Last week was busier than ever with deals, including a two-book Italian rights deal for Hannu Laakso’s MEET THE FOX FAMILY and MEET THE BEAR FAMILY, acquired by Editrice Il Castoro! This is our first deal for Hannu Laakso, our newest children’s book author and renowned award-winning photographer who mixes vibrant and intimate photographs with playful yet educational text from a baby animal’s point of view.
Il Castoro’s mission with children’s books is to “make readers passionate…and through the pleasure of reading kids can look at the world through curious and attentive eyes, and imagine the future.” Laakso’s Animal Family -series matches perfectly with this mission. As the author himself shares:
The purpose of these books is to inspire children to read and strengthen their connection to nature.
– Hannu Laakso
About MEET THE FOX FAMILY:
What does the fox family’s summer entail? Some quirky fun and playful lessons, for a start! Meet the Fox Family combines animal education with a fictional story to match. Readers will join these adorable foxes in their daily adventures, watching as the small pup grows up and becomes independent. At the same time, readers learn facts about foxes and their way of life. What do fox pups eat? What’s it like seeing the surrounding world through their eyes–literally? And why does a fox’s den smell?
This story presents the life of a seven-member fox family living on the outskirts of the city from spring to autumn. We see the joys and sometimes hardships, without forgetting the humor. Meet the Fox Family helps readers understand nature with an up-close view of these lovable foxes.
About MEET THE BEAR FAMILY:
Meet the Bear Family describes the growth of a cute bear cub into adulthood and helps to understand the life of bears. The book combines information, stunning photographs and an engaging story in an unique way. How do bears prepare for winter? Why does a bear huddle against a tree trunk? What do a bear and a bogeyman have in common?
A lively and curious bear cub lives with his mother and siblings in a forest full of adventures. The mother tells him that bears are considered the kings of the forest. But even bears can be threatened by danger. Under her tutelage, the resourceful cubs learn important skills. The book follows a bear’s growth from the heady days of cubhood to the dawn of adulthood.
Rights for the series are still available in France, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands…
MEET THE FOX FAMILY
Publication Info:
Me Kettuset, Into 2020, 48 pp
Rights Sold:
FINLAND: Into (orig.)
ITALY: Editrice Il Castoro
Reading Material:
Full English PDF, Finnish edition
MEET THE BEAR FAMILY
Publication Info:
Me Karhuset, Into 2021, 50 pp
Rights Sold:
FINLAND: Into (orig.)
ITALY: Editrice Il Castoro
Reading Material:
Finnish edition
Hannu Laakso
Hannu Laakso is a Finnish photographer and writer, who is fascinated by the purity of Nordic nature. He has won a Finnish state award for this children's Fun & Facts book series, which introduces us to urban and rural wildlife. He bought his first SLR camera in 1982. In 2014 he finally decided to start participating in international photography competitions. He has received 130 international photography awards, and well over 500 unique photos have been accepted to international photo exhibitions in more than 80 countries.
Loukko by 
