Same features as the single volumes: rounded corners and sturdy board pages, in a smaller, lighter, easy-to-hold format.
KEY HIGHLIGHT: timeless minimalist art in a sturdy, elegant slipcase, making it a perfect gift for young readers.
IN THIS BOX SET:
– Moving House: winter is coming and Bear cannot stay in his damp old den. He starts building a new home, but the snow arrives first. Luckily, his friends are ready to help.
– Want to play?: Bob the dog wants to play ball with his friends. First, though, he helps them all finish their chores. When playtime finally omes, Bob is too tired to join in!
– Early Bird: Primo hatches before his time. He is smaller than his brothers, and everything feels harder. But he never gives up, and slowly learns to keep pace with the rest. 2017 NATI PER LEGGERE AWARD
– Red cannot sleep: Rosso the fish never closes his eyes, day or night. His friends try everything to help him rest, until they find the place where he truly belongs: the pond.
ALSO AVAILABLE IN BOX SET:
Mini Fairy Tales – 4 Box Sets/16 books
Author & Illustrator
Painter, designer and illustrator. His rigorous, geometric style has reshaped Italian publishing for young children. In 2016, working alongside his daughter Alessandra, he returned to bookshops, quickly earning major national and international recognition, including a Special Jury Prize at the Andersen Prize 2017, the Nati per Leggere Prize 2017 for Little Red Riding Hood, the Nati per Leggere Prize 2020 for Primo (Early Bird), and a Special Mention for Career Achievement at the Bologna Ragazzi Award 2019.
2019
TODDLER
SPECIAL CATEGORY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
SPECIAL GIURY PRIZE
A joyful and visually engaging first concepts board books series. Let’s explore the world through contrastsand comparisons!
This series encourages curiosity, early vocabulary development, and a deeperappreciation of diversity in the everyday life. With a warm, engaging rhythm and charming illustrations,each spread encourages looking, naming, and sharing.
When I play, I transform and can do incredible things!
I whistle like a blackbird, jump like a kangaroo, run like a cheetah,and swim like a frog. On each page, an action is paired with adifferent animal, inviting little ones to imitate it with their bodies andvoices.
A small hardcover book with rounded corners for moving, playing, and discovering words andactions, through shapes, colors, similarities, and animals
Key Selling Points:
◊ An essential series for the modern toddler’s bookshelf
◊ Engaging first-concept board books
◊ Designed to support early language and visual discovery
◊ Simple contrasts that spark curiosity and conversation
◊ Ideal for parents, caregivers, and early learning settings
Author & Illustrator
Guia Risari (author)
A versatile, internationally acclaimed author. Writing and publishing in four languages, she brings a unique cross-cultural perspective that resonates with global audiences. Her professional footprint spans collaborations with prestigious publishing houses, journals, theater companies, and national radio.
Giulia Pastorino (illustrator)
Giulia Pastorino is an Italian illustrator whose work is defined by its energy and professional recognition. After specializing in graphic design at the Ligustica Academy of Fine Arts, she earned a Master’s degree in illustration from ISIA Urbino. She has been twice selected for the prestigious Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition. A versatile creator, she balances her work on picture books with collaborations across magazines, art galleries, and communication studios, bringing her signature style to every project.
A joyful and visually engaging first concepts board books series. Let’s explore the world through contrastsand comparisons!
This series encourages curiosity, early vocabulary development, and a deeperappreciation of diversity in the everyday life. With a warm, engaging rhythm and charming illustrations,each spread encourages looking, naming, and sharing.
Colors are found in everything and make the world more beautiful!
Each spread is dedicated to a color, paired with two differentobjects: light blue like a sheet and the morning sky; lilac likepajamas and a glass of milk; yellow like the sun and the leaves on atree. These everyday, poetic, and surprising pairings invite little onesto observe, compare, make connections, and name the thingsaround them.
A small hardcover book with rounded corners, designed to helpchildren discover shapes, colors, similarities, and details — and to continue the fun even beyond the pages, as they search for newcolors in their own surroundings.
Key Selling Points:
◊ An essential series for the modern toddler’s bookshelf
◊ Engaging first-concept board books
◊ Designed to support early language and visual discovery
◊ Simple contrasts that spark curiosity and conversation
◊ Ideal for parents, caregivers, and early learning settings
Author & Illustrator
Guia Risari (author)
A versatile, internationally acclaimed author. Writing and publishing in four languages, she brings a unique cross-cultural perspective that resonates with global audiences. Her professional footprint spans collaborations with prestigious publishing houses, journals, theater companies, and national radio.
Giulia Pastorino (illustrator)
Giulia Pastorino is an Italian illustrator whose work is defined by its energy and professional recognition. After specializing in graphic design at the Ligustica Academy of Fine Arts, she earned a Master’s degree in illustration from ISIA Urbino. She has been twice selected for the prestigious Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition. A versatile creator, she balances her work on picture books with collaborations across magazines, art galleries, and communication studios, bringing her signature style to every project.
A little girl and her cat, paw in hand: a first book about looking at each other, and growing up together.
Adele and her cat Totò share everything. Hands and paws. Feet and toes. Tummies and little bottoms. Page after page, small daily habits build a whole world: sleeping side by side, playing chase, blowing bubbles, hiding together in a box. Through plain words and clear, tender pictures, children discover their own body, the pleasure of a shared routine, and the simple joy of being close to someone else.
A love for animals that, nurtured from the very first pages, is built to last a lifetime.
Key highlights:
◊ A first book about body and bond
Simple words and pictures introduce toddlers to their own body, through the gentle comparison with someone else.
◊ Made for shared reading
Familiar daily scenes – play, sleep, cuddles – fit perfectly into reading routines from birth, at home and at nursery.
◊ A tender game of mirrors
The “me and you” structure invites pointing, naming and copying: ideal for toddlers taking their first steps into language.
◊ Sized for the smallest hands
Rounded corners and a compact board format, safe and easy to hold well before the first birthday.
Author & Illustrator
CRISTIANA CERRETTI
Cristiana Cerretti graduated from IED in 1996 and has illustrated and published with leading Italian publishers ever since. She teaches Graphic Design at AANT Academy of Arts and New Technologies and at Officina illustration school, both in Rome. She founded B17, Italy’s first shop entirely dedicated to illustration. For Lapis she has published several titles, including My Mother is like a Tree, written by Lucia Panzieri.
The world speaks to those who listen.
Chiara Carminati and Massimiliano Tappari come together again, weaving poetry and photography around the theme of dreaming, and of looking closely. Page after page, short poetic lines paint a portrait of those who dream: people who imagine new possibilities, shift their point of view, and read meaning into signs and coincidences.
Tappari’s photographs gather details from the city, everyday objects, shapes and unexpected encounters. Rather than illustrating the words, they respond to them, through visual rhymes and quiet analogies. The result is a true dialogue between poetry and photography, where every page asks the reader to pause, look closer, and see the world from an unfamiliar angle.
Some look ahead, without ever giving up looking up. Some let the clouds go free. Some will not be put on anyone’s leash.
Those who dream achieve impossible things, one step at a time.
A dream is not sleep, nor an empty hope: it is a wide-awake vision, shaping the present and the future we want to build.
Key highlights:
◊ Poetry and photography, in dialogue
Chiara Carminati’s words and Massimiliano Tappari’s images do not illustrate one another: they answer each other, through visual echoes, geometry and unexpected connections.
◊ A portrait of those who dare to dream
Short poetic texts build a collective picture of people who imagine new possibilities, change their point of view, and notice signs where others see none.
◊ Everyday details, seen with new eyes
Tappari’s photographs capture ordinary urban objects and corners, revealing extraordinary shapes and meanings hidden in plain sight.
Author & Illustrator
CHIARA CARMINATI
Chiara Carminati is one of Italy’s most celebrated children’s authors and poets. Her work is characterized by a deep musicality and a rare ability to weave poetry into the everyday lives of children.
MASSIMILIANO TAPPARI
A multifaceted artist: photographer, writer, and visual storyteller. His work focuses on the “extraordinary in the ordinary,” inviting children and adults alike to look at daily life with fresh eyes.
Olga pulled, Ivan pulled,
the cow pulled, the dog pulled,
and even the cat pulled,
but the turnip would not come out.
One tiny seed. One enormous turnip. And a whole village of helping paws.
Olga and Ivan plant a small seed that grows into an enormous turnip. But when the time comes to pull it out of the ground, the two of them are not enough. First comes the cow. Then the dog, the cat… and finally, a tiny mouse. This much-loved Russian folk tale builds through repetition and small surprises, growing funnier with every new helper.
A joyful lesson on teamwork, told in Attilio Cassinelli’s timeless, essential style.
Key highlights:
◊ Part of a beloved series
The Enormous Turnip joins Attilio’s Mini Fairy Tales, a collection of timeless stories retold through Attilio Cassinelli’s clean, unmistakable style.
◊A master’s essential, timeless line
Bold shapes and a rigorous, geometric style, recognisable at a glance, bring new life to a much-loved folk tale.
◊ Built for the very first read-alouds
Repetition, rhythm and a growing cast of helpers make this story easy to follow, and irresistible to act out with voices and gestures.
◊ A small story about a big lesson
Under the humour and the accumulating cast of animals lies a simple truth: some things can only be done together.
Author & Illustrator
Painter, designer and illustrator. His rigorous, geometric style has reshaped Italian publishing for young children. In 2016, working alongside his daughter Alessandra, he returned to bookshops, quickly earning major national and international recognition, including a Special Jury Prize at the Andersen Prize 2017, the Nati per Leggere Prize 2017 for Little Red Riding Hood, the Nati per Leggere Prize 2020 for Primo (Early Bird), and a Special Mention for Career Achievement at the Bologna Ragazzi Award 2019.
2019
TODDLER
SPECIAL CATEGORY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
SPECIAL GIURY PRIZE
A witch who hates music casts a spell to silence the world. But the world sings back.
A witch cannot stand music. She loves crashing sounds, roaring anger, the singing of war, but hates violins, love songs and gentle melodies. With one wicked spell, she wipes out every note on earth: no more concerts, no more theatres, no more music anywhere.
Almost. Inside a wardrobe, a tiny moth is whistling, so softly the witch barely notices. Then a cricket joins in. Then another. Soon, fifty of them are singing together: a whole choir. Frogs and toads rise from the ditch. Rain falls, soft and steady. Flowers breathe in the meadow. Wherever the witch turns, the world keeps breathing, keeps singing.
A little spider finally says it plainly: music is life, and life cannot be silenced. It is everywhere.
A joyful, rhythmic tale that turns the smallest voices into an unstoppable choir, celebrating nature, freedom, and the gentle strength of every living thing.
Key highlights:
◊ Predictable and repetitive structure: built on a reassuring, highly repetitive pattern: every time Ghiro gets bumped, he grumbles, falls right back asleep, and snores “ronf ronf” (snore snore). This rhythm builds anticipation and delights young listeners.
◊ A bedtime story with a twist: combines a cozy hibernation theme with a hilarious, upside-down fairy-tale setup, delightfully subverting classic tropes.
◊ Rich in humour: a fun sequence of accidental bumps, mistaken kisses, and grumbling wake-ups that keeps young readers laughing and engaged.
Author & Illustrator
SILVIA RONCAGLIA
One of Italy’s most prolific voices in children’s literature and theatre, with around a hundred titles to her name and several major awards. Her work has travelled well beyond Italy, translated and published around the world.
ELEONORA DE PIERI
Books and pencils have always gone hand in hand for her. She trained at the Pietro Selvatico Art Institute in Padua, then sharpened her craft through illustration workshops in Sarmede, Macerata and Venice. What she loves most is writing and illustrating her own stories, now published both in Italy and abroad.
Once upon a time, there was a monkey child who jumped from tree to tree… and had no intention of going to sleep.
So begins a wildly imaginative bedtime story, where a little child pretends to be all kinds of noisy, energetic animals – a roaring tiger, a heavy elephant, a hissing snake, and a hooting owl – to avoid going to bed. But just as the “owl child” appears, Mom steps in to redirect the tale: “Oh no, there was no owl child. Let me tell this story!
A sweet, humorous picture book built on an endearing parent-child dialogue. With its circular structure, fun sound effects, and cozy atmosphere, it is the ideal bedtime read-aloud to soothe active minds and turn going to sleep into a shared, magical ritual.
Key highlights:
◊ A playful bedtime ritual: a clever story-within-a-story that transforms bedtime resistance into a fun, interactive game between parent and child.
◊ Relatable childhood dynamics: perfect for all toddlers who try every trick in the book to delay sleep, turning bedtime into a moment of affection and imagination.
◊ A meta-narrative twist: a humorous shift in perspective where the child starts telling the story, the mother gently intervenes, and the narrative loops back in a cozy, satisfying ending.
Author & Illustrator
ANDREA FAROTTO
Born in Zambia to Italian parents, he spent years travelling the world as a petroleum engineer before settling in London with his family. His picture books are published across Italy, Canada, the United States, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Korea.
VALERIA VALENZA
An illustrator since age four, she also designs games, clothing, and institutional projects. A three-time finalist at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, her work is published worldwide by Penguin Books, Feltrinelli Kids, and Emme Edizioni. She lives in Bologna, where she co-founded the cultural space Naso di Bruco.
A witch who hates music casts a spell to silence the world. But the world sings back.
A witch cannot stand music. She loves crashing sounds, roaring anger, the singing of war, but hates violins, love songs and gentle melodies. With one wicked spell, she wipes out every note on earth: no more concerts, no more theatres, no more music anywhere.
Almost. Inside a wardrobe, a tiny moth is whistling, so softly the witch barely notices. Then a cricket joins in. Then another. Soon, fifty of them are singing together: a whole choir. Frogs and toads rise from the ditch. Rain falls, soft and steady. Flowers breathe in the meadow. Wherever the witch turns, the world keeps breathing, keeps singing.
A little spider finally says it plainly: music is life, and life cannot be silenced. It is everywhere.
A joyful, rhythmic tale that turns the smallest voices into an unstoppable choir, celebrating nature, freedom, and the gentle strength of every living thing.
Key highlights:
◊ A story to be read aloud, and heard: rolling rhymes and playful rhythm make every page perfect for reading out loud, inviting children to join in with their own voice.
◊ Vibrant collage, bursting with colour: Gek Tessaro’s bold, hand-made art gives shape and energy to every scene, turning the story into a feast for the eyes as much as for the ears.
◊ Ready for the classroom and the library: the rhyming, theatrical structure is perfect for read-alouds, workshops on sound and nature, and expressive reading activities.
Author & Illustrator
GEK TESSARO
Gek Tessaro is a multi-award-winning Italian author and illustrator, renowned for his ability to blend poetic storytelling with profound philosophical and social reflection.
His work is characterized by distinctive, rhythmic rhymes that serve as the heartbeat of his narratives, making his voice unmistakable in the landscape of children’s literature. Through his unconventional art and sharp irony, Tessaro champions children’s logic to dismantle the absurdities of the adult world.
Some days are yellow: filled with sunshine, laughter, dancing leaves, and endless wonder.
Other days are blue: cloudy and quiet, where even the simplest things feel heavy and hidden in the fog.
Through gentle, poetic text and rich metaphors, Yellow Days, Blue Days guides young readers on a comforting journey through the landscape of their emotions. It reminds children that blue thoughts aren’t bad; they are simply thoughts whose light has temporarily gone out. Most importantly, it reveals how a warm hug, a kind word, or a tiny spark of a happy idea can light up the dark, turning blue days into yellow ones, and transforming quiet worries into glowing fireflies.
Key highlights:
◊ A playful bedtime ritual: a clever story-within-a-story that transforms bedtime resistance into a fun, interactive game between parent and child.
◊ Relatable childhood dynamics: perfect for all toddlers who try every trick in the book to delay sleep, turning bedtime into a moment of affection and imagination.
◊ A meta-narrative twist: a humorous shift in perspective where the child starts telling the story, the mother gently intervenes, and the narrative loops back in a cozy, satisfying ending.
Author & Illustrator
CHIARA LORENZONI
Born in Padua, she studied creative writing at Giulio Mozzi’s Piccola Scuola di Scrittura Creativa. In 2005 she moved to Lecce, where she now lives and works as a lawyer. She writes books for children and teenagers, published by leading Italian houses, including Einaudi Ragazzi, Il Castoro, Giralangolo and Camelozampa.
TAKAKO AOKI
A Japanese illustrator based in Spain, several times a finalist at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition. Her refined, unmistakable style pairs beautifully with the text.
What if, as I grew up, I forgot how to talk to the grass and admire clouds of insects?
Crickets, ladybirds, dragonflies, spiders, ants, bees…
What if I could no longer see myself reflected in puddles?
A poetic picture book celebrating wonder, empathy, and the beauty of keeping our inner light alive.
Through a sweet monologue, a little girl wonders if growing up means losing her wonder, forgetting to talk to the grass, listen to others, or mirror herself in puddles.
Yet, she realizes she won’t forget: she will thread all the beauty of the world into a necklace to gift to everyone.
A moving tribute to childhood wonder and the art of staying kind as we grow.
Key highlights:
◊ Poetic philosophical approach: a gentle monologue on the fear of losing childhood wonder, speaking directly to young readers’ inner world.
◊ Focus on empathy: strong core message encouraging children to listen to others, observe nature, and stay connected as they grow.
◊ Evocative visual storytelling: artwork by Andrea Calisi that seamlessly blends internal reflections with the beauty of the natural world.
Author & Illustrator
GUIA RISARI
Guia Risari is a versatile author, translator, and scholar with an extensive academic background in philosophy. Writing and publishing in four languages, she collaborates with international publishers, universities, and cultural institutions, bringing deep narrative elegance and philosophical depth to children’s literature.
ANDREA CALISI
Andrea Calisi is an acclaimed illustrator whose painterly, highly atmospheric artwork is featured by top Italian publishers, including Einaudi and Rizzoli. Exhibited across Europe and Japan, his sophisticated mixed-media style seamlessly combines rich textures with poetic visual storytelling.
A whole day, captured three lines at a time.
Just three lines are enough to hold big, universal feelings, close to every child’s everyday life. Waking up warm under the covers. Running outside. Jumping in puddles. Turning a cardboard box into a castle, or a dragon. And, at the end, the sweetness of goodnight. Page after page, small daily gestures become haiku, while gentle, playful illustrations follow the rhythm of the words, inviting children to look closely and marvel at their own small world.
The poetry hidden inside the little things of everyday life.
Ideal for early years poetry corners, creative writing workshops in primary school, and library reading activities.
New edition: September 2026
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
◊ A playful bedtime ritual: a clever story-within-a-story that transforms bedtime resistance into a fun, interactive game between parent and child.
◊Relatable childhood dynamics: perfect for all toddlers who try every trick in the book to delay sleep, turning bedtime into a moment of affection and imagination.
◊ A meta-narrative twist: a humorous shift in perspective where the child starts telling the story, the mother gently intervenes, and the narrative loops back in a cozy, satisfying ending.
Author & Illustrator
LUIGINA DEL GOBBO
She lives in Udine, where she taught for over twenty years, exploring new ways to build skills and abilities in children aged 6 to 10. Alongside writing, she creates and leads workshops in schools, libraries and literary festivals. For Lapis she has published several titles, including the long-selling I’d love a Slow-Down Time and Let Me Do It!
FRANCESCA MASSAI
An illustrator and graphic designer, she specialises in creative workshops for children and adults. After graduating from the University of Bologna, she lived for some years in Latin America, in Buenos Aires, where she deepened her training in visual arts.
10 houses: metaphors of belonging and growing up
The first house is the universe, since we all live inside a great mystery. Then comes the embrace of those who love us, a safe place to sleep at night, the language we speak and the ones we will learn. A house full of friends is called school. Another is light, and travels wherever we go: it lives inside us, in play and imagination. One house is green, and has always known us. One house appears wherever we meet love in our life. The last house is the shelter that, one day, we too will learn to give.
In every house there is a door to cross: we step in, we step out, and every time, we grow a little more.
A poetic journey through every house we carry inside us, on the way to becoming ourselves.
Publication: November 2026
Author & Illustrator
SILVIA VECCHINI
One of Italy’s most esteemed and versatile writers, recently awarded the Andersen Prize 2026 as Best Writer. Her work spans poetry, graphic novels and picture books, earning her numerous awards, including the Strega Prize “Ragazze e Ragazzi”. She is a master at exploring the inner world of children with grace and philosophical depth.
AGNESE BARUZZI
Since 2001, Agnese has published over 100 titles worldwide (in countries such as UK, USA, Japan, France and South Korea). She is a leading international creator of novelty books, known for her ability to combine complex paper architecture with a clean, modern, and engaging aesthetic.
An essential book for reflecting on the meaning of life… happiness and what true wealth really is.
When I was little, I lived in an enormous castle, hidden in the heart of a magical forest, where the weather was beautiful every day. But one day, I grew up…
This little gem of irony is built around a striking interplay between text and image, inviting us to question the way we look at our lives and the choices we make.
Powerful, thought-provoking, funny and biting, the book asks readers young and old a deceptively simple question: what does it mean to succeed in life? Is it becoming rich and conforming to other people’s expectations, or preserving the sense of wonder and the treasures that shaped us as children? Does happiness lie in material wealth, or in the things we carry deep within our hearts?
First published in a different form by Éditions Autrement in 2009, this unusual picture book was reissued by Grasset-Jeunesse in 2019 in a new hardback edition. Its message and distinctive treatment make it a universal and essential book for readers of all ages.
New edition: September 2026
Author & Illustrator
Since the publication of Le Yark in 2011, Bertrand Santini has become one of the leading voices in French children’s literature. His books published by Grasset include Jonas, le requin mécanique, Hugo de la Nuit and L’étrange réveillon. He is also the author of the bestselling Le Journal de Gurty series, published by Sarbacane.
A graduate of ESAG, Bertrand Gatignol is a scriptwriter, illustrator and colourist. He divides his time between character design for television series, comics and children’s-book illustration. His work has been published by Delcourt and Dargaud, among others.
A highly graphic board book for very young children, introducing shapes and colours, how they can be arranged, and encouraging the imagination — all within an urban environment.
In this highly graphic board book, a little neighbourhood first appears: a group of colourful geometric houses. Little by little, the coloured shapes disappear, leaving behind only simple white cubes… but before long, the colours return, taking on an entirely new form to (re)create a little corner of paradise!
The book uses a limited number of shapes and colours — the same ones featured in A Little Garden, published simultaneously — to encourage imaginative play and an interest in architecture. Through the medium of the book, it revisits classic childhood games and activities such as building blocks, LEGO bricks, stickers and tangrams.
Exploring the themes of destruction and construction, the book is also an ode to diversity and to the power of creativity when we imagine new possibilities and build together, in a spirit of freedom, complementarity and harmony.
Publication: 27 October 2026
Author & Illustrator
Alice de Nussy, a graphic designer and art director, has written and illustrated several picture books published by Grasset-Jeunesse, including La Malédiction des flamants roses, illustrated by Janik Coat; Monsieur Nourse et la vie (mode d’emploi), written by Christian Demilly; Chasser le chat, illustrated by Jean-François Martin; and Nuit noire, nuit blanche, illustrated by Stéphane Kiehl.
Christian Demilly, a series editor, children’s author and translator, has written a number of books for Grasset-Jeunesse, including Mon oiseau…, illustrated by Marlène Astrié; Le Grand voyage en Abécédaire, illustrated by Alain Pilon; Bulle dans sa bulle, illustrated by Audrey Calleja; and De 0 à dix, illustrated by Alice de Nussy. He has also recently published Christine de Pizan, une dame dans la cité : une autrice féministe au Moyen Âge? with Éditions Talents hauts.
A highly graphic board book for very young children, introducing shapes and colours, how they can be arranged, and encouraging the imagination — all within a world of plants and nature.
In this highly graphic board book, we first see a patch of ground made up of simple rectangles, representing a piece of bare earth. Then, little by little, colourful shapes begin to appear, like plants growing from the soil, until, page after page, they come together to form a magnificent multicoloured garden — a little corner of paradise!
The book uses a limited number of shapes and colours — the same ones featured in A Little Town, published simultaneously — to encourage imaginative play and construction. Through the medium of the book, it revisits classic childhood games and activities such as building blocks, LEGO bricks, stickers and tangrams.
Exploring the themes of plants and growth, the book is also an ode to nature and to the power of living things when they are listened to and respected. It shows how even a patch of barren, neglected or trampled ground can burst into beautiful new life. It invites children to imagine and create while caring for the environment, in a spirit of freedom, complementarity and harmony.
Publication: 27 October 2026
Author & Illustrator
Alice de Nussy, a graphic designer and art director, has written and illustrated several picture books published by Grasset-Jeunesse, including La Malédiction des flamants roses, illustrated by Janik Coat; Monsieur Nourse et la vie (mode d’emploi), written by Christian Demilly; Chasser le chat, illustrated by Jean-François Martin; and Nuit noire, nuit blanche, illustrated by Stéphane Kiehl.
Christian Demilly, a series editor, children’s author and translator, has written a number of books for Grasset-Jeunesse, including Mon oiseau…, illustrated by Marlène Astrié; Le Grand voyage en Abécédaire, illustrated by Alain Pilon; Bulle dans sa bulle, illustrated by Audrey Calleja; and De 0 à dix, illustrated by Alice de Nussy. He has also recently published Christine de Pizan, une dame dans la cité : une autrice féministe au Moyen Âge? with Éditions Talents hauts.
On a sleepless night, a child drifts from the familiar world of her bedroom into a strange inner landscape where fears, memories and longing take shape. As she wanders through the darkness, she discovers other kinds of light — and small comforts she can carry with her into morning.
A poetic picture book about insomnia, imagination and finding reassurance in the night.
Publication: spring ‘27
Author & Illustrator
Liv Ea is a Danish author and writing facilitator. She graduated from the Danish School of Children’s Literature (Forfatterskolen for Børnelitteratur) and published her debut novel in 2018. Her poetry collection lys bliver til løv appeared in 2021 and is characterized by a playful, image-rich approach to language and nature. She has also taught creative writing and reading and works with young people through writing workshops.
Gitte Gade trained at the Design School in Copenhagen and has worked extensively with illustration. Her first children’s picture-book project with Jensen & Dalgaard was Hulder til Balder in 2019. In 2021, she and author Inge Duelund Nielsen received Læringscentrenes Forfatterpris for their collaboration on Clara’s Book, which was also named Book of the Year by the organization.
There’s a boat in sight.
Who is coming to visit Eb and Flo?
It turns out to be a cat with a wonderful smile and a … thingamajig*!
Eb and Flo and their world grew out of Mette Vedsø and Pia Halse’s strong desire to create high-quality literature for the very youngest readers, from around eighteen months old.
Eb and Flo are two characters with opposite temperaments — their names are inspired by the Danish words ebbe and flod, meaning “ebb” and “flow.” One is, on the surface, a little stubborn, steady and thoughtful… like the yellow sandbank; the other is spontaneous, eager and ever-changing… like the blue sea.
They live in a wooden hut on a sandy spit. All around them is nature — the wild sky, the sandbank and the depths of the sea.
*Orig. ”makadut” is a playful Danish placeholder word for an object whose name is unknown or forgotten. Thingamajig was chosen as the closest natural English equivalent, preserving the humorous, child-friendly tone of the original.
A beautiful large-format picture book by Malaysian artist Heng Swee Lim, aka ilovedoodle
In The Journey, Heng Swee Lim — known around the world for his feel-good graphic work and his cats — brings grace and emotional power to the wordless picture-book format.
Across a series of beautiful double-page spreads in soft yet vibrant colours, we follow a man on a journey after the loss of his cat. Wherever his steps take him — from Paris to London, across the sea and through the mountains — his mind projects the image of his beloved companion onto every landscape he encounters.
Little by little, his grieving process leads him to find the right place for his friend: in his heart, where he can carry the memory, warmth and love of his companion within him, peacefully.
A moving tribute to our feline companions and to the place they can hold in our lives — a comforting book about cherishing their memory and easing the pain of saying goodbye.
Author & Illustrator
Malaysian graphic artist Heng Swee Lim, aka ilovedoodle, is driven by one wish: to put a smile on the face of the Earth.
Best known in particular for his Instagram account, which has 470K followers, he has developed a modern and highly visual style through clean, often symbolic series that are fresh, positive and full of personality.
As a creator and designer, he has collaborated on numerous projects with major brands including Uniqlo in Japan, as well as Gap, Nike and Land of the Nord in the United States. His work has also been published and featured in Reader’s Digest and M, le magazine du Monde.
Following the beautiful and poetic Apolline et la Vallée de l’espoir (Grasset-Jeunesse, 2020), The Journey is his second children’s picture book published in France.
A tiny caterpillar hatches from its egg and discovers the world. A long journey lies ahead.
Its journey is marked by milestones and encounters that make it stronger: delicious leaves, the wind blowing hard, new companions, ups and downs…
Then, one morning, the caterpillar finds itself transformed. Something inside it has grown: it is ready to take flight.
Publication date: November 2026
Strong points:
◊ A simple yet profound text, rhythmic and poetic, with vocabulary tailored to young readers.
◊ A coming-of-age story for very young children: they can easily relate to the caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly.
◊ Cheerful gouache illustrations, featuring many vibrant colors and teeming with little details to discover.
◊ A unique design: as the story unfolds, the pages gradually get larger and larger to mirror the caterpillar’s growth.
Author & Illustrator
Sarah Andreacchio
Of Italian and English descent and living in Normandy (in Rouen), Sarah Andreacchio is a self-taught illustrator. She works in the fields of journalism, publishing, toys, stationery, and the decorative arts. Her visual style is both rich and delicate, featuring a palette of vibrant colors. She has illustrated some thirty children’s books published by Nathan, La Martinière, Hatier, Hachette Jeunesse, and international publishers.
On a rainy day, a woman that Lili has never seen before arrives at their house. Her dad introduces her as Mika, “his best friend.” Little by little, Mika takes up more space in their lives, and Lili doesn’t understand why. Their routines are turned upside down! How can they become a family this way, after spending so much time just the two of them? And what kind of relationship build with Mika, whom she has yet to get to know?
Strong points:
◊ An important and increasingly common topic: blended families and the role of the stepmother/father.
◊ Emma Bertin’s illustrations are colorful and cheerful; they sensitively bring to life this family.
◊ The first-person narrative is spot-on, further grounding the story in the child’s perspective.
Author & Illustrator
Adèle Tariel (author & illustrator)
Born in 1979 in Angers, Adèle Tariel devoured books and magazines since she is little – even hiding them under her comforter so she could read them again after bedtime. Today, she is a children’s journalist and the author of some thirty books (for children and teens). She has already published “La Vie Rêvée de M. Maniac .” (2019, illustrated by Jérôme Peyrat, now out of print) with L’Étagère du bas. She lives in Paris area.
Emma Bertin (illustrator)
Emma Bertin is an artist based in Marseille who thrives in the field of illustration. She regularly engages with the music scene by creating festival posters and painted stage sets. She also participates in “drawn concerts,” where she sketches live to classical music pieces. Passionate about children’s literature, she has had the opportunity to illustrate two anthology books: “Le voyage de Noah.” (Éditions du Conservatoire, 2021) and “La France à vélo. Les régions autrement, en pédalant.” (Albin Michel, 2026).
How was photography born?
To mark the bicentenary of photography, this book invites young readers to discover the fascinating story of an invention that transformed the way we see the world. With the arrival of photography, our gaze changed — along with the way we understand and imagine reality.
Illustrated with remarkable archival photographs, this non-fiction book takes a playful look at the extraordinary early history of photography, following its pioneering men and women and some of its most surprising developments.
Publication date: 5 November 2026
Key selling points :
◊ A universal subject brought into the spotlight by the bicentenary celebrations of photography.
◊ Short, accessible texts accompanied by games and activities designed to spark curiosity.
◊ A narrative focusing on extraordinary achievements and challenges, with the excitement of a record-breaking adventure.
◊ Unusual archival photographs illustrating the epic story of photography’s pioneers.
◊ Small illustrated scenes that bring this history vividly to life.
Authors & Illustrator
Aude Le Pichon (author)
A Paris-based editor and author, Aude Le Pichon has worked with numerous publishers, including Chêne, EpA, Hachette Éducation, La Martinière and Gallimard, on illustrated books devoted to art, travel, heritage and lifestyle.
In children’s publishing, she has worked with Éditions du Patrimoine, among others, on the Archi et Basile activity-book series. She was also responsible for the iconography of the large chronological timeline at the new Cité de l’Histoire in La Défense, Paris.
She has written several books for Flammarion and Seuil Jeunesse, including Mon petit livre d’art and La Grande galerie des monstres. For Éditions Cépages, Aude has already written Tours du Monde, the first title in the Mes Docs non-fiction series.
Marie Simon (author)
A graduate of the École du Louvre and the Institut d’Art et d’Archéologie, as well as Studio Berçot, Marie regularly contributes to the press and to publishers specialising in highly illustrated books.
An expert in fashion and fashion history, her other great passion is photography. Her books include La mode enfantine and Les Dessous, published by Éditions du Chêne, as well as “Paris à la mode des Séeberger” in Séeberger frères, Photographier Paris, 1900, published by Paris Musées.
Youlie (illustrator)
After studying visual communication, Youlie worked for twelve years as an art director in advertising before devoting herself to illustration. Since then, she has brought her creativity and playful imagination to numerous picture books and non-fiction titles published by Glénat, Marabout and Nathan.
What is a river? A place, an ecosystem, a natural resource, a danger, a communication route, an obstacle… Many definitions, depending on the observer’s perspective. The river is an indispensable element for humanity; it defines and shapes the land and landscape, and decisively influences everything it touches and flows near.
In this book, we will discuss flowing water and the extraordinary variety of organisms that inhabit it: fish, large mammals, amphibians, mollusks, insects, microorganisms, aquatic plants, and many others.
The river is also a delicately balanced system, clearly affected by human choices and actions, both global (such as climate change) and local (such as the decision to build a dam, modify its banks, or alter its course). In this book, we will explore these important, yet often underestimated, issues.
Authors & Illustrator
Danio Miserocchi (author) is a naturalist and teacher. He collaborates with numerous museums and local institutions and has always cultivated and enhanced biodiversity by conducting research and popularization activities, especially about the neglected species of fauna and flora living in our environments. His work alternates between popularization and research, with field trips and consultations, to “get his hands dirty” and keep a direct line with Nature.
Maciej Michno (author) obtained a specialist degree in computer science from the University of Trento in 2006 and is editor and administrative and management manager at Cocai Books. He has always been passionate about writing, translating, editing, proofreading and all the technical aspects of running a publishing house. He speaks four languages and has a great passion for human factors and for communicating science and technology through text and images.
Valentina Gottardi (illustrator) graduated in Architecture and Visual Arts. Since childhood she has cultivated his two great passions: nature and drawing. Over the years she attended numerous specialization courses and experimented with different artistic techniques, creating her own style made of ballpoint pen, acrylics and tablets. At Cocai Books she deals with the conception and management of all projects, artistic direction and illustration.
A CREATIVE JOURNEY IN YOUR POCKET
Even a small, simple stone can transform into something special.
This interactive picture book invites readers to observe closely, engage all their senses, and unleash their imagination and creativity, in a path to personal growth and freedom of expression.
But what is a stone? Where does it come from? What stories can it tell? And what can it become?
In this book, you will discover how to meet, explore, and transform it. For every stone holds a secret… and this is the story of yours. A stone is an ancient, silent legacy, an amulet of dust and time, ready to be recognized, so this book – ideal to be used in schools as a tool for sessions and workshops – introduces the magic of a unique kind of encounter: the one with our own innermost, creative selves.
At the end, an informative section gathers basic geological facts – starting with the Wentworth scale – to explore what stones are, how they form, and what they are made of, while also sharing fascinating details about their use in the animal world.
Warning! Reading this book might fill your pockets with new friends.
Publication date: April 2027
Note: Visuals are temporary
Author & Illustrator
SUSY ZANELLA
Illustrator and author based in Ferrara (born in 1978), she is published in Italy and abroad by leading children’s publishers.