Great news for our children’s titles continue: we are thrilled to announce that The Unicorn, a picture book written and illustrated by Ilja Karsikas, and Under the Moon, another picture book illustrated by Karsikas and written by Aki-Pekka Sinikoski, are now sold to Korean Studies International (KSI), who will publish them in South Korea!
KSI is one of the many publishers that HLA agents met during their recent trip to Seoul; the house focuses on publishing children’s picture books that promote self-searching, independence, family love, environment, and diversity, among other themes.
The publisher has recently acquired two other titles from HLA’s list: Skeleton, a picture book written by Malin Klingenberg and illustrated by Maria Sann; and Night Express, a children’s novel written by Karin Erlandsson and illustrated by Peter Bergting.
This is the first foreign rights sale for The Unicorn, and the second for Under the Moon, which has previously been sold to Estonia (Rahva raamat).
The Unicorn is a warm-hearted picture book about complicated conditions at home, family life and love. It is based on the author’s own memories and childhood experiences in a lovely, caring, completely ordinary family.
Under the Moon is a sensitive and wistful book about the meaning of love, existence and the purpose of life brings to mind children’s classics of world literature like Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. In it, the authors create a magical world where sadness, but also beauty and absurdity, have a place. It is a perfect book to read out loud in a family or kindergardens, and discuss the challenges that both children and grown-ups sometimes encounter in their lives.
Congratulations to the authors!
