Dutch Children's Books
This page of Dutch Children's Books presents a selection of children's books recently published in the Netherlands, books that have been included for their artistic and commercial success.
We highly recommend the titles on this page, and would be happy to give further advice on noteworthy and interesting books for your publishing list. For more information please contact our Children's Books specialist.
2025 selection
Lucas & Bunny
Lucas the fox is the fastest animal in the forest. But one day, when he’s racing around, he crashesinto Bunny the rabbit and bumps his head. Theinjured Bunny is petrified, but something strangehas happened to Lucas. ‘Where am I?’ the fox wails. ‘Who am I? And, um… what am I?’
It’s Red and Round
With apparent simplicity, Jan Jutte inserts a red ball into new and layered background images. In powerful and playful letters, we read what the ball has become: ball of wool, balloon, wheel, belly, mouth, berry, drum. The associations and transformations prove to be endless.
The Waiter and the Penguin
From the moment the two of them meet, it’s clear that this is anything but love at first sight. When the penguin greets the waiter, the waiter does not reply. He merely points at the signs around the entrance indicating that pets are not allowed. The penguin is not impressed. ‘Do I look like a pet?’ he asks, pushing the waiter aside and waddling through the doorway.
A Very Ordinary Dog
Een heel gewoon hondje
When Big Dog Cries
Big Dog is crying. And Little Dog doesn’t like that at all. The endearing Little Dog enters the page with a bunch of flowers, jumps on a trampoline to stick plasters on Big Dog’s fur, digs up bones and takes Big Dog to a field of pooing and peeing dogs in case she needs to go, too.
The Tree That Was a World
Night is when the sloth likes to party. During the daytime, he hangs on his branch and acts like he’s doing nothing. But as soon as darkness falls, he starts doing somersaults and causing a commotion at the nearby lake, where the pikes are trying to sleep. The other inhabitants of the tree pretend they don’t know what’s going on. Meanwhile, they’re all getting on with their own lives and their own little dramas.
Hug Me Tight
‘Anyone who throws clothes away also throws away memories.’ In this collection of poetry, Ted van Lieshout brings to life old items of clothing and the people who wore them, in words and pictures, based on the idea that ‘you are the soul of your clothes’.
For the Most Beautiful
‘Come home./Take off your coat./Hang it up.//Look around and see: this is where your history begins.’ It’s no coincidence that the final poem from his collection Hug Me Tight also opens this book.
Smarter Than You Think
Following a previous collaboration in which they told moving and surprising stories that shed light on the emotional life of animals, they show in this new book how smart animals can be.
Chicken on Your Head
Two months ago, Romeo heard that the hospital was stopping his dad’s treatment because he’s going to die. ‘That kind of thing doesn’t happen to us’ is his initial reaction, so he doesn’t mention it to anyone. If it’s not going to happen, why talk about it? But now Romeo’s struggling to cope with the thought of losing his dad.
Violet Soapy’s List
A captivating and quirky story about a young girl who has psychological challenges and lots of amazing adventures
Runaway Days
A touching and funny story about running away and coming back home to the people you love
We’re Not Going Home Today
A gripping story about resilience and the strength to start over again
The Teller of Wonders
An intriguing look at a historical figure and the relationship between fact and fiction, with plenty of fun along the way
Oever
Jip has to make a self-portrait for school. But even though the teenager has a talent for drawing and ‘a head that’s bigger on the inside than on the outside’, every attempt fails. ‘The problem isn’t with the letters in the assignment,’ Jip realises. The ‘portrait’ part is fine. No, it’s the word ‘self’ – what is Jip supposed to do with that?
