THE COUNTING BOOK OF PRINCE HAYO THE HAPPY

HET TELBOEK VAN PRINS HAYO DE GELUKKIGE (THE COUNTING BOOK OF PRINCE HAYO THE HAPPY) 
year:

2016

genre:

children's book, 48 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Mattias De Leeuw
age:

6+
awards:
Die besten 7 April 2017 (Germany)
White Raven 2017
rights sold: 
German (Gerstenberg)
Korean (Picture Book Gongjackso)

After working together on DERTIEN RENNENDE HERTJES and MIJN FIJNE GELUIDENBOEKJE Mattias and I wanted to make a new, big book. Here it is. It's about Prince Hayo. We follow him from his birth to his 10th anniversary - in a wide spread we see the celebrations for each of his birthdays, and especially we learn about the presents he gets. At the same time we see him growing up, but it seems something is missing. Until he becomes 10...
Each chapter is named after the number of Hayo's birthday (one, two three et cetera) and in the big and colourful illustrations we can count lots of things. Although there is a story, this is also a book to practise early mathematics.

- Prooftranslation in English is available

LITTLE CALF, LITTLE FOAL

KALFJE, VEULENTJE (LITTLE CALF, LITTLE FOAL)

year:

2015

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Marleen Felius
age:

4+

For years already I adore the work of artist Marleen Felius. Her work - main topic: cows and cattle - is known and valued all over the world. Her 'Cattle breeds encyclopedia' (text and images by Marleen) is a magnificent work of art and knowledge. 
Finally we found a chance and the time to work together.  The result of this is the sweet and lifelike LITTLE CALF, LITTLE FOAL.
This book has a very, very simple text, which talks about the first hours and days of a newborn calf and those of a newborn foal. The pictures show it all: the first drinking, the standing-up, the first time they see the meadow. It's almost non-fictional (because, when Marleen Felius is involved, you know that everything is true to life and no mistakes are made!), but still a small story.

- Prooftranslation in English is available

A PARTY FOR THE MACHINES

FEEST VOOR DE MACHINES (A PARTY FOR THE MACHINES)

year:

2014

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Liesbeth De Stercke
age:

4+
rights sold:
Danish (Turbine Forlag)
Korean (KIZM Education Group)

It's Liesbeth De Sterke's first picture book, and thus my first cooperation with her - and a very happy one. A PARTY FOR THE MACHINES is a cheerful book, about (agricultural) machines and animals, and will hopefully also appeal to boys (and girls of course!)
All the animals in this book have worked hard: Elephant has delivered concrete, Giraffe has planted potatoes, Peacock has a full trailer … So now everyone is on their way to a big party. The animals feast until they fall asleep. The machines stay behind. Suddenly the headlights switch on. The party for the machines can now begin!



- Prooftranslation in English is available

CHRISTMAS WITH BABY

KERST MET KINDJE (CHRISTMAS WITH BABY)
year:

2013

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Merel Eyckerman
age:

6+
rights sold:
Danish (Turbine)

VASCO THE LITTLE SOCCER-PIG

VASCO HET VOETBALVARKENTJE (VASCO THE LITTLE SOCCER-PIG)

year:

2013

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Alain Verster
age:

6+
awards:
Nominated for the Boekenpauw 2014 (Best illustrations, Belgium, for the illustrator)
rights sold:
Chinese (mainland) (Petrel Publishing House)
Portuguese (Brazil) (Pulo do Gato)
Spanish (Thule Ediciones)
Franch (Editions Versant Sud Jeunesse)

Braziliaanse cover

My second picture book with Alain Verster, and the first of a happy, warm series about Vasco (the pig) and Matteo (the boy). Matteo gets two wonderful presents for his birthday: a soccer ball and a little pig. That pig is Vasco. Matteo and Vasco do everything together: eat, snore, watch television,… Matteo’s favorite game is soccer. Vasco doesn’t know much about soccer. But that’s not so bad: Matteo simply goes looking for real soccer-opponents. And Vasco goes along. Because that’s what you do when you’re someone’s soccer-pig.


- Prooftranslation in English is available

       

THE DOG THAT NINO DIDN'T HAVE

HET HONDJE DAT NINO NIET HAD (THE DOG NINO DIDN'T HAVE)
year:

2013

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Anton Van Hertbruggen
age:

6+
awards:
Prix Sorcières 2015 (France)
Boekenpauw 2014 (Best illustrations, Belgium, for the illustrator)
Gulden Palet 2014 (Best illustrations, Netherlands, for the illustrator)
Besten 7 August 2015 (Germany)
Silver Medal (Best books of the year, by Society of Illustrators, USA, for the illustrations)
Deutsche Jugendliteratur Preis 2016 (Germany)
rights sold:

Franse uitgave

Chinese (mainland) (Petrel Publishing House)
Danish (Turbine)
French (Didier Jeunesse)
English (USA) (Eerdmans)
German (Coppenrath Verlag - Bohem Press)
Portuguese (Brazil) (Pulo do Gato)
Korean (Jiyangsa)
Russian (Samokat)
Ukrainian (Bobrovnikova L.A.)
Turkish (Final Kültür Sanat Yayınları)
Macedonian (Ars Lamina)
Spanish (Argentina) (Limonero)
Slovenian (Sodobnost)

Nino is the proud owner of an imaginary little dog. When he goes to the forest, the little dog he doesn’t have mimics a squirrel. When he goes to the lake, the little dog jumps fearlessly into the deep. But sometimes the little dog acts so silly, that it stands out. One day Nino doesn’t have the little dog anymore. Instead he has gotten a real little dog. This little dog doesn’t dare to climb trees. But that’s not so bad, because Nino has many imaginary animals... This is the first book of young illustrator Anton Van Hertbruggen, and immediately he won the biggest prize there is to be won in Flanders... And afterwards he repeated that trick in The Netherlands, France, USA and in Germany!

- Proof translation in English is available

MY HAPPY BOOK OF SOUNDS

MIJN FIJNE GELUIDENBOEKJE (MY HAPPY BOOK OF SOUNDS)
year:

2013

genre:

picture book, poetry, 64 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Mattias De Leeuw
age:

4+
awards:
Nominated for the Golden Poetry Medal 2014

This little booklet contains fifty short and playful poems lovely sounds from everyday-life. Opening a bag of crisps, daddy’s car that’s driving up the driveway, talking under water, the wind that’s blowing in the trees,... All these sounds are part of a warm home. Mattias invented a warm, funny family of bears that accompany all the poems in just as lively, full-colour pictures.

- Proof translation in English is available.

THIRTEEN RUNNING DEER

DERTIEN RENNENDE HERTJES (THIRTEEN RUNNING DEER)

year:

2012

genre:

children's book, 160 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Mattias De Leeuw
age:

8+
awards:
Nominated for the German Literature Award 2015 (Deutsche Jugendliteraturpreis)
rights sold:
Chinese (mainland) (Petrel Publishing House)
German (Gerstenberg)
Chinese (Taiwan) (Taiwan Interminds Publishing Inc.)
Korean (Lime co.)
Italian (Sinnos)

This richely illustrated book (in full colour) was my first cooperation with the young and highly talented illustrator Mattias De Leeuw. It's a magical, thrilling story, about a girl that has an enchanting encounter: one day Luna sees thirteen little running deer. They jump out of a blue vase in front of her on the table. It's the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. The little deer call her 'Duchess'. Suddenly the deer disappear again in a blue poster of the ocean. Luna wants to tell everything to mum. But her brother Ralf stops her. Ralf also saw an animal once, he tells. But when Ralf told dad, he never saw his animal again...The story culminates in a thrilling showdown between Raf ’s animal, a roaring lion, and Luna’s deer. And it turns out that Raf is also looking for confirmation that he matters and that he’s important too. 
This book came as a storm: I wrote it (in short sentences) as if I was chasing the story. Great experience!         

- The Dutch Translation Fund made a special on this book - here.
- A proof-translation in English is available.
- Also available in German audiobook-version.

THE DOCTOR AND DAVY'S ARMY

DE DOKTER EN HET LEGER VAN DAVY (THE DOCTOR AND DAVY'S ARMY)
year:

2011

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Pieter Van Eenoge
age:

6+
awards:
Boekenpluim 2012, for the illustrations.
rights sold:
Korean (DDStone Publishing)

Davy doesn't feel well. He hears rumbling in his belly. The doctor says that he hears an army inside Davy. It's Davy's army that is fighting against the enemy. Davy has to rest so that the army can fight back. The army wears blue uniforms, because that's Davy's favorite colour. And there are elephants... The story is one big metaphore: the fight in Davy's stomach and the army that the doctor makes up. Illustrator Pieter Van Eenoge painted beautiful elaborate spreads.

GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY

WELTERUSTEN IEDEREEN (GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY)
year:

2009

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Sebastiaan Van Doninck
age:

4+
rights sold:
Chinese (Taiwan) (Reader Publishing), Chinese (mainland) (Petrel Publishing House)

It is nightfall, everyone goes to bed. Both humans and animals lose themselves in their dreams... Inaiat dreams about the country where he came from, the mailman dreams about receiving a letter himself, the teenage twins dream about the girl next door,... On the final page, it is morning and the reader discovers which dreams have come true... The dreams are written in short rhyming verses, Always only two lines long.      

DJANGO AND THE PARROT

DJANGO EN DE PAPEGAAI (DJANGO AND THE PARROT)
year:

2009

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Lilian Brøgger
age:

4+
rights sold:
Danish (ABC Forlag)

This was my second of two picture books with the great and famous Danish illustrator Lilian Brøgger. I met her in Berlin (at the Literature Festival) and we teamed up to make these books about the lively little Django. In this book: Django wants a parrot. When he finally gets one from his grandpa, Django is overjoyed. But not for long, because Django is allergic and the parrot has to go. Django is terribly sad. Grandpa gives him a goldfish, but Django doesn't like his new goldfish at all... or does he?

- The book was issued both in Dutch and in Danish.
- One year earlier the first book about Django was published in both countries: DJANGO HEET DJANGO.

DJANGO'S NAME IS DJANGO

DJANGO HEET DJANGO (DJANGO'S NAME IS DJANGO)
year:

2008

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Lilian Brøgger
age:

4+
rights sold:
Danish (ABC Forlag)

This was my first of two picture books with the great and famous Danish illustrator Lilian Brøgger. I met her in Berlin (at the Literature Festival) and we teamed up to make these books about the lively little Django. In this book: Django’s name is Django, but not today! Today, Django wants to be called Sir. Daddy agrees, but he does not know what he is letting himself in for. Because Sir is stone-deaf when daddy addresses him with Django. And so Django makes a mess in the kitchen and plays in the rain. But then Django hurts himself...

- The book was issued both in Dutch and in Danish.
- One year later the second book about Django was published in both countries: DJANGO EN DE PAPEGAAI.

ONE MILLION BUTTERFLIES

EEN MILJOEN VLINDERS (ONE MILLION BUTTERFLIES)
year:

2007

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Carll Cneut
age:

6+
awards:
Zilveren Griffel 2008 (Best books for children)
Plantin-Moretusprize for the bookdesign
rights sold:
Danish (Lamberths Forlag)
German (Boje)
French (Pastel)
Italian (Adelphi)
Portuguese (Portugal) (Kual)
Portuguese (Brazil) (Cosac Naify)
Slovenian (Narava)
Spanish (Spain) (Barbara Fiore)
Norwegian (Cappelen Damm)
Chinese (Taiwan) (Reader Publishing)
Chinese (mainland) (Petrel Publishing House)
Georgian (Bakur Sulakauri)
Romanian (Signatura)
Ukrainian (Nebo Art Publishing)
South-African (Protea Boekhuis)

The big picture book I got to make with Carll Cneut! My most wide-spread book, up til this date, thanks to the great illustrations. The story: Nelius first sees them in the middle of the night: the butterflies. They fly around his head, one million of them. His parents tell him that it is time to start on his journey. Nelius follows the butterflies and meets many animals. Some of them are too young, but others are old enough to know what the butterflies mean. The butterflies guide him to the love of his life!

- A proof-translation in English is available.
- The book was also issued with a cd with the story, read by the famous Flemish actor Roel Vanderstukken.
   

BECAUSE OF LOVE

VANWEGE DE LIEFDE (BECAUSE OF LOVE)
year:

2007

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Klaas Verplancke
age:

6+
rights sold:
Danish (Turbine), Chinese (Mainland) (Petrel Publishing House)

Tufje doesn’t feel at home with her family. Her father is only interested in fat food, her mother only cares about the garden and her brother bullies her all day. Tufje dreams of little dogs and love. One day a love-cherub falls down from the sky - tight in their backyard. ‘I am here because of love,’ he says. Tufje's parents and brother don’t know what that means. The cherub takes Tufje away - to a surprising place!       

HORROR GIRL

EEN GRIEZELMEISJE (HORROR GIRL)
year:

2006

genre:

picture book, 36 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Isabelle Vandenabeele
age:

8+, grown ups
rights sold:
French (Éditions du Rouergue)
Spanish (Spain) (Barbara Fiore)

Another text that I wrote to already-existing images by Isabelle Vandenabeele. It's her variation of the classical tale about Bluebeard, more suited for grown-ups maybe, or for kids that like to shiver: one day Louise realises that her life has become boring. She used to be a horror-loving girl, who dared anything and who adored bad boys, like Rotten Boy. Louise wants to do something exciting and goes to Shiver Forest. When she is attacked by a wolf, Rotten Boy rescues her. He takes her to his castle and then leaves her alone. He forbids her to open some of the doors, but of course a horror girl never obeys. This way, Louise discovers that Rotten Boy collects women heads. She can leave the castle just in time and sets a trap for Rotten Boy.

LITTLE LIZARD THE MIRACULOUS MIRACLE

HAGEDISSIE HET BIJZONDERWONDER (LITTLE LIZARD THE MIRACULOUS MIRACLE)
year:

2006

genre:

picture book, 46 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Sebastiaan Van Doninck
age:

6+
rights sold:
Chinese (Taiwan) (Reader Publishing)

All the animals are confused: King Lion has disappeared. Who will rule them now? Suddenly Little Lizard runs over the river. ‘A miracle!’ the animals shout and they seize Little Lizard and put him on the flower throne. Little Lizard doesn’t comprehend at all but he is glad that the animals bring him flies. When he is stuffed, he wants to leave. The animals don’t let him go. Then Baby Lion roars as hard as he can and explains that his father has died, suffocated by the animals’ attentions. If they really love Little Lizard, they have to free him!

ABOUT THE BOY WHO ATE AN OAKWOOD CHAIR

VAN DE JONGEN DIE EEN EIKENHOUTEN STOELTJE AT (ABOUT THE BOY WHO ATE AN OAKWOOD CHAIR)
year:

2005

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Gerda Dendooven
age:

6+

One day, Geurt runs to Gerlinde, the girl next door, and says: 'I have done something special.' Geurt tells her that he ate an oakwood chair. Soon, the whole street, village, country,... talks about Geurt. He performs in commercials, attends ceremonies and in America, a movie is made about him. Finally, Gerlinde and Geurt marry and grow old together. But one day, Glenn becomes ill: he can no longer hide the truth about the oak-wood chair... An slightly absurd story about honesty and love, insipred by my little nephew who dared me to write a story about an oakwood chair...      

SONG FOR A BABY GIRAFFE

LIED VOOR EEN GIRAFJE (SONG FOR A BABY GIRAFFE)
year:

2004

genre:

poetry, gift book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Sebastiaan Van Doninck
age:

grown ups
awards:
Boekenpluim (for the illustrations)

'Oh tiny giraffe, who isn't yet full grown, do you hear what I am singing ?' An expectant father giraffe sings a tender song for his unborn baby giraffe. He sings about the world and what it looks like, about the food that hangs in the trees, about the baby's mother who has very long, graceful legs, about possible dangers... He also muses on the differences between a mother, who is always near her child, and a father, who keeps in the background. Fit as a gift for expecting fathers and expecting mothers, this book contains one longer poem and very tender pencil drawings.      

ZEA WAS HERE

ZOOTJE WAS HIER (ZEA WAS HERE)
year:

2004

genre:

first reader, 64 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Carll Cneut
age:

8+
rights sold:
French (Éditions du Rouergue), Portuguese (Brazil, SM).

Still one of my personal favourites. This was my first chance to work with the great Carll Cneut. He made wonderful colour-illustrations for my first reader (short sentences of no more than eight words) about a boy who tries to help two illegal children. Or: 'Hello, my name is Tepper. The children at school tease me about my lazy eye. I hope that you won't do that. Last summer, I found two black boys in my secret hut. They had fled their country and wanted to stay here. As they were not allowed to stay, they went into hiding. We played together all summer and became close friends. After a while, we were four: Zea the ghost had joined us. Or did we only invent her to deal with difficult situations?'       

- A partial translation in German, by Rolf Erdorf, is available.

BLOWN AWAY

HET WOEI (BLOWN AWAY)
year:

2003

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Sebastiaan Van Doninck
age:

6+
awards:
Vlag en Wimpel 2004 (for the illustrations)

My first picture book with the (at that time) beginning Flemish artist Sebastiaan Van Doninck. The story: Dad was very busy - he had to wash our clothes, paint the gates, grub up the potatoes and phone the grannies. Yet, he agreed to go rowing with us. Nelly and I asked where his muscles had gone to and he answered: 'They have been blown away.' Also his hair and the parties and mum had been blown away. In the middle of the lake, dad fell asleep. Nelly and I wondered if things could be blown back as well. Yet, there was no wind. Or was there?