Age: 6+ – Prague Literary Agency

Stories for Curious Diggers

Maria Sileny — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 13:35:05 +0000

The four stories inside are ideal for all the little restless Diggers out there, all the girls and boys who like to laugh and have fun.

This richly illustrated book is great fun to read before bed. You’re sure to have beautiful, funny, electric dreams after reading these stories, which may remind you of classic fairy tales. At the same time they are very unique, full of unusual ideas and unexpected twists.

The Coat and the Handbag

Maria Sileny — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 09:11:12 +0000

The coat and the handbag have liked each other since they first met on the bus. But their ways part. The handbag involuntarily turns into a bird’s nest and together with the mother bird she looks after the chicks until they are fledged. The coat is found on the river quay by a fisherman, who puts him on. Later he warms a man weary of life, then a homeless man. He also climbs onto a roof and lets the wind carry him above the city.

Eventually the handbag and the coat find each other again and become inseparable. They have fun together in the city streets. And they make sad people laugh who have to keep their distance and wear masks. At the end the two help a young couple expecting a child to get to hospital in time.

Phila, Sophie and the Emerald Tablet

Maria Sileny — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 11:21:36 +0000

In this charming fairy-tale two siblings want to help their mother, who has lost her golden ring. But they can’t afford to buy her a new one. Luckily they meet a mythical dragon, who tells them about the philosopher’s stone, which can change ordinary metals into gold. Phila and Sophie follow the dragon into the mysterious country of Alchemy, where they experience great adventures, and meet many characters from greek mythology. And of course they can give the ring back to their mother in the end.

Bookfoss

Maria Sileny — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 10:43:42 +0000

The main protagonist and narrator is a seven year old girl named Hredka, whose name actually means “Radish” in Icelandic. That day Hredka takes her skateboard to school as usual. But then she makes a strange turn, and finds herself in a different world altogether. Strange things start happening to her. She begins transforming: first into a radish, then into a red stripe in a rainbow, into a red jacket…

She alternates between watching the world from the outside, and jumping right into the story. Along the way she finds a new friend, Godir, who keeps disappearing in a different time and space, just like Hredka herself; but they can always find each other again.

In the end, Hredka manages to get back to her own world, onto the sidewalk outside her house, and back on her skateboard.

Even though Marka Míková would insist that the landscape of her book comes strictly from the Never-Never Land, she cannot deny inspiration from the landscape of Iceland, devoid of trees and studded with geysers and hot water springs. In her rendition, the place becomes one where ancient stories blend with everyday life, a place where everything is possible, even travelling back in time, swallowing a fish, speaking to a puffin in a lighthouse, passing through a closed door, or playing in the ice with dwarfs. Readers can immerse themselves in the land of the book, and wander it as they choose.

The Magic Porridge Pot. A Fairy Tale Cookbook

Maria Sileny — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 10:30:35 +0000

A collection of 24 classic fairy tales, each of them featuring a particular dish, the recipe of which follows after every tale. A joyful read full of cooking inspirations for bookworms and little gourmets.

The Man and the Sparrow

Josef Prexl — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 20:01:38 +0000

A nameless man lives alone in a house with a garden, working on his computer. Then a sparrow makes its nest under the roof of his house, much to the joy of the man: finally he has a friend! And also a boy from the neighbourhood comes to visit. These three understand each other almost without words, and have a lot of fun together. But then suddenly the sparrow disappears. And this happens at a time when the boy becomes seriously ill. When will the boy return from hospital and will he recover ? And where is the sparrow gone?

The book is bilingual, Czech-English, and includes comic spreads with separate episodes from the life of the main characters. Thus the book caters to multiple readerships: adults can read it to children who cannot read yet; beginner readers can enjoy the comics; and for those who are already learning English, the book will be useful on two levels: they can read the simple text of the comics as well as the more challenging narration, which has a rich vocabulary.

Smarties for Grandad Ed

Josef Prexl — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 19:43:52 +0000

The beloved great-grandfather has started forgetting more and more, and he is doing some funny things. But what five-year-old Honzík considers funny are actually very real signs of an illness. Alzheimer’s, the disease the whole family learns to live with, somewhat paradoxically brings Honzík and his great-grandfather closer together, since in a certain way they are in similar positions. The little boy becomes a great source of support in the everyday situations which are becoming much more difficult for his great-grandfather.

A Boy and His Dog

Josef Prexl — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 19:41:39 +0000

The story focuses on the school year of second-grader Julian, who uses a wheelchair, and his dog Caesar, who is being trained as a service dog. The boy accepts his handicap, and while the wheelchair helps him overcome his physical disability, it is also naturally incorporated into the children’s games. Caesar the dog is treated like a member of the family, and becomes a crucial component of the boy’s journey to independence.

The author treats the sensitive topic of disability without sentiment and even with a liberating sense of humor. A great deal of the fun comes from remarks by Caesar, who views everyday life from a dog’s perspective and with a disarming levity. Readers will also learn details about the lives and trainining of service dog.

The Enchanted Classroom

Josef Prexl — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 19:38:22 +0000

At first Class 3A is a completely ordinary class. One day, however, the door opens and new students come in. They are three brothers from a Roma family, who have slightly dark skin and bear strange names.

A few weeks ago, they moved to the city, their parents being wizards in a circus that moves from place to place. So the three brothers always have to go to school somewhere different. Now they are new in 3A, which immediately turns into a class where strange things start to happen.