MATHS FOR LIFE (with Ionica Smeets)

REKENEN VOOR JE LEVEN (MATHS FOR LIFE)

year:
2021
genre:
non-fiction, children's book, 176 p.
publisher:
Nieuwezijds
illustrator:
Floor de Goede 
age:
10+
rights sold:
Serbian (Odiseja)
awards:
Silver Slate 2022
Bronze Pencil 2022 (for the illustrations)

For this book mathematician Ionica Smeets and I came up with a class of ten year olds who one day overhear their teachers talk about how dull the school's math books are. The kids agree and organize a protest: why aren't the equations and sums about real stuff, about things they can use in their actual lives? The teachers make a plan: this year the kids can suggest new - valuable - mathematics questions. I wrote the 22 stories leading up to each question, stories in which we get to know all the children, and Ionica wrote the math answers. Examples of the questions are: How do I get rich? How do I win at every game? Is it better for the climate if we pee under the shower? If you gather all the tears you cry in your life, could you take a bath in them? Et cetera... The wonderful artist Floor de Goede made illustrations in full color, but he also transformed the math explanations into funny comics. Roald Triebels did the fantastic book design. And hopefully the children in the book but also our readers will agree that yes, mathematics can be about real life.  

Foreign publishers: for the rights to this book - mail our agent Elaine Michon.  

DADDY IS A POLAR BEAR

PAPA IS EEN IJSBEER (DADDY IS A POLAR BEAR) 
year:

2021
genre:
children's book, graphic novel, 64 p.
publisher:
illustrator:
Saskia Halfmouw
age:

9+

Daddy is a polar bear started as a short story, but Saskia Halfmouw made it into a richly illustrated little graphic novel, which also makes it an easy read. The story is about an older sister and her 4-year old brother, who one day starts repeating this sentence: 'Daddy is a polar bear'. Why does he do that? What does it mean? But then the girl sees a documentary about polar bears... A tender, light and warm story about being the children in a divorce situation.  

THE BAMBOO GIRL

HET BAMBOEMEISJE (THE BAMBOO GIRL)
year:
2021

genre:
children's book, graphic novel, 260 p.
publisher:
illustrator:
Mattias De Leeuw
age:
9+
rights sold:
Italian (Sinnos)
awards:
White Raven 2021

Mattias De Leeuw and I based this story on the oldest folk tale form Japan (The Bamboo Cutter), but we made a very free interpretation. A mysterious girl is born between the bamboo an old couple is living off. She grows up to be the most beautiful young woman and soon she attracts all kinds of suitors, including princes and noblemen. But she has eyes for nobody. Why is that? What is her secret? Mattias created a wonderful and rich graphic novel out, with full colour images on each and everyone of the 260 pages.