Querido Children's Books Spring 2025 by Singel Uitgeverijen

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

‘Once I picked the book up, I didn’t set it down until I finished it with tears in my eyes, perhaps because it called to mind two beloved books from my own childhood: The Secret Garden and Treasure Island. I was also moved by Schaap’s exceptional writing, which manages to be lyrical and whimsical, yet unsentimental. Of the three books, it is the most disturbing, but also the most endearing and poignant.’ – New York Times

International awards: Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi 2021 (Italy, best debut book), Bookseller Award 2021 (Catalonia), Translator Award 2021 (Norway), Silver Star 2022 (Sweden), The Christoph Martin Wieland Translation Prize 2019 (Germany) Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2020 (uk )

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com singelpublishers

© Boumediene Belbachir

The long-awaited new book by Annet Schaap, the author of Lampie

Annet Schaap

Cricket

‘Schaap’s talent for storytelling is bewitching. Her imagination is boundless, her style is flawless.’

– Het Parool

‘Mermaids, pirates and fierce fights for freedom combine in a fast-paced fairytale’ – The Guardian

• a classic adventure story about courage and perseverance

• set in the same world as Lampie but can be read as a standalone story

• with atmospheric black-and-white illustrations

She had six brothers. Five of them drowned at sea, her stepmother says, but Eliza doesn’t believe a word of it. She wants to look for them, even if that means she’ll have to go all the way to the White Cliffs.

She sets off with the one brother she has left: Cricket. A scaredy-cat, a cry-baby, nothing more than a burden, in fact.

Everything goes wrong, but Eliza and Cricket go on searching. Through the storm. Against the wind. Against what everyone else says and thinks.

English sample available Rights under option – see next page

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com singelpublishers

Bologna 2025

Winner of the Gouden Griffel 2018, the Woutertje Pieterse Prijs 2018, the Nienke van Hichtum-prijs 2018 en the Boekenleeuw (Book Lion) 2018.

Lampie by Annet Schaap

• more than 150,000 copies sold in the Netherlands/Flanders

This is a story about the sea. About mysterious creatures and fierce pirates. About the Admiral’s Black House, where they say a monster lives. About Lucie, the lighthouse keeper’s daughter, who climbs the sixty-one steps every evening to light the flame. About a stormy night when everything goes wrong. But above all about being able to do more than you could ever have imagined.

Dutch film rights sold to Pupkin (Juliet), German film rights sold to Leitwolf Filmproduktion GmbH

Language rights sold to: French, German, Italian, World-English, African, Albanian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Estonian, Frysk, Greek, Gronings, Hungarian, Latvian, Macedonian, Norwegian, Polish, Rumanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

Age 10+ | Hardback | Black and white illustrations | 15 x 21.5 cm | 328 pages, published March 2017

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com singelpublishers

A modern fable in an enchanting underwater world

Daan

Remmerts de Vries & Marije Tolman Goldfish

• Following Vosje, another magical picture book by Marije Tolman

• a humorous story about greed and happiness

• with stunning illustrations by Gouden Penseel winner Marije Tolman, the creator of Vosje and Egalus

• a wonderfully illustrated story for reading out loud and looking at for hours

One day, Al Capone Fish was in Oyster’s shop. When Oyster wasn’t paying attention for a moment, he snatched a euro from the counter. Quickly, Al Capone Fish swam outside...

This is the beginning of a euro’s journey, which passes from fin to fin in a little village at the bottom of the ocean. The criminal fish who live there try to make some profit from it, and the euro is sold on for higher and higher prices. But eventually the coin ends up with the cheerful, good-natured Goldfish, the only one who doesn’t seem to care too much about money.

English sample available Polish rights sold to Widnokrag. Rights under option: WorldEnglish, French, German, Korean, Lithuanian, Slovakian, Turkish

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com singelpublishers

A magical picture story about a girl, a cat and their search together

Joost Oosterwijk Cat Spirit

• a very special picture story for readers young and old

• about dealing with strangers and helping other people

• by debut illustrator Joost Oosterwijk

Nobody knew where they came from, the ghosts who suddenly appeared in the city. They roamed the streets, but people didn’t know what they were looking for.

When Anna sees a mysterious cat ghost on the street, she promises to take him home. But she doesn’t actually know where that might be. Together, they go in search of a place where the cat spirit will feel at home.

English translation available

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com singelpublishers

The secret of dreams

Edward van de Vendel &

Come On, Let’s Go!

Floor de Goede

‘An enthusiastic and irresistible feel-good picture book for little boys and girls of all ages.’

– jaapleest.nl about Ik ben bij de dinosaurussen geweest

• a happy and imaginative picture book about dreams and fantasy

• with colourful illustrations packed with spaceships, spectacular landscapes and creatures

What happens when you’re asleep? All the creatures on all the planets get together and set off in their spaceships to visit sleeping children. They land in their bedrooms and party until the night’s almost over – before disappearing again.

And that’s where dreams come from! (But don’t tell the parents – they wouldn’t believe it!)

English translation available

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com singelpublishers

Fatinha Ramos

Come An ode to life in stunning images

‘Fatinha Ramos’s work has a directness that you rarely encounter. She succeeds in translating powerful ideas into strong images that grab the viewer.’ – Carll Cneut

• a wonderful gift book to celebrate a baby’s birth

• by the internationally renowned illustrator Fatinha Ramos (prizes include World and Global Illustration Awards

• and, of course, with lots and lots of illustrations

A little creature hears a voice calling: will you come and play? Will you come and eat? But he doesn’t want to. He would rather stay exactly where he is, where it’s warm and safe. Until the voice says that he’ll be able to find love if he comes outside. His world is shaken up, and he’s forced to leave his comfortable place. Luckily, he ends up somewhere that’s even better.

English translation available

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com

singelpublishers

Maranke Rinck & Martijn van der Linden

Bob Popcorn Becomes Famous Bob becomes a superstar!

‘An amusing series starter that’s just right for young fans of the absurd.’ – Publishers Weekly

‘A bowl of crunchy fun.’ – Booklist

• the fifth book in the popular series about Bob Popcorn

More than 165,000 copies of the Bob Popcorn books sold in the Netherlands/ Flanders

• a funny and exciting adventure for readers with a little experience

• with lots and lots of drawings

Ellis has been trying to keep Bob Popcorn a secret for a long time. But now it’s all gone wrong. Someone has posted a video of them together online. Everyone can see that Bob exists. He even becomes an actual superstar!

But is being famous that much fun? People won’t leave Bob alone. And they keep saying weird things. What can Ellis and her friends do to stop them?

Rights under option : World-English, French, German, Korean

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com

singelpublishers

A cheerful story about two enterprising

Janneke Schotveld & Arevik d’Or

Hanna and Hamza

‘Schotveld’s gift for telling an adventure story with humour that’s also about something on a deeper level makes you happy.’ – Trouw

• a warm and funny story about family and friendship

• for beginning readers with some reading experience

• with lots of illustrations by Arevik d’Or

Hanna and Hamza are best friends. They’re in the same class at school and live in the same apartment block. Hanna’s mum is single, and Hanna thinks that’s sad. So, she goes in search of a new boyfriend for her mum. Would Mr Bear like to come for coffee? Or how about that handsome fireman? When Hanna has a plan in her head, there’s no stopping her. Not even Hamza can do anything to change her mind.

English sample available

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com

singelpublishers

A gnome as a best friend

Mohana van den Kroonenberg & Karst-Janneke Rogaar

Pear

‘Van den Kroonenberg is no longer just highly promising, she is an author – and a good one too.’ – Tzum

• an imaginative, funny and exciting story for beginning readers

• lavishly illustrated by Zilveren Penseel winner Karst-Janneke Rogaar

Kai reluctantly goes to stay with his Auntie Elfie in a house in the middle of the forest. His parents warn him that Auntie Elfie is a bit strange. She believes in fairy tales, but of course fairy tales aren’t true. To Kai’s horror, Auntie Elfie finds a gnome under a bush on the first day of his stay. The gnome’s name is Pear. But gnomes don’t exist, and Kai doesn’t believe in Pear. And Pear doesn’t believe in nephews either. But then they become such good friends that Kai doesn’t want to go back home at all.

English sample available

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com

singelpublishers

A poetic picture book about being allowed to be yourself

Hadi Mohammadi & Salimeh Babakhan

The Crow’s Dream

• a tale by the award-winning Iranian author Hadi Mohammadi

• with beautiful drawings by the renowned Iranian illustrator Salimeh Babakhan

• about important choices in life

One night, a crow dreams about colourful feathers. But when he wakes up, his wonderful dream full of colours is gone. He swaps colours with a red fish, a green parrot, a grey donkey... But now the other crows reject him – he doesn’t fit in anymore.

The crow doesn’t know what to do. Why can’t he be like he was in his dream?

This book was published as part of the ‘Read with Me’ project, which brings special books to Iranian children in difficult situations. During this project, the illustrator Marit Törnqvist has mentored Salimeh Babakhan and other young illustrators working on picture books.

English translation available

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com singelpublishers

A touching story about how to deal with a gender transition

Imme Dros & Harrie Geelen

Reinier

‘Dros is, as always, clear and precise in her use of language.’ – NRC about Ada

‘Imme Dros is a word artist.’ – Friesch Dagblad

• an original and topical story by Imme Dros

• about dealing with a gender transition within a family

• emotionally moving and subtle

Reinier is Niels’s big brother. He’s also his role model. Reinier isn’t shy, and he’s a lot more athletic than Niels. And when Niels gets bullied, Reinier comes to his aid. But why does Reinier cry in bed at night? And why does he push Niels away when he tries to comfort him? When Niels discovers what’s going on, he realises that he’ll have to learn how to deal with changes.

In Reinier, Imme Dros impressively shows how such a transition can affect a family, as she has experienced for herself in her own family environment.

English sample available

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com

singelpublishers

Bologna 2025

The coolest animals in the dark

Matthijs Meeuwsen & Paco Vink

We Are the Night

‘An excellent and exciting book. It will grab hold of you and not let you go.’ – boekwijzer.com ‘Wonderful… I never thought the subject of nocturnal biology could be so fascinating.’ – de Volkskrant

• read all about the most spectacular nocturnal animals

• original, amusing and full of information

• with fantastic colour illustrations

• unique design

Matthijs Meeuwsen and Paco Vink’s first book, Een slijmzoen voor je oma, was about marine animals. It won a Zilveren Griffel and was nominated for the Woutertje Pieterse Prize. This time, they’ve turned their attention to the three-striped night monkey, the eyelash mite and the hammer-headed bat – nocturnal animals that only emerge when we’re asleep. So, very few people realise what special creatures they are. With creepy fingers and snorkel snouts. Vampire teeth and disco fur. It’s high time to shine a spotlight on these creatures of the night!

English sample available

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com singelpublishers

A joyful adventure story about friendship and acceptance

Pim Lammers

Runaway Days

‘Pim Lammers is one of the most important innovators in the children’s book landscape.’

– De Standaard

‘Pim Lammers understands very well what readers of this age are able to handle.’ – Trouw

• funny, exciting and moving

• about friendship and dealing with changes

• with bold, atmospheric illustrations by Sophie Pluim

Luca’s dads are arguing more and more often. So often that Luca becomes afraid that they’re going to get divorced. He can see only one solution: running away. Then his dads will probably forget that they want to break up. But his best friend has just moved away, and he doesn’t dare to go on his own. So, Luca has to find a new best friend.

English sample available

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com singelpublishers

The eternal life of a unicorn

Henry Lloyd & Mark Janssen

Juniper in the Hereafter

‘An accessible modern fairy tale for anyone who has ever dreamed of experiencing something completely different from what the often prosaic real world has to offer.’

– Woutertje Pieterse Prize Jury’s report about Juniper de zingende eenhoorn

• the third book about Juniper the unicorn, which can be read as a standalone story

• about memories, friendship and forgiveness

• with dramatic illustrations by Mark Janssen

One misty morning, Juniper the unicorn meets Kinkeet the lion, who has been racing along in sneakers for years, trying to stay ahead of death. Juniper’s not afraid of dying though – after all, he’s an animal from a fairy tale! When Juniper unexpectedly finds himself in the realm of the dead, he makes a deal with Death. If the unicorn can lure the old lion into a trap, Death will allow Juniper to return to the land of the living.

English sample available

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com singelpublishers

Marco Kunst

Dirty Hands

‘It is impressive how he succeeds in addressing major philosophical questions about responsibility, free will and destiny in a book that remains accessible.’ – jaapleest.nl about Kunst’s YA novel Patroon (Zilveren Griffel winner).

• a YA novel published for the Month of Philosophy, April 2025

• both exciting and emotionally moving, a book to talk about

• by award-winning author (and philosopher) Marco Kunst

• important themes: climate and activism

Achim and Leila grow up in a close relationship, not least because Achim is one of the few people who know how to help his chronically ill sister. When he stays in an alternative residential community for a while, Achim becomes a fierce climate activist. One day, Leila receives a disturbing message from her brother. He’s at the airport, where he’s about to carry out a protest action that could cost lives. Leila does everything in her power to stop him.

English sample available

Age 12+ | YA fiction | Paperback | 12.5 x 20 cm | 96 pages

QUERIDO CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Luciënne van der Leije, rights manager, l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl Weteringschans 259, 1017 xj Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.queridochildrensbookrights.com singelpublishers

Bologna 2025 A selection of recent rights sold

French rights sold to Pastel / l’école des loisirs

German right sold to Bohem Press

Italian rights sold to Topipittori

German rights sold to Carlsen Verlag

Polish rights sold to Widnokrag

Contact details for Flanders Literature: Van Noortstraat 20, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium

Lien Devos, lien@flandersliterature.be and Elise Vanoosthuyse, elise@flandersliterature.be www.flandersliterature.be

Finnish rights sold to wsoy

Russian rights sold to Samokat

Slovakian rights sold to EJ. Publishing

Complex Chinese rights sold to Babel via Grayhawk Agency

Estonian rights sold to Päike ja Pilv

Complex Chinese rights sold to Global Kids via Grayhawk Agency

Slovenian rights sold to kud Sodobnost

Swedish rights sold to Lilla Piratförlaget

Georgian rights sold to Sulakauri

Swedish rights sold to Lilla Piratförlaget

Contact details for the Dutch Foundation for Literature: Nieuwe Prinsengracht 89, 1018 vr Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Agnes Vogt, a.vogt@letterenfonds.nl www.letterenfonds.nl/en