Natur & Kultur Catalogue Spring 2012

Foreign Rights

Natur & Kultur Bologna 2012

A SELEC TION OF UPCOMING TITLES

Gustavsson, Per: When Princes Stumble on Adventure/När prinsar råkar i äventyr (Picture book)

March - May 2012

Nilsson, Moni: Biscuit and Gordon. The Meaning of Life (Mine) / Semlan och Gordon. Meningen med ett (mitt) liv (Fiction 9-12)

Rundberg/Karlén: Esther Branson and Pet-swapping Day/Ester Fransson och djurbytardagen (Picture book)

December 2012 - February 2013

Lidbeck/Adbåge: The Big Baby Switch/Stora bebisbytet (Picture book)

Mellgren, Jöns: Sigrid and the Night/Sigrid och natten (Picture book)

Sparring, Anders: Charlie the Wrestler/Karla Brottare (Fiction 6-9)

March - May 2013 June - August 2012 Mendel-Hartvig/Gustavsson: Otis Consoles/Otis tröstar (Board book) Ollmark/Wänblad: The Visitor’s Shadow/Besökarens skugga (Fiction 9-12) Höjer: The Sockman and Timmy Titmouse/Strumpmannen och Tore Tofsmes (Easy Reader/Fiction)

Adbåge, Lisen: Koko and Bo. Do you dare?/Koko och Bosse. Törs inte! (Picture book) Bengtsson, Elin: A Song for Guitar/En visa till gitarr, working title (Young Adult) Gustavsson, Per: The Shadow/Skuggan (Picture book) Ollmark/Wänblad: Carl Dymling #6 (Fiction 9-12) Rundberg/Karlén: Esther Branson #2 (Picture book)

Engholm/Falk: Bats/Fladdermöss (Easy Reader/Non-fiction)

June - August 2013 September - November 2012 Wieslander/Nordqvist: The Big Book about Mamma Moo and the Crow/Stora boken om Mamma Mu och Kråkan (Anthology) Johansson/Ahlbom: Freddy Fixer’s Big Book about Cars, Machines and Airplanes / Mulle Mecks stora bok om bilar, maskiner och flygplan (Anthology) Langa, Annika: Napoleon and Crackersaurus Rex/Napoleon och T-kex (Fiction 9-12) Höjer/Björnstjerna: The Ghost in the Attic and Other Ghost Stories/Vålnaden på vinden och andra spökhistorier (Fiction 7-9)

Sparring, Anders: Charlie the Wrestler #2/Karla Brottare 2 (Fiction 6-9) Höjer: The Sockman #6/Strumpmannen 6 (Easy Reader/Fiction) Mendel-Hartvig/Gustavsson: Otis #2 (Board book)

September - November 2013 Gustavsson, Per: The Princess #7 (Picture book) Björkelid, Anders: The Children of the Blood #4/Berättelsen om blodet 4 (Fantasy)

CONTAC T Catharina Lantz Foreign Rights Agent, Children’s Books catharina.lantz@nok.se +46-8-453 86 94 Natur & Kultur Karlavägen 31 P.O. Box 27323 SE-102 54 Stockholm Sweden www.nok.se

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When Princes Stay at Home/När prinsar stannar hemma

by Per Gustavsson Princes are daring, strong and courageous. They love to fight dragons and sneak around the woods. But what if they don’t feel like it once in a while? In the third book about our Prince, his friends are on their way out to steal upon the robbers in the woods. The Prince on the other hand just wants to have a quiet evening at home with his hamster. But all of a sudden he hears a noise coming from the kitchen. The robbers are in his castle! They are hiding from the Black Dragon.

The Prince’s evening turns out to be not so quiet after all.

When his friends return from the woods they are disappointed because they didn’t meet a single robber. But the sight that greets them makes them turn around and run away screaming....

When Princes Catch Dragons/ När prinsar fångar drakar Sold to: Denmark, Norway

Release date: November 2011 Text: Per Gustavsson Illustrations: Per Gustavsson 32 pages. Hard cover Age group: 3-6 years Sold to: Norway and Denmark

When Princes Stumble on Adventure/När prinsar råkar i äventyr by Per Gustavsson

When Princes Become Enchanted/ När prinsar blir förtrollade Sold to: Finland, Denmark

The Prince has been cleaning all day and is ready to treat himself to a cup of hot chocolate. But his favorite cup is missing! His precious cup was made by his grandfather’s great-grandmother’s grandmother’s mother.

When he can’t find it in the castle he heads for the woods on an adventurous search. Along the way he meets the Princess who lends him her sword, and the wizard who’s really good at finding missing things. He gets chased by both a flock of wolves and a swarm of aggressive bees. He climbs mountains and swims across rivers, only ending up finding a kite that takes him flying back home, where he falls through the roof of his own house.

Release date: October 2012 Text: Per Gustavsson

The book is a pastiche of the story about the search for the Holy Grail, and is a real treasure in the charming series about the Prince.

Illustrations: Per Gustavsson 32 pages. Hard cover

FOTO: KRISTOFER SAMUELSSON

There he finds his cup, just where he left it, below the hole in the ceiling to prevent the rain from dripping all over the floor.

The very hole that he had planned to fix when cleaning. He’ll have to fix it now. But first he’s going to treat himself to a nice cup of hot chocolate.

Per Gustavsson, born in 1962, lives in Stockholm and is an illustrator and author.

Among other books, he has created the popular stories about the headstrong Princess.

Deadline to join our co-printing: June 1, 2012

Age group: 3-6 years CHILDREN’S BOOKS

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The Shadow/Skuggan

by Per Gustavsson

Raymond is happy that it’s a long time until nightfall. Smiling, he holds his pencil up to the sun.

When he turns around he sees his own shadow.

But the shadow isn’t laughing because it doesn’t have a mouth.

Raymond makes a shadow figure in the shape of a bird. A cat shadow appears and Raymond makes the bird fly away to avoid being eaten. He follows the bird into a shadow forest. It turns into a spooky journey with the pencil as Raymond’s only protection.

A poetic and thrilling story about a child who takes control of the fantasy world and overcomes his fears through his imagination.

Deadline to join our co-printing: December 2012

FOTO: KRISTOFER SAMUELSSON

Per Gustavsson, born in 1962, lives in Stockholm and is an illustrator and author. Among other books, he has created the popular stories about the headstrong Princess and the sweet Prince.

Release date: April 2013 Text: Per Gustavsson Illustrations: Per Gustavsson 32 pages. Hard cover Age group: 3-6 years

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The Lightning Catcher/ Blixtslukaren

by Jonatan Brännström and Joanna Hellgren ”Do you know what happens if I press here?” I asked and pointed to a small speck on the wallpaper.

“Probably nothing,” said big brother and yawned.

“Then a secret hatch will open in the ceiling and the rainclouds will fall inside.”

“But what happens if I press here?” big brother asked and pressed the light switch.

“NO!” I screamed but it was already too late …

This is an action-packed bedtime story about a big brother and his younger sibling that gives free scope to one’s imagination and turns bedtime into something exciting and a bit dangerous. Lightning catchers, storms, monsters and floods are mixed in a spirited and poetical fashion.

Release date: January 2012 Text: Jonatan Brännström Illustrations: Joanna Hellgren 32 pages. Hard cover Age group: 3-6 years

“Without a doubt a breath of fresh air in the world of children’s books and definitely a debut which promises more” David Anthin, Svenska Dagbladet, February 7, 2012 ”This is a versatilely narrated story with a tense and cleverly imaginative plot that holds adventure, quiet humor and sincerity - a book to read out loud, that warms the heart.” Boel Peterson, BTJ, 2011

Jonatan Brännström, born in 1986, works with children in a preschool.

Working with the children gave him inspiration for The Lightning Catcher. He makes his debut with this gem of a picture book.

FOTO: MIA CARLSSON

FOTO: MIA CARLSSON

“Hellgren’s pictures stand out against the night’s frightening darkness with the color of adventure. There is much here to discover. The illustrations emerge from all directions on the pages, completely in harmony with the vast story. The fine interplay between the text and the illustrations reveals how a child’s imagination is triggered by small, everyday details” Sanne Näsling, Dagens Nyheter, February 6, 2012

Joanna Hellgren, born in 1981, won Natur & Kultur’s picture book competition in 2009. She is an illustrator and cartoonist.

While living in Paris she released two French comic books.

Mon frère nocturne (My Night Brother) sold out in France and was in 2008 nominated for the award of best comic book at the cartoon festival in Angulême. Joanna has also been represented at Grand Palais in Paris.

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FIC TION 9 -12

Napoleon & Crackersaurus Rex/ Napoleon & T-kex

by Annika Langa Meet Napoleon Larson. He lives with his utterly normal parents in the dull northern town of Perchville. But don’t be fooled. Napoleon is not your typical 12-year-old; according to himself he’s a real nerd. His greatest hobby is collecting information about rare and endangered species for his very own archive. Thankfully, he has friends like Andy (the genius) and Khaya (the football pro) who don’t find his hobby odd at all.

During summer break, two scientists manage to locate the mysterious and mythical Great Lake Monster outside the coast not far from Perchville. But they are not there to do study it; they are notorious bounty hunters that want to hunt down and capture the animal. Now it’s up to Napoleon, with the help of his friends, to save it from the bounty hunters who will do anything to get their hands on it ...

Napoleon and Crackersaurus Rex is a clever adventure story with lots of wit and humor. This is the first book in the series about Napoleon Larson and his friends in the small town of Perchville.

Release date: September 2012 Text: Annika Langa 180 pages. Hard cover Age group: 9-12 years

FOTO: JAQUI SIMPSON

Annika Langa is a journalist residing in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has been featured as a writer both in South African and Swedish media and has written about Africa in the international children’s and young adult’s magazine Globen/Children’s World. She’s also the co-author of two books about southern Africa.

Napoleon & Crackersaurus Rex is her fiction debut.

Com i title ng s Welcome to Perchville!

This small town situated in the north of Sweden is where Napoleon and his friends Andy and Khaya live. It’s seems like a quiet and uneventful place, but there is more to Perchville than meets the eye ...

Upcoming books in the series: The Chinese Fortune Cookie (working title) The Case of the Old Photograph (working title)

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FIC TION 7-9

The Ghost in the Attic and Other Ghost Stories/Vålnaden på vinden och andra spökhistorier

by Dan Höjer and Jonna Björnstjerna Dan Höjer is back with new creepy ghost stories for young readers, and they are more thrilling than ever!

In this book we get to meet Maja who’s terribly afraid of carnivals, but want to challenge herself for once. And this time she loves going on all the rides! She and her friend even decide to visit the haunted house. There they meet a phantom-like figure who wants them to follow him into a dark room where no one can hear them scream. But Maja isn’t worried because it’s all make-believe. Or is it…?

We also get to read about Axel who meets a woman at the library that looks just like his dead mother, the siblings Simon and Sandra who gets a visit from two evil Santas on Christmas Eve, and Stina who meets a dentist you don’t want to run into...

The Ghost in the Attic is the delightfully frightening third book in the series. Illustrated with suggestive black and white pictures by Jonna Björnstjerna.

Release date: October 2012 Text: Dan Höjer Illustrations: Jonna Björnstjerna 64 pages. Hard cover Age group: 7-9 years

Dan Höjer, born 1964, is an author and journalist. He’s been editor-in-chief for Kamratposten, the most popular children’s magazine in Sweden, and he’s written many books for children. He began writing ghost stories after receiving a letter to Kamratposten from a reader, with the following words: “Why doesn’t almost anyone believe in ghosts, they have as much right to exist as we do …”.

The Deserted Grave and Other Ghost Stories/Den öde graven och andra spökhistorier Sold to: Denmark

Riding with Death and Other Ghost Stories/Rida med döden och andra spökhistorier

Jonna Björnstjerna, born 1983, is an illustrator, cartoonist and an author of children’s books. Her own book Godistrollet won the Book Jury award for best picture book in 2010.

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ANTHOLOGY

The Big Book about Mamma Moo and the Crow/Stora boken om Mamma Mu och Kråkan

FOTO: KAJSA NORDIN

by Jujja Wieslander and Sven Nordqvist

Release date: August 2012 Text: Jujja Wieslander Illustrations: Sven Nordqvist 184 pages. Includes a CD Age group: 3-6 years Sold to: Norway, Denmark and Finland

FOTO: KAJSA NORDIN

Jujja Wieslander is a wellknown and successful author in Sweden and has written the books about Mamma Moo and the Crow among others.

Sven Nordqvist is one of Sweden’s finest illustrators.

Apart from the spirited pictures of Mamma Moo, he is most well known for his own books about Pettson and Findus.

This is the collected volume of Mamma Moo and the Crow in a wonderfully luxurious format!

The Big Book about Mamma Moo and the Crow includes a selection of the most popular parts from the chapter books and the picture books about Mamma Moo, as well as songs, poems and sheet music. The book also includes a CD with 12 new recordings of the old Mamma Moo favorites – songs that everybody can sing along to!

This book is a perfect gift for everyone who already is familiar with Mamma Moo, but is also suitable for those who haven’t yet gotten to know Mamma Moo and the Crow – two of our most beloved children’s book personalities!

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The Sockman and Timmy Titmouse/ Strumpmannen och Tore Tofsmes

by Dan and Lotta Höjer The fifth book about Siggy the Sockman in our popular Easy Readers series. Siggy is the master of small problems. He flies in the sky and splashes courage and confidence in the form of small drops of sweat on the sad and the worried. But he is also just like anybody else, and when school’s out for the summer he is looking forward to a summer filled with lazy days of eating ice cream and going to the beach.

However, his dear friend Timmy Titmouse has other plans in store for him. There is a call for help all the way from Africa and Siggy has to go help. But who needs his assistance? And why is Timmy so eager to leave? The journey answers a lot of questions about Sockman’s constant companion and how he came to be immortal.

Lotta Höjer is an author and works as a handicraft teacher in preschools and schools.

Release date: July 2012 Text: Dan och Lotta Höjer Illustrations: Ingela P Arrhenius 64 pages. Hard cover Age group: 7-9 years

The Sockman/ Strumpmannen Sold to: Norway

The Socksman and the Superheroes/Strumpmannen och superhjältarna

The Sockman and his Archenemy/Strumpmannen och ärkefienden

Dan Höjer is a journalist and an author of children’s books.

He’s been editor-in-chief for Kamratposten, the most popular children’s magazine in Sweden, and he’s written many books for children, among others Kyssar/Kisses in 2004 and a series of books with creepy ghost stories.

The Sockman and the Superpro/Strumpmannen och superproffset

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The Big Baby Switch/Stora bebisbytet

by Petter Lidbeck and Lisen Adbåge

One morning somebody has switched all the babies. In every crib, beside every child, there is an envelope, and inside the envelope there is a letter. It says: I’ve taken your baby and left another one. The moms go crazy. So do the dads. They want their babies back!

There is great confusion around town when all the babies have been mixed up. The upset parents march towards the town square to ask the King and Queen for advice.

“My baby had lots of black hair,” one mommy says. “This one is completely bald.”

Should they just put all the babies in a pile and pick one?

But what if there are babies left over? The mommies feel sick from the thought that the baby they are holding in their arms would end up without any parents at all.

“We will solve this,” the Queen says.

A quirky and funny fairy tale-like story about babies, parenthood and love.

Release date: March 2012 Text: Petter Lidbeck Illustrations: Lisen Adbåge 32 pages. Hard cover Age group: 3-6 years Sold to: Korea

Petter Lidbeck was born in Helsingborg in 1964. He now lives in Stockholm and is an author and a journalist. He has written a large number of successful books.

FOTO: MIA CARLSSON

Lisen Adbåge was born 1982 and lives in southern Sweden with her husband and Stina the dog. Lisen is an illustrator, author and graphic novelist.

At Natur & Kultur Petter and Lisen have also published Flickan och presidenten/The Girl and the President (2009) in our Easy Readers series, as well as Åke och hans ö/Isac and His Island

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FIC TION 6 -9

The Visitor’s Shadow/ Besökarens skugga

by Lena Ollmark and Mats Wänblad When Sarah’s childhood friend Agnes returns to Crab Lake Island strange things start to occur in the small town. Before leaving, Agnes was a loner who was bullied at school. Now she’s all changed. She’s tough and successful, and she starts to scheme, causing disruption in Carl and Sarah’s friendship.

Peculiar things also start to happen at school. It’s almost like something supernatural is taking over Agnes. Soon it becomes clear that Agnes is just making things up to get attention. But what she didn’t expect is evoking the evil in town to life, the evil that has been waiting for so long to ooze out …

This is the fifth book in the series about Carl and Sarah and the mysterious Crab Lake Island.

Release date: May 2012 Text: Lena Ollmark and Mats Wänblad 190 pages. Hard cover Age group: 6-9 years

Vallona – The Haunted Ship / Spökskeppet Vallona Sold to: Denmark, Germany and Norway

Captain Black-oak’s Grave/ Kapten Svarteks grav Sold to: Denmark and Germany

Hanged Man’s Island/Hängd mans ö

Mats Wänblad is a well-known writer in Sweden. Among others he has written the books about Lovisa who plays football.

FOTO: TARIQ DAJANI

Lena Ollmark is a journalist, a writer and an artist. She has written manga for teenagers as well as scripts for cartoons and children’s television shows.

FOTO: NOOMI HEBERT

The Source of the Dead/De dödas källa Sold to: Germany

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Esther Branson and Pet-Swapping Day/ Ester Fransson och djurbytardagen

by Johan Rundberg and Per José Karlén Esther Branson loves animals.

Most of all she wants an animal of her own. ”Having a pet is a big responsibility,” dad says. ”You’re still too young,” mom says.

Esther’s friend Louie has an old rabbit that according to Esther is quite boring. Hence, Esther comes up with the brilliant idea of PET-SWAPPING DAY! On pet-swapping day everybody can exchange pets with whomever they want. If someone has an old rabbit for example, you could trade it in it for a much more entertaining animal. A lizard, a stick insect or perhaps a kitten?

Louie is very hesitant. But you can’t refuse. Those are the rules on pet-swapping day. But at the end of the day when it’s time for Louie to get his rabbit back, it turns out it’s been exchanged too.

Where is it? And why does Betty’s snake have a big bump on its stomach …?

An exciting story with humorous complications. The first book about the stubborn yet charming character Esther!

FOTO: MIA CARLSSON

Release date: May 2012

Johan Rundberg made his debut as a children’s book author in 2001, with the picture book Hopeless Little Sister. He has also written the sweet series about Ella. Besides being an author, Johan works with sports programmes and lives in Stockholm with his family.

Text: Johan Rundberg Illustrations: Per José Karlén 32 pages. Hard cover Age group: 3-6 years Sold to: Denmark

FOTO: SARA NORDANGÅRD

Per José Karlén is an illustrator, designer and author. He divides his time between Stockholm and London. Per has previously worked with activity books for Natur & Kultur.

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FIC TION 6 -9

Charlie the Wrestler/Karla Brottare

by Anders Sparring Charlie is able to wrestle anybody to the ground although she’s only 8 years old. Daddy Jean and older brother Martin doesn’t stand a chance against Charlie when she’s at it.

Is it because she’s really big and has lots of muscles? No, that’s not it. Charlie isn’t very strong at all. She just loves to wrestle!

In Charlie the Wrestler we get to meet Charlie and her bohemian and quirky dad Jean, her handy brother Martin, her classmate Ruth (who always wants to wrestle with Charlie), her after-school teacher that has a secret crush on Jean, and a very mysterious boy that makes Charlie’s heart beat a little bit faster.

A charming and funny story in the same spirit of Frida Nilsson, with a main character whom the reader immediately falls for!

Illustrated by Jonna Björnstjerna.

Release date: May 2012 Text: Anders Sparring

FOTO: MIA CARLSSON

Illustrations: Jonna Björnstjerna

Anders Sparring (born 1969) lives in Årsta outside Stockholm.

His career path has taken many turns, but he has since 1998 written for children’s television.

Karla Brottare/Charlie the Wrestler is Anders’ first book on his own. Beside writing, he’s also involved in stand-up comedy and he runs a popular comedy club in Stockholm.

160 pages. Hard cover Age group: 6–9 years

Jonna Björnstjerna, born in 1983, is an illustrator who draws cartoons as well as writes children’s books. At Natur & Kultur, she has previously illustrated ghost stories by Dan Höjer. Her own book Godistrollet won the Book Jury award for best picture book in 2010.

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BOARD BO OK

Otis Consoles/Otis tröstar by Åsa Mendel-Hartvig and Ane Gustavsson

Otis’ dad is sad.

He forgot his bag on the bus.

Otis pats dad’s cheek.

Dad may borrow Otis’ bag.

Otis is a little guy with a talent for consoling.

He mends grandma’s glasses with tape, finds lost pacifiers and comforts a sad teddy bear. But when his friend Stina wants her tractor back it is Otis’ turn to be sad.

A tender picture book for the youngest children. Unerringly told from a two and a half year old’s perspective.

Deadline to join our co-printing: March 20, 2012.

Release date: June 2012 Text: Åsa Mendel-Hartvig Illustrations: Ane Gustavsson 32 pages. Hard cover Age group: 0-3 years Sold to: Denmark

FOTO: CHRISTIAN ÅSLUND

Åsa Mendel-Hartvig is 34 years old and lives in Stockholm. She is a journalist and works with public relations at Greenpeace. Åsa has previously written the books Tesslas mamma vill inte! and Tesslas pappa vill inte! with Caroline Röstlund, published by Olika Förlag.

FOTO: MIA CARLSSON

Ane Gustavsson is an illustrator and a violin player.

She has together with Lennart Hellsing published the book Drillar och draköron. Boken om instrumenten/Drills and Dragon Ears. The Book about Instruments (2011). She has also illustrated several books by Christine Falkenland. Ane lives in Arvika, Sweden.

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ANTHOLOGY

Freddy Fixer’s Big Book about Cars, Machines and Airplanes / Mulle Mecks stora bok om bilar, maskiner och flygplan by George Johansson and Jens Ahlbom This is the collected volume of Freddy Fixer and his friend Buffa in a luxurious format!

The Big Book about Freddy Fixer includes a selection of the most popular parts from the books about Freddy Fixer.

This book is a perfect gift for everyone who already is familiar with Freddy Fixer, but is also suitable for those who haven’t yet gotten to know him and Buffa – two of our most beloved children’s book characters!

Deadline to join our co-printing: May 15, 2012.

Release date: October 2012 Text: George Johansson Illustrations: Jens Ahlbom 96 pages. Hard cover

George Johansson, born in1946, is a journalist and a writer. He has published numerous children’s books, juvenile fiction and non-fiction for both children and adults. Together with Jens Ahlbom he has created the hugely popular books, computer games as well as films about Freddy Fixer.

Age group: 3-6 years

Jens Ahlbom, born in 1954, is one of Sweden’s most famous illustrators of children’s books.

He is an arts teacher and has illustrated more than 60 books. In 2003 he was awarded the prestigious “Elsa Beskow Plaque” for his work.

Part of the jury’s motivation reads as follows: “An equal to Freddy Fixer when it comes to ingenuity and craftsmanship.”

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Sigrid and the Night/Sigrid och natten

by Jöns Mellgren

Release date: April 2013 Text: Jöns Mellgren Illustrations: Jöns Mellgren 32 pages. Hard cover Age group: 3-6 years

Sigrid hasn’t slept a wink for the last 30 years. Early one morning when she is sorting out müsli she hears a strange scraping noise. Someone is hiding under the couch. It turns out it’s a piece of the night that has wandered into her home.

“You aren’t allowed to be here,” Sigrid says.

She puts the Night in her cookie jar and screws the lid on tightly. The hours pass. When she finally takes out the jar, she starts telling the Night about her life’s adventures and her friend, the elephant Olaf. One day Olaf became ill. Sigrid has to wipe her eyes with a handkerchief. How are you ever going to be able to sleep when your best friend becomes ill and no medicines can help? The Night quietly listens, then lifts Sigrid up and carries her through town in his arms.

Rufus in the Underworld/Rufus i underjorden, 2010.

Once again we get to encounter Jöns Mellgren’s unique world of images. Sigrid and the Night is a poetic and quietly beautiful picture book that comforts and warms the heart.

Deadline to join our co-printing: December 1, 2012.

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Mustafa and the Storm/Mustafa och stormen, 2009.

Jöns Mellgren (born 1976) is an author and an illustrator. He made his debut at Natur & Kultur in 1999 with the picture book Night in the Djungle/Djungelnatt. In 2009 he wrote and illustrated the poetic picture book Mustafa and the Storm/Mustafa och Stormen and in 2010 Rufus in the Underworld/Rufus i underjorden.

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E ASY RE ADERS/NON - FIC TION

Bats/Fladdermöss

by Bengt-Erik Engholm and Jojo Falk

Did you know that a bat can capture 6,000 mosquitoes during a single night? If they’re not able to eat them all they make a small handy bag from their own wing to store them in.

The largest bat in the world measure 170 cm across, and the smallest is the size of a butterfly. And yes, vampires do really exist!

Thrilling and peculiur facts and humorous illustrations.

Bengt-Erik Engholm and Jojo Falk’s book about fakirs in the same series won the Book Jury’s award for Best Non-fiction title in 2010.

Release date: August 2012 Text: Bengt-Erik Engholm Illustrations: Jojo Falk 48 pages. Hard cover Age group: 7-9 years

Fakirs/Fakirer 2010

Bengt-Erik Engholm was born in 1959 and lives outside Stockholm. His works include the series about Simon. He also translates animated film, teaches writing courses and works as a personal assistant.

Jojo Falk lives in Stockholm with her family and has worked as a freelance illustrator since 1994. She has previously illustrated Mumier/Mummies, by Malin Lilja, in the same series.

EASY READER Natur & Kultur’s Easy Reader series is like a bag of sweets to choose from, for everyone who has cracked the code of reading and has grown tired of their reading textbook at school. Our authors have been asked to write something exciting and funny, something they themselves would have wanted to read at the age of seven to nine. Every book in the Easy Readers series is like a piece of candy, just open it up and enjoy.

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Drills and Dragon Ears. The Book of Instruments/ Drillar och draköron. Boken om instrumenten

by Ane Gustavsson and Lennart Hellsing

There are many instruments that cooperate in a symphony orchestra. Timpanis, tubas, flutes, trumpets, bassoons… If you listen closely you can hear the double-bass hum as a bear, the clarinet wake spring to life and how the oboe make a cobra dance in Samarkand. With Lennart Hellsing’s shrewd and poetic texts and Ane Gustavsson’s swarming world of pictures you get to know the instruments in a symphony orchestra. Welcome to a world full of tones, penguins and conductors in Conductor’s Land!

Hummely hum who comes here? Yes, a double-bass I think it is. Ask the music director? Is that a bass or a bear?

The book includes a CD with The National Symphony Orchestra of Gothenburg performing classical pieces by Sibelius, Grieg and Mozart among others. In every piece you can listen and try to figure out which instrument is in focus.

Release date: August 2011 Text: Lennart Hellsing Illustrations: Ane Gustavsson 32 pages. Includes a CD Age group: 3-6 years

“One of the most beautiful” Barnens bokklubb, nr 10/2011

FOTO: MIA CARLSSON

Ane Gustavsson is an illustrator and a violin player educated at The Norwegian Academy of Music and has worked at several symphony orchestras in Norway and in Sweden.

Lennart Hellsing, born 1919, is one of Swedens most famous authors of children’s books. He wrote his first children’s book in the 1940’s and has received a number of prices for classical books like Krakel Spektakel, The Book about Bengtsson the Baker and The Egg.

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PIC TURE BO OK

Koko and Bo/Koko och Bosse

by Lisen Adbåge

Koko and Bo have been at the playground for four whole hours. It’s time to go home, but Koko doesn’t want to. Bo lets him stay at the park and goes home by himself. Soon Koko returns home – it wasn’t any fun at the park all alone.

Release date: June 2011

Koko and Bo need to go shopping and Bo tells Koko to put on his overalls.

Koko doesn’t want to. Don’t then, says Bo. Koko is cold even before Bo unlocks the bike. Luckily, Bo has brought an extra sweater.

Text: Lisen Adbåge Illustrations: Lisen Adbåge 32 pages. Hard cover Age group: 3-6 years Sold to: Denmark

There are a lot of things Koko doesn’t want to do and Bo doesn’t make him.

This ingenious book about the wonderful couple Koko and Bo depicts the relationship between big and small without any fuss or lectures.

“The nicest picture book in a long time” Niklas Sessler, Tidningen Vi Föräldrar, 2011 “It’s not only the sunset that sparkles, but Lisen Adbåge’s whole narration in words and pictures” Kristin Hallberg, Svenska Dagbladet, May 31, 2011 ”You could say that the book has an excellent child’s perspective, but that would be an understatement. It’s better than that. The adult also has a place in it. Simply a good human perspective” Eva Wahlström, Borås tidning, August 24, 2011

Koko and Bo. Do you Dare?

The next book about Koko and Bo will be released in April 2013 and will be about confronting fears, both for Koko and Bo!

Lisen Adbåge was born in 1982 and lives in southern Sweden with her husband and her dog Stina. Lisen is an illustrator, author and graphic novelist.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

FOTO: MIA CARLSSON

ng i m Co titles

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PIC TURE BO OK

Mamma Moo Reads/ Mamma Mu läser

by Jujja Wieslander and Sven Nordqvist The eagerly-awaited new book of the Mamma Moo series is finally here!

One evening the Crow discovers Mamma Moo coming home late. What has that strange cow now been up to, he asks himself. Mamma Moo has been at the library. She is excited about all the books and everything you can learn from them. The Crow isn’t as impressed however. He doesn’t believe books can teach you everything there is to know. Why is the milk white when the cow eats green grass for example? He decides to write a book of his own - an expert book on cows. Seeing he has a friend who is a cow, he should be the expert, right? It turns out that he might not be, after all.

This is the eighth picture book about Mamma Moo and her friend the Crow. There are also two chapter books about the charming duo. A magnificent omnibus volume is also planned for the fall of 2012!

Release date: September 2011 Text: Jujja Wieslander Illustrations: Sven Nordqvist 32 pages. Hard cover Age group: 3-6 years Sold to: Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Estonia, Spain, Poland, India, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia

Mamma Moo is loved by children all over the world. Translated into more than 30 languages!

FOTO: KAJSA NORDIN

Jujja Wieslander is a wellknown and successful author in Sweden and has written the books about Mamma Moo and the Crow among others.

Sven Nordqvist is one of Sweden’s finest illustrators.

Apart from the spirited pictures of Mamma Moo, he is most well known for his own books about Pettson and Findus.

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Teddy Bruno’s Spring/Nalle Brunos vår

by Gunilla Ingves

Teddy Bruno’s Winter

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Teddy Bruno and his dog Maisy open the door and discover that spring has arrived. The sun is shining, the small birds chirp and whistle, and green grass, snowdrops and hepatica start to show below the dry leaves from last year. Teddy starts spring cleaning while Maisy sits in the sun. Then they pack a picnic basket and head off to have a look around. Nature is waking from its winter slumber and what’s been hiding underneath the snow is slowly peeking forth. There is so much to discover! Ladybugs and other tiny animals come out to say hello to Teddy and Maisy.

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Teddy Bruno’s Spring is a warm and playful picture book for pre-school children. It is about nature and living things – and everything else that comes with spring.

Release date: February 2012 Text: Gunilla Ingves Illustrations: Gunilla Ingves 32 pages. Hard cover Age group: 3-6 years

Gunilla Ingves has since her debut in 1977 written and illustrated picture books for children. All the animals and wonders of nature have very carefully been studied at her own house in the Swedish countryside. Natur & Kultur have previously published five books about Teddy Bruno on the theme of insects.

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FIC TION 9 -12

Biscuit and Gordon. Black Holes and Broken Strings/Semlan och Gordon.

Svarta hål och brustna strängar

by Moni Nilsson This book is mostly about love: a) requited love (Gordon’s) b) heartbreak (mine) Still – I love love!

This book is also about: c) starting 7th grade d) Kevin, my drop-dead gorgeous neighbor (who I can stare at from my brother Bento’s window for days…) e) jealousy (mine) f) parents having more fun than you (so unfair!) g) friendship that conquers everything Basically about two months in my – Biscuit NichlasdotterLiljestrand’s – most eventful life. A typical atypical 13-year-old girl.

This is the fourth book in the series about Biscuit and her friend Gordon.

Release date: August 2011 Text: Moni NIlsson 180 pages. Hard cover Age group: 9-12 years

Moni Nilsson’s books are loved by children and adults alike, and she has received several awards, among others the Nils Holgersson Plaque in 1998. She is best known for her five books about Tsatsiki which have been translated into 17 different languages. Moni was born in 1955 and lives in Stockholm.

Biscuit and Gordon. The Dad with the Big Shoes Sold to: Norway, France, Denmark and The Netherlands

Biscuit and Gordon.

Summer and Sweet Secrets Sold to: Norway and Denmark

Biscuit and Gordon.

Love, Kisses and Records Sold to: Norway

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YOUNG ADULT

Not Real, not Imaginary/ Inte på riktigt, inte på låtsas

by Maja-Maria Henriksson The sequel to the critically acclaimed I Exist is finally here!

Johanna is 17 years old. She has left her home and her mother to go live with her father. But Johanna can’t find a place of refuge in her father’s home either. She is homeless, alone and she feels unworthy of love. At her summer job at a restaurant she experiences a sense of belonging. That’s also where she meets James, who likes Johanna and wants to be with her.

Due to her desperate search for love and a place to belong, she is driven into a destructive relationship with James. What she interprets as love is really possession and narcissism. The only one who seems to see things as they really are is Johanna’s boss at the restaurant. When James’ behavior turns into assault and violence, Johanna is forced to make a choice. She has to break free once and for all.

Release date: August 2011 Text: Maja-Maria Henriksson 160 pages. Hard cover Age group: Young Adult

I Exist/Jag finns

Maja-Maria Henriksson is 35 years old and lives in Stockholm with her husband and her two young daughters. She is an author and an actress.

The youth novel I Exist was MajaMaria’s debut, for which she was awarded the Hans Peterson grant, with the declaration that this is a book that “was essential to write and is essential for everyone to read: both teens and parents.”

I Exist was also nominated for the prestigious Swedish literary award August in 2010 in the category Books for Children and Young Adults.

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FANTASY

The Alliance Breaker/ Förbundsbryterskan

by Anders Björkelid The threat of the Cold is getting closer. Twins Sunia and Wulf are given the mission to break the ancient alliance between their own people, the people of the Blood, and the people of the Underground. They hope to form a new alliance against the evil Cold. But dissolving the alliance that they have lived by for thousands of years means that the pledge of peace is also dissolved. The people of the Underground now seek revenge for old injustices, and the twins become their main target.

Sunia and Wulf are also chased by their own painful memories and their relationship is put to the test. A strange and horrifying journey begins; a journey where the distinction between memories, dreams and reality become blurred.

This is the third part in the series about the Children of the Blood.

Part four will be released in 2013.

About Winter of Evil: ”Winter of Evil is like a mixture of Astrid Lindgren and CS Lewis, with one spoon of the Grimm Brothers and another of George Lucas.” Björn Gunnarsson, SN Release date: October 2011 Text: Anders Björkelid

”The story takes its grip around the reader from the first chapter and there are moments when it’s breathtakingly exciting”. Kerstin Hagstrand-Velicu, BTJ, 2009

400 pages. Hard cover Age group: Young Adult

Winter of Evil Sold to: Denmark

FOTO: JONAS ANDERSON

Anders Björkelid lives in Uppsala with his wife and two children. He works as a teacher and has published two picture books and planted more than 300.000 trees in his life. He made his fantasy debut with Ondvinter/Winter of Evil, the first part of the series, in 2009.

Carrier of Fire Sold to: Denmark

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