Hungarian rights sold for STIVEN by Ted Forsström and Åsa Lucander!

We are excited to let you know that the Hungarian rights for Ted Forsström and Åsa Lucander‘s picture book Stiven were acquired by Cerkabella! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe and Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Cerkabella is a member of the Móra Publishing Group and they aim to publish children’s and YA books with high quality content and illustrated at an artistic level and to get little-known works and authors into the public consciousness. They are also the publishers of Ted Forsström and Åsa Lucander’s previous picture book Stella, which has been sold to 9 territories.

“After the huge success of Stella (books sold out at a surprising rate), there’s no question that we’d like to add Stiven to the shelf. In Hungary, there’s a pet in almost every household. The number of dogs and cats compete with each other, so where there is a dog book, there must be a cat book. Stiven‘s funny illustrations and the situation relatable for every cat owner make for a fun, laugh-out-loud book. We’re looking forward to it!”
– Ági Bodrogi, foreign rights, Cerkabella, Hungary

Download materials for STIVEN here!

Stiven

Ted Forsström, illustrated by Åsa Lucander

Highly recommended for everyone, but especially families with young children, and particularly for those who share their lives with a cat – or perhaps, for those who are ruled by one.

The food is gone! Stiven roars. This is urgent! Come out!

Have you ever thought how frustrating life can be for a cat? When something as simple as getting fed turns into a daily battle? For Stiven, the logic is simple: an empty bowl must be filled immediately. How can an entire family have such a hard time understanding this?

The glutton Stiven is a stubborn drama queen, holding the whole family hostage with one mission: more food immediately! He’s a big personality, alternately majestic and pathetic, and neither mom, dad, the child, nor the baby escapes his constant demands for food and attention. This leads to comedic moments in the everyday life of a young family with a pet, brilliantly captured in Åsa Lucander’s lively illustrations.

Ted Forsström’s text is atmospheric and down-to-earth, with his characteristic playful rhymes occasionally shining through. It’s highly relatable for families with young children and especially for anyone who owns a cat—or is owned by one. The duo’s previous bedtime story, Stella, was nominated for the Finlandia Prize for Children’s and YA Literature.