CHILDREN’S BOOKS FROM AUSTRIA
2025
CHILDREN’S
ACHSE
BIBLIOTHEK DER PROVINZ
EDITION 5HAUS
EDITION NILPFERD
G&G
JUNGBRUNNEN
LEYKAM
LUFTSCHACHT
OBELISK
Welcome!
Christine Nöstlinger, Mira Lobe, Helga Bansch, Michael Roher, Michael Stavarič, Linda Wolfsgruber and many others –Austria has a longstanding reputation for its children’s and youth literature. Heinz Janisch received the most important prize in children‘s literature in 2024: the Hans Christian Andersen Award.
The love of wordplay, a flair for sound, the spotlight on the offside and beyond, the strange, the comical and the unusual, as well as artistically outstanding and innovative illustrations – these qualities are all intrinsic to children’s and youth literature from Austria.
As an association of 12 Austrian publishers, we are presenting our new joint foreign rights catalogue. Each publisher is featured with three recent or representative titles.
So, what unites us?
Most of us are small, independent publishers who create books of high literary, aesthetic and creative quality. It follows that our books and artists are always highly recognised and awarded at home and abroad.
We look forward to introducing our books to new readers all over the world, and we wish you an exciting read full of new discoveries.
Nominated Artists Astrid-LindgrenMemorial-Award 2024
HEINZ JANISCH
MICHAE L ROHER
Hans Christian Andersen Award 2024
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES:
Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport (BMKOES)
Funding for translations of works in fiction, primarily of contemporary Austrian authors, into a foreign language. Funding applications to be submitted by the foreign-language publisher.
Österreichische Gesellschaft für Literatur (Austrian Literature Society)
Grants for translators of Austrian literature, awarded by the Austrian Literature Society on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport.
Creative Europe Desk
Funding for translations of works of fiction by European authors from the official language of one participating country into the official language of another participating country.
Funding for translations of fiction and non-fiction, as well as children’s and youth literature, from and into the languages spoken in participating countries.
Traduki
ACHSE achseverlag.com
founded 2017 Vienna
Genres
Children’s fiction and non-fiction, picture books
Number of titles per year 12–14
About ACHSE Verlag is an independent children’s book publisher based in Vienna, specializing in innovative picture books. The program focuses on diverse messages and creative illustrations, including translations. With a small team, a lot of passion, and dedication, ACHSE Verlag creates beautiful picture books for everyone.
Authors
Lisa-Viktoria Niederberger, Clara Luzia, Thomas J. Hauck, Conny Lindner, Klara Kapprell
Illustrators
New children’s books for everyone
Anna Horak, Valerie Tiefenbacher, Contact/Foreign Rights
The German Children’s and Youth Book Prize Top 5 2024 Shortlist The
Teresa Mossbauer/ACHSE Verlag rights@achseverlag.com
Stephanie Barrouillet/S.B.RIGHTS AGENCY info@sbrightsangency.com
MIZZI DANCES TOO
40 pages, ACHSE, € 23 22 x 28 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-903408-31-9
Introduction to the world of dancing
• Encourages body positivity and joy in movement and trying new things Ages
• With lots of information on dance and ballet
The bright Mizzi wants to learn how to dance … but when she invites her friends to an introductory ballet class, doubts arise: “Isn’t ballet for girls?“ “Don’t you have to be really thin?“ Plagued with concerns about expectations and body shapes, Mizzi wonders if she can really dance. A book that encourages readers to try their first dance steps – and rid themselves of obsolete views.
Rebekka Rom & Anna Horak
Nadine Kegele & Ana Paola Castro Villegas
MY MOUTH BELONGS ONLY TO ME!
28 pages, ACHSE, € 15 19 x 19 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-903408-30-2
Enjoy brushing
your teeth every day
• Bonding-oriented and nonviolent
Brushing teeth with children is an everyday task – but it can be a challenge. Instead of stress and annoyance, this book offers children and those reading to them space, self-determination, and support. Inspired by her own experiences as a mother, Nadine Kegele shares 23 funny, helpful, and
• Colourful pictures and a loving message
encouraging verses with us – and just like that, the whole family sails through the tooth-brushing process. Illustrated in vibrant colours by Ana Castro Villegas, this handy paperboard book will become a daily companion and make brushing (and cleaning up) easier for everyone.
VomVoneinerDoggeträumich,mitRiesengebiss.Nachbarindackel,dermitkleinemGebissfrisst.VonVonMäusenträumichundwinzigenZähnen. durchdieZahnlückepfeifendenHyänen. Was?VomHai!sch,demwachsenjadieZähnenach. MeerschweinchenzähneAmeisenbärenhabengarkeine?Ach!wachsenlebenslange. EinWalrossbenutztseineauchalsKletterstange.
Yulia Drobova
WHENEVER WE …
40 pages, ACHSE, € 23 22 x 22 cm, 2024, ISBN 978-3-903408-27-2
Small gestures and great traditions
• Diverse family portraits and inspiration for every season of the year
• Collection of the Austrian Children and Youth Literature Prize 2025
Have you ever heard of the rain dance?
How about the sweet plate? What are your family’s most beautiful traditions? 16 children talk about their families and the moments that stick in their memories. Anna explains how her family club works; Clara shows us her lucky glass, and Rahim talks about “world travelling Friday“. Lots of families have them and cherish
• Prizewinning illustrations in a unique collage style
them: rituals and habits that repeat over and over again, that make us feel safe and give everyday life that certain something. These beloved rituals are just as unique as the families that practise them: often they’re nothing more than small gestures made for no particular reason … but they can have great meaning for children, parents, and other family members.
BIBLIOTHEK DER PROVINZ
bibliothekderprovinz.at
since 1989 Weitra
Genres
Children’s books, picture books
Number of titles per year 8–10
About
Founded in 1989, Bibliothek der Provinz publishes Austrian literature and fiction, regional writing, beautifully designed photography and art books, and children’s books that buck the mainstream picture book trend, filling gaps in bookshelves both in terms of content and illustrations.
Authors
Astrid*Walenta, Lizzy Hollatko, Vera Ferra-Mikura, László Varvasovszky, Heinz Janisch, Thomas J. Hauck, Michael Köhlmeier, Monika Helfer
Illustrators
Angelika Kaufmann, Michaela Weiss, Linda Wolfsgruber, Elsa Klever, Winfried Opgenoorth, Anka Luger
Children’s books outside the box
GAZELLE
32 pages, Bibliothek der Provinz, € 18 22,5 × 18,5 cm, 2024, ISBN 978-3-99126-106-3
Contact/Foreign Rights
rights@bibliothekderprovinz.at
Verlag Bibliothek der Provinz
What animal would you like to be able to change into?
• A poetic book about the imagination as a form of self-empowerment
• Both book and author have won multiple awards, including the Austrian Children’s and Youth Book Award 2025
When Lioba is sad, she sometimes transforms into a gazelle. Her sadness slips away in a single motion, like a cloak of grey dust.
“Look, a gazelle!“ the children cry. They marvel, rejoice, and move on.
A poetic text about children’s imagination. In verse, the author explores magical thinking in the emotional lives of young people.
Heinz Janisch (Text) & Michaela Weiss (Illustration)
Isolde Fehringer, Klaus Ebenhöh (Text) & Daniel Spreitzer (Illustration)
LEO THE LITTLE SCAREDY-CAT
44 pages,Bibliothek der Provinz, € 20 20,5 x 20,5 cm, 2024, ISBN 978-3-99126-114-8
How can we confront our fears?
• Part of the “Sensory Journeys“ series on the topic of sensory integration in occupational therapy.
• The story can be reenacted with swings and slides.
Leo, the little snow leopard, goes on a trip with his family. Since he easily loses his balance, he doesn’t dare take the difficult path … but with Heidi Hummel’s help, he manages it. The book encourages children to take on motor challenges, even if they are afraid. In it, Leo manages to earn confidence and to try new things; the book is perfect for use in therapy, education, and children’s everyday play.
„Gute
GOOD NIGHT, MARIE AND PETER
48 pages, Bibliothek der Provinz, € 22 16,4 x 24 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-99126-275-6
Experience a summer day in Greece –from the tip of your nose all the way down to your toes!
• A bedtime ritual with a story and physical contact
The first seaside holiday in Greece is full of new experiences. In the evening, Mama sits at Marie and Peter’s bedside and tells them stories of what happened that day. She strokes their feet – what did their feet experience today? She continues with the legs, belly, arms, hands, ears …
• New impression to see, hear, see, feel, and smell
all the way to the eyes. The children can feel the sand and water, the sunscreen lotion and the heavy straps of the beach bag. They smell unfamiliar aromas, hear new sounds, and look at the images in their mind’s eye. Now the day is over, and sleep can come.
Elisabeth Bernauer
EDITION 5HAUS
edition5haus.at
founded 2021 Vienna
Genres
Children’s books, art books
Number of titles per year 2
About
At Edition 5Haus, the book as an artwork becomes an experience that lasts. We only publish a few books a year, and we invest in green production, with eco-friendly inks and the FSC stamp. We organise a creative and innovative programme of events in both the analogue and digital world. Our SLOW BOOKS are slow, living books that break down barriers between generations.
Authors
Mia Kirsch/Magda Hassan, Wolfgang Hartl, Franziska Höllbacher
Illustrators
Wolfgang Hartl, Raffaela Schöbitz, Sonja Stangl, Erika Friedl, Franziska Höllbacher
Contact/Foreign Rights
Tobias Pichler
tobias.pichler@edition5haus.at Phone +43 676 346 60 07
BUTTERFLY, MAKE TROUBLES
FLY!
Children’s books are works of art!
40 pages, Edition 5Haus, € 18 23 × 23 cm, 2024, ISBN 978-3-99133-008-0
“A book that moves. For children and adults alike.” – Dr. Udo Baer
• Animated cover
• Beautifully illustrated throughout
What if worries were like sheets of paper; what if you could fold them and let them fly away? “Butterfly make troubles fly” encourages us to embrace our worries, understand them, listen to and talk about them. Constant worries can then change –
• Valuable support literature
like a sheet of paper when you fold it: they become softer, warmer, more colourful, lighter. Perhaps one of them will even turn out to be a guide, a companion. An artistic picture book about dealing mindfully with one’s own worries.
Magda Hassan, Sonja Stangl
Wolfgang Hartl, Mia Kirsch, Erika Friedl
ASAGAN – SEARCHING FOR LIONHEART
64 pages, Edition 5Haus, € 20 23 x 23 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-99133-010-3
Turning back the clock – a whole 830 years!
• Unique illustration style • Historical adventure story
Travel through time with the Danube Pirates and Blondel the Troubadour … meet King Richard the Lionheart, the Danube mermaid and Robin Hood! A story about strong friendships and the power of song.
• Read – listen – learn!
The multiple prize-winning series ASAGAN combines historical stories with fictional adventures – illustrated with prints up to 500 years old and including a lexicon and music. Making history fun!
LITTLE MOUSE I’D LIKE TO BE
24 pages, Edition 5Haus, € 18 20 x 28 cm, 2022, ISBN 978-3-99133-002-8
• Bright, cheerful illustrations A picture book as diverse as its characters
• Children as masters of metamorphosis
Like most of us, do you sometimes find you don’t recognise yourself at all? Do you ever wish you were something completely different? Like an animal, for instance –maybe a cat, a monkey or even an elephant!
“A little mouse I’d like to be” invites you on
• A picture book with a song
a journey of discovery that ends with a wonderfully versatile multi-layered “ME”.
“The very first time I read and marvelled at this book, I could hear a song – or rather, a beat! It’s a book that dances and sings: try it out!” Kiri Rakete, Songwriter
Franziska Höllbacher
EDITION NILPFERD
nilpferd.at
founded 2001 Vienna | Berlin
Genres Picture books, Children’s books, Non-fiction for kids
Number of titles per year 10
About
Since its founding in 2001, the colorful and diverse children’s book program of Edition Nilpferd has become a staple in the German-speaking children’s book market, with our books regularly receiving awards. In addition to many stars of the children’s book scene, we regularly publish exciting works by young authors and illustrators. You can also (re)discover classics that should not be missing from any children’s bookshelf. Since 2015 Edition Nilpferd is a part of the Glöckler Group which also includes the publishing houses G&G, Ueberreuter, Annette Betz, as well as the non-fiction publishing house Carl Ueberreuter.
Authors
Franziska Biermann, Erwin Moser, Christine Nöstlinger, Melanie Laibl, Jens Rassmus, Ursula Poznanski
Illustrators
Corinna Jegelka, Ina Hattenhauer, Barbara Fisinger, Jolanda Richter, Renate Habinger
Read with joy and see with depth
Contact/Foreign Rights
Meri Melkonyan meri.melkonyan@ueberreuter.de
Phone +49 30 652 16 23-25
And don’t miss a further book in this series:
Franziska Biermann
MR. FOX LOVES POETRY
80 pages, Edition Nilpferd, € 15 17,5 x 24,5 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-7074-5311-9
All children are clever foxes; we just need to feed them properly!
• Irresistibly funny, greedy and creative: Mr. Fox is back in a new edition!
Mr. Fox loves books so much, he could (and does) eat them up! And he likes the taste of his own books best. One day, Mr. Fox goes for a walk in the woods to search for inspiration for his next book, and –ouch! The Cupid fly stings him right
• Previous “Mr. Fox“ titles by Franziska Biermann have been translated into 9 languages
in the rump. Now he’s head over heels in love with Mira, a painter and the coolest badger ever, and he can’t stop writing poems … but his publisher fears that poetry won’t sell. Something must be done –it’s time for an emergency de-loving plan!
Sophie Schmid
THE BEAR NEEDS CARE
32 pages, Edition Nilpferd, € 16 22 x 28 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-7074-5310-2
About big emotions –and what it means to be there for one another
• Cuddle Duo is back: The second title in the series that began with The Big Cuddle
• An important topic, told in a motivating and empowering way
The bear lies grumbling in his bed. What could possibly be wrong with him? He’s not sick, he doesn’t have chills; he’s not even suffering from deadly boredom. Then the tiger figures it out: the bear is sad –very, very sad. Luckily, he has his animal friends, who bake cakes, pick flowers, and bring the bees’ buzz to him. The care of his friends soon has the bear on the mend!
And don’t miss a further book in this series:
Magali Franov
HOME ON THE CLIFF
48 pages, Edition Nilpferd, € 20 20 x 28 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-7074-5314-0
A harmonious blend of artistic text and imagery
The author has over 50,000 wers on Instagram
• Unique illustrations create a particularly atmospheric mood
Way up on top of the cliff stands a little house. As summer fades and the colours disappear, the house starts to feel a yearning deep inside itself. It watches the birds flying south and dreams of more. What is it like to be so free? What does it feel like not to be alone? A touchingly poetic story that gently explores longing and the feeling of belonging, brought to life with vivid and expressive imagery.
ggverlag.at
founded 1998 Vienna | Berlin
Genres
Picture books, Children’s books, Non-fiction for kids
Number of titles per year
50
About
G&G is deeply passionate about nurturing young minds through captivating stories and engaging learning materials. With a focus on fostering a love for reading, our wide range of books caters to children aged three to 14, as well as providing valuable resources for educators. We’re dedicated to creating enriching experiences that inspire curiosity and imagination in young readers.
The Glöckler Group also includes the publishing houses Ueberreuter, Annette Betz, Edition Nilpferd, as well as the nonfiction publishing house Carl Ueberreuter.
Authors
Thomas Brezina, Mira Lobe, Felix Mitterer, Ulrike Motschiunig, Christoh Mauz, Matthias Bauer, Ingrid Hofer
Illustrators
Martina Schachenhuber, Florence Dailleux, Pablo Tambuscio, Timo Grubing
Encourage reading –create the future
Contact/Foreign Rights
Meri Melkonyan meri.melkonyan@ueberreuter.de Phone +49 30 652 16 23-25
Bettina Kleinszig, Jürgen Blankenhagen
THE LEGENDARY ADVENTURES OF BASTIAN ZEKOFF: CURSE
OF THE FAIRIES
128 pages, G&G, € 12,95 15,3 x 21,5 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-7074-2656-4
A fast-paced and gripping adventure
• A fast-paced adventure, brilliantly illustrated
• A mystical tale about a sunken cit y
Basti and his friends are vacationing in the picturesque town of Hallstatt. But the idyllic setting quickly reveals its dark side: on their very first evening, the children are visited by three evil fairies who place a mysterious curse on Johann: “If three drops of water touch your skin, you shall be doomed to the water forever.“ What could their cryptic words mean? Determined to save Johann from a terrible fate, the children embark on a perilous adventure, uncovering countless legendary secrets along the way …
Katharina Fohringer-Hackl, Ulrike Halvax
ROSA FAMOSA
64 pages, G&G, € 13,50 17,5 x 24,5 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-7074-2674-8
Magical
adventures promise great fun, for reading aloud and independent reading alike
• Author Katharina Fohringer-Hackl is the winner of the DIXI Award, Austria’s most prestigious prize for emerging authors
• Cheerful and confident protagonist with an enchanting superpower
Rosa Famosa lives on the 5th floor of the 5th house on Dachshund Alley and is convinced that a famous dachshund must have lived there once — maybe even one that could talk. That would be amazing! Just like her about that – you see, Rosa is a magician! When she takes a bite of a cheese sandwich, though, her magical powers suddenly vanish, just when her best friend Odi needs her help. Rosa needs a plan, and fast!
Michaela Holzinger, Saskia Gaymann
THE SNACK BEAR
32 pages, G&G, € 16 22 x 28 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-7074-2606-9
A
playful story celebrating
• Cheerful, witty, and delightfully indulgent
In the forest lives a very special bear: no one loves snacking as much as he does. Whether it’s berries, honey, or pine bark, he happily nibbles and savours his way through a world of treats. But he’s not the only one with a sweet tooth. The other animals have their own weaknesses for treats too. And
the joy of tasty treats
• For everyone with a sweet tooth –big or small
sometimes, they’ll go to great lengths to get their paws on them … A delightful tale of woodland creatures and their love for tasty morsels, brimming with charm and a touch of mischief. Perfect for young readers and snack enthusiasts alike!
JUNGBRUNNEN
jungbrunnen.co.at
founded 1923
Vienna
Genres
Picture books, children’s books, young readers
Number of titles per year 8–10
About Jungbrunnen publishes captivating books that encourage further reflection. Young readers are entertained without being made to believe in idealised or superficial worlds. In these books, children can feel at home and get to grips with existential questions. Jungbrunnen places a particular emphasis on high-quality content, language and illustrations.
Authors
Frauke Angel, Helga Bansch, Rosemarie Eichinger, Deborah Ellis, Vera Ferra-Mikura, Michael Hammerschmid, ISOL, Heinz Janisch, Brigitte Jünger, Armin Kaster, Robert Klement, Mira Lobe, Michèle Minelli, Michael Roher, Eva Roth, Robert Schneider, Peter Turrini, Rachel van Kooij, Albert Wendt, Linda Wolfsgruber and many more
Illustrators
Helga Bansch, Romulus Candea, María José de Tellería, Julia Dürr, Sigrid Eyb-Green, Gerhard Haderer, Barbara Hoffmann, Angelika Kaufmann, Winfried Opgenoorth, Raffaela Schöbitz, Christina Sormann, Susi Weigel, Linda Wolfsgruber and many more
Books for smart kids
Heinz Janisch, Helga Bansch
AND THEN?
32 pages, Jungbrunnen, € 18 28 x 21 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-7026-6000-0
Contact/Foreign Rights
Marlies Renner renner@jungbrunnen.co.at Phone +43 1 512 129 974
And then I’m glad that you’re still here
• A prizewinning duo: Hans Christian Andersen Award 2024 and Austrian Arts Award 2024
We all know there are lots of reasons to be angry, and feelings of anger usually find their way to the surface. Heinz Janisch has thought about all the things you could do with anger: uproot trees, get really loud, pick a fight with the elements …
• Empathy: what effect does my anger have on other people?
At some point, though, the anger is gone, and then it’s important that someone is there to catch you. Helga Bansch’s detailed and expressive illustrations are packed with feelings, bringing them humorously and poetically to the point.
Dann trinke ich das Meer leer. Und dann?
Dann brülle ich so laut, dass alle Tiere erschrecken.
Michael Hammerschmid, María José de Tellería
CLOUDFOAM
32 pages, Jungbrunnen, € 18
25,5 x 22,2 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-7026-5999-8
A child’s daily life, presented in feather-light poetry
• Encourage the sense for rhythm and language
Slower, faster, hopping, crawling, louder and softer … in music, rhythm and intonation change often – just like with Michael Hammerschmid’s words. Daily life turns into a somersaulting language game; every poem is an adventure of its own.
• A cheerful illustrated world
What was, before I was? Where do I keep going, where do I stop? And does fun really have to end? Essential questions to ponder for young and old alike, with colourful, spirited, and highly original illustrations by María José de Tellería.
NO ONE STAYS BEHIND
224 pages, Jungbrunnen, € 19 21,3 x 14,3 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-7026-6002-4
About teenage stress and fear when choosing a profession, and how solidarity can help orient them
• Gripping descriptions of 14 emotional worlds
A school class of 13 teenagers, all with their own individual problems, all wondering what they should do after finishing school. Lost in a confusion of exotic dream jobs, more realistic plans, ideas and the lack of ideas, they all have one thing in common: they’re afraid. Afraid of failing, or of
• Making decisions for the future: Which way should I go?
succeeding, but in the wrong area. Afraid of disappointing their parents, or themselves. Their teacher supports them; their parents sometimes do and sometimes don’t. Can friendship and solidarity offer a way out? And how can teenagers get stress and its physical effects under control?
LEYKAM
leykamverlag.at
founded 1585
Vienna | Graz | Berlin
Genres Children’s books, young readers, non-fiction, literature
Number of titles per year 24
About
Leykam is the oldest austrian publisher and publishes unconventional nonfiction, read-aloud and read-alone stories for children aged 4-12. The focus is on a fascination for nature and the animal kingdom, encouraging children to experience and discover extraordinary things, expanding individual perspectives, and the desire to make a change.
Authors
Michael Stavarič, Andrea Grill, Marie Gamillscheg, Melanie & Minitta Kandlbauer, Petra Piuk
Illustrators
Cool
books for curious kids
Stella Dreis, Anna Süßbauer, Michèle Ganser, Yani Hamdy, Gemma Palacio Contact/Foreign Rights
Tanja Raich
tanja.raich@leykamverlag.at
Literarische Agentur Kossack GbR annette.wolf@mp-litagency.com Phone +49 40 271 638 28
Minitta und Melanie Kandlbauer & Yani Hamdy
GOOD NEWS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
128 pages, Leykam, € 24,50 20,5 x 27,5 cm, 2024, ISBN 978-3-7011-8318-0
A
trip around the world, for more respect and less prejudice
• From Afghanistan, Syria, and China to Somalia: an interactive nonfiction book for kids
We often hear bad news about Africa or Asia … but did you know that Rwanda’s parliament has the most women worldwide? Or that colour television was invented in Mexico? Good news can be found in every country, but some are still portrayed
• Important facts about history, inventions, and heroes you’ve never heard about
negatively and one-sidedly in schoolbooks and the media. Come with us to Syria, Turkey, and Nigeria, discover forgotten kingdoms, musicians, inventions, and festivals – you’ll see the world with fresh eyes.
Anna Süßbauer & Marie Gamillscheg
WHAT’S A DINOSAUR DOING IN THE MUSEUM?
32 pages, Leykam, € 18,50 21,5 x 27,5 cm, 2024, ISBN 978-3-7011-8361-6
When T-Rex and his friends go to the museum, boredom goes extinct!
• Anna Süßbauer (aka @apfelhase) reaches more than 123,000 followers worldwide
• Marie Gamillscheg has been longlisted for the German Book Prize
Five dinosaurs are waiting at the bus stop? It must be dinosaurs’ day out! The dinos want to go to the museum, where they’ve heard they’re superstars … but nothing goes as planned. They can’t fit into the bus, the museum charges admission, and then they’re supposed to keep quiet as well. And why are Rexie’s bones there, but not the rest of him? But the loud, clumsy, snuffling prehistoric giants don’t let it get them down: with their wild stories, they turn the museum walls into a living exhibit.
Friends laugh, cry, and fight with one another; they share the most secret secrets, comfort and hug one another – and sometimes they just mess around.
But how do you get to be friends with someone? How can you show you like them … and what happens when friends get really angry at each other?
LUFTSCHACHT
luftschacht.com
founded 2001 Vienna
Genres
Fiction, comics, graphic novels, children’s books, YA, architecture, art books
Number of titles per year 10–16
About
Luftschacht (meaning “air shaft”) was originally a hybrid music, text and performance project initiated in the mid1990s. An air shaft connected the basement rehearsal room with the outside world: it supplied the artists with oxygen inside and simultaneously released their sounds and texts to the outside. The first book programme followed in 2003, and today Luftschacht is a trade publisher driven by a sense of mission.
Authors/illustrators
Martin Baltscheit, Nele Brönner, Rosemarie Eichinger, Robert Göschl, Verena Hochleitner, Melanie Laibl, Rahel Messerli, Pascale Osterwalder, Michael Roher, Raffaela Schöbitz, Dorothee Schwab, Tessa Sima, Michael Stavarič, Franz Suess, Lisa Maria Wagner
Literature beyond genre boundaries
Contact/Foreign Rights
Jürgen Lagger
lagger@luftschacht.com
Phone: +43 699 192 556 64
TIGER DREAMS
48 pages, Luftschacht, € 24 20 x 26 cm, 2024, ISBN 978-3-903422-45-2
Who do you talk to when your dreams are bigger than you are?
LeoundderTigertanztensingendundbrüllendquerdurchdenDschungel. DaransolltensichdieanderenTierebessergewöhnen,denndaswarvonnunan
• Collection of the Austrian Children and Youth Literature Prize 2025 Ages 4+
Leo was small and yellow, but he was no ordinary bird. The twittering, trilling, and singing of the other birds was so boring, it made him want to fly away. Always the same tunes! He preferred sitting on his favourite branch and daydreaming. Unfortunately, though, he couldn’t share his dreams with anyone – certainly not with the other birds. You see, Leo’s dreamed of a wild feline friend. Leo loved cats. “I’ll tell the cat about my dreams,“ he decided excitedly. “She’ll love them!“
With affectionately wry humour and elaborate, expressionistic illustrations, Julian Tapprich’s debut children’s book, Tiger Dreams, narrates the adventures of Leo, the little yellow bird. After his attempt to make friends with the cat next door miscarries, Leo sets out on a long trip into the jungle, where he’s heard there are really big, wild cats to match his big, wild dreams –tiger dreams!
Nikolaus Ober, Nina Ober (Illustration)
SPECTACLED BEAR’S INVENTIONS
40 pages, Luftschacht, € 24 20,5 x 25,0 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-903422-57-5
What can you invent if everything already exists?
“I’m going to invent SOMETHING,“ said Spectacled Bear. He didn’t yet know what, but he was certain it would become clear. Something USEFUL, he decided a little later, something TOTALLY NEW! “Otherwise, it wouldn’t be an invention at all,“ said the know-it-all baboon, but the other animals were already bombarding Spectacled Bear with their wishes – and he invented one thing
after another: a Full-Moon Lamp, a Courage Dipper, a Curse Compensator, a Partner Palm …
With affectionate, humorous dialogue, Nina and Nikolaus Ober lead us through an abstracted, imaginative jungle, full of surprising details (including “Spectacled Bear’s Inventions”) for readers big and small.
…noch,dassdieSacheplötzlichschiefgeht. WasfüreinGlück,dassdieKatzeSaltokann.
Verena Hochleitner
THE SNOW LEOPARD
40 pages, Luftschacht, € 24
21,5 x 28,5 cm, 2021, ISBN 978-3-903081-89-5
You can find new friends anywhere!
Winner of the Austrian Children’s and Youth Book Award 2022
“Papa, there’s a big cat lying on the grass!“
The little girl is very excited. It’s a beautiful day to go to the park to walk and play … but Papa seems more interested in his mobile phone than in big cats. Maresa isn’t discouraged, though: after all, adventures with a snow leopard are waiting for her …
• One of Austria’s Most Beautiful Books, 2021
After her Luftschacht debut, ”Der verliebte Koch (The Cook in Love)“, Verena Hochleitner’s ”The Snow Leopard“ captivates readers with powerful strokes of brush and pen, enticing us to join her in a colourful world where digital and analogue realities merge. A snow leopard in Vienna’s Augarten park? But of course!
OBELISK
obelisk-verlag.at
founded 1976
Innsbruck, Vienna
Genres
Children’s books and YA
Number of titles per year 16–18
About
Obelisk’s programme ranges from children’s classics from Käthe Recheis or Christine Nöstlinger through to realistic representations of children’s experiences and the kinds of problems facing young people in today’s world. CLUB, Obelisk’s paperback series, offers affordable reading material for children of different ages and interests. There is something for every child, every level and every reading age: exciting or cheerful, animal stories or detective stories, fantasy books or realistic children’s stories.
Authors
Georg Bydlinski, Vera Ferra-Mikura, Susa Hämmerle, Kai Aline Hula, Saskia Hula, Heinz Janisch, Christoph Mautz, Robert Klement, Lena Raubaum, Susanne Riha, Edith Schreiber-Wicke, Jutta Treiber, Renate Welsh
Illustrators
Matze Döbele, Evi Gasser, Carola Holland, Nadine Kappacher, Monika Maslowska, Verena Braun, Antje Drescher
Obelisk –a good story
MO & FLO’S MONSTER HUNT
64 pages, Obelisk, € 12 16 x 21 cm, 2025, ISBN 978.3.99128-101-6
Mo & Flo’s detective agency
Contact/Foreign Rights
Georg Buchroithner georg.buchroithner@obelisk-verlag.at
Phone: +43 512 580 733
• Large print, short sentences
• Syntax breaks assist with reading comprehension
Florian, who’s actually called Flo, and Moritz, who’s actually called Mo, come to a decision: they’re going to start a detective agency. Sitting in their treehouse, they hear a rustling, panting, and smacking, and they’ve got their first case: a monster hunt. Armed with a video
• Themes: friendship and adventures in nature
camera, they stake out the treehouse at night – and what a night it turns out to be …
A humorous and exciting story of two detectives who learn what it means to be able to count on each other.
Susa Hämmerle and Carola Holland
Monika
Maslowska and Kirstin Schwab
THE FISH WITH THE UMBRELLA
52 pages, Obelisk, € 14 16 x 24 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-99128-097-2
This is the story of the fish with the umbrella and its magical secret.
• A promising debut for the 2020 Dixi Award winner
• With well-matched colour illustrations by Monika Maslowska
The fish lives in a picture at a museum. It has to remain perfectly still and can never, ever laugh. But it wants to have an adventure! It remembers some magic words, and – hocus-pocus! – it’s free, and the picture is empty. Simply impossible!
helfen Sie uns!“ Es war eine der Sardinen, die Kleinste, die dritte von rechts.
40 unter dem Regenschirm. Sie aßen alles auf. Dann tauchte der Fisch die Spitze seiner Flosse in das Ketchup. Und Mimi tauchte die Spitze ihres Fühlers in das Ketchup. Blutsbrüderschaft, selbstverständlich! Die beiden Freunde drückten Fühler
überlegte„DasRätselklingtwieeinefreundlicheNachricht“, HerrJaromir.WerkönntemitderAnrede Dearfriendgemeintsein?“ „Ichfürchte,das
Huber. „Nennt
Drittes Kapitel indemeinzweitesRätselfürKopfzerbrechensorgt, einroterHuteinewichtigeRollespielt undHerrJaromireinenAuftragerhält „Dearfriend,gutgelandet.LangeReise.Singengelernt.
Dein Y.“ LordHubersahHerrnJaromiran. SiesaßenimFrühstücksraumihresHotelsundhat tensofortneugierigalleZeitungendurchgesehen. „EineNachrichtineinemblauenKästchen.Sowie gestern“,sagteLordHuber.„UnddasYverweistein deutigaufdasersteRätsel.“ „SollenwiraufChefinspektorGrünbergwarten?“, fragteHerrJaromir.„Nachdenkenkannmanimmer“,sagteLordHuber. ErschautenocheinmalindieZeitung.
• Imaginative and humorous, elegant and vivid style
Simply unbelievable! Simply fantasticallysensational!
What adventures await the little fish? What’s the secret of its magic umbrella? And will it find a friend to share it all with?
A CASE FOR JAROMIR: THE CITY OF PUZZLES
152 pages, Obelisk, € 13 13,5 x 20,3 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-99128-115-3
• Excitingly and amusingly written
• Lots of Graz highlights, especially for kids
• The ninth book in the beloved Jaromir series
• Author is the winner of the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Prize
Suspicious-looking figures are at large in Graz, the city full of puzzles, and it looks like they’re planning something big. Together with the chief of the Graz
police and a special inspector from Scotland Yard, the experts embark on a surprising search for clues.
picus.at
founded 1984 Vienna
Genres
Literature, non-fiction, children’s books, travel writing
Number of titles per year 30
About Picus Verlag publishes fiction, children’s books, non-fiction and travel writing. The internationally oriented children’s book list defines children’s literature as literature first and foremost. Instead of educational criteria, the focus here is on the quality of the stories and illustrations, tongue-in-cheek humour and high artistic standards.
Authors
Andrea Karimé, Cornelia Travnicek, Harald Darer, Michael Hammerschmid, Michael Roher
Illustrators
Friederike Dammermann, Birgitta Heiskel, Raffaela Schöbitz, Sibylle Vogel
Playful stories for bright young minds
Contact/Foreign Rights
Karina Bingler bingler@picus.at Phone: +43 1 408 182 113
Cornelia Travnicek, Raffaela Schöbitz
THE HEN
32 pages, Picus, € 18 22,5 x 28,5 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-7117-4042-7
A mother’s unconditional love and searching for your origins
• Embracing your identity
One day, Mother Duck finds a strange egg in her nest. When it hatches, she names it Jen. But Jen doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the ducks, and they mock her. As it turns out, Jen is actually not a duck at all; she’s a hen!
• Growing up in an adoptive family
Mother Duck decides to take Jen to a farm to find out more about her heritage. While walking through the portrait gallery, Jen learns that her ancestors were dinosaurs! How cool! But Mother Duck’s heart is heavy: will she have to let Jen go and leave her with the other hens?
Andrea Karimé, Raffaela Schöbitz
SPARROWS IN SPACE
64 pages, Picus, € 15 16,5 x 24,5 cm, 2022, ISBN 978-3-7117-4025-0
A creative journey into the world of languages, with imaginative illustrations
• Plays on words in Farsi, Croatian, Arabic, Polish and more
• Introducing children to languages they rarely experience
Why does Lisa Litza love lollipops? What does melancholy look like, and what does it do all day? Where’s the parrot Papuga going? Who wants to carry a magic shoe and a nonsense questions? Not at all! In Andrea Karimé’s poems, false cognates from 17 languages are turned into associative puns with made-up words, tongue twisters,
Andrea Karimé, Birgitta Heiskel
ALL THE EMOTIONS
48 pages, Picus, € 15 24,5 x 16,5 cm, 2021, ISBN 978-3-7117-4022-9
When the world gets too loud: a highly sensitive child
• Neurodivergence in children
Kirby hears everything, and it’s usually more than he wants to hear. Just now he can hear the visitor sitting with his parents in the living room, Aunt Ruh. She’s going to be living with them for a while, and Kirby doesn’t like that at all. He puts on his headphones and sits in his room with his turtle Pansy – he’d stay there forever if he could! But sooner or later he has
• Intercultural family
to go to school … and then Pansy disappears! Could Aunt Ruh have kidnapped her?
With empathy and imagination, Andrea Karimé tells the story of a highly sensitive child and his world, of communication and feelings. Birgitta Heiskel’s captivating pictures help bring the story to life.
TYROLIA
tyrolia-verlag.at
founded 1907 Innsbruck, Vienna
Genres
Children’s books, young readers, non-fiction, picture books, board books
Number of titles per year 12–15
About
Tyrolia is a renowned publishing house specialising in religion, theology, alpine literature and high-quality books for children and young readers. The focus is on books with an aesthetic and literary edge, from board books to YA novels. Tyrolia’s publications for children and young readers are highly regarded and have won multiple awards.
Authors
Alexandra Holmes, Lena Raubaum, Nils Mohl, Heinz Janisch, Helga Bansch, Lilly Axster, Elisabeth Steinkellner
Illustrators
Sonja Stangl, Judith Vrba, Lisa Manneh, Michael Roher, Tobias Krejtschi, Nora Leitl, Birgit Antoni, Linda Wolfsgruber and many more
Awakening the joy for reading, right from the beginning
Sonja Stangl
WHEN THE WIND TELLS STORIES OF THE SEA
Contact/Foreign Rights
Katrin Feiner
katrin.feiner@tyrolia.at
Phone: +43 512 22 33 - 22 15
Fax: +43 512 22 33 - 21 19
32 pages, Tyrolia, € 18 20 x 20 cm, 2025, ISBN 978-3-7022-4278-7
Open ears and new friends
• Topic: Hearing Impairment
• Gently touching in image and text
One day, an old bear is spotted sitting on the hill behind the house, but when people speak to him, he doesn’t react. “Maybe he’s hard of hearing?“ A little girl has an idea: she builds a speaking tube to make her voice louder – and it works! The bear can understand her. And the tube works
• Mindfulness, Empathy, Friendship
the other way around, too, as an ear trumpet. And just like that, the two of them are off on a voyage to discover the world of sound and all the stories it has to tell. An affectionate picture book about devotion, patience, awareness, and a very special friendship.
Alexandra Holmes / Judith Vrba
AND WHEN I GET THERE
26 pages, Tyrolia, € 18
26,5 x 20 cm, 2024, ISBN 978-3-7022-4227-5
• Impressive reversibe images
Of parting and arriving
• Perspective shift –a contribution to democratic thinking
Two children leave home. Both stories hold uncertainty, excitement, and curiosity, but they are very different. One child is going on holiday: a brief farewell with the safe haven still waiting at home. Another child is going away
• Poetically implemented
forever: leaving a beloved place and searching for a new one. This artful reversible picture book shows the similarities and differences between the two “movements“ and is an impressive invitation
LET’S GO TO THE MUSIC THEATRE!
16 pages, Tyrolia, € 19,95
32,5 x 24 cm, 2024, ISBN 978-3-7022-4229-9
All the magic of music theatre, packed into a single book
The wimmelbook Musical Theater
• Dramatically exciting yet factually accurate
An evening at a music theatre is a magical experience … but what’s behind all the magic? What does it take to put on a performance? Who makes up the story, who sews the costumes, and what kinds of rooms does a theatre have? This colourful
• For discovering, marvelling, and smiling
and detailed hidden-picture book offers an exciting look at a music theatre production, from rehearsals to opening night. It was made in cooperation with the Vereinigte Bühnen of Vienna and has the potential to become a standard work.
VERMES
vermes-verlag.com bakabu.at
founded 2016 Tulln an der Donau
Genres
Children’s books, non-fiction
Number of titles per year 20
About Vermes-Verlag publishes a range of books designed to enrich children’s lives and development. Together with exciting illustrators, and through the joy of storytelling with pictures and music, Vermes-Verlag strives to not only entertain but to communicate important basic values: respect for nature, ethical principles and social skills.
Authors
Melanie Laibl, Oliver Weiss, Daniel Kratzke, Mathias Jeschke, Nicole Pirker, Willy Puchner, Antje Bohnstedt, Ferdinand Auhser
Illustrators
Hemma Bergner, Mathias Weber, Cansu Yakin, Clara Frühwirth, Manuela Wildauer, Dorothea Blankenhagen, Maren Gröschel
Promoting reading and language skills through children’s songs and children’s books
Contact/Foreign Rights
Simone Klussmann
Don Bosco Medien GmbH klussmann@donbosco-medien.de Phone: +49 89 480 08-344
RABBIT, DOG, PEARS – AND?
32 pages, Vermes-Verlag, € 16 21 x 21 cm, 2025, ISBN 978−3−903553-05-7
When two get in a fight …
• Great fun to look, marvel, and laugh
A pear tree, a rabbit, and a dog … AND lots and lots of pears! Sometimes, something small can turn into something big: in this case, a hilarious story about two fine fellows (Rabbit and Dog), who chase one another deliriously around a pear tree … and at the
• Illustrated with energetic lines
end – you guessed it – they end up with lots more than just PEARS! Melanie Laibl and Hemma Bergner have created a children’s book to delight the whole family. Great fun, set in memorable rhymes, with illustrations that invite the reader to stop and look!
Melanie Laibl & Hemma Bergner
Oliver Weiss
TWO RED FIREFLIES
36 pages, Vermes-Verlag, € 18
24,5 x 24,5 cm, 2025, ISBN 978−3−903553-06-4
Will the firefly find me?
• An atmospheric picture book about the magic of nighttime
Maximiliane, the brightest firefly of all, flies through the night, searching for a friend. Everywhere, things sparkle and glow, a thousand lights – but is there another firefly in the world that glows as beautifully red as she does?
• Clear, stirring colours
In this unusual picture book by Oliver Weiss, the fireflies share a universal message: miracles are everywhere, you just have to discover them!
THE CAMEL LEON
32 pages, Vermes-Verlag, € 16 21 x 21 cm, 2025, ISBN 978−3−903553-8-8
Don’t
• Cheerfully and humorously narrated
be a camel!
• Lovingly created by the successful duo of Mathias Jeschke und Mathias Weber
Leon the camel isn’t satisfied with himself. He’s always medium large, medium fast, medium smart … how boring! How he’d love to be as wild and courageous as a lion, as smart as a dolphin, or as big and strong as an elephant. His friend Felix listens patiently and keeps his own counsel, changing
colour all the while … but in the end, he’s got the right piece of advice for Leon. He knows exactly what Leon is best at! And that’s what he tells him. A tongue-in-cheek story about knowing how to judge yourself and things that only good friends can tell you.
The Austrian Children’s and Youth Book Prize of Vienna 2024
seven. The creation.
Linda Wolfsgruber
Tyrolia
ISBN 978-3-7022-4150-6
The Rose Garden
Kathrin Steinberger Tyrolia
ISBN 978-3-7022-4196-4
Bio-Diversi-What?
Andrea Grill / Sandra Neuditschko Leykam
ISBN 978-3-7011-8288-6
The Night Child
Armin Kaster, Sabine Rufener
Jungbrunnen
ISBN 978-3-7026-5990-5
A Little something for you
Lena Raubaum, Katja Seifert Tyrolia
ISBN 978-3-7022-4230-5
what nobody gets
Michael Hammerschmid, Barbara Hoffmann Jungbrunnen
ISBN 978-3-7026-5996-7
The Rose Garden
Kathrin Steinberger Tyrolia
ISBN 978-3-7022-4196-4
Gazelle
Heinz Janisch, Michaela Weiss
Bibliothek der Provinz
ISBN 978-3-99126-106-3
The Knights Score Gold
Tiger
Dreams
Julian Tapprich Luftschacht
ISBN 978-3-903422-45-2
Whenever
We …
Teresa Mossbauer, León Schellhaas, Yulia Drobova ACHSE
ISBN 978-3-903408-27-2
The Austrian Children’s and Youth Book Prize 2025
what nobody gets
Michael Hammerschmid, Barbara Hoffmann Jungbrunnen
ISBN 978-3-7026-5996-7
Ida, Chris and Emil Ride The Train
Sarah Michaela Orlovský, Michael Roher Tyrolia
ISBN 978-3-7022-4226-8
Bjørn F. Rørvik, Camilla Kuhn Aus dem Norwegischen von Barbara Giller Picus
ISBN 978-3-7117-4037-3 Collection of the Austrian Children’s and Youth Book Prize 2025
White Ravens 2023
The German Children’s and Youth Book Prize
Top 5 2024 Shortlist The Most Beautiful German Language Books 2024
The Most Beautiful Books in Austria 2024
On the Way
Heinz Janisch, Helga Bansch Jungbrunnen
ISBN 978-3-7026-5989-9
If Responsibility Were a Hat
Tessa Sima Luftschacht
ISBN 978-3-903422-31-5
Sport for Everyone
Anna Horak, Liese Macher, Vale Weber ACHSE
Daria Locher, Patricia Strübin ACHSE
ISBN 978-3-903408-12-8 What’s That Glittering
ISBN 978-3-903408-09-8
Foreign Rights Catalogue
Association of Austrian Children’s Books Publishers (ARGE) arge@hvb.at buecher.at/mitglieder-arge-kinderbuch
Imprint
Realisation
Rosa Wittwehr
Tanja Raich
Design
Christine Fischer
Translation
Philip Yaeger
Medienfabrik Graz
Illustrations
© Raffaela Schöbitz, from “Jen the hen”, Picus 2025
