Happy Birthday, Nina!

A tiny kitten, a birthday cake, and a path that seems to go on forever. This gentle adventure hides a giant surprise: the long, green road under the kitten’s paws is actually the very friend he’s going to visit!

The day before Nina’s birthday, a little kitten bakes a cake and sets off on a very long journey. He travels across a vast, green landscape, meeting a wise owl and even a wolf—who he peacefully charms with his flute. After sharing a snack with ladybugs and sleeping under the stars, he finally reaches his destination to eat the cake with Nina. Only then is the mystery revealed: Nina is a giant, incredibly long serpent, and those endless fields were actually her back. The kitten had been traveling across his friend the whole time!

Key Selling Points:

– A brilliant visual twist: the final reveal encourages children to look at the illustrations again, discovering that the “ground” was alive all along.
– The scale of friendship: a tender representation of how a tiny kitten and an enormous, long creature can share a bond that is literally miles long.
– The joy of the journey: the calm pace of the story celebrates the dedication of a friend who travels far just to share a birthday cake.

Author & Illustator:

Anna Curti studied at the Albertina Academy of Fine Arts and the Faculty of Architecture. Her refined background in graphic design led her to the world of publishing, where she has been a leading figure for over thirty years. As both an author and illustrator, she has collaborated with major international publishers, including Mondadori, Einaudi, Salani, Gakken (Tokyo), and Lapis.

Her poetic style is defined by a soft touch and a gentle line. She excels at telling stories of encounters and friendships that may seem impossible at first, but – much like the flowers she loves to draw – always find a way to bloom.