THE BAMBOO GIRL

HET BAMBOEMEISJE (THE BAMBOO GIRL)
year:
2021

genre:

children's book, graphic novel, 260 p.

publisher:

Querido, Amsterdam

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.  

LITTLE FOX

VOSJE (LITTLE FOX)
year:
2018

genre:

children's book, 80 p.

publisher:

Querido, Amsterdam

illustrator:
Marije Tolman
age:

6+
awards:
Silver Pencil 2019 (for the illustrations)
Silver Slate 2019 (for the text)
Nominatie Boekenleeuw 2019 (Belgium)
White Raven 2019
Kröte des Monats Februar 2020 (Austria)
Die Besten 7 von März 2020 (Germany)

Nomination Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis 2021 (Germany)
rights sold:
Russian (KompasGuide)
German (Gerstenberg)
French (Albin Michel)
Italian (Il Castoro)
English (USA) (Levine Querido)
Iran (Read My World)

Lithuanian (Nieko Rimto)
Macedonian (Chudna Suma)
Spanish (Argentina) (Adriana Hidalgo/Pípala)
Slovenian (Sanje)
Slovak (IKAR)

Turkish (MEAV)

Chinese (Mainland) (Jieli)

A fox, not more than a few months old, plays and plays in his natural surroundings - but when it jumps of a bunker it falls flat on the ground. From this unconscious state a dream begins. In this dream he relives his whole life - but oh, what is the little boy doing in the book? Is he on his way to save the little fox? 
This book is illuminated by the magical illustrations of Marije Tolman. She used mixed techniques to create a whole new world - in which Little Fox is carried and loved. Her work is a writer's dream.  

 A special on this book by the Dutch Literature Fund, aimed at possible translations, is to be found here.

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 DOVE THAT COULDN'T DIVE

DE DUIF DIE NIET KON DUIKEN (THE DOVE THAT COULDN'T DIVE)
year:

2011

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

De Eenhoorn, Wielsbeke

illustrator:
Alain Verster
age:

6+
awards:
Die besten 7 Februar 2012 (Germany)
Kinder- und Jugenbuchliste SR Sommer 2012 (Germany)
LesePeter August 2012 (Germany)
Prijs Best Vormgegeven Boeken (Kind) 2012 (for the bookdesign)
rights sold:
German (Gerstenberg)
Norwegian (Cappelen Damm)
Chinese (Taiwan) (Reader Publishing)
Chinese (mainland) (Petrel Publishing House)
Danish (Turbine)
Italian (Comma 22)



Danish cover

This is the first picture book young illustrator Alain Verster and me made together. He also graduated from art school with this project. I wrote the tekst for him after having seen a big illustration with pigeons. This is the story: it's graduation day for the young doves. They have to show that they can dive down to the ground and pick up some crumbs. The father and mother pigeons are watching. Telemark is waiting for his turn in fright. He has never made a successful dive and he is sure he will fail the test... Or maybe not?

- Proof translations in English, French, Maltese, Finnish, Slovene and Estonian available.         

SOFIE AND THE PENGUINS

SOFIE EN DE PINGUÏNS (SOFIE AND THE PENGUINS)
year:

2010

genre:

childrens book, with comic- and non-fiction-elements, 160 p.

publisher:

Querido, Amsterdam

illustrator:
Floor de Goede (illustrations and comics)
Ype+Willem (photo-comics)
age:

7+
awards:
Nominated for the Prize of the Dutch Children's Jury 2011
Feather of the Senate of the Dutch Children's Jury 2011
Winner of the Flemish Children's and Youth Jury 2012
rights sold:
Italian (Il Castoro), Estonian (Päike ja Pilv), Israel (Rimonim Publishing)


Cover paperback version (2014)

I really like penguins. I really wanted to make a book with several elements (text, illustrations on every page, comics, photo-comics, short non-fiction pieces and extra's at the end of the book). And I really wanted to work with Floor de Goede again (after the comic-poem-books we made) and with Ype Driessen and Willem Stam, who make wonderful and funny photo-comcs. All the wishes combined gave me SOFIE AND THE PENGUINS, the story about a sweet girl with her two funny friends Billie and Timmie, and the rest of her family. Sofie adores penguins. She thinks she might even be in love with them. And so her story became the basis for a whole, still ongoing series. Winning two children's jury awards (for the first time in my career) absolutely helped us wanting to make more and more volumes, every episodes combining an upbeat story with information about penguins ánd some other animal (polar bears, Dolphins etc.) - and a small lesson to be learned about family, friendship or love, as well.

- The other volumes are called:
SOFIE EN HET VLIEGENDE JONGETJE (2012)
SOFIE EN HET IJSBEERTJE (2013)
SOFIE EN DE DOLFIJNEN (2014)
SOFIE EN HET GEHEIME PAARD (2015) -
to be continued...

FOR YOU AND NO ONE ELSE

VOOR JOU, VOOR WIE ANDERS? (FOR YOU AND NO ONE ELSE)
year:

2008

genre:

picture book, 32 p.

publisher:

Lemniscaat, Rotterdam (rights at the author)
illustrator:

Martijn van der Linden
age:

6+
rights sold:
Italian (Lemniscaat/Il Castello), English (USA) (Lemniscaat/Boyds Mills Press)

A small picture book in black and white (and one colour) about Deer and Sparkle Deer, about their friendship-since-long, until the day that Sparkle Deer is more and more interested in female deer. Is their friendship betrayed? Or do they find a new way to be friends?

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.
   

THE THINGS I FORGOT

WAT IK VERGAT (THE THINGS I FORGOT)
year:

2001

genre:

children's book, 128 p.

publisher:

Querido, Amsterdam

age:

10+
awards:
Nomination Deutsche Jugendliteraturpreis (Germany)
rights sold:
German (Carlsen), Italian (Fabbri)

Novel about 11-year old Elmer, a shy, soccerplaying boy, who meets the outgoing new girl in class: Zosja. She has a warm family, he just has his mother. And his grandfather - who is seriously demented. Zosja and Elmer team up to find a way to make the grandfather talk again.

- In Germany WAS ICH VERGESSEN HABE was made into a play.