forlagid rights agency hverfisgata 54 | 101 reykjavik ... · gulbrandur snati and the sweet-tooth...

Forlagid Rights

Agency

New children’s books

Please note that a fund for the promotion of Icelandic literature operates under the auspices of the Icelandic Ministry of Education and Culture and subsidizes translations of literature.

For further information please write to: Icelandic Literature Center Hverfisgata 54 | 101 ReykjavikIcelandPhone +354 552 [email protected] | www.islit.is

SIF JOHANNSDOTTIR

[email protected]

VALGERDUR BENEDIKTSDOTTIR

[email protected]

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P I C T U R E B O O K S

F I C T I O N

S A G A S

Monsters in TroubleSkrímsli í vanda, 2017Oh no! Furry monster has come back to

visit little monster. Big monster hopes that

it will be a short visit, but it turns out to be

something else. Furry monster says he never

wants to go home again! Monsters in Trouble

is the ninth book about little monster and big

monster. The series has been translated into

many languages and has won all kinds of

awards and acknowledgements.

ASLAUG JONSDOTTIRT E X T A N D IL LUST R AT IONS

A SL AUG JONSDOT T IR ( b.1963) received

The Reykjavik Children’s Literature Prize for

her work as illustrator in 2000, and was nomi-

nated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award

the same year. Her illustrations have been

selected for the IBBY Honor List: Children’s Verses with text by Bodvar Gudmundsson

in 2004 and The Story of the Blue Planet with text by Andri Snaer Magnason in 2002,

for which she received the West-Nordic Children’s Book Prize and the UKLA Award

2014 along with the author. She was nominated to the 2015 Astrid Lindgren Memorial

Award for her work. aslaugjonsdottir.com

KALLE GÜETTLER

RAKEL HELMSDALT E X T

R A K EL HEL MSDA L lives in Torshavn in the Faroe Islands. She is an author of chil-

dren’s books, plays, and short stories.

K A L L E GÜ ET T L ER lives in Häverö in the Uppland province in Sweden. Kalle is an

author of fiction for children and teenagers, as well as textbooks and educational mate-

rial.

HARDCOVER30 pp, 15,5 x 29,5 cm

2–6 YEARS· 3 ·· 2 ·

I N DE X ┘


BIRGITTA HAUKDAL

T E X T

ANAHIT ALEQSANIANIL LUST R AT IONS

BIRGI T TA H AU K DA L (b.1979) is a celebrated pop star in Iceland.

For the past 20 years she has been writing music, singing, acting and work-

ing in the media. Birgitta also represented Iceland in the Eurovision song

contest in 2003. She is a mother of two and after the birth of her firstborn

her idea of the Lara series was born.

· 5 ·· 4 ·

I N DE X ┘


Lara and LjonsiLára og Ljónsi, 2017The story books about Lara and the stuffed lion

Ljonsi have been very popular with Icelandic chil-

dren between the ages of 3-6. Now these beloved

characters are also accessible to the very youngest

readers. Happy, colourful pictures make these

books fun to look at for children who are learning

their first words with Lara and Ljonsi.

6M+

BOARD BOOKS12 pp, 15,8 x 15,8 cm

Lara Goes to the PoolLára fer í sund, 2017Lara always likes going to the pool with grandpa

because he comes up with fun games to help Lara

practice swimming. Then comes the day that Lara

is brave enough to go down the slide.

3–6 YEARS

Christmas with LaraJól með Láru, 2017With all the excitement of getting ready for Christ-

mas, it’s hard for Lara to control her temper. She

decides to write Santa Claus a letter promising that

she’ll do better.

HARDCOVER48 pp, 14,9 x 21 cm

The Yule Cat – A Seasonal Makeover Jólakötturinn, 2017According to Icelandic folk law the Yule Cat is

an overgrown ferocious feline that stalks the

wintry Icelandic landscape and eats children!

In this considerably more charming story, Brian

Pilkington has lightened the character up some-

what by imagining what the Yule Cat is like

today, now that he has become a moth eaten,

flea bitten, lazy old geriatric that is in need of a

seasonal makeover.

This delightful story is ideal for children of

all ages, just about anyone that loves cats, or

indeed any moth eaten, flea bitten old geriatric

in need of a seasonal makeover that YOU might

know!

BRIAN PILKINGTONT E X T A N D IL LUST R AT IONS

BR I A N PILK I NGTON (b.1950) is very well known for

his brilliant book illustrations. He has written and illustrated

many books for children, which have been published in a

number of countries.

SOFTCOVER32 pp, 23 x 20 cm

Available in English

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I N DE X ┘


3–6 YEARS

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I N DE X ┘


Freyja and Frodi Go To the StoreFreyja og Fróði fara í búðir, 2017Freyja og Frodi love going to the store. There are

temptations everywhere they look, but the siblings

know that they can’t buy everything they want.

Still, it isn’t always easy to behave.

HARDCOVER32 pp, 15 x 15,5 cm

3–6 YEARS

KRISTJANA FRIDBJORNSDOTTIR T E X T

BERGRUN IRIS SAEVARSDOTTIR IL LUST R AT IONS

K R ISTJA NA F R IDB JOR NSDOT T IR (b.1976) received the

IBBY Spring Breeze award 2013 for her contribution to children’s

culture in Iceland. Her title The Travel Log of Olafia Arndis was

selected for the 2014 IBBY Honour List.

BERGRU N IRIS SAEVARSDOTTIR (b.1985) received the IBBY

Iceland s Children s Literature Prize 2016 for her contribution to

children s culture in Iceland.

Freyja and Frodi Get SickFreyja og Fróði eru lasin, 2017Freyja and Frodi are sick. It’s nice to cuddle and

rest, but there are lots of other things to do besides

watch television – as the siblings discover when

great-grandpa comes to babysit.

HARDCOVER32 pp, 15 x 15,5 cm

The Birthday Gift Afmælisgjöf, 2017It’s Kuggur’s birthday! Malfridur and her mother

give him an unusual birthday gift – a trip into

town on the national holiday, which also happens

to be his birthday! There he meets the President

as well as a statue by the name of Jon. Can stat-

ues have birthdays?

Sigrun Eldjarn’s stories about Kuggur and the

lively Malfridur and her mother have entertained

Icelandic bookworms for thirty years, always

taking readers by surprise. The Birthday Gift is

the sixteenth book about this dynamic trio.

· 7 ·· 6 ·

I N DE X ┘


4-9 YEAR

S

SIGRUN ELDJARN T E X T A N D IL LUST R AT IONS

SIGRU N EL DJA R N (b.1954) has written and illustrated

high on forty children’s books. She was the first author to

receive the Sogusteinn Children’s Book Award for her literary

career in 2007, having received up to that point several

awards and recognition for her work, among others Reykja-

vik Children’s Literature Prize three times and nominations

to the H.C. Andersen Award, the Nordic Council Children

and Young People’s literature Prize, the Icelandic Optimism

Prize and the West-Nordic Children’s Literature Prize.


Go Victoria! Áfram Sigurfljóð! 2017Victoria flies far across the world, over moun-

tains and fjords, countries and seas, over for-

ests and deserts. On the way, she sees airplanes

and air balloons, the sun, moon, and stars. She

sees volcanic eruptions and floods, rich chil-

dren and poor. Finally she sees Amira and Elias

– they’re not feeling well. They finished the last

of their food a long time ago, their clothes are

torn, and their homes are in ruins. But with

Victoria’s help, their lives will improve a lot!

Sigrun Eldjarn has written and illustrated

dozens of books for children. This is her

second book about Victoria.

4-9 YEAR

SHARDCOVER40 pp19,5 x 27 cm

· 9 ·· 8 ·

I N DE X ┘


5+ YEARS

BRYNHILDUR BJORNSDOTTIR,

KRISTIN EVA THORHALLSDOTTIR T E X T

BRY N HIL DU R BJORNSDOTTIR and KRISTIN EVA

THORHALLSDOTTIR have years of experience in producing

POPU L A R kids’ entertainment for radio and television.

Come Outside! - The Secret Traveling Society Komdu út, 2017Do you want to play outside, but don’t know

exactly what to do? Do you want to watch

birds? Examine bugs? Go hunting for trolls?

Or change into a mud monster? Then this is

the book for you!

Come Outside! is full of fun ideas for things

to do outside in nature, whether you’re down

by the beach, up on a mountain, or just out in

the yard.

· 9 ·· 8 ·

I N DE X ┘


SOFTCOVER48 pp, 21 x 29,7 cm

· 11 ·· 10 ·· 10 ·

I N DE X ┘


Here is Iceland!Íslandsbók barnanna, 2017 Every spring, over fifty species of migratory birds

come to Iceland and lay their eggs in the mild and

bright Arctic summer. In the winter snow covers the

ground and Northern Lights light up the sky. In Here

is Iceland you can read all about this volcanic island:

its birds and mammals, mountains and shores, hot

springs and geysers, people and culture – through

spring, summer, fall and winter.

Here is Iceland! by Margret Tryggvadottir and

Linda Olafsdottir was welcomed by Icelandic readers

of all ages. The book was nominated for the Icelandic

Literary Award and received the Women’s Literary

Award, the Reykjavik City Literary Award for illustra-

tions, and the award of the Association of Icelandic

Graphic Designers.SOFTCOVER96 pp25 x 30 cm


MARGRET TRYGGVADOTTIR T E X T

LINDA OLAFSDOTTIRIL LUST R AT IONS

M A RGR ET T RYG GVA DO T T IR (b.1972) is a freelance literary

editor, translator and writer of children‘s books. She is a member of

Althingi, the Icelandic Parliament since 2009.

L I N DA OL A FSDOT T IR (b.1978) has a BFA degree from the

Icelandic Academy of Arts and an MFA degree in Illustration from

the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She received the

IBBY Iceland Spring Breeze award in 2014. lindaolafsdottir.com

5–12 YEAR

S

http://lindaolafsdottir.com

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I N DE X ┘I N DE X ┘

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Gulbrandur Snati and the Sweet-Tooth Spies Gulbrandur Snati og nammisjúku njósnararnir, 2017Would you like to spend the whole summer in a

deserted village, miles away from anyone else

and without even a single piece of candy? “No,

thank you!” declare siblings Gunnar and Gyda.

But no one asked them. The one bright spot,

however, is their encounter with a mysterious

creature named Gulbrandur Snati. Good thing,

too, that they brought their CB radios so they

can eavesdrop on their mom and aliens. Then

a letter arrives from Captain Black Beard and

suddenly, the brother and sister have plenty to

keep them busy.

A fun story for bookworms aged 7-12 and any-

one else who enjoys exciting spy tales.


7-12 YEAR

S

BRYNHILDUR THORARINSDOTTIR T E X T

BERGRUN IRIS SAEVARSDOTTIR IL LUST R AT IONS

BRY N HIL DU R T HOR A R I NSDOT T IR (f.1970) has

written many children’s books, both modern stories as well

as popular transcriptions of the Icelandic sagas, for which

she won the Nordic Council Children and Young People‘s

Literature Prize in 2007. She received the Icelandic Chil-

dren’s Literature Prize for the mystery story The Lion’s

Secret in 2004 . She lectures at the University of Akureyri.

BERGRU N IR IS SA E VA R SDOT T IR (b.1985) received

the IBBY Iceland s Children s Literature Prize 2016 for her

contribution to children s culture in Iceland.

F I C T I O N

· 13 ·· 12 ·


AEVAR THOR BENEDIKTSSONT E X T

RAN FLYGENRINGIL LUST R AT IONS

A E VA R T HOR BE N EDIK TSSON (b.1984) has become

popular for his entertaining children’s books and programmes, on the

television and radio. He has won awards for scripts and stage plays as

well as a recognition for his work in science and education. His book

Your Very Own Fable won the Icelandic Bookseller Prize and the

Children‘s Book Prize as the best children‘s book of the year.

aevarwritesbooks.com

R A N F LYGE N R I NG (b.1987) is an award-winning illustrator

and graphic designer. She has published books both in Iceland and

Germany, where she has received the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis,

the German-French Youth literature prize and the Jahres-Luchs

prize, besides being nominated for the German Academy of Children’s

and Youth Literature Illustration prize Serafina and the Alma prize

(Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award).

Visitors from Outer Space Gestir utan úr geimnum, 2017

When Aevar the Scientist was almost twelve years

old, something terrible happened: his cat, Einstein,

disappeared without a trace. It soon turned out that

it wasn’t only Einstein who was missing, but all of the

pets in the city! And to make matters worse, a giant

spaceship crash-landed in the neighbourhood, and

it was full of dangerous aliens! Or is that what really

happened?

This series about Aevar the Scientist’s childhood has

received rave reviews, and has been nominated for

both the Icelandic Literature awards and was finalist

and first International Selection of the DeBardy Out-

standing Children‘s Book Awards 2016. SOFTCOVER194 pp14 x 22 cm

6+ YEARS

“The author’s command of teen-age

angst is the salient feature of this

prize-worthy book.

In sum: This is an author who needs

an English language edition.”T HE JUDGES OF THE 2016 DEBARY OUTSTANDING

CHILDREN’S SCIENCE BOOK AWARDS

F I C T I O N

5 BOOK SERIES

· 13 ·· 12 ·


8+ YEARS

Your Very Own FairytaleÞitt eigið ævintýri, 2017

A BOOK THAT WORKS LIKE A COMPUTER GAME— YOU DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!

Your Very Own Fairytale is the fourth book in the

ever-popular Your own- series, which has won both a

Children’s Book Prize and a Bookseller’s Prize.

Your Very Own Fairytale is different than other books.

Here, you are the hero and you control the action. The

setting is a very dangerous fairytale forest, packed full

of strange creatures and monsters. Will you end up in

the stomach of a wolf, or do you let yourself be tricked

by a delicious gingerbread house? Will the thorn bush

entangle you, or would you rather climb up a giant

beanstalk? It’s your choice!

• Over 50 different endings.

• Endings include everything from eternal happiness to sudden death.

• Adventurous fun for all children.

HARDCOVER309 pp 14 x 22 cm

“There is never a dull moment in the story ... exciting and fun.”

BOKMENNTIR.IS (ABOUT YOUR VERY OWN SCARY STORY)

F I C T I O N

5 BOOK SERIES

THORGRIMUR THRAINSSON T E X T

T HORGR I MU R T HR A I NSSON (b.1959) is an award-

winning author and free-lance journalist. His books for teen-

agers have been extremely popular in Iceland. He received

the Reykjavik Children’s Literature Prize in 1991 , the Visa

Cultural Award in 1992 and the Icelandic Children’s Litera-

ture Prize in 1997. Thrainsson was awarded the position of

city artist in Reykjavik 2013 for his contribution to children

and young people’s culture and the IBBY Icelandic Spring

Breeze award for his contribution to children’s culture in

Iceland.

Henri Scores a GoalHenri hittir í mark, 2017

How could a harmless plane trip become a long,

drawn-out, and hazardous ordeal? Henri’s life

changed forever when he became the Icelandic men’s

football team’s lucky charm at the UEFA Euro 2016

Championship in France. Once orphaned and home-

less, he’s now safely living with his foster mother and

brother in Annecy. One day, he receives an invitation

to a football match. In Reykjavik! But because it’s

Henri, this short trip to Iceland turns into a much

bigger adventure than ever expected. The first story

about Henri‘s adventures was a huge hit and here the

fun continues.

· 15 ·· 14 ·


7+ YEARS

F I C T I O N

HARDCOVER144 pp13,7 x 21 cm

· 15 ·· 14 ·


Grandma is Best Amma best, 2017

Dear reader, Stella here! If you’ve read Mommy is Nuts and

Professor Dad, you know who I am. You can’t even imagine

what happened in the weeks before my confirmation. It was

so amazing that I had to write another book! I don’t want to

say too much, but we’re talking about a contest between life

and death, and DEATH itself (I’m not kidding!), and finally

my grandma in Copenhagen – the best grandma. Have fun!

Regards, Stella (alive and kicking).

Gunnar Helgason has long been among the nation’s most

popular children’s authors. Previous books about Stella

and her family have been complete hits, and Mommy is

Nuts won the author an Icelandic Literature Prize in the

children’s literature category.

GUNNAR HELGASON T E X T

RAN FLYGENRINGIL LUST R AT IONS (see author information on page 12)

GU N NA R HEL GA SON (b.1965) is a popular actor and

well known for all kinds of entertaining material for children

which has enjoyed great popularity for some years. Amongst

other things he has directed a popular children’s program

on Icelandic State TV. He received the IBBY Spring Winds

award 2013 for his contribution to children’s culture in

Iceland.

HARDCOVER250 pp, 14 x 21 cm

8+ YEARS

F I C T I O N

“Children’s books of the year.” MORGUNBLADID (ABOUT MOMMY IS NUTS AND PROFESSOR DAD)

KRISTIN HELGA GUNNARSDOTTIR T E X T

K R IST I N HEL GA GU N NA R SDOT T IR has in the past

years established herself as one of the most popular writers

in Iceland. For her numerous books for children she has

received many rewards and nominations, among them the

West-Nordic Children’s Literature Prize and the Reykjavik

City Children’s Book Award.

· 17 ·· 16 ·


Be Invisible - the Story of Ishmael‘s EscapeVertu ósýnilegur – Flóttasaga Ishmaels, 2017

The way down Death Street is smooth tonight. They wind

their way between carpets that hang across the street

here and there to block the view of snipers.

– The magic is to imagine that one is invisible, Ishmael,

when you meet these armed men. Make yourself tiny and

don’t look anyone in the eye. Hurry to where you are go-

ing without running. It makes them suspicious if you run.

Once Ishmael lived in a lively city where merchants

sold their wares in the soukh and children ran around

in a fairytale world. Now he is fourteen years old and

his city is a warzone. When his home is destroyed, he

has no other choice than to flee and try to find shelter

in a peaceful country. But the path of escape is danger-

ous and he must again risk his life. In the meantime, a

small family in Iceland struggles to take on the difficult

task of settling into a new country, achieving small

victories every day.

Kristin Helga Gunnarsdottir has written many books

for children and teenagers. Be Invisible – The Story of

Ishmael’s Escape is a novel built on interviews, news,

and other sources about the civil war in Syria, the fate

of the people, and their destiny.

HARDCOVER200 pp 13,5 x 21 cm

12+ YEARS

I N DE X ┘

F I C T I O N

· 17 ·· 16 ·


GUNNAR THEODOR EGGERTSSONT E X T

GU N NA R THEODOR EGGERTSSON (b.1982) has a degree

in literature and cinema. He received the Icelandic Children’s

Literature Prize for his first book, The Stone Animals.

Magic DisaGaldra-Dísa, 2017

Disa looks like a perfectly normal high school

student, but this is far from the truth. In reality,

she is three hundred years old with magical

powers, powers she’s used to battle monsters

and demons from the past. These days, she only

uses her powers for fun, but in a reckless

moment, she inadvertently awakens an un-

known force, sending her on a life-threatening

adventure. Magic Disa is a stand-alone contin-

uation of Dead Disa, which received universal

critical acclaim when it came out in 2015.


11+ YEARS

F I C T I O N

“An original, gripping, and exciting horror story that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.”

FRETTABLADID DAILY (ABOUT DEAD DISA)

· 18 ·


BRYNHILDUR THORARINSDOTTIRR ETOL D

MARGRET E. LAXNESS IL LUST R ATOR

BRY N HIL DU R T HOR A R I NSDOT T IR (author information

on page 11)

M A RGR ET E . L A X N ESS (f. 19 61) is an illustrator and

designer who has illustrated children’s books of all kinds.

The Saga of NjállNjáls saga, 2017

The Saga of Njáll is an epic story of two Viking families

living on the south coast of Iceland in the late 10th

century. Njáll is a peaceful man who is widely respected

for his wisdom, legal knowledge and accurate prophecies.

These qualities are put to the test as his best friend is out-

lawed, his wife wages a vendetta against the neighbours,

and his sons become increasingly unpredictable and vio-

lent. Njáll struggles to restore peace and order, but he is

haunted by terrifying visions of evils yet to come. Indeed,

the merciless witches of fortune have already chosen each

of them a harsh fate.

Believed to be written in the late 13th century, The Saga

of Njáll is without doubt the best-known Icelandic Saga.

It is a literary treasure and an action-packed thriller that

has been told and retold in Iceland for at least seven hund-

red cold and dark winters. In this illustrated version, nov-

elist Brynhildur Thórarinsdóttir and artist Margrét E.

Laxness bring the great warriors, tragic heroes and rotten

scoundrels of The Saga of Njáll to life once again in a book

suitable for the whole family.



8+ YEARS

S A G A S

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