John the Skeleton
John the Skeleton
By Triinu Laan
Illustrated by Marja-Liisa Plats
Translated from the Estonian by Adam Cullen
Yonder: Restless Books for Young Readers | Ages 5–8
From award-winning author Triinu Laan comes the heartwarming story of a beloved skeleton and all the lives he touches.
Hardcover • ISBN: 9781632063700
Publication date: Oct 1, 2024
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About the Book
Everyone deserves a quiet, restful retirement. But for John, a newly retired classroom skeleton, life is just beginning. When John is adopted by Grams and Gramps and leaves the classroom to live on their farm, every day is an exciting new adventure: John rides in a car for the first time, makes a snow angel, scares away crooks, and becomes a source of comfort for Grams, Gramps, and their grandkids. With delightful illustrations and a charming cast of characters, John the Skeleton is a quirky, touching, and unforgettable book. Triinu Laan thoughtfully weaves aging and death into the fabric of life, crafting a tender portrait of what it means to care for one another, grow old together, and appreciate the little things.
About the Author
Triinu Laan is a writer, a manager of cultural activities, a mother of five, and loves wild living more than anything else. She studied law and holds a master of arts in cultural management. Laan lives with her three youngest children, mathematician husband, and self-conscious cat in the countryside in Võru County. Their home language is Võro, which is spoken by about 70,000 people, primarily in south Estonia. Therefore, it’s no surprise that several of Laan’s books are bilingual. Her stories convey the understanding that the worlds of adults and children, the living and the dead, and humans and animals are not so different as one may think. Laan’s literary style captivates young readers and their parents alike; she believes that children are fully capable of discussing serious and complicated topics.
About the Illustrator
Marja-Liisa Plats is an illustrator, graphic designer, photographer, and singer. She graduated from Tartu Art College in photography and is a member of the Estonian Graphic Designers Association and the Tartu Artist’s Union. Plats has illustrated more than fifty children’s books, and has received extensive recognition for her works; she has been listed in the White Ravens catalog three times. Her illustrations are inquisitive and experiment with a broad range of visual techniques.
About the Translator
Adam Cullen is a poet and translator of Estonian prose, poetry, theater, and children’s literature into English. A member of the Estonian Writers’ Union, some of his most recent published translations include Between Two Sounds (Joonas Sildre, Plough, 2024), Panga-Rehe Stories (Jüri Arrak, 50 Watts Books, 2022), Oskar and the Things (Andrus Kivirähk, The Emma Press, 2022), and I Am an Artist (Kertu Sillaste, Graffeg, 2021, longlisted for the 2023 UKLA Book Awards). His translation of Martin Algus’s radio drama The Lion won the 2022 BBC Audio Drama Award and a special prize at Prix Europa. Cullen has also published three collections of original Estonian poetry. Originally from Minnesota, he has lived in Estonia since 2007.
Book Details
Hardcover ISBN: 9781632063700 • 19.95
Publication date: Oct 1, 2024
190mm x 255mm • 64 pages
Children’s Fiction: Picture Book / Estonia / Family / Aging
Rights: World English, Audio