardcover, 32 pages.
Gecko Press.
Reviews:
"Playing it safe, a chick decides to hatch bit by bit. With stark black images—mainly a black egg in center stage—set against a white background, Belgian author/illustrator Rascal tells the story of Pablo, the chick, as he hatches. As the story opens, Pablo is spending his last night in his shell. When morning comes, Pablo must gather his strength for the task ahead, and what better way than with a small croissant and a hot chocolate? The tone is set: Though the images may be black and white, Pablo is no black-and-white character. There is an endearing complexity to this cute little chick. 'A little bit scared' yet a little curious, 'Pablo starts with a little tiny hole.' One eye contemplates the world outside, then two. Bit by bit, he makes a hole for each ear, his beak, and then his legs. Now Pablo can see, hear, smell, and wander around. With an eighth and ninth hole his wings are freed, and he flies. 'He's not scared now!' Tempering bravery with caution, after emerging, Pablo saves a small piece of his shell, just in case. And what a good thing he does, as the last illustration shows a yellow chick sheltering from the rain under his shell/umbrella. Indeed, bravery is not a one-dimensional trait. Delightful—will surely bring smiles to readers' faces." — starred, Kirkus Reviews
"Utilizing black-and-white illustrations with bold shapes and sharp contrasts, Pablo is a sparse story about breaking out of your shell—literally. Pablo's big day has arrived: he has grown too big for his shell, and he is now ready to spread his wings in the world, albeit cautiously. With a touch of color at its close, the book reminds children that, even as they grow and change, a piece of home is always with them." — Foreword Reviews
About the Author:
Rascal is a leading Belgian illustrator and author of children's books. Enrolled by his parents in art school at the age of 12, he has since published more than 100 children's books and received international awards.
Oink
ISBN 9781776572144
Regular price $21.99by David Elliot
A comical story about a very busy bath.
A comical story akin to Five Minutes' Peace about a very busy bath. Pig is having a lovely bath. In come Sheep, Cow, Horse....They are very noisy! What can Pig do to make them go away? Pig must think of something smart and quick.
Hardcover, 32 pages. 9.4 x 7.2 inches.
Recommended for children ages 2-5 years.
Gecko Press.
Reviews
"Can four animals share a bathtub? Not if the pig protagonist, who utters a satisfied 'Oink!" upon spotting the empty, large, white, claw-foot tub, has anything to say about it. No sooner is the pig in the water than: 'Knock! Knock!' A sheep in a frilly pink skirt enters: 'Maaa?' Is this a polite request to enter the bath? The pig doesn't answer but looks unhappy as the sheep climbs in and proceeds to splash. Another 'Knock! Knock!' and a large, horned bovine wearing a shower cap and long yellow trunks appears. The bovine says 'Moo?'; the sheep answers 'Maaa!'; the pig just glowers. How could things get worse? Well, a donkey in another outlandish bathing costume shows up with a 'Hee haw?' Soon the animal companions are talking up a storm, save for the poor pig—but in a completely wordless spread, the tables turn. With a few expressive pencil lines emanating from the water, Elliot finds a way for the pig to regain privacy. The surprised and then disgusted looks on the other animals' faces, their accusatory animal-sound questions, and then their huffy departures tell the story perfectly. The soft pencil-and-watercolor drawings are masterful in their simple details, and kids will enjoy telling the tale themselves, intoning the animal sounds in different ways to heighten the drama of the story. Told only in animal dialect and sound effects but with brilliant visual details, this story will become a bathtime favorite."—starred, Kirkus Reviews
"A little pig ('Oink!') climbs into a giant clawfoot bathtub and settles in for a soak, but then someone knocks at the bathroom door. A little sheep ('Maaa?') with a toy boat comes in. Another knock heralds the arrival of a large cow ('Moo?') with a beach ball and shower cap, and then a donkey arrives ('Hee haw?') with a life preserver. All the animals seem to take a more-the-merrier approach to bath time, except the pig, who looks comically more defeated with every page turn. Told only through small-scale art and the animal and door sounds, the story uses smart pacing and energetic line work with muted washes of color to draw out the droll humor throughout. The bath activity escalates, halting abruptly at every knock on the door, and then gets wilder still as the art takes up progressively more of the page. Just when the splashy bath scene becomes a real party, with the art expanding to fill full-bleed double-page spreads, some smelly fumes bubble up from the water. Covering their noses, the disgusted animals begin pointing hooves at one another and indignantly stalk off, one by one. Alone at last, the pig once again relaxes in the bath—and passes a little more gas for good measure. Classic bath-time antics!"—The Horn Book Magazine
All the Dear Little Animals
ISBN 9781776572892
Regular price $23.99 Sale price $21.60 Save 10%Early readers will love the dry humour and wonderfully rounded story of All the Dear Little Animals. Nilsson perfectly captures the child's perspective, balancing compassion and humour. This is a very funny story about a topic that touches all of us.
Reviews
101 Great Books for Kids — 2020 — Winner
USBBY Outstanding International Books List — 2021 — Winner
"Three children spend a day burying dead creatures in this New Zealand import originally from Sweden. This perspicacious observation of how children copy adult behavior in their play is also a hilarious spoof on the overtly pious funeral industry. Esther, her younger brother Puttie, and the unnamed narrator have 'nothing to do' one day. Finding a dead bumblebee, Esther declares they must bury it, but the narrator is leery of touching it, being afraid of death, and so instead offers to write the poem: 'A dear little life in the hand / Suddenly gone, deep in the sand.' Little Puttie, completely in the dark about death, is upset when Esther tells him he too will die when he is 'an old man.' 'But Mummy and Daddy will be so sad,' he whimpers. After the success of the bumblebee interment, Esther is enthused about burying 'all the poor dead animals,' and the children start 'Funerals Ltd.,' phoning neighbors for dead pets and scouring the bushes and byways for roadkill. The story cleverly—and tenderly—pivots near its end, giving it a touching depth (with a twist). Eriksson's keenly observed illustrations include full-page and double-page spreads as well as spots, and they are as wickedly hilarious as the text in their understated expressions and details. An abundance of soft springlike colors present a visually humorous juxtaposition to the morbid theme. The children are illustrated as white. Dark and hilarious." — Kirkus Reviews
"One quiet day, when a boy (the narrator) and his friend Esther have nothing to do, they find a dead bumblebee. Esther takes the lead, grabbing a shovel and burying the bee in a cigar-box coffin, while the boy recites a little poem over the grave. They're so moved that they decide to look for more dead things to bury, with help from Esther's little brother. Next, they find a dead mouse and give him a solemn burial, thinking, 'We were the nicest people in the world.' Soon they start an animal funeral business, burying a pet hamster, a rooster, a blackbird, and even roadkill: a hedgehog and a hare. Along the way, the children talk about death itself. The narrative concludes, 'The next day we did something else. Something completely different.' First published in Sweden, the book has a childlike tone that is reverent, winsome, and matter-of-fact. The kids' attitudes toward death differ realistically according to their ages and personalities. Sometimes amusing and sometimes moving, Nilsson's simply written text is always satisfying. Eriksson's sensitive, beguiling pencil drawings with color washes brighten every double-page spread. Like Margaret Wise Brown's The Dead Bird (1958, 2016), this pitch-perfect book shows children dealing with death in their own ways and then moving on." — Booklist
"Nilsson and Eriksson bring a whiff of Scandinavian noir to this lengthy, small-format picture book. After an encounter with 'something sad and tragic'—a dead bee—Esther buries the insect, then makes a pronouncement. 'Someone unselfish must make sure all these dead things get buried,' she tells the narrator, a boy in a plaid shirt. So they start a business, Funerals Ltd. The boy is a reluctant undertaker but a good writer ('There are lots of words inside me'), and he contributes a short poem for each funeral ('Farewell Harold, wee Harold so bold'). Esther solicits new business, sometimes with startling cynicism—'We will never forget him. That's what we're paid for!' Deftly translated by Marshall, the text laces honest consideration of a difficult subject with winningly mordant humor. Lindgren Award–winner Eriksson's (My Heart Is Laughing) lightly penned images of the children burying animals are the visual equivalent of Nilsson's offhand tone. It's only after the children tackle logistical matters—touching corpses, how to explain death to Esther's little brother, whether the gravestones need proper names—that a moment of real tenderness occurs: they witness a blackbird's sudden death, and even brusque Esther is moved. A sly, thoughtful, many-layered story." — Publishers Weekly
"'One day we had nothing to do. We wanted some fun. Then Esther found a bumblebee.' This illustrated early chapter book is a darkly comedic exploration of life and death. Three bored children begin holding funerals for dead animals they happen upon, beginning with the bumblebee. Flowers, poetry, tears, and a cigar-box coffin make the first funeral such a success that they start a business, Funerals Ltd. Among other creatures, that day they bury a pet hamster, a rooster, and three dead fish Esther finds in the fridge. Busy and self-righteous in their work ('We were very kind and good, looking after the dead animals. We were the nicest people in the world'), they enjoy great satisfaction and become greedy for larger creatures to buy. Then, at dusk, a blackbird flies into a window and dies before their eyes. The suddenness of the transition unsettles the three children, and this final funeral, though still melodramatic, feels more personal and less like a game. 'The next day we found something else to do. Something completely different.' Honest and uncomfortable humor within the soft, pale vignettes and full-page and double-page-spread art captures the book's spirit, with a final spread showing the graveyard the trio created, with wooden crosses and stones labeled with names (including 'A fish,' and 'One more fish') commemorating all the creatures whose lives were honored that day." — The Horn Book Magazine
Can You Whistle, Johanna?
ISBN 9781776573257
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $22.49 Save 10%Why doesn't Berra have a grandfather? And how can he get one? Ulf suggests that there are plenty of old men at the retirement home. Berra and Ulf go there together to find one—ideally one who eats pig's trotters, invites you to tea, and can teach you to whistle.
A funny, sensitive, illustrated chapter book about a friendship across generations. Stark's writing covers every emotion, sometimes in the same sentence. Please see the Kirkus Review below for a more in depth description of the storyline, including sensitive information.
Hardcover, 80 pages. 5.7 x 8 inches.
Gecko Press.
Read the first chapter from the publisher's website here.
Excerpt:
"We looked out over the world and spat our cherry stones on the ground. And Grandpa Ned didn't want to leave. 'Here we are sitting, just like in heaven,' he said, taking the last red cherry out of his hat."
From the publisher, Gecko Press:
"Our first release for 2021 is one of the world's perfect stories: Can You Whistle, Johanna? by Ulf Stark and illustrated by Anna Höglund.
This is the first book we bought English-language rights for, 15 years ago—still fresh, resonant and funny—available in a beautiful new edition for its first release in North America this spring.
Can You Whistle, Johanna? has all the things we look for in the books we publish at Gecko Press: drama, humour, human behaviour, character, plot, emotion and warmth. There are many layers and connections that make it a satisfying and lasting read. It is the kind of book that stays with you for life."
Reviews:
"When his friend Ulf describes the fun he has with his grandfather, Berra wishes for his own grandfather. To find him one, Ulf brings Berra to an old folks home, where they meet Ned, and Berra introduces himself as his grandson. Ned is lonely, so he willingly accepts the relationship. They have tea with the other residents, to whom Ned proudly introduces his newly acquired grandson. At first, recalling Ulf's tales, Berra asks Ned for money, which he gladly gives. After several more visits, Ned takes them to the park, where Ned builds a kite made from sticks and his wife's silk scarf while speaking lovingly about his wife, Johanna, and whistling the pretty tune that is also the title of this book. Berra's relationship with Ned grows deeper. He tries to whistle just like Ned and plans a birthday surprise for him that pleases and delights the old man. Ned tires easily and gets confused and lost, but the 7-year-olds don't really see the ramifications. Berra waits until he can whistle before his next visit but discovers that Ned has died. In a tribute to his adopted grandfather, he whistles his favorite song for him at his funeral. In this Swedish import, the author's namesake Ulf, who is observer, participant, and good friend, narrates the tale in a direct, matter-of-fact tone. Höglund's deceptively simple, colorful cartoons beautifully capture the characters' emotions and actions. Characters present white. A sweet, tender, never maudlin evocation of an intergenerational friendship." ~ starred, Kirkus Reviews
"5+. One of those rare perfect ones." ~ Youth Services Book Review
About the Author & Illustrator:
Ulf Stark (1944-2017) is one of the world's great writers. He is author of more than 30 books for children and has won many prizes for his stellar work. He was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2018.
Anna Höglund is one of Sweden's foremost illustrators, who has written her own books as well as illustrating the work of other leading authors, and received many international awards.
Soda Pop
ISBN 9781776570102
Regular price $21.99 Sale price $19.80 Save 10%Written by Barbro Lindgren and illustrated by Lisen Adbåge
Translated by Sarah Death
This classic Swedish children's novel is an absurd tale full of playful nonsense in a world where anything can happen.
Soda Pop loves bright orange clothes and wears a tea cozy on his head. He has brought up his son Mazarin on sweet buns and love. Grandfather Dartanyong emerges from his woodshed every morning with a new identity, and Great-grandfather has moved into a tree, eats birdseed, and thinks he is a cuckoo.
Theirs is a carefree life, untroubled by social norms. In this tolerant world anything can happen—is the garage suddenly full of tigers? We are not surprised.
Recommended for readers 6-8 years.
Hardcover, 112 pages. 5.7 x 7.8”.
Gecko Press.
Reviews
"Readers expecting a story arc, plot progression, and a certain amount of sense in their novels are bound to be disappointed with the madcap meanderings of Mazarin, his father Soda Pop, and his grandfather Dartanyong. However, if zany characters and a world with just a twinge of normality are a welcome change in your reading, this book, first published in Sweden in 1970, fits the bill. Mazarin lives in a house among the pines and firs and anthills with his 'really great dad [who] couldn't care less about anything.' Out in the dilapidated shed lives Mazarin's grandfather, 'alone in the woodshed so other people's germs can't jump out and grab him.' There is also a giraffe that 'wanders off from time to time eats whatever it can find,' as well as scaring the cows. The barn is filled with a 'swarm of tigers,' and the tigers are traded for a thousand hot dogs from the hot-dog man to feed everyone. Did I mention that each day Grandpa Dartanyong wakes with a different identity and, shall we say, very unusual problems? Fans of the wackier reaches of Jack Gantos and Polly Horvath will love these random ramblings that make up in emotional sense what they lack in conventional storytelling."—The Horn Book Magazine
"Set in a nondescript time and place, young Mazarin lives with his eccentric father, Soda Pop, and forgetful grandfather, Dartanyong. Their home includes monochromatic rooms; a garage with a fish-filled pool on top; a barn the perfect size for the cluster of tigers that turns up; a rubbish heap complete with a bed-eating giraffe; and a woodshed-turned-apartment where Dartanyong can avoid germs and store his many charts that help him remember details. Three recurring characters round out the cast: the cross man who's upset about red owls nesting in his mailbox; a hot dog seller turned tiger enthusiast; and Gustav, a robber with ballpoint-pen tattoos who is let out of the local jail occasionally for short jaunts. Nonsense is name of the game in this Swedish novel originally published in 1970 by prolific author and winner of the 2014 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (no relation to the famous author of Pippi Longstocking). This slim volume of short, episodic chapters is unabashedly absurd, moving quickly from adventure to adventure. The exploits often revolve around Dartanyong's identity of the day. When he emerges from his woodshed, he may think he's a plumber, a master painter, or a trapeze artist, and Soda Pop and Mazarin go with the flow, occasionally using his forgetfulness to their advantage when it comes to, say, feeding the hungry tigers. The translation is nicely complemented by full-color illustrations that have an appealing childlike quality. Readers wanting character arcs and climactic scenes won't find them here, but for a whimsical, lighthearted, unique reading experience, look no further."—School Library Journal
Author Bio
Lisen Adbåge was born in Sweden in 1982 and published her first picture book in 2000. She has won three major prizes for her children's books.
The Stone Giant
ISBN 9781776572731
Regular price $23.99 Sale price $14.50 Save 40%When her father leaves to save the people from a giant who turns them to stone with his gaze, the child in the red dress is left alone.
Many days and many nights go by. Every evening the girl says good night to herself in her mirror. When the last light burns down, the girl takes her mirror and a knife and sets out to find her father.
“I will save my father from the giant,” she says.
The Stone Giant is a contemporary and timeless fairytale that tells of a child who succeeds where adults cannot.
Based on a classic Swedish fairytale by Elsa Beskow, often called the Beatrix Potter of Scandinavia whose books have been read by Swedish children for over 100 years.
Hardcover.
Gecko Press.
Recommended for children 6 - 8 years old.
The Tale of the Tiny Man
ISBN 9781776574094
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $22.50 Save 10%by Barbro Lindgren; illustrated by Eva Eriksson
Translated by Julia Marshall
A classic picture book from Sweden with a very happy ending about feeling lonely and finding friends. It is possible, after all, to have more than one friend!
There was once a tiny man. One day, at the first sign of Spring, he decided to pin a note to a tree that said FRIEND WANTED. Then he sat down on the step to wait.
After ten days, he woke to find a cold nose in his hand. Beside him was a big dog with a beautiful curve in its tail. The tiny man had made a friend at last.
They play and walk and laugh every day. But then the girl in the polka dot dress comes to the step. The little man watches as the dog put his soft muzzle into the girl’s hand and worries that he has lost his only friend.
A touching picture book that explores learning how to make and share friends, feelings of being left out and discovering group dynamics. Packed full of emotion, this hardback picture book also teaches young children about self-esteem and empathy. A perfect story to read aloud with preschoolers or for young children just starting out at reading by themself.
A much-loved classic children’s story in Sweden, this celebratory edition features new illustrations from Eva Eriksson, illustrator of the My Happy Life series. It has also been made into a successful theatre show.
Barbro Lindgren is a pioneering children’s author from Sweden. She has won many international awards, including the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
Eva Eriksson is one of the best-loved illustrators in Sweden, whose awards include the Astrid Lindgren prize and the August award.
Click here to see a short look inside video of The Tale of the Tiny Man
Recommended for young readers ages 4-7 years.
Hardcover, 23 x 19.5 cm.
Gecko Press.
Reviews:
"A poignant ode to fidelity and the simplicity of true friendship. Its appeal relies on powerfully defined characters, the main one being a tiny man in lieu of a child which means adults sharing this story with younger readers will enjoy its relatability as much as children." ~ Dimity Powell
"Beyond being a beautiful story that is in no way didactic, this would be perfect for use in the classroom as an invitation to explore ideas such as: making friends, how to be a friend, empathy, jealousy, loneliness, and self-esteem." ~ My Kids Read the World
"And o! The drama! The pathos! The desolation! The joy! It’s ALL THE FEELINGS. And if the children in your life ask you to read it to them over and over and then some more, don’t be surprised." ~ Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
"It made me feel sadness and happiness and you pick up something of friendship and loneliness along the way too. Another winning book from Gecko Press that’s for sure." ~ Radio Southland – The Book Show
"A timeless classic that is just as relevant today as it was when it was first written over 40 years ago." ~ Outside in the World
"The prose has a delicate poetry that you find in the most satisfying of picture books. For me this would make a perfect story to read aloud, all is resolved and yet readers are left to consider the plight of those who are left out, the beauty of friendship, and to empathise with those around them." ~ Just Imagine
"Thought-provoking and evocative with atmospheric illustrations, this is a memorable picture book story of friendship, understanding and acceptance that will resonate with younger readers." ~ School Reading List
"Themes of respect for others, consideration for the elderly and friendship fill the pages of this gorgeously illustrated story." ~ Scope for Imagination
"A charming children’s story about a friendless man who looks like Mr Magoo. Eva Eriksson’s illustrations are excellent at conveying the story’s changing moods." ~ The Book Beat bookstore
"Book of the Day. Audiences will also be “pleased as punch” over the tiny man’s turn in fortunes." ~ Foreword Reviews
"A sensitive, atmospheric story depicting the fragility and rewards of friendship." ~ Kirkus Reviews
"A precious tale of a lonely man’s friendship with a dog." ~ The Listener
"This is a very emotional read, beautifully written and very delicately and softly illustrated." ~ the Kids Bookstagrammer
"This beautifully told and illustrated story looks at various emotions including empathy, loneliness and prejudice. Whether read alone or aloud, there’s much to think about and one hopes, talk about with family members and/or classmates." ~ Red Reading Hub
"The sentences are as sweet as honey, even on the gloomiest page. The illustrations are warm and alive and captivating." ~ Poetry Box
"Gently exploring social prejudice and discrimination, this emotional story will tug at the heartstrings. Featuring classic illustrations, The Tale of the Tiny Man is a sweet story about loneliness and finding the perfect friend that will resonate with readers of all ages." ~ A Word About Books
"A story parents will want to choose for read-aloud interest and for discussions about friendship, loneliness, and making connections." ~ Donovan’s Literary Services
The Tiny Woman's Coat
ISBN 9781776573424
Regular price $23.99 Sale price $21.60 Save 10%A small and cozy book leaving preschoolers snug as a bug, from award-winning author, Joy Cowley.
The tiny woman makes a coat of leaves with the help of her animal friends. The trees, geese, porcupine, horse and plants all share something so the tiny woman can snip, snip, snip and stitch, stitch, stitch a coat to keep herself warm.
Friendship and sharing are at the heart of this warm and simple rhythmic poem by one of the world’s best children’s writers. A perfectly cozy hardback storybook to read-aloud and share with babies, toddlers and preschoolers who will delight in everything tiny and small, including the fresh and funny illustrations by award-winning illustrator Giselle Clarkson.
Recommended for Children ages 3 - 5 years.
Hardcover, 28 pages. 8.8 x 8.8 inches.
Gecko Press.
Reviews:
“Now I have a new favourite cosy read to add to my collection.” —The Times UK, Children’s Book of the Week
Praise for The Tiny Woman’s Coat
"An inventive and delightful tale that evokes Thumbelina, The Borrowers, and other beloved wee characters."—Kirkus Reviews
“Now I have a new favourite cozy read to add to my collection ... Giselle Clarkson’s evocative illustrations tell another story of the powers of collectivism.”—The Times
About the Author & Illustrator:
Joy Cowley is one of New Zealand’s best-loved writers for children and adults, and her stories are loved around the world. She has won a multitude of awards and honors for her bestselling books, including the Prime Minister's Award for contribution to literature. She was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2018.
Giselle Clarkson is an illustrator and comic artist based in New Zealand. She illustrated Egg and Spoon: An Illustrated Cookbook by Alexandra Tylee which won the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults and The Gobbledegook Book: A Joy Cowley Anthology.
The Tiny Woman’s Coat: Q&A with Joy Cowley
Posted by Gecko Press
Joy Cowley is one of New Zealand’s best-loved writers for children and adults, with an international reputation.
She has won a multitude of awards and honours for her bestselling books, including the Prime Minister’s Award for contribution to literature. She was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2018.
What inspired the story of the tiny woman without a coat?
A red leaf.
A friend sent me a letter with a red leaf that they had collected on a walk one day. It had the texture of fine cloth. I had it on my writing desk and would touch it every day and thought wouldn’t it be lovely to have a coat in that texture. It fell to pieces eventually.
Children are fascinated with small things. After decades of working with children and helping them to learn to read, I’ve noticed the gift of being small and so close to the ground. I’ve been asked “do frogs have toenails?” “Why do daffodils have yellow hairs?” Being small and seeing small and playing with small things the size of their hands—sometimes as big people we forget about these things.
And children are never small in their own eyes. Only their little brother or sister are small to them. Anyone who starts a story with “There was a little girl…” well, I don’t believe they know children very well!
The Tiny Woman’s Coat looks at the outside world through a child’s eyes and has been compared to Thumbelina and The Borrowers. Did you enjoy the process of magnifying the natural world for young readers?
I thought more about what would make the perfect make-believe materials for a tiny coat. I went through a list in my mind that way.
I wanted the story of The Tiny Woman’s Coat to be a song, so that it floated and had a lyrical effect. To not be a serious story, but a warm and lovely story about making and thinking like a child.
Do you hope the story inspires young children to explore their own back yard to look closely at the little treasures they might find?
I believe children do explore their own backyard anyway. But I hope everything they read inspires them in some way. Books should give children pleasure, extend their imaginations and make their hearts rejoice.
A book is a different thing for children than it is for adults. It’s a friend: they take it around the house with them, they tuck it under their T-shirt or pillow at night.
The story includes trees and animals, seasons and resourcefulness. What are some of your favourite books about the outdoors and the natural world?
Unfortunately I can’t read now, which is a tragedy. But when I was young, I was introduced to a world I didn’t know after reading May Gibbs’ Snugglepot & Cuddlepie. That world became real for me. My sister and I would run past banksia trees, believing the villains of the story were sitting in their branches. I believe environment books can become real for young children.
I also read A. A. Milne and memorised his rhymes because I wanted to hold them. When reading words like copse and spinney in Winnie the Pooh, I had no clue what they were exactly but just knew they were magical places.
This is your second collaboration with illustrator Giselle Clarkson. How is it to see different illustrators bring your stories to life in different ways?
I see illustrators as co-authors because that’s what they are! I often warn people at my writing workshops not to dictate to illustrators but to treat them as a co-author.
The definition of author is authority and creator and that’s what an illustrator is, bringing the story to life with pictures. I’m always delighted with the extra story that comes from the illustrator.
What’s one picture book you loved as a four-year-old?
I didn’t have books as a child. We moved around a lot and my family had only one book in the house—a Bible. Instead, I heard stories that my aunt would tell me and they often changed with each retelling.
I was eight-and-a-half years old before I read a book to myself. The Story about Ping gave me my reading skills. I read that book from beginning to end, then tucked it away in my desk. I just couldn’t bear to finish it. Then when I read it a second time I was surprised that it was the exact same story, unlike my Aunt’s storytelling that was different every time. With Ping, I discovered the constancy of print, that books do not change.
Do you believe in fairy people?
I believe a whole lot of living goes on outside our five senses.
I feed the sparrows in my garden every day, I talk to them, I tell the trees that they are beautiful (I’m not sure what the neighbours think). But I feel it is important to talk about perception not about absolute knowledge.
Waiting for Goliath
ISBN 9781776571413
Regular price $21.99 Sale price $19.80 Save 10%Written by Antje Damm. Translated by Sally-Ann Spencer.
A warm and surprising picture book for children about waiting for a friend.
Bear has been sitting and waiting since dawn. "I'm waiting for Goliath. He's my best friend." At last the bus pulls up, but no one gets out. "He'll definitely show up. You'll see!" The robins fly south and the first snow falls. When Bear wakes from a long sleep, he hears a noise like a hand sliding slowly across paper. Goliath is coming!
But Goliath's identity is a big surprise.
This is a warm and surprising story with depth and humour and luminous illustrations.
Recommended by the publisher for Ages 3 - 5 years. We ourselves find it lovely for even grade school children or adults. A timeless, universally touching book.
Hardcover, 32 pages. 10 x 7.8 inches.
Gecko Press, 2017.
About the Author:
Antje Damm is a celebrated children's writer and illustrator who lives in Germany. Her book Ask Me! has been translated into twelve languages and sold more than 170,0000 copies around the world.
Where is the Dragon?
ISBN 9781776573110
Regular price $23.99 Sale price $22.50 Save 6%Written & Illustrated by Leo Timmers. Translated by James Brown.
The king can’t sleep until the dragon is found. Luckily, the three knights know everything about dragons and are armed to the teeth! Now they just have to find him. They set out into the night with a candle in hand. Soon they find something that looks very much like a dragon … Attack!
The funny rhyming text is by James Brown, an award-winning poet and translator of Gus’s Garage.
Recommended for children ages 4-6 years.
Hardcover, 40 pages. 9 x 11 inches.
Gecko Press.
Reviews:
"Part Monty Python, part bedtime story, and entirely ingenious, Where is the Dragon? will become a quick favorite for fun, madcap and imagination-filled daytime or nighttime story times at home, in the classroom, and for public library collections." ~ Celebrate Picture Books
"With a rhyming storyline underscored by hilarious illustrations, this picture book begs to be read aloud." ~ Kit on Lit
"it would make for a fabulous story-time choice. Timmers’s illustrations feature rich colors, lots of textures, and characters that seem to stand off the page. He works wonders with light and shadow here — to great comic effect." ~ Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Yours Sincerely, Giraffe
ISBN 9781927271889
Regular price $21.99 Sale price $13.50 Save 39%Written by Megumi Iwasa and illustrated by Jun Takabatake; Translated by Cathy Hirano
This international bestseller is an endearing illustrated chapter book about an African giraffe and his pen pal, a penguin.
Giraffe is bored, as usual. He'd love a friend to share things with. So he writes a letter and sends it as far as possible across the other side of the horizon. There he finds a pen pal—Penguin.
Giraffe knows nothing about penguins and his letters are full of questions. Where is a penguin's neck? Can a penguin fly? Penguin answers as best he can.
But no one expects what happens when the pen pals come face to face at last.
Yours Sincerely, Giraffe is a funny tale of mistaken assumptions and friendship from afar.
Recommended for young readers ages 6-9 years.
Hardcover, 104 pages. 8 x 5.7 inches.
Gecko Press.
Reviews
"An extremely bored giraffe becomes curious about what lies on the other side of the horizon and recruits a pelican to be his own personal courier. The pelican, equally bored and eager for new business, offers to travel anywhere and takes Giraffe's letter far across the ocean to Whale Sea. A correspondence begins between Giraffe and a penguin. As the pen pals discover more about what it's like on the other side of the horizon, each also ends up trying to solve the mystery of what the other animal looks like. The resulting letters and antics are humorous as the giraffe and the penguin imagine what life is like on opposite parts of the globe. This Japanese import will charm beginning readers who enjoy a bit of witty humor with their animal adventures. The pen-and-ink illustrations are simple yet have a Quentin Blake feel that rounds out the characters and their quirky behaviors. A highly amusing early chapter book for readers who may also be learning the art of letter writing."—School Library Journal
"Giraffe, bored and looking for a friend, becomes pen pals with Penguin in this illustrated chapter book. Even though Giraffe has nice weather and plenty to eat in his home in Africa, he is bored because he doesn't have 'an extra special friend.' A notice from an also-bored pelican offering 'to deliver anything anywhere' spurs Giraffe to write a letter introducing himself ('I'm famous for my long neck'), and he asks Pelican to deliver it to the first animal he meets on the 'other side of the horizon.' After a long flight, Pelican sees Seal. Seal delivers the letter to Penguin, since Penguin is 'the only animal . . . who got letters. . . . Most were from his girlfriend.' This original, playful story unfolds with perfect pacing as Giraffe and Penguin start a pen-pal correspondence. (Penguin, not sure what a neck is, writes back: 'I think maybe I don't have a neck. Or maybe I am all neck?') Giraffe and Pelican, reading Penguin's letters describing himself, are just as confused about what Penguin looks like. Hilarious deductive reasoning ensues. Young readers will love the silliness. Older readers (including adults) will relax in this gentle, judgment-free world of curiosity and discovery. Takabatake's fresh, unaffected line illustrations create a seamless collaboration of art and words. This is a rare book: joyful, ingenuous, playfully earnest, but without a whiff of studied cuteness."—Kirkus Reviews
"Giraffe should be content; he has plenty to eat and a comfortable home. But he's bored and wonders what lies over the horizon. Upon seeing Pelican's sign for his new delivery service, Giraffe gets the idea to write a letter to someone on the other side. He instructs Pelican to give the letter to the first animal he sees over the horizon, and so Penguin becomes the lucky recipient of Giraffe's note, courtesy of his local messenger seal. Letters go back and forth between Giraffe and Penguin, and Giraffe grows curious about what his correspondent looks like. Hilarity ensues as Giraffe and Pelican, neither of whom has ever seen a penguin, search the missives for clues so they can dress Giraffe to look like Penguin. When at last the pen pals meet, what a surprise awaits! But who cares how they look? Through their letters, a lasting friendship has developed between the animals. The combination of short narrative, dialogue, letters, and humorous penand- ink drawings is a winning one. For children who send or receive few letters, the book's a great introduction to letter writing, although this isn't its main purpose. Its gentle friendship story will leave readers feeling warm and fuzzy, making this early chapter book a great addition to any collection."—Booklist
Awards
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books — 2017 — Winner
Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year — 2018 — Winner
Kirkus Best Children's Books — 2017 — Winner
New York Public Library Best Books for Kids — 2017 — Winner
USBBY Outstanding International Books List — 2018 — Winner
Zanzibar
ISBN 9781776572557
Regular price $23.99 Sale price $21.60 Save 10%Achille LeBlab, special correspondent, knocks at Zanzibar’s door. He wants to write an article about an exceptional character. Is Zanzibar exceptional?
The lizard seems to doubt it. “Aside from your poetic name, I’m afraid you’re a very ordinary crow.”
That night Zanzibar decides: “I haven’t done anything remarkable yet, but it’s never too late!” He comes up with an idea for an incredible feat. First he must find a camel...
An uplifting, warmhearted early chapter book about a crow, who proves you can move mountains (or even dromedaries) and perform truly heroic deeds if you believe in yourself. And that the acclaims of others isn't necessarily the reward in the end.
Recommended for young readers ages 6-9 years.
5.8 x 8.0 inches.
Gecko Press.
Reviews:
"When Achille LeBlab, a reporter/lizard who works at the local newspaper stops by Zanzibar's house looking for an incredible story, the crow questions if there is anything that makes him truly special. He makes fantastic omelets, but that just isn't incredible enough for Achille. Then Zanzibar has an idea: he will go to the desert and lift a camel with just a single wing. Along the way, Zanzibar makes some new friends and realizes that the fame of being in the newspaper may not be as important as he once thought. Valckx's story, which is translated from French, is a tale about finding oneself while trying to achieve goals. Two-tone orange and black illustrations throughout are reminiscent of those found in Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows or Arnold Lobel's 'Frog and Toad' books. While the book is short and at a general level that is perfect for young readers, some of the vocabulary is complex and may need to be read with adult assistance. VERDICT: A sweet and quick read ... to enhance most collections." — School Library Journal
"Animals explore what it means to be remarkable in this earnest, mellow story. Zanzibar the crow enjoys mushroom omelets, singing (poorly), and spending time with friends. An unexpected knock on the door from a reporter, lizard Achille LeBlab, changes Zanzibar's course of action when he is forced to confront his humdrum life. After comparing himself to other creatures who can sing, play chess, and dive from great heights, Zanzibar vows to take action and complete a venture worth a write-up in the local newspaper, The Voice of the Forest. To impress LeBlab, Zanzibar sets out on an exceptional journey, heading south on the advice of a sea gull. He meets a fennec fox and a dromedary who coach him through temporary discouragement and celebrate with him when he reaches his goal (to lift the dromedary 'with a single wing'). Supportive and thoughtful models of friendship shine in this story, and unexpected vocabulary choices will engage readers. Valckx's tricolor sketches have a charming vintage feel. However, many adult readers won't be able to ignore the imagery of a black crow paired inexplicably with an African name, which has problematic historical connotations in the United States if not in France, where this book was first published. This story about finding the extraordinary in everyone gives readers something to crow about."—Kirkus Reviews
"‘Zanzibar’ is a friendly, inventive and really readable early chapter book. It is unpredictable, curious and so charming. Bookwagon recommends this title hugely as a ‘forever’ title that younger, newer, growing in confidence readers, will enjoy wholeheartedly." ~ Bookwagon.co.uk
"Zanzibar by Catharina Valckx is a junior chapter book featuring a reporter called Achille LeBlab (a lizard) and a crow called Zanzibar.
Achille is keen to write an article about an exceptional character but wonders if Zanzibar is the right choice and the only exceptional thing about him is his name, especially when he FAILED the singing test (caw caw caw). What a golden opportunity for an ordinary character to become EXTRAORDINARY! Zanzibar could make a mean mushroom omelette but the reporter scoffed at that skill! Maybe if he could lift a camel with one wing into the air the mean old reporter wouldn’t scoff (scoff scoff scoff). So the next day Zanzibar packs his knapsack and flies to a desert in search of a camel. Hmmm! You will have to read the book to find out what happens to incredible Zanzibar BUT this is a story of good friends and things both ordinary and extraordinary – oh and excellent mushroom omelettes. A delicious read indeed."
"Wonderful story about the quest for fame. Is it worth it? Zanzibar crow is at home doing what he is good at and what he enjoys – cooking omelets and eating them. I could live with that. Achille LeBlab a journalist with the local paper knocks on his door and asks if he can do anything exceptional. When told he is ordinary Zanzibar sets out to do something exceptional to prove Achille wrong and to find fame. He choses to show a rare feat of strength by lifting up a camel with one wing although a skinny dromedary will do. See how he gets on in this very entertaining and readible short novel for junior readers although older readers will get a kick out of this too. Beautifully illustrated with the characters of Zanzibar and his friends. Outstanding." ~ Bobs Books Blog, NZ
"Zanzibar has been an ordinary crow all of his life, but just once he would like to do something extraordinary, particularly something that could get him featured in the newspaper. This leads to his bizarre mission to lift a dromedary. In Zanzibar (Gecko Press, £6.99), author and illustrator Catharina Valckx and translator Antony Shugaar bring to life a quirky and lovable character whose attempts to get noticed are a bit ridiculous, but an absolute delight to read about." ~ Sarah Mallon, The Scotsman (the national newspaper of Scotland)
"Zanzibar is a wonderful little crow who was happily eating his dinner until Achille LeBlab, a reporter (and lizard) knocked on his door looking for exceptional characters to feature in his newspaper, ‘Do you do anything out of the ordinary?’ he asks Zanzibar. When Zanzibar’s mushroom omelette does not fit the bill, he is inspired to do something extraordinary by performing one single feat: Zanzibar will lift a camel above his head with just one wing! This delightfully eccentric tale will engage young readers and have them cheering Zanzibar on. What I loved most was the surreal nature of the story mixed with the everydayness of Zanzibar’s life. I saw a review on Bruno, another very popular book by Catharina Valckx – it read, that Catharina ‘mixes the mundane with the bizarre to interesting effect ’ and this in turn describes Zanzibar. Add uplifting and heart-warming and the potion Ms Valckx uses for her writing is laid before you. It’s gorgeous. The message of this tale, through its language and wonderful use of humour is not simply that it’s never too late to chase a dream but at its core this book celebrates the importance of friendship, old and new and the support that brings. Zanzibar achieves the extraordinary but also discovers the happiness in the everyday and in his determination to do something unusual he brings his friends together and makes a difference to those who care about him too. Zanzibar is an entertaining, heart-warming and quirky tale - the bright yellow cover with a little crow sitting on a stool wearing a lopsided hat is just the start. The child-like illustrations continue throughout the story, using gorgeous orange and grey pencil-esque sketches to create Zanzibar and his host of animal friends. Catharina Valckx is both author and illustrator. This gorgeous book will be read many times over I have no doubt and will entertain those early independent readers as well as the grown ups supporting them. Ideal for 5+ as it is a great one to be read aloud too." ~ Anja Stobbart, Armadillo magazine.
The First Case (early reader, 1st of 5)
ISBN 9781927271490
Regular price $21.99Someone’s stealing nuts from the forest, and it’s up to Detective Gordon to catch the thief!
Unfortunately, solving this crime means standing in the snow and waiting for a long time… If only he had an assistant—someone small, fast, and clever—to help solve this terrible case. Then Detective Gordon would be able to go back to doing what he’s best at: thinking, eating cakes, drinking tea, and stamping important papers.
A brilliant detective story by Ulf Nilsson, one of Sweden’s top children’s writers and illustrated by Gitte Spee in full colour throughout. A book to read alone or aloud!
Translated by Julia Marshall.
Hardcover, 96 pages. 5.8 x 8 inches.
Gecko Press.
Ideal for children 6-9 years old.
About the Detective Gordon series:
Detective Gordon is a friendly, philosophical, humorous, and thoughtful detective series following the adventures of the rather tired—and often hungry—Detective Gordon and his chirpy assistant, Buffy.
Detective Gordon is something of a humanist, and keeps an eye out for the weaker inhabitants of his woods. The books are full of warm, witty wisdom from one of Sweden’s foremost children’s authors, Ulf Nilsson. The text is affectionately and generously illustrated in watercolor and pencil by acclaimed Dutch illustrator, Gitte Spee. This is a detective series with depth—ideal for elementary school, perfect for reading alone, wonderful for reading aloud.
A Case in Any Case (early reader, 3rd of 5)
ISBN 978-1-77657-108-6
Regular price $21.99Written by Ulf Nilsson and illustrated by Gitte Spee. Translated by Julia Marshall.
Gordon is on vacation, and Buffy is the sole detective at the small police station in the forest. It is not easy for a police officer to be alone. Especially when there are strange noises outside the station at night. Buffy decides to seek out Gordon in his little cottage by the lake to ask for help. After all, two police think twice as well as one. Two police are twice as brave!
- Interest Level: Kindergarten -> Grade 5
- Reading Level: Grade 2
Hardcover, 108 pages. 5.8 x 8 inches.
Gecko Press.
About the Detective Gordon series:
Detective Gordon is a friendly, philosophical, humorous, and thoughtful detective series following the adventures of the rather tired—and often hungry—Detective Gordon and his chirpy assistant, Buffy.
Detective Gordon is something of a humanist, and keeps an eye out for the weaker inhabitants of his woods. The books are full of warm, witty wisdom from one of Sweden’s foremost children’s authors, Ulf Nilsson. The text is affectionately and generously illustrated in watercolor and pencil by acclaimed Dutch illustrator, Gitte Spee. This is a detective series with depth—ideal for elementary school, perfect for reading alone, wonderful for reading aloud.
A Case for Buffy (early reader, 4th of 5)
ISBN 978-1-77657-178-9
Regular price $21.99Written by Ulf Nilsson and illustrated by Gitte Spee. Translated by Julia Marshall.
The final story in this big-hearted series takes on the most important case ever investigated in Detective Gordon’s forest—where is Buffy’s mother? Gordon faces his old nemesis, the fox, in an investigation that leads to the edges of the forest.
- Interest Level: Kindergarten -> Grade 5
- Reading Level: Grade 2
Hardcover, 108 pages. 5.8 x 8 inches.
Gecko Press.
About the Detective Gordon series:
Detective Gordon is a friendly, philosophical, humorous, and thoughtful detective series following the adventures of the rather tired—and often hungry—Detective Gordon and his chirpy assistant, Buffy.
Detective Gordon is something of a humanist, and keeps an eye out for the weaker inhabitants of his woods. The books are full of warm, witty wisdom from one of Sweden’s foremost children’s authors, Ulf Nilsson. The text is affectionately and generously illustrated in watercolor and pencil by acclaimed Dutch illustrator, Gitte Spee. This is a detective series with depth—ideal for elementary school, perfect for reading alone, wonderful for reading aloud.
Cook's Cook
ISBN 9781776572045
Regular price $23.99written & illustrated by Gavin Bishop
Cook’s Cook follows the 1768 journey of James Cook’s H.M. Endeavour with his ship’s cook, the one-handed John Thompson, as story teller.
Gavin Bishop tells us about his work and his new book in the video here.
Best 50 Kids Books 2018, The Listener
Hardcover, 40 pages. 24.5 x 29.5 cm (9.7 x 11.7").
Gecko Press.
The Runaways
ISBN 9781776572335
Regular price $23.99 Sale price $21.60 Save 10%Written by Ulf Stark and illustrated by Kitty Crowther
Translated by Julia Marshall
“I hate the food here,” Grandpa said. “ They’ve taken all the joy out of it.
Not even the water tastes any good.”
“Perhaps you should run away,” I suggested.
“I did a lot of that when I was young,” he said. “I think it’s a bit late now…”
But by the time I had to leave for the bus, we’d made a plan.
Grandpa’s in the hospital and hating it. He swears at the nurses and makes trouble for everyone. Dad finds it too stressful to visit, but Gottfried Junior visits Grandpa as often as he’s allowed, and when he’s not allowed, he goes anyway.
Grandpa thinks only of the place he was happiest—the island where he lived with Grandma. He wants to go back one last time, but they won’t let him out of the hospital.
Gottfried Junior and Grandpa take things into their own hands. If running away is the only way to the island, then they’ll be runaways.
Recommended for children aged 8 - 10 years.
Hardcover, 144 pages. 8.3 x 5.8”.
Gecko Press.
Ulf Stark (1944-2017) is one of the world's great writers. He is author of more than 30 books for children and has won many prizes for his stellar work. He was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2018.
Kitty Crowther is an Astrid Lindgren Award-winning author and illustrator based in Belgium.
Reviews
"Gottfried Junior loves visiting Grandpa in the hospital, where the patient routinely swears, spits out his pills, and yells at the staff. Soon they hatch a plan: they'll escape for an overnight in the isolated island home where Grandpa lived with Grandma before she died. The boy convinces his parents that he must attend an overnight football training camp. Actually, he springs Grandpa from the hospital. Back in his familiar home, Grandpa reconnects with his old life, feels his profound grief, and changes his outlook a bit. After returning his grandfather to the hospital, the boy intends to keep quiet about their caper. Instead, he suddenly confesses the whole escapade to his father who, ironically, scolds him for lying. A Swedish author whose picture books include When Dad Showed Me the Universe (2015) and The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits (2014), Stark writes Gottfried Junior's first-person narrative with clarity, honesty, and wit. This chapter book is blunt yet light-handed in acknowledging anger, sorrow, death, and the mystery of the afterlife. Deftly drawn and sometimes amusing, the character portrayals are utterly convincing. Expressive full-page illustrations add color to the pages while supporting the story’s tone. An unusual adventure story with a core of mutual grandfather-grandson affection." —starred, Booklist
"After Gottfried Junior's beloved, cantankerous grandfather, a former ship's engineer, suffers a bad fall, he lands in the hospital. Miserable, he asks his kindred-spirit grandson to help him briefly flee to his house in the Stockholm archipelago, where he has 'one or two things to attend to.' With remarkable attention ('you have to think of everything'), the boy sees to all the details—manufacturing an overnight football club trip, garnering meatballs from his mother, and hiring a butcher’s assistant to convey them. The plans go off without a hitch, though it takes Grandfather two hours to walk up the hill to the front door, and he largely refuses to share the final jar of his late wife's lingonberry jam ('part of her is still in it'). Autumn-hued illustrations by Crowther (Stories of the Night) juxtapose the dull hospital against glorious piney islands and a light-filled sea. Stark straightforwardly conveys family tensions, end-of-life concerns, and intergenerational adoration alongside an archipelago's worth of vivid details—the removal of paraffin wax from the jam jar, the 'wonderful smell of oil' from the ferry's engine room, potatoes steaming in their pot. Most children's books about breakouts involve a child abandoning a place; this one follows a man at the end of his life to the home he holds dear." —starred, Publishers Weekly
"A boy helps his ailing grandfather go home one last time in this Swedish import. Gottfried finds life enlivened by his feisty grandfather, who's always been 'difficult.' They are true kindred spirits. Confined now to the hospital with a broken leg and weak heart, Grandpa's 'worse than ever.' Gottfried's dad avoids hospital visits because Grandpa's naughty behavior and declining condition make him 'tired and sad.' He rejects Gottfried's plea to bring Grandpa to live with them, insisting he's 'too sick and angry and stubborn and crazy.' Pretending to be at football training, Gottfried visits Grandpa in the hospital and suggests they should run away. Lying to his parents about where he's going overnight, Gottfried surreptitiously transports Grandpa to the island house where he lived with Grandma until she died. Back home for one night, Grandpa happily reverts to his old clothes, savors Grandma's last jar of lingonberry jam, and says farewell to his old life before returning to the hospital. Gottfried's accessible, unadorned, heartfelt first-person narration reveals the depth of his bond with his grandfather as well as his insightful understanding of his father's limitations. Linear, colored-pencil drawings capture key interactions between characters and revel in Grandpa's choler. Characters are white (or, in Grandpa's case, grouchily pink). A touching, realistic, gently humorous story of how a sensitive boy copes with his treasured grandfather's decline." —starred, Kirkus Reviews
"The portrait of old age and infirmity in this Swedish import is considerably more unvarnished that we're used to in books for children. Grandpa is no lovable old codger. In the hospital with a broken leg and a failing heart, he's furious, foul-mouthed, self-centered, and abusive to the staff. Even his own son can't stand him. His only ally is his grandson, a boy with a deep-seated affection for the old man and admiration for his stubbornness. Together they plan and carry out an elaborate secret breakout, an overnight retreat to Grandpa's family home on an island. There's no Hallmark moment, but in matter-of-fact discussions of death, heaven, and 'compassionate lying,' the old man and the young boy come to a place of acceptance and peace. A single crow signifies the essence of a person; a jar of lingonberry jam is a delicate stand-in for love and loss. The plot of a child helping an old person go on the lam isn't particularly original; ditto the theme of grandparents and grandchildren in alliance against parents. But in this iteration every emotional effect is fully earned, and the final beat—in which we learn, obliquely, that Grandpa has died—is deeply affecting. Frequent full-page illustrations, in colored pencil, match the text in being simultaneously homely and honest." —The Horn Book Magazine
"Books for middle-grade readers can suffer the same affliction as all too many older-kid and grown-up books: bombastic, bloated, adverb-crammed. Sometimes an economical, minimalist book — like these three — is exactly what a youthful reader needs in this amped-up world.
Written by the beloved Swedish author Ulf Stark and generously illustrated by the Belgian artist Kitty Crowther, a winner of the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and translated from the Swedish by Julia Marshall, The Runaways (Gecko, 144 pp., $17.99; ages 6 to 11) also depicts a culture that will seem very different to most American kids. Gottfried, the protagonist, lives in such a free-range way, he makes the most independent American kid look snowplow-parented. Henkes's and Venkatraman's books feature gentle humor, but The Runaways is flat-out hilarious. And shocking. And weird.
Gottfried's grandpa is in the hospital after a fall, 'red-faced and swearing,' in a rage about being shut up like a wild animal. Gottfried, who feels closer to Grandpa than to his own disapproving, prim father, resolves to break Grandpa out for one last adventure. He concocts an elaborate plan — a fake football tournament in another town, a local baker named Ronny cast in multiple roles to fool Gottfried's father and hoodwink the hospital — to get Grandpa to the island where he used to live with Grandma. The plot works. Grandpa gets to pay a final visit to a place he loved, and claim the last jar of jam Grandma ever made. Gottfried gets to prove his competence: lighting a fire, pumping water, making dinner.
But when Gottfried's father discovers his son's deception, it forces a three-generation confrontation, raising questions of mortality and morality. Is it wrong to lie if it makes people happy? The writing is unflashy and deadpan except for when it's unflashy and musical, as when, on the journey back to the hospital, Grandpa 'sat himself up, turned his nose to the sea and said goodbye to the islands, the sky, the cliffs, the lighthouse and the eternally washing waves.' Crowther's bright, naïve pencil illustrations fit the offbeat text. They're ravishingly ugly: Grandpa is huge and pink and hideous, with black hairs sprouting from his hands and angry black lines traversing his forehead. Ronny is covered with measles-like freckles and has a golden halo.
All three of these short, tight books show tremendous respect for the young reader. For a certain kind of meditative kid, they're perfect." —The New York Times
Tell Me: What Children Really Want to Know about Bodies, Sex, and Emotions
ISBN 9781776572328
Regular price $23.99 Sale price $21.60 Save 10%Written by Katharina von der Gathen and illustrated by Anke Kuhl. Translated by Shelley Tanaka.
Tell me is a book for children that really want to know about bodies, sex and emotions—and aren’t afraid to ask.
How much sex education do children need? As much as they ask for, say the experts. And exactly what do children want to know? Ask them!
This book collects real questions asked by children in classes about the human body, love, and sexuality. The answers are both direct and warmhearted, giving children the information they really want to know in a form they can relate to. This is a book for both boys and girls that is relevant to today's conversations about sexuality. It brings humor and lightness to help families comfortably approach this topic that many find awkward.
Recommended for ages 8-12 years old.
Hardcover, 208 pages. 19.05 x 2.54 x 14.22 cm
Gecko Press.
Reviews:
"As the subtitle indicates, this German import answers a whole host of questions kids curious about sex want the answers to. There are 99 in all, covering anatomy, puberty, reproduction, sexual and gender identity, and, of course, sex. The book opens vertically, with the page below the gutter displaying both the handwritten question and a cartoon drawing, frequently humorous. The second question, 'Are there different penises,' is illustrated with a double lineup of 10 unengorged penises complete with hair and scrota, some circumcised, some not, all verifiably different. Its placement so early in the book ensures readers know what they're getting into in terms of both tone and frankness. Sex educator von der Gathen's answers appear on the flip side; all employ appropriate vocabulary that's respectful of the capabilities of their audience and are calmly inclusive of variations in human and cultural experience. While the book early on establishes the fact that there are 'people who identify as a different gender than the one they are born with,' it often uses gendered language to describe experiences: 'Girls get their periods for the first time and boys have their first ejaculation' during puberty, for instance. When discussing sexual intimacy, the importance of consent is ever present. Kuhl's cartoons depict adults and children of different racial presentations and include several same-sex couples. Funny and frank, this will be an important resource for many kids."―Kirkus Reviews Journal
"Tell Me provides a wonderful way for children to address their curiosity safely on their own, or begin a more in-depth conversation with a parent or teacher. There is lots of nonjudgmental information about consent, identity, puberty and more, and sweetly humorous cartoon illustrations accompany each question (including naked genitals, so be prepared for some giggles as children learn)." ~ Ako Journal
"This is the sort of book that compels me to make the Astonishingly Unconventional list every year. It’s about a topic that most wouldn’t expect a children’s book to cover, featuring unexpected illustrations and a unique design (spine on top). It also happens to be one of the best books on the topics of bodies, sex, and emotions that I’ve encountered." ~Travis Jonkers, School Library Journal
"The illustrations are gentle and often humorous without being childish or silly. They add another layer of understanding to the questions and answers and help take some of the potential awkwardness out of the content matter." ~ The Sapling
"The author is a sex educator, and this book is the result of a project she did with students around nine and ten years of age. She asked them to write down their questions about “their bodies, puberty, love and sexuality and anonymously put them into a box with the promise that I would answer every question.” There are 99 of them in this book — with illustrations that are funny and tender all at once — and always anatomically correct, of course. Von der Gathen takes their answers very seriously, never engaging in a patronizing tone. She is refreshingly honest. Unflinching even, with an economy of information; she answers many of these questions in two to three paragraphs." ~ Julie Danielson, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
About the Author
Anke Kuhl, born in 1970, is one of Germany's leading children’s book illustrators, whose awards include the German Youth Literature Award. She lives in Frankfurt.
Bathtime for Little Rabbit
ISBN 9781776571376
Regular price $12.99 Sale price $12.50 Save 4%From the author of the worldwide bestseller Tickle My Ears, comes an award-winning, interactive boardbook about bathtime.
Who enjoys having their ears washed? Little Rabbit doesn’t like the idea, but it turns out to be not so bad after all. But he does need your young reader’s help. When the blow-dryer breaks, we must blow his ears dry. Wfffff! Keep blowing! Now wrap him in the towel and bathtime is over. Squeaky clean, Little Rabbit!
Jörg Mühle has created another sweet and simple bunny boardbook that invites children to take charge of bathtime with fun activities on every page. Children can help turn on the shower, cover Little Rabbit’s eyes, wipe the water off his nose. Fun for everyone: babies and toddlers, parents and bunnies!
Designed to be read aloud, this tried-and-true, surprising book will get young children excited about bathtime. Teaching toddlers and preschoolers about bathtime routines, it also makes a perfect baby shower or infant birthday gift. Adults never tire of their child’s enthusiastic washing and wfffing!
Jörg Mühle was born 1973 in Frankfurt am Main and studied at the Offenbach School of Design and the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Today, he lives in Frankfurt where he works as a freelance illustrator for book publishers, magazines and newspapers.
Translated by Catherine Chidgey
Board book, 20 pages. 6.8 x 6.8 inches.
Gecko Press.
Reviews:
"This funny, sweet, reassuring and empowering little board book about bathtime is perfection." ~ Playing by the Book (UK)
"Prompts such as “cover his eyes” or “rub in the shampoo” make the bath an enjoyable experience for the small animal, and young listeners will learn some bathtime routines, too." ~ School Library Journal
"A simple and thoroughly ‘kid friendly’ delight." ~ Midwest Book Review
"The illustrations are soft and the text sparse making this the perfect read for newborns right through to preschoolers." ~ My Best Friends Are Books
"The illustrations are simple, expressive and humorous. The vibrant colour pallet sports primary colours which draws the reader in and encourages him/her to participate Little Rabbit’s bathtime ritual." ~ Storywraps
"Young ones see just how easy and safe it is to have a bath and have heaps of fun too. A lovely, warm and reassuring book to share and enjoy." ~ Book Trailers 4 Kids and YA
"Muhle has done a great job of taking a simple concept and not overcomplicating matters. By doing so he has created a series of books that can be translated into a multitude of languages and still work as the book speaks perfect baby. With all the different fun actions to partake in as you go through the book, this is one story that both adults and children will enjoy with the added benefit of improving bathtime for all." ~ The Bookbag
"Gives toddlers a sense of power and control over their lives they perhaps don’t often experience at that age. This funny, sweet, reassuring and empowering little board book about bathtime is perfection." ~ Playing by the Book
Poor Little Rabbit
ISBN 9781776571772
Regular price $12.99 Sale price $12.50 Save 4%Written by Jörg Mühle; Translated by Catherine Chidgey
From the author of the worldwide bestseller Tickle My Ears, comes a companion, interactive boardbook about a child helping their rabbit feel better.
Oh no, Little Rabbit has hurt his arm. And there’s blood! Can you help him? Blow gently three times, try a band-aid, a rhyme, but he’s still crying… Let’s give his ears a stroke and wipe his tears. There, all better! Off you go, Little Rabbit!
This sweet and simple boardbook invites children to help Little Rabbit feel better after he has fallen over, by taking part in a fun activity on each page.
Designed to be read aloud together, this fun book teaches toddlers and preschoolers about caring for someone who is hurt, showing empathy and kindness. Young children will delight in their role in putting a smile back on bunny’s face. They’ll know what to do when they fall over now too.
A perfect first book for babies or toddlers.
Jörg Mühle was born 1973 in Frankfurt am Main and studied at the Offenbach School of Design and the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Today, he lives in Frankfurt where he works as a freelance illustrator for book publishers, magazines and newspapers.
Translated by Catherine Chidgey
Board book, 20 pages. 17 x 17 cm (6.8 x 6.8 inches).
Gecko Press.
Reviews:
"This brilliant board book invites a child to “help” someone else who’s hurting — which works wonders to induce a calmer state of mind. Little Rabbit has fallen down and scraped his arm, leaving a red mark. Your toddler is invited to “try blowing on it.” Uh-oh: On the next page, Little Rabbit wails, “There’s blood!” A Band-Aid (with bunnies on it, of course) appears. “Can you put it on?” comes next, but tears still stream down the distressed bunny’s face. And so on, until the bunny feels better — and, chances are, your toddler does too." ~ The New York Times
"Jorg Muhle’s “Poor Little Rabbit” is a perfectly simple, entertaining, and interactive board book for children ages 5 to 6 who love to take care of Little Rabbit. Like Jorg Muhle’s two previous board books, “Poor Little Rabbit” is unreservedly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, kindergarten, and community library board book collections." ~ Midwest Book Review
"I loved that Mühle weaves interactivity into the tale, inviting kids to blow on the wound, cover it with a bandaid etc. The artwork is perfectly aimed at toddlers too." ~ the Book Chook
"This delightful book and its predecessors appeal on several levels. The interactive components are fun, and foster kindness and empathy. But most of all, I love how empowering they are for children, who help Little Rabbit through experiences and activities they themselves may find challenging." ~ Otago Daily Times
A Case with a Bang (early reader, 5th of 5)
ISBN 9781776574872
Regular price $24.99Illustrated in full colour and packed with character and humour, this is the fifth whodunnit mystery in the award-winning Detective Gordon series, fun to read alone or aloud.
A Case with a Bang is the final book in the series of funny detective stories for early readers set in a friendly forest in which two determinedly fair police — retired-toad Gordon and the indefatigable mouse Buffy — solve the mystery and stop regularly to eat cake.
Night brings a horrible humming, scraping sound in the forest. Someone has wrecked the badger’s trash can. Later, three large creatures are spotted up on the mountain.
Detective Buffy discovers this seemingly small case really is a dangerous mystery — she comes back from her first investigation flat as a gingerbread, rolled over by something huge and terrifying.
Back at the station, retired Detective Gordon is training a new young police assistant, and the cakes have run out in the forest bakery!
While all the animals cower at the police station, Buffy remembers Gordon’s stories about trolls. Is it possible they do exist? Taking Gordon’s advice about how everyone thinks differently, she finds a way to communicate with the giant creatures — perhaps not so terrifying after all.
The book leaves readers with a memorable Gordon message: Everyone thinks differently, strangers are welcome, cakes for everybody!
This final instalment in the award-winning Detective Gordon series is a multi-layered philosophical story about good detective work involving all, kindness to newcomers and doing the right thing.
Winner of multiple awards and accolades, Detective Gordon is a mystery series with depth — perfect for reading alone for emerging readers, wonderful for reading aloud together as a chapter book.
A brilliant detective story by Ulf Nilsson, one of Sweden’s top children’s writers and illustrated by Gitte Spee in full colour throughout. A book to read alone or aloud!
Available in either Softcover, 20.4 x 14.4 cm, or Hardcover.
Gecko Press.
Ideal for children 6-9 years old.
About the Detective Gordon series:
Detective Gordon is a friendly, philosophical, humorous, and thoughtful detective series following the adventures of the rather tired—and often hungry—Detective Gordon and his chirpy assistant, Buffy.
Detective Gordon is something of a humanist, and keeps an eye out for the weaker inhabitants of his woods. The books are full of warm, witty wisdom from one of Sweden’s foremost children’s authors, Ulf Nilsson. The text is affectionately and generously illustrated in watercolor and pencil by acclaimed Dutch illustrator, Gitte Spee. This is a detective series with depth—ideal for elementary school, perfect for reading alone, wonderful for reading aloud.