THE GRUMBLEBELLY CAT now acquired in Italy!

The award-winning classic fairytale about greed now sold to 9 countries!

We are beyond excited to announce that THE GRUMBLEBELLY CAT by Magdalena Hai, illustrated by Teemu Juhani has now been sold to Italian publishing house Terre di Mezzo! The deal was closed by Elsa Lindström at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency

ITALIAN PRAISE: The Grumblebelly Cat is a classic story, a contemporary message accompanied by magical illustrations that will speak to everyone.
 Eleonora Armaroli, Terre di Mezzo, Italy

Previously, this wonderful allegory has been acquired by Epix Förlag in Sweden, Dressler/Oetinger Verlag in Germany, Antolog in North Macedonia, Tiritamm in Estonia, Widnokrag in Poland, Dogan Egmont in Turkey, and Vild Maskine in Denmark.Rights are still available in the US and UK, Russia, Hungary, Norway, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Romania, and more!

GRUMBLEBELLY CAT won the Finnish Literature Export Prize in 2018 and was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize in 2018 as well. Additionally, the book was nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Prize 2017 and Runeberg Junior Prize 2018.

Download the full illustrated English pdf here!


GRUMBLEBELLY CAT
by Magdalena Hai, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

In a barren land, when a little girl meets a gigantic cat that threatens to devour her, she makes it a smart offer. The girl leads the cat across the lands, looking for something to satiate its hunger before it eats her, but they encounter draught, destruction and people who have nothing to eat except their dreams. When the cat gobbles up the girl, she finds something in its belly, something that has made it so hungry…


PRAISE for GRUMBLEBELLY CAT:

A thought-provoking fairytale about greed and its consequences. The structure of the book, blended with contemporary and classical fairy tales elements, makes it valuable for readers of all ages.
– Keriman Güldiken and Elif Bilgin, editors, Dogan Egmont, Turkey

This wise, and incredible story will be published in Poland! Being fans of Finnish literature, we are very excited to share this amazing book  GRUMBLEBELLY CAT with the Polish children.
– Katarzyna Węgierek., Widnokrag publishing house, Poland

A wise and fearless fairytale novel about a cat with an appetite bigger than itself. At the same time it is a story about a girl smaller in size than her soul.
– Aamulehti newspaper

GRUMBLEBELLY CAT
Kurnivamahainen kissa
Karisto, 2017, 46pp

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Karisto (orig.)

DENMARK: Vild Maskine
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
GERMANY: Dressler/Oetinger Verlag
ITALY: Terre di Mezzo
NORTH MACEDONIA: Antolog
POLAND: Widnokrag
SWEDEN: Epix Bokförlag
TURKEY: Dogan Egmont

About author


Magdalena Hai

Magdalena Hai is an award-winning author, lover of cross-genre fiction and all things strange. Her fiction often combines elements of sci-fi, fantasy and horror.

Her Little Shop of Nightmares series has been sold to 30 territories around the world. Among Hai's many accolades are winning the Finlandia Prize for children's and YA literature and the Finnish Literary Export Prize, and being nominated  the Nordic Council Children & Young People's Literature Prize.

Besides being an author, Hai teaches writing and is an active member and editor in the publishing co-operative Osuuskumma.

About author


Teemu Juhani

Teemu Juhani is a Finnish illustrator, comic artist and picture book author whose illustrations have been published in picture books and children's fiction in over 20 countries. In addition to children's books Teemu has illustrated magazines and educational material. Originally from the fields and woods of North Karelia, Teemu now lives, works and eats way too many cakes in Helsinki.