The Water of Life
22.11.2011K. J. Erben (1811 – 1870) was one of the most important Czech writers of the 19th century, who inspired a number of later works of art and cultural
activities.
He was fascinated by the alleged mysteries hidden in folklore. As a folklore collector, he concentrated on narrative poems, legends
and ballads and like the German romanticists (Grimm brothers) Erben also collected fairy tales. He looked for elements of ancient myths in living folk
narratives. When editing fairy tales, Erben...
Dragon Soup (10+)
21.11.2011Long has two lives. While at home he speaks Vietnamese and eats with chopsticks, at school he speaks Czech, eats with silverware, and is called Láďa. He lives with his mom and granddad in a Prague apartment block. But there is one more member of the household— the invisible Master Kung, an ancient Chinese philosopher. Long knows of his father only from the dragon legend that his mom has been telling him since he was little. The life of the family is defined by the daily rituals that granddad...
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Grandpas (6+)
21.11.2011A graphic novel of sorts, composed of nine stories without words, presents unusual protagonists: old men. One of them is still as wild as an urchin kid, even at his age, going around with his sling; another poses on trams as the Lord Almighty; yet another lives in the past – at the time of transports to concentration camps, while another pretends to be an Indian warrior. In this homage to the old age and to all grandfathers of the world, Pavel Čech demonstrates his highly poetic imagination;...
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And Then It Happened! (6+)
21.11.2011Ten tales about little things that kids don’t mind and parents can’t stand.
Uncombed hair, unwashed ears, unwiped noses, unbrushed teeth,
untied shoelaces, messy toys, messy eating, tattling—these are things kids don’t even want to hear about. But then something unbelievable happens,
and the naughty kids better be good quick if they want to be nice happy children again! So read carefully! Ten tales about little things that kids
don’t mind and parents can’t stand.
Included in...
Baba Jaga, Bone-Leg (5+)
20.11.2011Alena Ježková, one of the most adored authors of contemporary Czech children’s books, has now chosen to tell the most famous Russian fairy tales in a fresh new way. Older readers will delight in the stories of their youth, and younger readers will discover wonderful tales and realize that the horror genre is nothing new. Not only will they be introduced to such legendary figures from the world of fairy tales as Finist the glorious falcon and wise Vasilisa, but they will be terrified by Baba...
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Daddy, This One Was Great (6+)
20.11.2011A family story disguised as three unusual fairy tales. It describes what it is like when bedtime stories are told by father instead of mother, and
when children want the dad to make up the tales rather than just read them.
Bedtime stories are mostly told to children by their mothers;
however, they usually have the most work to do at night. So fathers should step in and help. Father Šíma would like to read the bedtime stories, but
Petřík and Petruška prefer the stories that their...
The Postman Wind (5+)
20.11.2011Radek Malý, ill. Pavel Čech | 215 x 215 mm, 40 pp | children’s poetry
MAGNESIA LITERA nomination
Radek Malý, one of the most
respected young Czech poets, has teamed up with the award-winning illustrator Pavel Čech to create a moving, dreamlike book of children’s poetry
about autumn. Evoking the gentle breeze of autumn and the subtle dance of falling leaves, the book cannot fail to charm readers of any age. Radek
Malý’s poems are both playful and somber, merry and nostalgic,...
Mr. McWurst and Mr. Toothpickson (5+)
20.11.2011When these two first met, they just had to laugh. They both laughed at themselves because one looked like a barrel and the other like a bean-pole. But they liked each other right off the bat, and headed off to Rosemary’s restaurant to cement their friendship. The first man was named McWurst and, true to his name, he ordered a dozen plates of bratwurst and bread; the second, Mr. Toothpickson, ordered linden tea and a cracker. As they dined Mr. Toothpickson had a brilliant idea. He had read in...
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Greek myths (8+)
20.11.2011The most beautiful and best-known myths and legends of ancient Greece. Over the course of 22 stories readers will visit different countries, get to
know themselves with mysterious creatures and miraculous animals, and primarily a large family of gods of Olympus – their fabulous power, their
virtues and weaknesses.
Alena Ježková, illustrations Michaela Kukovičová | 195 x 255 mm, 176 pp, 2009
languages: CZ, SK. Original
Czech title: Řecké báje
The World’s...
Max and Sally (6+)
19.11.2011Miloš Macourek, il. Adolf Born | 235 x 235 mm | SERIES
lanugages: CZ, CH, LV, HU, RU, GER
Selected in 1001 Children's Books You Must
Read Before You Grow Up (Universe 2009) - a guide to the best classic and contemporary children’s literature.
Max and Sally have found a
magic telephone receiver that can fulfil every wish. No wonder they experience strange things with it: they turn their dog friend Jonathan into a boy
who comes along with them to school; they travel...
Stories of Figs the Megadog (5+)
16.11.2011Little Aya gets a puppy. She can’t speak very well yet – she’s only a little girl – so instead of Rex, which was originally supposed to be his
name, shed calls her puppy Figs. What a surprise when Figs grows and grows: he soon outgrows all doghouses – he has become a giant size dog, a
megadog! He uses his size to his advantage: he learns to fetch the father’s newspaper, he wins a horse race, he saves Aya, gets to school and gets
hired as a boatman.
Rudolf Čechura, illustrations...
Fimfarum Third Time Lucky (6+)
1.11.2011The book contains three Jan Werich's fairy tales originally published in the collection “Fimfárum”: How the Giants in the Sumava Mountains Died
Out, A King has three Sons and Reason and Good Fortune.
The selected stories are complement with captures from the 3D animation film based on
them, and artwork design documents including 3D pictures.
French distributor prepares a huge release of the film under the title Le Jardinier
qui voulait etre roi.
Stories by the Czech comedian...
Little Mole
4.6.2011Zdeněk Miler | different formats | translated into 22 languages
Sold over 5 milions of copies worldwide
Little Mole is an
animated character created for a series of cartoons more than 50 years ago.This fair, friendly, wise and helpful personage quickly won enormous
popularity in many countries in central, eastern and northern Europe, Germany, France, Austria as well as in Russia, Japan and China.
Figs the Megadog (5+)
3.6.2011Rudolf Čechura | illustrations Jiří Šalamoun (nominated on Hans Christien Andersen award) | SERIES, funny stories
A series of books
for children (age 5+) contains differentadventures of the little puppy Figs, who grew up into a giant-sized dog. Thetext and illustrations
characterize the ingenious humor, appreciated bychildren as well as adults.
Jiří Šalamoun - Born in Prague 1935 is one of
those original, multitalented, imaginative Prague artists this...
Hromnice (7+)
2.6.2011This story of a little girl with the unusual name Hromnice has a positive message that will appeal to children and adults alike. The text exudes a
spirit of peacefulness and optimism, and it isn’t lacking in the humor department either. In a literary contest held by Albatros Publishing in 2009,
the book’s manuscript won the award for Best Original Czech Prose. It is accompanied by the colorful illustrations of Zuzana Seye.
When a storm
brings darkness to nature and anxiety oppresses the...
Little Ann and her Friends (7+)
13.3.2011A lively and readable story on little schoolgirls and on everything that girls whisper to each other and like to read. Parents of Ann, the main
character, have left for Africa on business, and so Ann stays with her grandmother in a village for the whole year. First, she is slightly afraid of
the new environment but soon makes friends with two of her schoolmates and experiences great girly adventures with them.
Ivana Peroutková,
il. Eva Mastníková, 145 x 120 mm, hard cover
From Spring to Spring (3+)
1.3.2011František Hrubín, il. Matěj Forman | 210 x 235 mm, 120 pp | children's poetry
The work of František Hrubín belongs to the treasury of
Czech poetry and his verses for children form its integral and significant part.
Selection of rhymes and poems offer to the youngest the first
language lessons which combine cognition and a fine aesthetic sense. The verses have magic impact, underlined by resounding rhyme and a pronounced
rhythm.
Books is richly and beautifully...
The Little Bear Book (7+)
27.2.2011Bears, as we all know, tend to live on their own—but Nedvěd and Mishka have decided to live together. Nedvěd is a burly, old grouch; Mishka is still a cub. But these bears enjoy more than just hibernating—they also like coming up with schemes to get tasty treats. And so one day they set out to scare hikers so they can take their picnic baskets and backpacks; another day they pretend to be rare pandas; they even empty out a chicken coop on the pretext of protecting mankind from bad...
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Second Reading (7+)
26.2.2011is the series that follows First Reading.
Under the “We Can Read on Our Own” subtitle, this series is for more advanced readers who have
already mastered basic reading techniques and can read without difficulty.
While reading abilities of young students can vary quite a bit, this
series will most likely appeal to children in the second and third grade. Second Reading contains a wide variety of poetic and humorous
stories—fairy tales and stories of children, animals, and objects....
First Reading (6+)
26.2.2011the core series of Albatros Publishing, is intended for beginning readers: children in the first and second grade who have already mastered the basic
techniques of reading.
Large and easy-to-read fonts in a square format perfectly sized for children’s hands, creative covers marked
distinctively, suitable content in short chapters, rich illustrations with lush colors—these are all attributes that make this established series a
favorite among readers.
These kind stories and humorous...
The Boy and the Dog (8+)
25.2.2011Ivona Březinová han opened delicate issues such as drugs, bulimia, anorexia or Alzeimer’s disease already in her previous books for children and
youth. This time the author approaches the world of a disabled boy and his animal helper, an assistance dog.
The story of main hero – the
wheelchair user, who goes to school and play with his healthy friends, complements the world of his assistance dog experiencing his own school year in
a training course for assistance dog together with his...
Ghost Nanny (6+)
24.9.2010The “White Lady” ghost, Perchta of Rožmberk, no longer enjoys haunting every night. For four hundred and sixteen years she has been stuck within
an old painting, only getting to stretch her stiff bones during her midnight walks along the castle walls. So she decides to post an ad as a nanny,
and she becomes the au pair of five little rascals. The book is filled with super-natural and just plain super tales.
Golden Ribbon
2010
Pavel Brycz, il. Eva Sýkorková...
Seventh Heaven
23.9.2010Seventh Heaven
Jiří Kolář, Vladimír Fuka, 1964 | 210 x 235 mm, 172 pp | RIDDLES AND GAMES
Illustrated jokes, rebuses and games
for children as for adults
At the beginning was the idea to draw a diary, every day from the year draw one picture and meet one funny story
– so was born the Vladimir Fuka’s artwork. Then the painter-poet met a poet-painter, Jiri Kolar, who wrote the texts. The result is a fantastic
artifact full of humor, non-senses, beautiful pictures,...
New York (for lovers of beautiful books)
23.9.2010Zdeněk Mahler, illustrations Vladimír Fuka | 210 x 235 mm, 152 pp, 2009
Languages: CZ, coming soon: PL
A unique, timeless
publication for all readers and lovers of beautiful books, regardless of age
BOOK OF THE YEAR
Published in CZ in 2008, the first
version of the book originated for Albatros publishing house as early as in 1968 (although the book did not see the light due to Fuka’s emigration
and the Soviet invasion).
The city, which never...
1952 Diary (for lovers of beautiful books)
22.9.2010Vladimír Fuka | 210 x 277 mm, 144 pp, 2010 | MAGNESIA LITERA NOMINATION
languages: CZ + EN
Striking artistic expressions of anxiety
felt under an oppressive regime
Diary 1952 is one of the most striking artistic expressions of anxiety felt under an oppressive regime. It
has been compared to Goya’s Los Caprichos – and such comparisons are by no means exaggerated as Vladimír Fuka’s drawings and collages have a
unique power that can only be achieved through sublime...
One Year with Hurvinek (4+)
15.9.2010Helena Šťáchová | 195 x 255 mm | 112 pp | 2011
Spejbl and Hurvinek, two Czech popular marionettes, celebrated 80th anniversary in 2010.
The Spejbl and Hurvinek Theatre has performed in 31 countries on four continents, including Germany, USA, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, India, Egypt, Jordan,
Mexico and Spain and offers to the audience genuine entertainment full of fantasy and gentle humor accompanied by technical perfection.
For the
first time this popular characters appear also in...
Bob and Bobbie (5+)
30.8.2010Jaroslav Pacovský, Jiří Šebánek, Pavel Šrut, illustrations Vladimír Jiránek | SERIES
languages: CZ, SK, HU, PL
Funny
adventures of two rabbits living in a magician's hat
A trio of Czech authors - Jiránek, Pacovský and Šebánek – created at the
end of 1970s a likable duo – two white rabbits, Bob and Bobbie. They cannot be described as fairy-tale creatures because their appearance,
abilities and characteristic features are absolutely deeply rooted in this world....
Bee Bears (4+)
27.8.2010Jiří Kahoun, illustrations Ivo Houf | SERIES
languages: CZ, SK, HU, PL
Popular joyful stories about two Bee Bear brothers
Speak of the Devils (7+)
26.8.2010Jiří Kahoun, illustrations Ivo Houf | 195 x 255 mm, 96 pp, 2010
languages: CZ, SK
10 devilishly humorous tales
The
mighty ruler Griper, jabbering Boggy, limping smart-aleck Bristler, stuttering Hissle, and fidgety little Firecracker are rascally little devils. They
would rather not sleep and lounge around their little inferno. What really wakes them up is when there is something good to munch on, or some mischief
to be had—which is almost always! Sometimes...
Heartbeats and Drumbeats (5+)
25.8.2010Jan Jirků, Robert Smolík | 163 x 238 mm, 48 pp, 2010
language: CZ
Modern fairy-tale
The modern fairy-tale tells the
story of three gnomes on the quest to bring back the stolen ring of princess Květuška. The book is based on a successful performance of Minor
Theatre, the most respected and widely popular Czech theatre for children.
Jan Jirků graduated from the Theatre Academy in Prague; in the
years 2004—2006, he was the artistic director of Minor...
Generation Zero
18.8.2010The anthology Generation Zero collects the best short comics published in the Czech Republic during the last decade. The collection spans the
exceptionally broad spectrum of the styles and subjects that define contemporary Czech comics.
Generation 0 won a prestigious 2010 Golden Ribbon
for publishing.
Lips Tullian
15.7.2010The story of Lips Tullian, the most feared prince of thieves, was created by Kája Saudek and Jaroslav Weigel. The comics appeared as a serial throughout the 70s in the magazine Mladý Svět; it was one of the few high-quality and ideology-free comics available in Communist Czechoslovakia. Lips Tullian was a historical figure who served as the model for Karl Moor in Friedrich Schiller’s classic, The Robbers (1781), and as the subject for the fifty-nine pages of comics illustrated by Saudek and...
more...
Muriel and the Orange Death
15.7.2010This masterpiece by Kája Saudek, one of the Czech comic book greats, waited forty years to be published. A vast and monumental graphic novel, Muriel
and the Orange Death is Saudek’s reflection on the 1968 Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia. The book was supposed to come out in 1970, but was
published only in December, 2009. Missing pages prevented earlier printings after 1989. Within two months of the book’s publication, the entire
printing completely sold out.
Kája Saudek, Miloš...
Emma and the Magical Book (7+)
15.7.2010Petra Braunová, illustrations Tomáš Řízek | 195 x 255 mm, 96 pp, 2010
languages: CZ, SK
Mysterious and touching fairy tale.
AWARDS:
SUK 2010 - Children's Choice Award (the winner)
SUK 2010 - Librarian's Award (the winner)
Ten year old Emma
cannot remember that she ever lived anywhere else but the sad and poor orphanage. Although she wears the same institutional uniform as everyone else
there, something sets her apart—she can see and hear what...
Brave Little Car (2+)
14.7.2010Boardbook for all little travelers! Playful poems, illustrated by the talented artist Jitka Petrova, tell a story of small, brave yellow car that
encounters numerous adventures on its journey. The book helps developing children’s memory and attention, providing parents with a much-needed
chance to spend some quality time with their children while reading the book.
Jiří Žáček, illustrations Jitka Petrová
240 x 160
mm | 12 pp | board book
Jolly Choo Choo (2+)
14.7.2010Jan Čarek, il. Zdeněk Miler | 240 x 160 mm | 12 pp | board book
A funny little poem about a small train engine and its journey between
two stations. We meet the dispatcher, the ticket controller and the driver. There are also lots of traffic lights, tracks, track switches and bridges.
Jolly Choo Choo works hard and finally enjoys well deserved rest.
Aurora (6+)
14.7.2010Martina Doležalová, il. Zuzana Klementová | 163 x 238 mm, 56 pp, 2009
languages: CZ, SK
A children’s book rendered in an
unprecedented, alternatively illustrated style.
The book is entitled “Aurora and the Rider from the Other Side”; and in the words of
the author “a wide river flows through the centre of the story”. The pivotal focus of this baladic fairy-tale is the relationship between the king
and his horse. At the very beginning of the story a young king sees...
Ku-ku! (2+)
13.7.2010This very classic board book was published for the first time already in 1941. Illustrated by Josef Lada, a Czech painter and illustrator known
especially for his illustrations of the novel The Good Soldier Švejk and the adventures of Mikesch, a little black cat who could talk.
Josef Lada
240 x 160 mm | 16 pp | boardbook
Cars Stories (5+)
13.7.2010Jiří Kahoun | il. Bohumil Fencl | 163 x 238 mm, 76 pp, 2009
language: CZ, SK
Bestseller 2009!
Short stories full of cars!
Following the success of “Stories of Train Engines” this book come with two dozen tales inspired by the world of fast cars and engines. All
stories are about the four wheels, but each in a different form, different size and meet with them at various places.
Stories of Train Engines (5+)
10.7.2010Jiří Kahoun | il. Jiří Fixl | 163 x 238 mm, 72 pp, 2007
languages: CZ, SK
Short stories full of trains, engines, train
dispatchers, conductors as well as children and animals. The author was inspired by a fascinating railway world. His tales deal with railway and train
motifs in a variety of forms, creating a totally bizarre and poetic world.
A Dog's Life in Winter Prague (8+)
9.7.2010Pavla Skálová, il. Martina Skala | 195 x 255 mm, 80pp, 2007
languages: EN, CZ
We are three friends, two puggie-doggies - that is
two pug girls - and one pussycat, a Persian, and we all live with our master in an old house by the river, in a neighborhood called "by the
riverbank", near the bridge that is even older...
Life in old Prague, as the doggies see it.
Once upon a time there were kittens (4+)
8.7.2010Ljuba Štíplová, il. Josef Váňa, Marcela Walterová | 195 x 255 mm, 64 pp, 1999
languages: CZ, SK
Six humorous stories about three
small kittens who have lots of adventures.
First the kittens want to charm an aching tooth, then they don't want to wash behind their ears
- they would rather sell them.
In another story they make chalk drawings all around the house, and they try to find "Cat roots" which would make
them wise.
They paint everything they can...
Funny Adventures of the Primeval Man (6+)
7.7.2010Seven funny stories of a primeval man presenting the development of the mankind in a light, entertaining way.
Pavel Teisinger, il. Josef
Lamka and Marcela Walterová, 56 pp, 195 x 255 mm
From the same series: The Primeval Man and the Primeval Woman, New Adventures of the Primeval
Man
Pat and Mat (5+)
29.6.2010Jaroslav Pacovský, Jiří Šebánek, illustrations Vladimír Jiránek | 235 x 235 mm, 64pp, 2006
Languages: CZ, SK, PL
Funny
reading for children and their fathers
Two handy men who always strive to solve a particular problem. In doing so they use different,
usually insuitable, tools which leads to further problems. In the end, the twosome solves the dilemma by using the least effective method. Sparkling
wit used in the stories is not purposeless, it serves as...
Gravelpebble and Agary (5+)
28.6.2010Václav Čtvrtek, illustrations Zdeněk Smetana | 235 x 235 mm, 136 pp, 1974
languages: CZ, SK, HU, PL
Two little guys from a house
made of a stub: one is rather skinny, while the other is quite fat but they complement each other perfectly. They love their common household and they
have time for a lot of amusing and useful activities. Who is the best at planting a seed, at making a swing, at shooting a big gun or greeting a
little mouse, or setting alight a “flaming goblin”?...
Rakosnicek the Reed Gnome and the Stars (6+)
27.6.2010Rakosnicek, a jolly, big-nosed restless gnome with seven hairs on his head lives on the shore of the Brčálník pond. In this series of
Rakosnicek’s adventures, the gnome heads for the skies above. When Brčálník is veiled by pitch-darkness and the first stars glitter on the
pond’s surface, the gnome’s sky adventures with Big Dipper, Sagittarius, Dragon, Eagle, Cancer, Aquarius or Polaris begin. Rakosnicek and the
Stars tells you what wonders you can see in the night sky.
Jaromír...
Incredible September (10+)
25.6.2010This modern, exciting and funny story is a great reading, particularly for boys. Strange things happen around the main character, 10-years-old Tomas.
When his friends and he hide in a field, circles appear around them, and after some time he encounters alien beings from another planet.
Petra Braunová, 116 pp, 114 x 194 mm
Great Book of Extraordinary Animals (10+)
23.6.2010Ladislav Konečný | il. Jozef Gertli Danglár | 163 x 238 mm, 104 pp
language: Czech
Herman Melville, Emile Zola, Kafka, Woolf,
Virgin, Anatole France, Oscar Wilde, Rudyard Kipling, Svatopluk Cech - masters of the written word, whose work is still alive and inspiring. In this
book we bring you an anthology of their texts, where animals perform many in a variety of forms and characteristics.
Mikes (6+)
22.6.2010The little tomcat Mikes, who could speak, lived in the cobbler’s familyin the small village of Hrusice. His best friend was the cobbler’s son
Joey.They did many funny things with Pasik the pig, Bobes the buck and Nacicek, asilly little kitten. Mikes wants to see the world and travels with a
circus fora while. East, west, home is best – in the end he returns to his old friendsagain. A classic Czech story by the illustrator Josef Lada.
Text and illustrations: Josef Lada, 340 pp,...
Kubula and Kuba Kubikula (6+)
22.6.2010Vladislav Vančura, il. Zdeněk Miler | 163 x 238 mm, 88 pgs
languages: CZ, SK
When Vladislav Vančura published his only children’s
book in 1931, it came as a great surprise to his readers: the high priest of Czech literary modernism managed here to transform his complex,
ornamental style into an easy-to-read, sweet story whose popularity has not diminished in the decades which followed.
The story of a boy,
Kuba Kubikula, and his bear cub Kubula, is set in “the times...
A New Interpretation of Popular Verne Novels
16.6.2010Ondřej Neff is a recognized author of sci-fi literature. An expert and collector of Jules Verne’s works, he has now abridged and interpreted these
stories. They are now more accessible and attractive illustrations from Zdeněk Burian elevate this book into the collector’s category.
Jules Verne, Ondřej Neff, illustrations Zdeněk Burian | format of the series: 163 x 238 mm, hard cover
Other titles
in the series: Two Years' Vacation, Mathias Sandorf ,...
Nine Tales (6+)
15.6.2010Karel Čapek, arguably the best Czech writer, wrote this collection of modern fairy tales as a sort of divertiment from his serious work. Čapek’s
Nine Tales have been the symbol of Czech quality children’s literature for more than seventy years.
Karel Čapek, il. Josef Čapek, 163
x 238 mm, 256 pp
The Shepherd and the Castle (6+)
1.6.2010The heroes in the stories of this book are exclusively boys who, through endurance, wisdom, and courage, overcome a multitude of obstacles and
dangers.
13 stories have been selected from different corners of the world—England, Romania, Ireland, Spain, Italy, France, China, and
Holland.
Stories (not only) for boys
Jan Vladislav, il. Jana Stankovianska
195 x 255 mm, 160 pp, hardcover
K. J. Erben (1811 – 1870) was one of the most important Czech writers of the 19th century, who inspired a number of later works of art and cultural
activities. He was fascinated by the alleged mysteries hidden in folklore. As a folklore collector, he concentrated on narrative poems, legends...
Ten tales about little things that kids don’t mind and parents can’t stand. Uncombed hair, unwashed ears, unwiped noses, unbrushed teeth, untied shoelaces, messy toys, messy eating, tattling—these are things kids don’t even want to hear about. But then something unbelievable happens, and th...
A graphic novel of sorts, composed of nine stories without words, presents unusual protagonists: old men. One of them is still as wild as an urchin
kid, even at his age, going around with his sling; another poses on trams as the Lord Almighty; yet another lives in the past – at the time of
transp...