SPRING 2025 CATALOG
From Sato the Rabbit, Morning Light (Enchanted Lion) • Written and illustrated by Yuki Ainoy; translated from Japanese by Michael Blaskowsky
The Grammar of Fantasy
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF INVENTING STORIES
WRITTEN BY GIANNI RODARI; ILLUSTRATED BY MATTHEW FORSYTHE; TRANSLATED FROM ITALIAN BY JACK ZIPES
From the father of modern Italian children’s literature, a guide to fairy tales and their potential for teaching creative storytelling to children—with radiant illustrations from Matthew Forsythe and a refreshed translation from Jack Zipes
“The ultimate synthesis of Rodari’s exuberant knowledge, a book of both pedagogy and poetics, poetry for teachers and pedagogy for poets.” —Italo Calvino
A groundbreaking pedagogical work that is also a handbook for writers of all ages and kinds, The Grammar of Fantasy offers a playful, practical path to finding your own voice through the power of storytelling. Full of ideas, glosses on fairy tales, stories, and wide–ranging activities, this book changed how creative arts were taught in Italian schools.
Gianni Rodari is not only revered as a children’s author, but also remembered for his visionary pedagogy, and it is these two fields he combines in this revolutionary essay collection. Translated into English by acclaimed scholar of folklore and children’s literature Jack Zipes, and with original art from illustrator Matthew Forsythe, this edition of The Grammar of Fantasy is one to live with and return to for its humor, intelligence, and remarkable understanding of children.
Gianni Rodari is widely considered the father of modern Italian children’s literature. In 1960, he collaborated with the Education Cooperation Movement to develop exercises to encourage children’s creative and critical thinking abilities. The recipient of the prestigious Andersen Prize in recognition of his contribution to children’s literature, he was also one of Italy’s most important educators and an activist who understood the liberating power of the imagination. Jack Zipes is a renowned children’s historian and folklorist who has written, translated, and edited dozens of books on fairy tales (Breaking the Magic Spell, The Irresistible Fairy Tale, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm). He is professor emeritus of German and comparative literature at the University of Minnesota. Matthew Forsythe is the award–winning author–illustrator of Pokko and the Drum and MINA, and illustrator of The Gold Leaf. He was also a designer on the animated shows Adventure Time and The Midnight Gospel, as well as the Oscar–nominated animated film Robin Robin. He lives in Los Angeles.
RIGHTS: World English
SELLING POINTS
RODARI’S LEGACY OF IMAGINATION: Following the success of ELB’s edition of Telephone Tales (2020), this is a major work in pedagogy and storytelling, children’s studies and cultural studies, from the father of modern Italian’s children’s literature.
A REFRESHING TAKE ON STORYTELLING AND ITS USES:
This guide to unleashing the imagination in creative writing proposes theoretical structures and practical exercises to engage the young (and young at heart) in storytelling.
LIBERATORY GUIDE FOR ANY CREATOR OR ARTMAKER: Can be used as a self–help book for any creator seeking to unblock themselves and nourish and unleash their own creativity and critical thinking.
ILLUSTRATED FOR THE FIRST TIME: Award–winning illustrator Matthew Forsythe has created luminous, expressive art to imbue Rodari’s seminal text with fresh visual life.
SPECIFICATIONS
*Color illustrations throughout *316 pages
*WIDTH: 6 1/4" - 159mm
*HEIGHT: 9 1/4" - 235mm
*Hardcover with jacket
PUB MONTH: MARCH
ISBN 978-1-59270-305-0
US $29.95 CAN $40.95 UK £21.99
ËxHSLFTCy703050z
CARTON QTY: 20
ebook ISBN 978-1-59270-457-6
The Boy Who Became a Parrot
A FOOLISH BIOGRAPHY OF EDWARD LEAR WHO INVENTED NONSENSE WRITTEN BY WOLVERTON HILL; ILLUSTRATED BY LAURA CARLIN
Written with style and heart by Wolverton Hill and illustrated with whimsical art by Laura Carlin, this love letter to Edward Lear brings him wonderfully to life for young readers
Edward Lear popularized the limerick as we know it and invented the modern literary genre of nonsense, made famous by Lewis Carroll. But did you know that as a teenager, he was a natural history artist on par with John J. Audubon? He has a memorial in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey, placing him among the UK’s most important authors. Yet even still, Lear seems underappreciated. This picture–book biography will change all of that. Not only does it tell of what Lear did, it also shows who he was by conflating the naturalistic and nonsense, as Lear himself did, and by daring to be both fanciful and playful, for the facts of a life alone can never give you the full picture of a person.
Lear liked children and children liked Lear, for they shared an innate sense of play and silliness, as well as a tolerance for the absurd and unusual. As Lear understood so well, it’s not just fun to be silly, but a sense of play is foundational to a resilient life. And of course, nonsense as practiced by Lear was a sharp weapon of satire against rigid Victorian conformity.
Whether in his keenly observed work as a natural history painter or in his nonsense verse, Lear animated the world through a deep sense of empathy, and it is in this way that author and illustrator Hill and Carlin deliver Lear to us. Rich backmatter includes some Lear poems and paintings, a chronology, and notes from the author and illustrator.
Wolverton Hill is the nonsense twin of writer Barry Wolverton. He lives in the upper right hemisphere of Barry’s brain, on a small island in the middle of the woods with two chairs, half a candle, and a jug without a handle. For more foolishness, visit www.wolvertonhill.com. Laura Carlin is a graduate of London’s Royal College of Art, where she won several awards, including the Quentin Blake Award (twice). Her work has been featured in Vogue, the Guardian, the Sunday Telegraph, the New Yorker, and the New York Times. She is the illustrator of several picture books, including The Promise and King of the Sky, which were both named New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books of the Year. She lives in London.
RIGHTS: World English
SELLING POINTS
ONE OF TODAY'S GREAT PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATORS TAKES ON ONE OF THE GREATEST BRITISH WRITERS OF ALL TIME: Edward Lear, the great progenitor of nonsense verse, is brought to lively and witty life by Laura Carlin, one of the great British children’s book illustrators of today.
UNIQUE FOR PROFILING LEAR’S ACCLAIMED NATURAL HISTORY ART: Lear, though barely remembered as such, was a natural history artist on par with John J. Audubon. Here, through story and reproductions of his work, this part of his life comes beautifully to light.
A LIVELY, POETIC PICTURE BOOK BIO: Who was Edward Lear? Here, wit and whimsy come together to illuminate the facts and render the fullness of a life. This is a book that will make a whole new generation fall in love with Lear.
GORGEOUS ARTWORK, DESIGN, AND PRINTING: From a palette saturated with light, to Swedish paper, expert Italian printing, and design elements such as debossing, this is a book that honors the craft of bookmaking itself.
PERFECT FOR MUSEUMS, THE TRADE, LIBRARIES, AND CLASSROOMS: A truly universal book with a brilliant story that shares Lear's life and some of his original work. Also has ample backmatter (both visual and textual).
SPECIFICATIONS
*Full-color illustrations throughout *80 pages
*WIDTH: 9" - 229mm
*HEIGHT: 12" - 305mm
*Hardcover with jacket PUB MONTH: APRIL AGES 6 to 12
ISBN 978-1-59270-413-2
US $22.99 CAN $29.99 UK £16.99 ËxHSLFTCy704132z
ebook ISBN 978-1-59270-456-9
I’m Like a Tree and a Tree’s Like Me
WRITTEN BY SYLVAINE JAOUI; ILLUSTRATED BY ANNE CRAHAY; TRANSLATED FROM FRENCH BY CLAUDIA
ZOE BEDRICK
The growth of a tree and of a child parallel each other in this exquisitely constructed die–cut picture book about our nestedness in the natural world
I am a seed.
I grow bigger and bigger each day.
I’m starting to become who I am.
So begins this story, which is also how a child’s life begins… and so too does a tree’s. With an affirming, poetic text and gorgeous, delicate art as revealed through die–cuts on almost every spread, I’m Like a Tree and a Tree’s Like Me is a beautiful picture book about how we begin, how we grow, how we’re nourished, and how we live. By drawing parallels between a growing child and a growing tree, author Sylvaine Jaoui and illustrator Anne Crahay remind us of the myriad ways that humans and plants are connected as living beings.
Sylvaine Jaoui (1962–2023) was an award–winning French children’s author. I’m Like a Tree and a Tree’s Like Me is her first picture book to be published in English. Anne Crahay is a Belgian artist and illustrator. While living in the Ardennes Forest, she worked in animation and as a freelance graphic designer. She currently lives in Andrimont, Belgium, and teaches graphic design and illustration at the Saint–Luc Liège School of Art. Claudia Zoe Bedrick is the publisher, editor, and art director of Enchanted Lion Books. Several of her translations have been Batchelder Award and Honor books.
RIGHTS: World English
SELLING POINTS
HUMAN LIFE AS PART AND PARCEL OF NATURE: With true wonder and grace, this book celebrates our interconnection with all of life.
MASTERFUL DIE–CUT CONSTRUCTION: With interactive die–cuts and peek–through pages, this is an engaging picture book with fun, interactive elements and exceptional production values.
EDUCATIONAL AND POETIC VALUES: As a book about life and growth, this has numerous applications, from classroom activities to cozy bedtime reading.
PERFECT BABY SHOWER GIFT: Publishing in time for Mother’s Day, this is the perfect title for expectant parents, new siblings, and anyone welcoming a child into the world.
SPECIFICATIONS
*Full color illustrations throughout, plus die-cuts
*48 pages
*WIDTH: 8 1/2" - 217mm
*HEIGHT: 11 1/2" - 291mm
* Hardcover
PUB MONTH: APRIL
AGES 5 to 7
ISBN 978-1-59270-424-8 US $19.99 CAN $25.99 UK £13.99 ËxHSLFTCy704248z
On the Move
THINGS IN MOTION ON EARTH AND BEYOND WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY ROMANA ROMANYSHYN AND ANDRIY LESIV; TRANSLATED FROM UKRANIAN BY OKSANA LUSHCHEVSKA
This dazzling nonfiction book is a visual and conceptual exploration of motion across time and space!
Nothing in the universe is in a state of absolute rest. The Earth, its oceans, its atmosphere, and even the continents are in continuous motion. After all, the entire universe is constantly expanding. Add in the movement of humans and animals, and you’ll realize that the whole world is constantly on the move! From the history of navigation and modes of transportation, to the trajectories of human populations around the globe, to astonishing animal migration patterns, On the Move is an engaging, informative, and visually dazzling overview of movement across time and space.
Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv are a husband–and–wife team of artists who collaborate on books and other projects through their art studio Agrafka. They were both born in Ukraine in 1984 and studied at the Lviv Art College of Decorative and Applied Art. The pair have been members of PEN Ukraine since 2019 and live and work in Lviv, Ukraine. Their picture book How War Changed Rondo, also published by Enchanted Lion, was a Kirkus Best Book of 2021, a USBBY Outstanding International Book of 2022, and a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of 2022. Oksana Lushchevska is a Ukrainian writer and translator. She is the author of over 40 children’s and young adult books, which have been awarded several Ukrainian children’s literature awards, included in the White Ravens Catalog, and shortlisted for the BBC Ukraine Children’s Book Award. She has a PhD in education and previously taught children’s literature courses at the University of Georgia. Now, she lives in Pensylvania and is both an author and a children’s literature consultant.
RIGHTS: World English
SELLING POINTS
FUN, ENGAGING NONFICTION: A wide–ranging exploration of movement in all its forms, this fascinating introduction encourages both scientific and philosophical reflections.
A CLASSROOM STAPLE:
Whether for school arts or science units, or for history units on human migration, this eye–catching book delivers on everything from mapping and how to represent movement, to the historical idea of change over time, to force and motion, velocity and acceleration, pattern and place.
EYE–CATCHING, IMAGINATIVE
ART: Four Pantone colors, foil stamping, and a beautiful, sustainably produced Swedish paper make this book a standout of bold color and design from two of Ukraine’s leading contemporary illustrators.
INTERNATIONAL AWARD–WINNER FROM UKRAINE: Won Best Book Design at the 2022 Stiftung Buchkunst, placed at the 2021 NAMI Concours, won silver at the 2021 Ed Awards, and selected for the White Ravens catalog of outstanding international children’s books.
SPECIFICATIONS
*Full-color illustrations throughout *64 pages
*WIDTH: 11 13/16" - 300mm
*HEIGHT: 8 7/16" - 215mm
*Hardcover
PUB MONTH: MAY AGES 6 to 9
PICTURE BOOK
ISBN 978-1-59270-414-9 US $19.99 CAN $25.99 UK £13.99
ËxHSLFTCy704149z
ebook ISBN 978-1-59270-451-4
Sato the Rabbit, Morning Light
WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY YUKI AINOYA; TRANSLATED FROM JAPANESE BY MICHAEL BLASKOWSKY
Follow along on Sato the Rabbit’s wondrous adventures with light, in this fourth installment of the popular series from Japan!
Every morning, Sato the Rabbit opens his eyes to the soft light of day, ready to embrace all that the universe has in store for him. One day, the shining morning light that peeks out from his curtains becomes a bar that transports him to a forest, where he gathers dappled sunlight into a warm fire and sets the night dew aglow. Another day, Sato wakes up to find his room transformed into a lighthouse floating on the big, wide ocean, where he scoops up the light that comes through the colorful glass windows to create a special signal that ushers in fish and seabirds bearing wonderful treats.
The fourth in the Sato the Rabbit series, this is a charming picture book for all those who imagine and play and dream, who find magic in the everyday, and who open themselves up to wonder.
Born in Yokohama, Yuki Ainoya studied Japanese art in the Art & Design department of Tama Art University. She was the winner of the Crayon House Children’s Book Grand Prize in 1990 and the 12th Japanese Children’s Book Award in 2007 for the original Japanese edition of Sato the Rabbit (Shogakukan). In her spare time, she likes playing the accordion and hula dancing. A Seattle native with a life–long connection to Japan, Michael Blaskowsky spent seven years living on the Japanese island of Hokkaido after graduating from Eastern Washington University. His translations cover a wide range of topics, with a focus on literature, the arts, gaming, and the sciences.
RIGHTS: World
SELLING POINTS
BETWEEN PICTURE BOOK AND CHAPTER BOOK: This is both a great read–aloud and a great choice for independent readers, as it features two 20–page stories with engaging art and minimal text on each page.
PERFECT FOR CHIRRI AND CHIRRA FANS: In the calm and wondrous world of Sato, everyone and everything lives in perfect harmony.
THE SATO THE RABBIT STORIES SING THE SONG OF CHILDHOOD: Here, days are endless, discoveries abound, and time itself is off the clock.
SPECIFICATIONS
*Full-color llustrations throughout *40 pages
*WIDTH: 7" - 178mm
*HEIGHT: 8" - 203mm
*Hardcover with jacket PUB MONTH: JULY AGES 4 to 7 PICTURE BOOK
ISBN 978-1-59270-439-2
US $17.95 CAN $22.95 UK £12.99 ËxHSLFTCy704392z
ebook ISBN 978-1-59270-455-2