Ocean of Stars
WRITTEN BY AZITA ARDAKANI & ILLUSTRATED BY REBECCA REBOUCHÉ
From Azita Ardakani and acclaimed artist Rebecca Rebouché comes a timeless story about how everything comes to be—and how we are made by both stardust and one another.
Before there was the world we know, there was only silence and shimmer—a great dark ocean of matter and possibility. Ocean of Stars follows the unfolding of creation: light forming from fire, water gathering from stars, and life arising from their meeting—until the living world begins to know itself through us.
Told in lyrical prose and brought to life through Rebecca Rebouché’s breathtaking illustrations, this picture book invites readers into a cosmic meditation on connection: how the stars became water, how water became life, and how all living things are threads in the same luminous web.
Part poem and part lullaby, Ocean of Stars offers children and adults alike a gentle way to contemplate existence—how every being, from the smallest seed to the farthest star, carries the memory of creation within. This is a story to be read aloud, wondered over, and kept close for a lifetime.
Ocean of Stars may be the biggest, little story ever told.
Azita Ardakani is a writer, herbalist, and nature–based strategist who explores kinship, consciousness, and the intelligence of living systems. Her work bridges ecology, inner life, and imagination. She lives between New York and British Columbia with her husband, two dogs, and a garden full of listening. Rebecca Rebouché is a Louisiana–born fine artist known for her surreal and emotionally rich paintings that explore the poetry of nature. Her work has been exhibited internationally and collected by museums and private patrons around the world.
SELLING POINTS
A TRANSCENDENT STORY ABOUT BELONGING AND CREATION: Explores the origins of life through the lens of interconnectedness, guiding readers to see themselves as part of nature, not apart from it.
A VISUAL MASTERPIECE FROM REBECCA REBOUCHÉ: Dreamlike paintings merge celestial and earthly imagery—star water, soil, and breath—inviting children into a sensory experience of awe and beauty.
A POETIC VOICE THAT BRIDGES SCIENCE AND SPIRIT:
Written by Azita Ardakani, a systems thinker, writer, and philanthropist exploring kinship across disciplines, this picture book blends cosmology, ecology, and wonder.
FOR WONDERING CHILDREN AND PHILOSOPHICAL ADULTS:
Perfect for families who love The Universe in You, Here We Are, and The Darkest Dark—a timeless story that invites shared reflection at any age.
A BOOK TO KEEP AND GIFT: With its lyrical language, deep emotional resonance, and radiant illustrations, Ocean of Stars makes an ideal gift for births, new beginnings, and moments of transformation. Our gorgeous production features gold–foil stamping on an elegant fabric spine and front cover.
SPECIFICATIONS
*48 pages
*WIDTH: 9" - 228mm
*HEIGHT: 12" - 305mm
* Hardcover POB
PUB MONTH: SEPTEMBER
AGES 4 to 8
ISBN 9781592704910
US $19.99 CAN $25.99 UK £13.99
The Dreamcrafter
WRITTEN &
ILLUSTRATED
BY ZOLBOO ORGIL, TRANSLATED FROM MONGOLIAN BY BUJINLKHAM ERDENEBAATAR
An exciting picture-book debut from an upcoming Mongolian artist and storyteller about what it is to create, as told through the character of the Dreamcrafter
The Dreamcrafter lives in a small dwelling in a quiet part of the city, where she crafts dreams for those who come to her seeking them. She makes good dreams and bad, and all who receive them are satisfied, for the dreams either make them happy, or they provide them with what they need in order to overcome something. But one morning, the Dreamcrafter awakes to find that all of the dreams have flown away! Now, she must embark on a journey to get them back.
Simply told, yet carrying a deep insight into life, this is a rich and textured story about art, the role it plays in our lives, and the solitude of those who make it.
An internationally recognized artist, Zolboo Orgil lives and works in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. She studied fine arts at the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture, specializing in traditional Mongolian drawing techniques. She later continued her education at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland, at the faculty of fine arts. Zolboo’s artistic style often embodies imaginative, fantastical, allegorical, and symbolic elements, blending surrealism and magical realism to explore dreamlike narratives and poetic worlds. In 2023, she took part in the Children’s Book Creation Fellowship organized by the Asia Foundation Mongolia, where she developed the story for her debut picture book, The Dreamcrafter. Bujinlkham Erdenebaatar is an author and poet based in Ulaanbaatar. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the National University of Mongolia in 2014 and her Master’s degree in Creative Writing and Poetics from the University of Washington in 2023. She is the author of the poetry collections Those Who Forget Autumn (2012) and Soul Craft (2020), and the novella Arian (2015). Her debut novel, Eruge Station, was published in 2025.
RIGHTS: World English
SELLING POINTS
AN ARTIST’S DEBUT AND ENCHANTED LION ’S FIRST BOOK FROM MONGOLIA: Acquired by Enchanted Lion’s publisher Claudia Bedrick while participating in workshops with the Asia Foundation Mongolia, this gorgeous picture book speaks to the hunger we have for what only the imagination can provide.
HEARTWARMING AND TENDER, YET POWERFUL: Shows the deep importance of the imaginative, intuitive apprehension of things, and how essential art is to life.
PERFECT READ–ALOUD AND CONVERSATION STARTER: A simple text and beautifully detailed paintings tell a story that engages themes of creativity and community, making for a great read–aloud and discussion book. INTRIGUING AND BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS WITH LOTS OF FUN DETAILS: Zolboo, a fine artist by training, marks her debut into the world of picture books with this unusual and inviting album. All of the illustrations in this book were made by hand using both Mongolian and European painting techniques.
SPECIFICATIONS
*48 pages
*WIDTH: 9" - 228mm
*HEIGHT: 12" - 305mm
* Hardcover with jacket
PUB MONTH: NOVEMBER AGES 4 to 8
ISBN 9781592704989
US $18.99 CAN $24.99 UK £13.99 ËxHSLFTCy704989z
eISBN 9781592705061
The Weather Keeper
WRITTEN BY NELLY BUCHET & ILLUSTRATED BY ELIZABETH HAIDLE
Poetic, atmospheric, and inspired by a true story, this picture book about family, calling, and belonging tells of an Icelandic weather keeper in a world of ice, sea, and sky
As the aurora borealis dances across the sky, a weather keeper crosses the icy plains to measure the temperatures at the edge of the world. Every three hours, she records movement and pressure, and if it ’s warmer or cooler, to keep the seafarers, farmers, and community safe. Just like her mother did. And her mother’s mother did before her, and just like the daughter telling this story will do, too, one day.
Structured like a ballad, this story celebrates a female lineage of weather keepers stationed on a farm where the extreme temperatures make their job impossible for machines to do. This is a world where humans are still needed and still very much one with the natural world around them. The Weather Keeper beautifully foregrounds the awe–inspiring force that is Nature and the strength of people who choose the life they wish to live, however unconventional or full of hardship it might seem to others.
Nelly Buchet has written more than a dozen children’s books which have received numerous awards, including the Irma Black Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature and the ALA Notable. Her work has been celebrated by Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and more. Buchet was short–listed for the Ezra Jack Keats Award. French American and born in France, she currently splits her time between Italy and Germany. Elizabeth Haidle is the creative director for Illustoria magazine and the illustrator of several books for young readers, including Christo and Jeanne–Claude Wrap the World, written by G. Neri. Haidle lives in Portland, Oregon.
RIGHTS: World English
SELLING POINTS
A BOOK TO KEEP AND TO GIFT: With its musical language and richly emotive illustrations, and giving fascinating exposure to life as actually lived at the edge of the world, this gorgeously printed, sustainably sourced book makes an ideal gift for readers of all ages. Includes a stunning gatefold of the aurora borealis! IMPORTANT THEMES:
Embedded in this sparse and lyrical text is a rich, unstated world of ideas about what it is to live a meaningful life, how to choose in a way that is true to oneself, and what it might mean to belong to a family, a place, and a lineage.
FROM AN AWARD–WINNING
AUTHOR: Nelly Buchet, author of the ALA Notable Book and Irma Black Award winner Cat Dog Dog, is here with Enchanted Lion for the first time.
AN ARTIST’S ARTIST: Elizabeth Haidle is the art and editorial director of Illustoria magazine, published by Dave Eggers’s McSweeney’s. Long known in the world of comics and graphic arts, this highly regarded and beloved artist is now bringing her gorgeous talents from the fringe of zines and artist’s books to beautifully illustrated children’s books.
WITH AUTHOR ’S AND ILLUSTRATOR’S NOTES: Includes personal notes from Buchet and Haidle.
SPECIFICATIONS
*48 pages
*WIDTH: 11" - 279mm
*HEIGHT: 10.5" - 267mm
* Hardcover with jacket
PUB MONTH: SEPTEMBER AGES 4 to 8
ISBN 9781592704958
US $19.99 CAN $25.99 UK £13.99 ËxHSLFTCy704958z
eISBN 9781592705030
The Hole (Squared)
WRITTEN & ILLUSTRATED BY ØYVIND TORSETER, TRANSLATED FROM NORWEGIAN
BY KARI DICKSON
Surprising, comic, and thought-provoking, this book, from Norway’s greatest cartoonist, Øyvind Torseter, which has a splendid physical hole punched right through it, tells the story of a mysterious, missing hole and the hilarious search for it!
Set directly after the events of The Hole, in which a hole inexplicably appeared, was sent to a lab for testing, and was then returned to its hapless owner, here the same hole now goes missing, leading its owner on a quest to find it and bring it home. Full of twists and turns, curious characters, and many surprises, this is an urban quest for the ages that evokes laughter, while sparking questions and wonder alike.
In these pages, Norwegian artist and illustrator Øyvind Torseter recontextualizes the titular hole as an array of circular objects, masterfully blurring the line between absence and presence and delivering an entertaining and thought–provoking read from cover to cover.
Øyvind Torseter is a Norwegian artist and illustrator who has created over a dozen books on his own and several with other authors. He’s received numerous awards for his books, including the German Youth Literature Prize, Bologna Ragazzi Award, and Norwegian Book Art Prize. His books have been translated into many languages and are read throughout the world. Torseter lives and works in Oslo. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Kari Dickson grew up bilingually. She holds a B.A. in Scandinavian studies and an M.A. in translation. She is the translator of several books from Norwegian with Enchanted Lion, including Batchelder Award winner Brown and Batchelder Honor recipients My Father’s Arms Are a Boat and The Most Beautiful Story.
RIGHTS: World English
SELLING POINTS
FOLLOW–UP TO THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED THE HOLE:The Wall Street Journal called The Hole “a humorous demonstration of how a little thing can have big implications,” adding that “this stylish book has a single small hole drilled all the way through its middle, which brings readers in on the joke from the beginning.” PW praised its “sly humor and witty use of the hole,” while Kirkus deemed it “off–the–wall (so to speak) and seriously fun.”
ENCHANTING, INVITING
DESIGN: The hole drilled straight through the book makes it eye–catching and appealing, easily inviting readers of all ages into the fun.
ART AND HUMOR FROM NORWAY’S GREATEST CARTOONIST: Torseter’s signature clarity of line and minimal palette, amusing cast of characters, and absurd humor are on full display in this satisfying and memorable sequel to The Hole.
A METAPHYSICAL FAIRYTALE FOR ADULTS AND HIGH–LOW READERS: In between picture book and graphic novel, this book’s engaging premise of a hole that’s gone missing is told with minimal text in speech bubbles, making it perfect for adults and older readers who still want to engage with inventive visual storytelling.
SPECIFICATIONS
*Fully illustrated
*80 pages
*WIDTH: 9 1/2" - 241mm
*HEIGHT: 10 7/8" - 276mm
* Hardcover
PUB MONTH: NOVEMBER
AGES 7 to 14
PICTURE BOOK
ISBN 9781592705085
US $24.99 CAN $34.99 ËxHSLFTCy705085z
eISBN 9781592705092
RIGHTS: World English
The Shadow Stream
WRITTEN
BY
KIRK LOMBARD & ILLUSTRATED BY PARKER THORNTON
Reminiscent of The Outsiders and Watership Down, this riveting first novel of runaways and talking animals is sure to establish Kirk Lombard, a fishmonger by trade, as an exciting new voice.
SELLING POINTS
Gabriel (“G” for short) is wasting away in the Abiddon County Juvenile Center when he’s introduced to the Shongunk River by his dying uncle. The river valley—trash–heaped but chock–full of mysteries and fish—wins G over. But, as G has learned, good things can’t last. The Shongunk is scheduled to be dammed by a local developer. In a matter of days, it will cease flowing, and everything that lives there will be as homeless as G. And “everything” encompasses the talkative and lively animals of the Shongunk: the trout, deer, bullheads, raccoons, possums, frogs, and birds dependent on the strained ecosystem.
Like G, the animals decide this is no time to accept their fate. A young trout is nominated to make a fateful journey up the Shongunk to inspire an uprising; a raccoon swears a violent oath against the humans; and a buck attempts to lead his dimwitted flock out of harm’s way. Together with G, this determined group shows that good can win, and that there is power in all of us, even the smallest minnow.
Written with deep knowledge of rivers, fish, and the natural world as a whole and told with wit, sly asides, and great empathy, this is a revelatory, deeply moving read from cover to cover.
Kirk Lombard is an author, angler, sustainable fishmonger, and tuba player who once worked inside the juvenile rehabilitation system. His first book, the award–winning Sea Forager’s Guide to the Northern California Coast, was described as “poetry” for fish by NPR. He lives in Half Moon Bay with his family, raising his children on herring and sea shanties. Parker Thornton is an artist, adventurer and creative nomad from Austin, Texas. He draws much of his inspiration from time spent observing nature, exploring wilderness areas and life on the road. As a multidisciplinary artist, Thornton uses photography, drawing, and painting to reveal the sacred in the subtle—inviting us to look deeper, listen closer, and remember our connection to Earth. Working primarily in graphite, he creates intricately detailed pieces that illuminate the complexity and quiet wonder of the natural world.
HAND THIS TO KIDS AND TEENS WHO LOVE: The Eyes & the Impossible, A Wolf Called Wander, and Pax—perfect for fans of animal fantasies who are also looking for a little realism around being young today and the plight of the natural world. HAND THIS TO ADULTS WHO LOVE: Watership Down, The Outsiders, The River Why, magical realism, great new voices, and stories that bring the natural world to vivid life.
INTRODUCES A STRONG NEW VOICE IN FICTION: Kirk Lombard is the author of The Sea Forager’s Guide to the Northern California Coast, which found success on both coasts of the United States. This fiction debut is deeply rooted in Lombard’s experience as a fisher, forager, and juvenile counselor.
A MEMORABLE AND MOVING PAGE TURNER: A strong and relatable protagonist, an underdog in the form of a fish for whom you root every step of the way, a drunken deer, a fierce raccoon, and so many more— plus a dramatic finish and ten evocative graphite illustrations— all make for a book that’s impossible to put down!
SPECIFICATIONS
*340 pages
*WIDTH: 6" - 152mm
*HEIGHT: 9" - 228mm
* Hardcover with jacket PUB MONTH: OCTOBER AGES 10 to 14
ISBN 9781592704941
US $19.99 CAN $25.99 UK £13.99
eISBN
9781592705023
RIGHTS: World English
Bookstores Around the World
WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY MARIA IVASHKINA, TRANSLATED FROM RUSSIAN BY LENA TRAER
Artist and book lover Ivashkina takes readers on an inspiring and exciting tour of 25 of the world’s most unusual bookstores, sharing her love for these community spaces in the process
A bookstore is a place of wonder and refuge the world over. It’s a place that always feels magical, and one where discoveries and good surprises inevitably happen. It’s also a place where any one of us might curl up for hours and travel to other worlds. Within the walls of a bookstore, books await, offering stories upon stories and ideas that influence how we see and feel and who we might become. Books invite us on journeys both delightful and risky into the world as we know it and as we do not.
In these pages, we visit bookstores inside a train station and a cathedral, a floating bookstore and a bookstore the size of a whole neighborhood, the oldest bookstore and a bookstore that sells only one book, the first outdoor bookstore and a bookstore where you can live. The bookstores depicted here are in the United States, Argentina, Portugal, France, England, and beyond.
Bookstores are a beautiful, vital destination, but they are also waypoints on the path to a deeper understanding of self and world. This book is sure to become a cherished companion, inspiring readers to venture beyond its pages into the experience that only a great bookstore can provide.
Maria Ivashkina is an author, designer, and illustrator from Moscow, Russia. She graduated with a degree in architecture and design from the Moscow Institute of Architecture and has a master’s degree in editorial design from the HSE Art and Design School. In 2020, she founded MILE Books, a small, independent publisher of picture books. She is the author and illustrator of I Feel That Way, Too!, which was selected as a finalist for the prestigious Golden Pinwheel Award at the Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair. Lena Traer is a Russian– and English–language literary translator with a focus on books for children and young adults. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her past projects include translating Miss Leoparda (also published by Enchanted Lion), Wind: Discovering Age in Motion, On the Edge of the World (both published by Eerdmans), and How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend (Thames & Hudson) into English and translating a variety of picture books and scientific materials into Russian. Born and raised in Siberia, Russia, Traer now lives in San Francisco.
SELLING POINTS
A BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES: Highlights the people, culture, and history that have served to make each of these independent bookstores extraordinary.
A WONDERFUL PROMPT FOR ADVENTURES AND DISCOVERY: Serves as an armchair traveling companion for anyone interested in literary and architectural history on an international scale.
A BEAUTIFUL GIFT: An affordable, beautifully crafted book, complete with gorgeous watercolor illustrations of these charming cultural sites.
A RELEVANT AND TIMELY SPOTLIGHT ON INDEPENDENCE: From an independent publisher in praise and celebration of independent bookstores, this is the ideal book for readers who are keen to support local businesses and community hubs. FEATURES SEVERAL U.S. BOOKSTORES: These pages will take readers on a journey to Barts Books (Ojai, California), City Lights (San Francisco, California), and Wild Rumpus (Minneapolis, Minnesota)—as well as many more bookstores around the world.
SPECIFICATIONS
*Illustrations thourghout *72 pages
*WIDTH: 9 2/3" - 245mm
*HEIGHT: 12 1/3" - 340mm
*Hardcover POB
PUB MONTH: NOVEMBER
ISBN 9781592704385
US $19.99 CAN $25.99 UK £13.99
eISBN 9781592704668
Three Lights
WRITTEN & ILLUSTRATED BY MARIA RAMOS, TRANSLATED FROM SPANISH BY LAWRENCE SCHIMEL
From one of Spain’s most exciting creators, this whimsical illustrated novel has the fantasy of Miyazaki, the imagination of Tove Jansson, the tenderness of Charlotte’s Web, and the magic of E.T.
In the middle of the night, three lights fall from the sky. What are they? They don’t look like fireflies. Mole and his earthworm friends are taken by surprise. What are they going to do with these newcomers? In these pages, Maria Ramos tells the story of a little improvised family that grows and changes together—one that will face many challenges to help the three little lights find their true home. Brimming with imagination and tenderness, and offering abundant, whimsical illustrations, this story enlivens the mind, while penetrating straight to the heart.
María Ramos was born in Cáceres, Spain, and grew up surrounded by sheep, cows, horses, and people who made cheese and olive oil. As a child, she spent her summers swimming in the ponds, drawing everything she saw. Later, she traded the pond for the University of Porto’s Faculty of Fine Arts, where she continued drawing . . . and she never stopped. She has published books and fanzines, taught workshops, and participated in every self–publishing fair there is. She loves artichokes, playing tennis, foraging for mushrooms, and composing hilarious songs in her head and humming them while she walks. Working in both English and Spanish, Lawrence Schimel has written or translated over 300 books, including Mildred L. Batchelder Honor book Different. His works have received many awards, including three PEN Translates Awards, two SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards, and two Américas Award Honors. Schimel lives in Madrid, Spain.
RIGHTS: World English
SELLING POINTS
LAUNCHING A STELLAR SPANISH ILLUSTRATOR: “The books of Maria Ramos are beauties.” So says Jon Klassen. Three Lights was selected for the Bologna Ragazzi Award Amazing Bookshelf and has been translated into many languages. This book marks Ramos’s English–language debut. THEMES OF INTERDEPENDENCE AND COMMUNITY: This is a beautiful story about the power of friendship and the deep, life–altering importance of taking care of each other.
CHARMING, FULL–COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS: This is an illustrated novel full of tenderness and imagination.
PERFECT BRIDGE FROM READ–ALOUD TO INDEPENDENT READER: A perfect balance of text and illustration provides the ideal bridge for transitioning readers. Great for reading aloud together at bedtime and for independent reading! FOR WONDERING CHILDREN AND PHILOSOPHICAL ADULTS: Children will love this book for its adorable illustrations, engaging characters, and gentle surprises, while adults will be invited to tap into deep themes of love and independence, dependency and freedom.
SPECIFICATIONS
*152 pages
*WIDTH: 6.25" - 159mm
*HEIGHT: 9" - 228mm
* Hardcover
PUB MONTH: SEPTEMBER
AGES 6 to 8
ISBN 9781592704996
US $19.99 CAN $25.99 UK £13.99
ËxHSLFTCy704996z
eISBN 9781592705078
Rainbows, Stars, and Apples
WRITTEN BY MARIAHADESSA EKERE TALLIE & ILLUSTRATED BY MIRLANDE JEAN-GILLES
From the award-winning author of Layla’s Happiness and a dynamic cutpaper artist, this fresh, collage-style bedtime story shares the feelings of working parents everywhere, while grounding mother and daughter in love.
Mommy and Daddy have an adventurous and lively daughter, Rosa, who is a joy to behold. Both parents work, but between them, things are usually manageable. However, when Daddy goes off on a business trip, Mommy has had a long day, and Rosa has energy to spare. The balances tip, and Mommy, who can’t get Rosa to sleep without the soothing storytelling of her husband, needs a time out. Not a declarative one that will upset Rosa, of course, but just a down beat in which she can find her breath.
Beautifully told and highly relatable, the melodious text from Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and the gorgeous, textured images from Mirlande Jean–Gilles accomplish what they aim to do: soothingly carry readers into a place of tranquility and rest.
Ezra Jack Keats Honor winner Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie is an interdisciplinary artist with a doctorate in performance studies from Brown University. In addition to her award–winning picture book Layla’s Happiness, she has authored several collections of poetry and has performed poetry and taught in the United States, Namibia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and England. She was born and raised in Queens, New York, and her journeys across the borough inspired the writing of her second picture book We Go Slow. She now resides in Rhode Island and is the mother of three galaxies who look like daughters. Mirlande Jean–Gilles is a mother of two, a writer, and a visual artist. Her award–winning fiction and poetry have been published in various literary journals and anthologies. Her vibrant collages are inspired by her Haitian heritage as well as the work of women and mothers all over the world. In 2012 Jean–Gilles was selected to be “Bearden 100” in collaboration with the Romare Bearden Foundation. Her artwork has been exhibited at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland, as part of their Caribbean History Month celebration. She was part of the group exhibition Cover to Cover—20 years at African Voices, a group art show that took place at the legendary Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. She also took part in Legacy of Romare, a group art show that paid tribute to the extraordinary art of Romare Bearden. In August 2015 she exhibited in a group art show celebrating Haitain art at the Kenkeleba Gallery in New York City.
RIGHTS: World
SELLING POINTS
THE FIRST COLLABORATION BETWEEN TWO LONGTIME FRIENDS: Beloved author of Layla’s Happiness and Ezra Jack Keat’s honoree Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie teams up with Mirlande Jean–Gilles, an award–winning visual artist and childhood friend, to create a warm and visually dynamic bedtime story.
BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED CUT–PAPER ILLUSTRATIONS: These illustrations represent years of meticulous work to build characters and settings from found, painted, cut, and pasted fragments.
A BEDTIME STORY WITH A TWIST: Here the antics of a lively child meet the hardships of working parents everywhere, as a mother who has had a long day tries to find space for her daughter’s natural exuberance and her own feelings, too.
A NEW BOOK FROM A BELOVED AUTHOR: Fans of Layla’s Happiness and of its author won’t want to miss this new and long–awaited book.
SPECIFICATIONS
*44 pages
*WIDTH: 9" - 228mm
*HEIGHT: 12" - 305mm
* Hardcover POB
PUB MONTH: OCTOBER AGES 4 to 8
ISBN 9781592704965
US $18.99 CAN $24.99 UK £13.99
ËxHSLFTCy704965z
eISBN 9781592705047
Wandermelon
WRITTEN BY JACOB KRAMER & ILLUSTRATED BY YARA BAMIEH
From the author of Noodlephant and an up-and-coming Palestinian artist, this rollicking fable about humans, nature, self-determination . . . and one giant watermelon will take you on a journey of big ideas and song!
A vine is growing near Farmer Brown’s ditch. Soon enough, its tendrils reach through Farmer Purple’s pasture, across Francine Cranston’s parlor, around the local school, and all the way to the tippy top of the tallest slide in Franklin Flume’s Water Park. And that’s where a watermelon begins to grow and grow and grow. Soon enough, the townspeople start to argue over who really owns the watermelon. “It eats my compost!” “It sunbathes on my porch!” “It drinks my birdbath!” “Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!” But nobody thinks to ask the watermelon to whom it belongs. Just as the Runaway Gingerbread Man of prior times made clear, and as the townspeople will learn, not everything and everyone can be owned, and what we all share is the deep instinct to grow and live freely.
Jacob Kramer lives in Providence, Rhode Island, where he loves growing food in the local community garden. One summer, he even grew a little watermelon! Kramer is also the author of Noodlephant and its sequel Okapi Tale, two more stories of food, freedom, and friendship from Enchanted Lion Books. Yara Bamieh is a children’s book maker and botanical artist. Her stories often explore themes of exclusion, individuality, and growth. In addition, nature is a constant source of inspiration in her work, shaping both the visuals and the emotional tone of her books. She lives with her family in Palestine, surrounded by plants, stories, and plenty of sketchbooks.
RIGHTS: World English
SELLING POINTS
A GREAT CONVERSATION–STARTER: How do we relate to the natural world? Do we own nature or does nature belong to itself? And how might we think about our relationship with the natural world in a more healthful and productive way?
A GORGEOUSLY ILLUSTRATED PAGE TURNER: Kramer’s text features rhyming verse that is a delight to read out loud, while giving us a hilarious story with a dramatic ending. Bamieh’s illustrations, consisting of expressive characters and beautiful botanical renderings that unfold across two gatefolds, are full of fascinating details that also serve to highlight the hijinks of the tale.
EVERGREEN SOCIAL–EMOTIONAL THEMES: It’s only human nature to want to lay claim to a prodigious watermelon vine. But it’s also a part of our human nature to learn how to transcend that desire—an essential skill if we are to live in harmony with our nearest neighbors. Readers young and old will identify with both the possessive humans and the watermelon—which longs for freedom.
AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION: An author, activist, and social worker based in Providence, Rhode Island, and a botanical artist, designer, and storyteller who makes her home in Palestine team up to share a comic story of interconnection, community, and belonging.
SPECIFICATIONS
*48 pages
*WIDTH: 9.5" - 241mm
*HEIGHT: 11.5" - 292mm
* Hardcover with jacket
PUB MONTH: OCTOBER
AGES 4 to 8
ISBN 9781592704972
US $18.99 CAN $24.99 UK £13.99
ËxHSLFTCy704972z
eISBN 9781592705054