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.  

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

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.