Pushkin Children’s Classics – serie

'Tender, joyful' Guardian

'One of the most memorable characters in all children's literature' The School Librarian

Meet Zezé, Brazil's naughtiest and most loveable boy, his talent for mischief matched only by his kindness. When he grows up he wants to be 'a poet with a bow-tie' - and to stop making his parents angry with all his mistakes.

For now, he entertains himself playing pranks on the residents of his poor Rio de Janeiro neighbourhood, and when he has troubles he tells them to the talking orange tree in his back garden. That is, until he meets a real friends, and his life begins to change...

My Sweet Orange Tree is a worldwide classic of children's literature, whose cheeky, resilient hero has won the hearts of millions of young readers.

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by Alison Entrekin.

José Mauro de Vasconcelos (1920-84) was a Brazilian writer who worked as a sparring partner for boxers, as a labourer on a banana farm, and a fisherman before he started writing at the age of 22. He is most famous for his autobiographical novel My Sweet Orange Tree, which tells the story of his own childhood in Rio de Janeiro.

Alison Entrekin is an acclaimed translator from Portuguese, whose translations include Budapest by Chico Buarque, which was shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.

'Witty yet mysterious' Guardian

'Erich Kästner has a way of being very funny while also make a serious point' Irish Times

Dot loves play-acting, dressing up her pet dachshund Piefke and inventing words like 'splentastic'. Her best friend is Anton, who lives in a tiny flat and looks after his mother.

They share a secret - every night, when their parents think they are asleep, they sell matches and shoelaces on the streets of Berlin with Dot's grumpy governess. But why?

The answers involve a villain called 'Robert the Devil', a club-wielding maid, a wobbly tooth, a pair of silver shoes and a policeman dancing the tango, as Dot and Anton get into all sorts of scrapes in this delightful, touching and hilarious adventure story.

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by Antthea Bell.

Erich Kästner, writer, poet and journalist, was born in Dresden in 1899. His first children's book, Emil and the Detectives, was published in 1929 and has since sold millions of copies around the world and been translated into more than 60 languages. After the Nazis took power in Germany, Kästner's books were burnt and he was excluded from the writers' guild. He won many awards, including the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1960. He died in 1974.

Walter Trier was born in Prague in 1880. After moving to Berlin, he became an acclaimed cartoonist and illustrator, and Kästner's collaborator on more than a dozen children's books. Forced to emigrate under Nazi rule, he died in 1951 in Ontario, Canada.

Anthea Bell was born in Suffolk in 1936. An illustrious, award-winning translator, she was best known for her translations of the much-loved Asterix books and the work of Zweig and Sebald. She died in 2018.

'Walter Trier's deceptively innocent drawings are as classic as Kästner's words; I never tire of them' Quentin Blake

'Atmospheric... bittersweet... a memorable exploration of bravery, boyhood and friendships' Wall Street Journal

Martin's school is not the ordinary kind. There are snowball fights, kidnappings, cakes, a parachute jump, a mysterious man who lives in a railway carriage, and a play about a flying classroom.

As the Christmas holidays draw near, Martin is preparing for the end of term festivities along with his friend: nervous Uli, cynical Sebastian, poetic Johnny, and Matthias, who is always hungry (particularly after a meal). But surprises, sadness and trouble are on the way - and a secret that changes everything.

The Flying Classroom is a magical, thrilling and bittersweet story about friendship, fun and being brave even when you are scared.

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by Anthea Bell.

Erich Kästner, writer, poet and journalist, was born in Dresden in 1899. His first children's book, Emil and the Detectives, was published in 1929 and has since sold millions of copies around the world and been translated into around 60 languages. After the Nazis took power in Germany, Kästner's books were burnt and he was excluded from the writers' guild. He won many awards, including the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1960. He died in 1974.

Walter Trier was born in Prague in 1880. After moving to Berlin, he became an acclaimed cartoonist and illustrator, and Kästner's collaborator on more than a dozen children's books. Forced to emigrate under Nazi rule, he died in 1951 in Ontario, Canada.

Anthea Bell was born in Suffolk in 1936. An illustrious, award-winning translator, she was best known for her translations of the much-loved Asterix books and the work of Zweig and Sebald. She died in 2018.

'A true page-turner' Sunday Times

The bestselling classic fantasy novel, acclaimed as a Times, Sunday Times and Metro Book of the Year.

A young messenger. A secret mission. A kingdom in peril.

When Tiuri answers a desperate call for help, he finds himself on a dangerous errand that could cost him his life. He must deliver a secret letter to the king who lives across the Great Mountains - and the future of the entire realm depends on his message.

It means abandoning his home, breaking all the rules and leaving everything behind - even the knighthood he has dreamed of for so long. He must trust no one. He must keep his true identity a secret. Above all, he must never reveal what is in the letter.

The fate of the kingdom rests on him.

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by Laura Watkinson.

Tonke Dragt was born in Jakarta in 1930 and spent most of her childhood in Indonesia. Her family moved to the Netherlands after the war and, after studying at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Dragt became an art teacher. She published her first book in 1961, followed a year later by The Letter for the King, which won the Children's Book of the Year award and has been translated into sixteen languages. Dragt was awarded the State Prize for Youth Literature in 1976 and was knighted in 2001. She died in 2024.

Laura Watkinson is a full-time translator from Dutch, Italian and German. She has translated many titles for Pushkin Children's Books, including Jan Terlouw's Winter in Wartime, Tonke Dragt's The Letter for the King and Annet Schaap's Lampie. She lives in Amsterdam.

'Unmissable' Telegraph

'Fans will be delighted... offers intrigue, action and escapism' Sunday Times, Children's Books of the Year

One of the King's most trusted knights has vanished in the snow. Young Sir Tiuri and his best friend Piak must journey into the shadowy heart of the forest to find him.

The Wild Wood is a place of mysteries, rumours and whispered tales. A place of lost cities, ancient curses, robbers, princesses and Men in Green.

As the darkness surrounds him and reports grow of secret plots and ruthless enemies, Tiuri finds himself alone and fighting for survival - caught in a world where good and evil wear the same face, and the wrong move could cost him his life...

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by Laura Watkinson

Tonke Dragt was born in Jakarta in 1930 and spent most of her childhood in Indonesia. Her family moved to the Netherlands after the war and, after studying at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Dragt became an art teacher. She published her first book in 1961, followed a year later by The Letter for the King, which won the Children's Book of the Year award and has been translated into sixteen languages. Dragt was awarded the State Prize for Youth Literature in 1976 and was knighted in 2001. She died in 2024.

Laura Watkinson is a full-time translator from Dutch, Italian and German. She has translated many titles for Pushkin Children's Books, including Jan Terlouw's Winter in Wartime, Tonke Dragt's The Letter for the King and Annet Schaap's Lampie. She lives in Amsterdam.

'To discover Annie M. G> Schmidt is to feel like the cat who got the cream' The Times

'A charming, refreshing and funny treat' Kirkus

Tibble is a reporter. He only ever writes about cats, and he's about to be fired.

Minou is a young woman who has moved into Tibble's flat. She hates dogs, likes rooftops, loves the fishmonger, and happens to have been, until very recently, a cat.

With her feline friends listening out for all the local human news, is Minou the answer to all Tibble's problems - or just the beginning of them?

A hilarious, charming story of cats, dogs, and learning to dare.

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by David Colmer.

Annie M.G. Schmidt (1911-95) was regarded as the Queen of Dutch Children's Literature and her books have been an essential part of every Dutch childhood for the last fifty years. She trained as a librarian but burst onto the literary scene when the newspaper she was working for discovered her gift for children's verse. Having won numerous awards during her lifetime, including the 1989 Hans Christian Andersen Award, Schmidt is now included in the Canon of Dutch History taught to all Dutch schoolchildren.

David Colmer has won several international awards for his translations of Dutch and Flemish novels, poetry and children's books. He has translated much of Annie M.G. Schmidt's work.

'A work of genius' Katherine Rundell

'A small miracle... the ultimate escape fantasy' The Times

Twelve-year-old Claudia Kincaid, straight-A student, has had enough of being good. She decides to run away, but it must be to somewhere beautiful - so she and her little brother Jamie (with the cash he won playing cards) sneak off to live in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

There they sleep in a bed owned by a queen and bathe in a fountain with bronze dolphins. Most exciting of all, investigating a mysterious angel sets them on the trail of an eccentric old lady and a life-changing discovery.

E. L. Konigsburg's award-winning bestseller, loved by generations of children, is a magical story about beauty, adventure and the incomparable delight of having a secret.

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

The writer and illustrator E. L. Konigsburg (1930-2013) is one of the most celebrated writers of books for children and young adults. She is the only author to have won the Newbery Medal and Newbery Honor in the same year - a feat she achieved in 1968, for The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, respectively. Not only that, but she won the Newbery Medal again almost thirty years later, for The View from Saturday.

'I love this book' Michael Morpurgo

A classic story about a magical miniature family's adventures in wartime Japan.

In a dusty library, in the quietest corner of a house in Tokyo, live the Little People: Fern, Balbo, Robin and Iris. Just a few inches high, sleeping in cigarette boxes and crafting shoes from old book jackets, they need only one thing from their Humans - a nightly glass of milk, served in a sparkling blue glass goblet.

But when the Second World War comes to Japan, both Humans and their beloved Little People face a world they could never have imagined. It will take great love, bravery, and the help of one very loyal pigeon to bring their unique families back together...

The Secret of the Blue Glass is a timeless adventure and a heartwarming reminder that everyone, no matter how small, can make a difference.

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori

Tomiko Inui (1924-2002) was born in Tokyo and joined a publishing house in 1950, where she began working as an editor while also writing. A pioneer of children's fantasy literature in Japan, she published many titles over her long career, during which she won numerous prizes and was a runner-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Ginny Tapley Takemori lives at the foot of a mountain in eastern Japan and has translated fiction by over a dozen Japanese authors for both adults and children. Her translation of The Whale That Fell in Love with a Submarine is also available from Pushkin Children's.

'A magical, strange, gripping tale' Spectator

'A cracking adventure... so nail-biting you'll need to wear protective gloves' The Times

Deep in the woods, a young boy is kept prisoner by his uncle. He sees no other children, and has no friends. But he does hold the key to a secret.

Meanwhile, in a nearby village, schoolteacher Frans invents stories of perilous deeds, shipwrecks, and haunted castles to entertain his pupils. Then one stormy evening, he is summoned to a clandestine meeting, and sent on a real-life quest - to free the boy in the woods. His adventure will involve hidden treasure, magicians and a prophecy. He will learn the secret of the Seven Ways. He will find seven allies. And he will make a fearsome enemy.

But will he accomplish his mission?

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by Laura Watkinson.

Tonke Dragt was born in Jakarta in 1930 and spent most of her childhood in Indonesia. Her family moved to the Netherlands after the war and, after studying at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Dragt became an art teacher. She published her first book in 1961, followed a year later by The Letter for the King, which won the Children's Book of the Year award and has been translated into sixteen languages. Dragt was awarded the State Prize for Youth Literature in 1976 and was knighted in 2001. She died in 2024.

Laura Watkinson is a full-time translator from Dutch, Italian and German. She has translated many titles for Pushkin Children's Books, including Jan Terlouw's Winter in Wartime, Tonke Dragt's The Letter for the King and Annet Schaap's Lampie. She lives in Amsterdam.

'Wonderful... such a joy' Wall Street Journal

'Like a fairy tale up dream of but have never found' New Statesman

Laurenzo and Jiacomo are identical twins, as alike as two drops of water. No one can tell them apart, and no one can split them up. But when tragedy strikes, they must make their own way in the world.

Each brother chooses his own path - hardworking Laurenzo learns to make priceless golden treasures, and fearless Jiacomo decides to travel and becomes an unlikely thief. So begins an incredible adventure that will test them to their limits. The twins will face terrible danger, be imprisoned in a castle, sail across the ocean, fall in and out of love, and even becomes kings by mistake.

They must use all their talent and wit to survive. Are you ready to join them?

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by Laura Watkinson.

Tonke Dragt was born in Jakarta in 1930 and spent most of her childhood in Indonesia. Her family moved to the Netherlands after the war and, after studying at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Dragt became an art teacher. She published her first book in 1961, followed a year later by The Letter for the King, which won the Children's Book of the Year award and has been translated into sixteen languages. Dragt was awarded the State Prize for Youth Literature in 1976 and was knighted in 2001. She died in 2024.

Laura Watkinson is a full-time translator from Dutch, Italian and German. She has translated many titles for Pushkin Children's Books, including Jan Terlouw's Winter in Wartime, Tonke Dragt's The Letter for the King and Annet Schaap's Lampie. She lives in Amsterdam.

'A book we should all read' Michael Morpurgo

'Vivid, captivating... sure to inspire a new generation' R.M. Romero, author of The Dollmaker of Krakow

During the Second World War, the Netherlands is under Nazi control and acts of resistance are punishable by death. But when teenage Michiel is asked to take care of a wounded British Spitfire pilot, he doesn't think twice.

He joins the secret struggle against the Nazis, knowing all the while that spires are everywhere and once loose word could cost him his life...

Winter in Wartime is a thrilling, powerful adventure story, inspired by the author's own experiences as a child in Nazi-occupied Holland.

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by Laura Watkinson.

Jan Terlouw (1931-2025) was born in the Netherlands. He worked as a nuclear physicist in countries across the world before entering politics as a representative of the Dutch D66 party in 1971. Alongside his political career he has written many successful children's books, including Winter in Wartime, which was based on his own memories of the Nazi occupation. It won the Golden Pen Prize for the best Dutch children's book in 1973 and has since been adapted for film and stage.

Laura Watkinson is a full-time translator from Dutch, Italian and German, and has also translated Tonke Dragt's The Letter for the King, The Secrets of the Wild Wood, The Song of Seven and The Goldsmith and the Master Thief for Pushkin Children's Books. She lives in Amsterdam.

'Steig is triumphant in the quality of his prose' The New York Times

'Steig's books are like perfect stones, complete in themselves, with no seams to be found' Jon Klassen

Abel and Amanda are blissfully happy. The two mice have been married for over a year and live in a lovely home with no reason to worry. Until, one summer afternoon, a sudden storm carries off Amanda's scarf. As Abel rushes after it, he too is caught by the wind and swept far away to a deserted island...

Stranded but never defeated, Abel tries everything - constructing bridges, boats, catapults and stepping stones. But as winter draws in, the brave little mouse must endure hunger, danger and the ever-present threat of a nasty owl. Against these impossible odds, can Abel find his way back home?

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

William Steig (1907-2003) was an American cartoonist, sculptor and illustrator and writer of children's books. He was also the creator of Shrek!, which inspired the film series of the same name. He was the U.S. nominee for both of the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Awards, as a children's book illustrator in 1982 and a writer in 1988.

'Timeless... a genuine classic' The School Librarian

'Steig's books are like perfect smooth stones, complete in themselves, with no seams to be found' Jon Klassen, author of This Is Not My Hat

Dominic has decided it is time for a change. So, the young dog packs up his hats and his piccolo and sets off into the unknown. But no sooner does he feel the air on his snout and the grass beneath his paws, than he encounters the dreaded Doomsday Gang. Fortunately, Dominic is not one to complain - and nor is he one to lose a fight!

As word of his victory over the criminals spreads, more and more animals turn to him for help, including a 158-year-old turtle, a heartbroken wild boar and a family of geese. But can one brave dog face the Doomsday Gang alone?

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

William Steig (1907-2003) was an American cartoonist, sculptor and illustrator, and writer of children's books. He was also the creator of Shrek!, which inspired the film series of the same name. He was the U.S. nominee for both the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Awards, as a children's book illustrator in 1982 and a writer in 1988.

'Impossible to resist' Kirkus

'Steig's books are like perfect smooth stones, complete in themselves, with no seams to be found' Jon Klassen, author of This Is Not My Hat

Gawain is a kind, honest goose who carries out his duties as Chief Guard of the Royal Treasury with the utmost care. But when the treasure starts to disappear, Gawain is found guilty of a crime he did not commit.

As the poor goose suffers in exile, the real thief realises that he has done an awful wrong. But does he have what it takes to confess? And can he clear Gawain's name in time to restore harmony to the kingdom?

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

William Steig (1907-2003) was an American cartoonist, sculptor and illustrator, and writer of children's books. He was also the creator of Shrek!, which inspired the film series of the same name. He was the U.S. nominee for both the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Awards, as a children's book illustrator in 1982 and a writer in 1988.

'A classic Polish children's book' The Times, Children's Book of the Week

An irresistible collection of charming adventures featuring the classic duo, Detective Nosegoode and his talking dog, Cody.

In the sleepy town of Lower Limeood lives famous detective Ambrosius Nosegoode. These days he enjoys a quiet retirement with his faithful companion Cody - a dog remarkable in many ways, not least because he can talk!

But even cosy Lower Limewood has its secrets. When a series of puzzling crimes occur it's up to Nosegoode and Cody to investigate!

Join the beloved crime-solving duo in this charmingly illustrated collection, featuring three delightful mysteries: Detective Nosegoode and the Music Box Mystery, Detective Nosegoode and the Kidnappers, and Detective Nosegoode and the Museum Robbery.

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by Eliza Marciniak.

Illustrated by Jerzy Flisak.

Marian Orlon (1932-1990) worked as a teacher, and then a librarian while pursuing an extremely successful career as a children's writer. His subtle sense of humour and exciting plots made the stories in his Detective Nosegoode series bestsellers in Poland. His books have now been translated into six languages. In 1981 he was given Poland's highest literary honour, the Council of Ministers award, for his life's work.

Jerzy Flisak (1930-2008) was a well-known Polish illustrator and designer of film posters and stage sets. He illustrated more than 70 books over his long career.

'A triumphant piece of magic' Observer

'The best book of all time for this age' The Times

After reigning for a thousand years, old King Mansolain is growing weary and his heart is slowing down. Only stories can keep it ticking while his doctor searches for the cure. So, from every corner of the kingdom, creatures journey to the castle in the copper mountains to sit on the King's long white bear and share their tales.

Every night, a new storyteller arrives: a fearsome wolf, a lonely rabbit, a fire-breathing, three-headed dragon and many more. Each tale is more wondrous than the last, but will they be enough to keep the King's heart beating?

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Illustrated by Sally J. Collins.

Paul Biegel was one of Europe's most acclaimed and best-loved storytellers, and the author of more than fifty books for children. Born in the Netherlands in 1925, he studied law but worked as a comic-strip writer before writing his first novel, The Golden Guitar, in 1960. The King of the Copper Mountains followed in 1965. It won the award for the best Dutch children's book of the year, and remains his best-loved work.

'I wanted to act before I read this book, and afterwards there was no stopping me' Maggie Smith

'An enchanting book. A must for any child who wants to become an actor' Eileen Atkins

In the quiet town of Fenchester, seven children dream of the stage. There is Lyn the actress, Vicky the dancer, Jeremy the musician, Nigel the artist, Sandra the designer, Bulldog the comic and of course Maddy - who is too young to know her role just yet, but busts with enthusiasm.

When they discover an abandoned chapel, a glorious plan is hatched. Together they will transform the dingy space into a theatre of their very own - writing, directing and performing plays to amaze the whole town. But with parents insisting on sensible futures and the end of their schooldays looming, can the show go on?

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Pamela Brown (1924-1989) was a British writer, actor and television producer. She was just fourteen when she started writing her first book, and the town of Fenchester in the book is inspired by her home town of Colchester. During the Second World War, she went to line in Wales, so The Swish of the Curtain was no published until 1941, when she was sixteen. She used the earnings from the books to train at RADA, and became an actor and a producer of children's television programmes.