FALL 2025
Children & Young Adults
VISITOR ADDRESS:
Sehestedsgate 4
0130 Oslo, Norway
POSTAL ADDRESS:
P.o box 6860, St. Olavs plass
0130 Oslo, Norway
Printed in Norway
Printing: Webergs
Design: Merethe Brattensborg
agency.gyldendal.no
GYLDENAL AGENCY
ANNE CATHRINE ENG
anne.cathrine.eng@gyldendal.no Foreign Rights Director
NINA PEDERSEN
nina.pedersen@gyldendal.no Literary Agent
KIRSTI KRISTOFFERSEN kirsti.kristoffersen@gyldendal.no
Film & TV Rights
PICTURE BOOKS
The Hunt for the Number Thieves
Sunniva Relling Berg and Skinkeape (illustrator)
Number of pages: 40
Year of publication: 2025
A fun, original, and playful picture book that sparks children’s curiosity about numbers!
One day, numbers start disappearing, from houses, football jerseys, train stations, clocks, diving towers, and beach kiosks. They vanish everywhere, and no one understands what’s going on. Chaos ensues!
Then the truth is revealed: thieves are at work. They’ve stolen the numbers to attend the Number Ball in the Tax Paradise! But when the police suddenly show up at the party, the number thieves have to flee, and in their haste, they put the numbers back in all the wrong places ...
The Hunt for the Number Thieves is perfect for curious young children who love funny books with lots to discover. Here they get to join the number hunt! This is a vibrant and original picture book by Sunniva Relling Berg, with colourful and delightfully wacky illustrations by Skinkeape. Spot on for little number detectives aged 3 to 6.
SUNNIVA RELLING BERG (b. 1988) made her debut in 2011 with the critically acclaimed young adult novel The Drop (Utfor), which was nominated for the Brage Prize. Since then, she has published three books for both young adults and adults. The Alphabet Hunt (Alfabetjakten) was her first children’s book.
MARIANNE GRETTEBERG ENGEDAL (b. 1986, also known as “Skinkeape”) is an author, illustrator, and chef. In recent years, she has gained recognition from critics and award juries. She won the Norwegian Ministry of Culture’s Picture Book Prize in 2023 for Mieko Dances
The Dinosaur Who Wanted to Be a Pirate
Sverre Graff and Allan Grønseth Ohr (illustrator)
A funny, original, and wildly charming picture book about a dinosaur who dreams of becoming a pirate.
For two years, the Dinosaur has wandered around the city, bored. He needs a job!
Tie-Hansen has an office and a big book filled with all kinds of jobs. He’s going to help the Dinosaur find one.
Most of all, the Dinosaur wants to be a pirate, but no, no, no, that’s absolutely NOT a suitable job, says Tie-Hansen. Instead, he sends the Dinosaur out to try a bunch of other jobs: bike courier, artist, hairdresser, spy … But nothing turns out well. In fact, everything goes terribly wrong.
Is there really no hope for the Dinosaur’s pirate dream?
Number of pages: 48
Year of publication: 2025
SVERRE BJØRSTAD GRAFF is from Sortland, Norway. He is a journalist, writer, and illustrator. The Dinosaur Who Wanted to Be a Pirate is his very first children’s book.
ALLAN OHR is from Kristiansund and is based in Trondheim. Ohr works as an illustrator, designer, and animator. The Dinosaur Who Wanted to Be a Pirate is his first picture book for children.
Wuthering Flights
Ragnar Aalbu
Number of pages: 48
Year of publication: 2025
When a young and restless stork learns that storks used to deliver babies in the old days, he suddenly knows exactly what he wants to do.
It sounds easy enough! But where do you actually find babies? And how do you know where to deliver them?
What follows is a series of airborne misunderstandings—way up in the sky.
RAGNAR AALBU (b. 1966) is a Norwegian illustrator and picture book author. He was educated at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry. Aalbu has received numerous awards for his work.
Unfair!
Anne Aanensen Randøy and Annette Saugestad Helland (illustrator)
A warm and relatable picture book about siblings, emotions, and being stuck in the middle.
Jens is neither the oldest nor the youngest, he’s just in the middle, and that feels so unfair! Jenni gets to sit on the lap because she’s the smallest. Jonas gets to do homework because he’s the oldest. But Jens? He’s just in the way. Eventually, Mom and Dad send him outside for a timeout in the snow.
Alone in a world of white. Or is he really alone? Suddenly, he hears a sound ... Could it be a snow monster?
Unfair! is a funny and heartfelt story about sibling rivalry, feeling unseen, and the magic that happens when imagination takes over.
Number of pages: 40
Year of publication: 2025
ANNE AANESEN RANDØY (b. 1963) is a kindergarten and special needs teacher by education and works as a kindergarten pedagogue. In 2023, she made her literary debut with the picture book Plenty of Time.
ANNETTE SAUGESTAD HELLAND (b. 1975) is a visual artist, illustrator and animator. She has made numerous animated films and has worked in the animation industry for many years. Helland pursued Author Studies at the Norwegian Institute of Children’s Books and has published several books for children.
MIDDLE GRADE
Krypto Chills
Hans Jørgen Sandes
Number of pages: 128
Year of publication: 2025
Book 8 in the popular, award-winning Crypto series
Ophelia is the new leader of Crypto, and she and Bernard are quickly drawn into a dangerous mission. Dalis has kidnapped Little-Krako and fled to the Allies—what is she planning?
On their journey, Ophelia and Bernard discover mysterious monster skeletons, and it becomes clear that Dalis has sinister intentions. She’s determined to eliminate Ophelia once and for all. Monsters and humans are in greater danger than ever before!
Foreign sales: The Crypto series has so far been sold to 9 territories.
HANS JØRGEN SANDNES (born 1979) is an illustrator, animator and cartoonist. Together with Jørn Lier Horst he created the Detective Agency No. 2 books, which is Norway’s best-selling children’s universe in book form with a print run of over 1.7 million. Hans Jørgen has illustrated classics such as Alf Prøysen and Anne-Cath. Vestly. In 2020, Hans Jørgen Sandnes debuted as author-cartoonist with Into the Deep, the first book in the Crypto series.
Sebastian and the Cellar Creature
Holger Fangel and Bård Sletvold (illustrator)
Number of pages: 192
Year of publication: 2025
What is a cellar creature? And where does it come from?
When a mysterious creature suddenly appears in Sebastian’s basement, his everyday life is turned upside down. Where did it come from?
Together with his best friend Lillian, Sebastian embarks on a nerve-wracking quest for answers. But when Sebastian’s arch enemy begins suspecting something, it quickly becomes a race against time.
Can they protect the Cellar Creature before it’s too late?
An irresistible suspense story for young readers, with fantastic illustrations by Bård Sletvold Torkildsen.
HOLGER FANGEL (b. 1963) was born in Oslo and grew up partly in Tromsø. He debuted at Gyldendal with The Hunt for the Green Cap, followed by Sebastian and the Cellar Creature. In addition, he has written for other publishers and contributed texts to the Kon-Tiki Museum, the Nobel Peace Center, as well as advertising, interviews, and articles.
BÅRD SLETVOLD TORKILDSEN (b. 1990) has a background in illustration and design and works as a freelance illustrator. He has illustrated several books.
The Class Book
Heidi Linde
Class A and B come up with the best idea ever: a joint summer party with a ride on the Turbo Max Thunder Spider Spin, the wildest rollercoaster around!
But there’s a catch: it costs money, and school is supposed to be free and equal for everyone.
While the parallel class starts baking and selling buns, Olivia’s class struggles to raise enough cash. They have to make it happen, just imagining Niels’s class going without them is unbearable. After all, isn’t Turbo Max Thunder Spider Spin the perfect place for a first kiss?
The Class Book is the fifth book in the series about Olivia.
HEIDI LINDE (b.1973) studied creative writing in Bø and screenwriting at the Norwegian Film School in Lillehammer. She debuted with the children’s book Mosquito Bite in 1998, followed by her first novel Under the Table in 2002. In recent years, Linde has written a wide range of critically acclaimed books for both children and adults.
Number of pages: 160 Year of publication: 2025 Foreign Sales: Turbine, Denmark
Alba & Finito #4
The Prison Mystery
Lars Mæhle and Marion Elisabeth Bråthen (illustrator)
Number of pages: 160
Year of publication: 2025
An intense and thrilling mystery – can Alba and Finito solve the prison puzzle?
When veterinarian dad Truls is called to Bredtveit Women’s Prison to examine the prison hens, Alba and Finito tag along. The hens have stopped laying eggs and started pecking at each other – but why? And why does Alba suddenly run into her other dad, Emil, inside the prison? What is he doing there? As a police officer, he must be investigating something, but he won’t say what. Soon, Alba begins to suspect that something mysterious is happening behind the prison walls. Together with Finito, she digs deeper into the case – but the closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes. Some people will go to great lengths to avoid being exposed …
LARS MÆHLE (b. 1971) is known for his popular books for children and young adults. He has received the Norwegian Ministry of Culture’s Literature Prize, the Uprisen (Youth Literature Prize), and the Fabel Prize. In recent years, he has enjoyed great success with his series The Dinosaur Gang, The Mysteries at Crow Castle Kindergarten, and Alba and Finito
Hanna and Hani
Mariko Miyata-Jancey
A story about climate anxiety, friendship, and identity.
What do you do when you’re totally against singleuse products, and suddenly get your period? Is it okay to wish for a new phone for your birthday when you know how much energy it takes to produce one? And when your parents are planning a trip to Greece, can you even consider going?
Hanna thinks A LOT about her personal climate footprint. But when she meets Hani, things get a bit easier, a bit less serious, and a whole lot more fun.
But not everyone in the class is as excited about Hani. And is it really okay that she wears a hijab?
Number of pages: 80 Year of publication: 2025
MARIKO MIYATA-JANCE (b. 1989) is a dancer and choreographer and has extensive experience with teaching and performances aimed at children and young people. Miyata-Jancey is currently taking a master’s in children’s and youth literary writing and communication at the Norwegian Institute for Children’s Books. She debuted with the picture book Mieko Dances in 2024. Hanna and Hani is her second book.
YOUNG ADULT
Twisted Poems for young adults
Åse Ombustvedt and Ronja Svenning Berge (illustrator)
Number of pages: 120
Year of publication: 2025
How much can you sacrifice for love—before you lose yourself?
Nora and Mitra are best friends. They’ve always been inseparable. But when Aron enters the picture, everything changes. He sees Nora like no one else ever has—but he also wants control. The friendship with Mitra begins to crack, while Aron tightens his grip more and more. Soon, Nora realizes that Aron isn’t who she thought he was. When everything falls apart, she must find her way back—to herself and to Mitra.
Åse Ombustvedt writes with raw honesty about love, isolation, and power dynamics in close relationships. Ronja Svenning Berge’s striking illustrations add an extra dimension and a truly unique intensity.
ÅSE OMBUSTVEDT (b.1963) has received wide acclaim for her poetry books for young adults. She was nominated for the 2020 Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize for When Am I Old Enough to Shoot My Father?
RONJA SVENNING BERGE (b. 1984) is a renowned illustrator and comic artist. For years, she contributed a regular side comic to Nemi, and she debuted with her graphic novel If It Doesn’t Burn in 2023.
You Alone
The Story of Gunvor Hofmo and Ruth Maier
Hilde Børresen Hagerup
A brutally beautiful love story based on real events.
You Alone is a powerful and moving young adult novel based on the true story of Gunvor Hofmo and Ruth Maier. It’s a tale that reveals both the brightest and darkest experiences a young person can face.
Akershusstranda, Oslo, November 26, 1942: As the D/S Donau pulled away from the dock, Gunvor Hofmo stood alone. Just moments earlier, she had seen her beloved Ruth Maier for the last time. Ruth never returned to Gunvor. Only days later, she was killed in Auschwitz. What happened would shape Gunvor Hofmo’s life and poetry more than anything else.
You Alone is a deeply emotional and brutally beautiful novel that brings readers close to Hofmo and Maier in the time just before they met and during their relationship in wartime Norway.
Hilde Hagerup breathes life into a defining story from Norwegian history. With precise and lyrical language, she brings the story of Gunvor Hofmo and Ruth Maier into the present. Hagerup shows us that their story remains hauntingly relevant in a world where right-wing populism and extremism continue to spread.
You Alone is a story that will break your heart but also offer a profound hope for the future and for love.
Number of pages: 192 Year of publication: 2025
HILDE HAGERUP (b.1976) is an award-winning and acclaimed author. She writes books for children, young adults, and adults. Her works have been translated into numerous languages.
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