Carlsen Publishing was founded in 1953 by Per Hjald Carlsen as a subsidiary of the Danish publishing company Illustrationsforlaget/PIB. In 1954 the first Pixi books were published in the now universally recognised 10x10 cm format. With a total circulation to date of more than 480 million copies, ›Pixi‹ is the most successful picture book series in history.
In 1967 Carlsen encouraged German social acceptance of comics with the introduction of the ›Tintin‹ series created by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. In 1997 Carlsen published the first Manga series titled ›Dragon Ball‹ in the Japanese reading direction of right to left. This set the tone for the success of Manga in the German market. Since 1998 Carlsen has published the ›Harry Potter‹ series, written by the British author Joanne K. Rowling. This release triggered an unprecedented worldwide reading phenomenon.
Board books, activity books, picture books and nonfiction, narrative kids and young adult literature represent the spectrum of the Carlsen children and young adult list. Besides ›Pixi‹, ›Meine Freundin Conni‹ and ›Lesemaus‹ are highly popular brands for children aged from three to eight years.
The multiple award-winning list combines narrative literature of both German and internationally renowned authors and constantly surprises with successful debuts. Classics like ›Tintin‹, ›Gaston‹ and ›Spirou‹ still characterize the profile of Carlsen Comics, with the addition of an important and growing range of graphic novels. Increasingly, original editions by renowned German artists as e.g. Reinhard Kleist, Isabel Kreitz and Flix are being published. Carlsen Manga! presents amongst others the successful Japanese series ›One Piece‹ and ›Naruto‹ along with popular in-house productions by German designers as e.g. Melanie Schober and Martina Peters. The list of humorous titles is published under the label of Lappan and presents famous German cartoonists as Uli Stein and Ralph Ruthe alongside Martin Holtschulte and many others.
Apps, E-Books, interactive picture books and the digital romantasy label »Impress« reflect the diversity of the Carlsen publishing program.
Fortunately, Kluck the baby crane finds a companion after his parents apparently have taken off without him. Unfortunately, it turns out that flying is not easy. Kluck and the little cuckoo both rather tumble than fly. But after a crash landing they find Kluck’s family again – and off they fly, southwards. Together.
A warm-hearted, humorously illustrated story about friendship and tolerance.
It’s springtime at last! Mouse, lizard and dung beetle can’t wait to go out and have their first breakfast. On their way they find a mysterious egg and meet a lot of other meadow dwellers.
One thing is for sure: Children will love the hustle and bustle in the spring meadow and discover the environment and nature in a very playful and lively way!
'Growing old’ and ’dementia’ as part of an animal story? Yes, it works! And it’s very refreshing.
School holidays at their grandparents’ retirement home? Lisa and Fredi are not amused at all. But in the end they spend a surprisingly exciting week with the old badger couple.
Each chapter of the book tells a new adventure – perfect for bedtime stories!
When parents split up, children often don’t know how to help themselves. This book provides guidance in the form of exercises, texts and tips but may also be used as a diary.
Written by an author who is well-known for advisory literature, the book was developed together with experts like child psychologists.
An encouraging guidebook that stands side by side with children (and their parents) who must deal with separation, divorce or patchwork families.
A fantastical journey into an unknown world.
Whisperworld is a haven for endangered species and mysterious mythical creatures. Five children are trained to become animal whisperers. Their job is to protect their assigned species. Forever. But who will be chosen? Whose name will be whispered next?
A great new series where adventure and friends for life go hand in hand with topics like the extinction of species and nature conservation.
Volume 2 is due in July 2022.
Lovesickness – an ever-popular topic
You want to understand what’s happening to body and mind when you’re suffering from heartsickness? Based on interviews with experts, the author herself is well-known when it comes to topics like sex and love worries. She used to be part of the advisory team of “Bravo”, Germany's most popular youth magazin, and her educational book ’Make Love’ was nominated for the German Youth Literature Prize.
A modern book with expressive illustrations and space for own thoughts.
“Romeo and Juliet” meets “Sons of Anarchy”
Tara and Jay grew up in the same village, however it’s a world of difference. She, the daughter of the mayor – he, member of a notorious biker gang. From an early age they were told to keep away from one another. However, when they meet in collage, Tara is attracted by Jay and she finds a dark secret that connect their families.
Nica Steven’s bittersweet romances travel & are wishfully expected everywhere!
Kids learn essentials about a diversified Europe and its 500 million inhabitants, various landscapes, exciting cities, histories, cultures and politics. Why it’s worth to join this at times complicated union and what makes this union so successful.
Perfect for giving kids a first understanding of Europe.
More short & informative volumes available in Carlsen’s series about current political issues!
Two kids look forward to spending time with their babysitter Jule, who is both homorous & adorably eccentric!
Jule is the perfect match to fly to the moon and to meet gorillas. She cracks everything! She consoles the kids, but is willing to take comfort as well.
The kids can’t wait for Jule to come back!
The two best-selling previous volumes are about internet & how to get along without and about forgetfulness & the good old times.
This time it’s sex education with a BANG.
A read-along book for understanding uncool grand-parents, complicated parents and largely unknown kids.
Best read you can get for the whole family!
Well portioned bedtime stories about a loveable bat who is a bit moonstruck and whose fur a bit uncombed.
In six stories kids get to know her and want to join the small bat when she finds a friend, wants to have a pet, proves how brave she is, how she learns to ride a bike and how she celebrates her birthday.
Bedtime stories with an inventive character!
Emma has to move from Dublin to rural Germany. She misses everything about Ireland. Even the Baltic Sea is no consolation. Emma wants only one thing: to return home as soon as possible. Levin, a boy in her new class offers to help her. But after a while, it seems he doesn’t really want her to leave Emma, too, gradually begins to doubt the merits of her escape plan… Susan Kreller has written a heart warming novel about homesickness and the myriad ways of being a stranger.
The book for the most important debate of our time by “German Children’s Literature Award” winner Anja Reumschüssel: How do dying bees effect our environment and why do electronic devices break just after a few years? With clarity and insight Anja Reumschüssel takes readers on a journey through the most important aspects of climate change and how to protect our environment.
Being the youngest and smallest of the family can be hard. No one knows that better than Teeny. He watches his brothers and sisters get bigger and bigger. But he is still the teeny-weeny sausage dog he always was. No wonder he feels overlooked when Mom and Dad show them all the important things in life. But one day Teeny can show them: that the smallest dog is the bravest of them all! And adventure can wait behind every corner …
Welcome at a boarding school for talented kids! Some turn into somebody/something, others understand animals or control the water... Forget about regular instruction and better expect chaos, adventures and mysteries.
Suspence & fun in short chapters for boys & girls.
Be prepared for more from Germany’s most successful publisher of middle grade series: volume 3 is due in Autumn 2021.
7 children on a quest to find the 7 ingredients of magical cocoa: Everyday, Amanda, Oskar, and their friends work their fingers to the bone in the orphanage run by nasty Agatha Stinkwort. Until one day they find a peculiar container with mysterious writing: the recipe for the legendary happiness cocoa! A feverish search for the seven ingredients begins… And the children find friendship, courage and happiness on the biggest adventure of their lives.
The tree-spirit Tomti is looking for a new home. He’s mistakenly found his way into Maja’s apartment, but he knows what he needs: a new tree to live in. And that’s not so easy, because trees everywhere – city, countryside, and forest – already have the strangest occupants in them. And so an action-packed search begins…
Jove was on his way to get milk when he accidentally finds himself in Elevator 3 – or otherwise known as the Elevator of Death! But even worse, he can’t get out. With the tools left in the cabin he tries to pry open the doors and opens the portal to strange worlds. On every floor there’s a new world waiting to be discovered … and first stop: the Wild West.
Learning to say No is an important part of growing up.
Theo and Mr. No help kids to develop self-confidence and self-respect. Theo’s story encourages and explains playfully how important it is to say no, and to set boundaries.
A wonderful picture book about being strong.
Sample translation available.
Schlinkepütz has simply got too much to do: making pizza, spring cleaning, delivering mail, taking triangle lessons – and now babysitting too! No wonder he’s constantly running late, things always go wrong for him and everything is completely chaotic! But when you’ve got such monstrously good monster friends as he does, every tale still has a happy ending!
Sample translation available.
LeYo! is discovery fun with book and app! LeYo! connects analog and digital worlds.
Available Topics: Airport, Trains, Birds, Forest, Dinosaurs, Knights, Pirats, Learning English, Music, Scarry Stories, Fairy Tales and many more...
Over 400,000 ›School of Magical Animals‹ books already sold and translations in 12 languages: the time has come to let the magical animals and their children off for the holidays.
A spin-off full of new holiday adventures from the series that everyone loves, and which has already become a children’s book classic.
A new series for wild boys: turbulent, hilarious and exciting. What do the boys of the Firecracker Gang want? An adventure of course! And that adventure arrives sooner than they think: someone disappears from the area and electronic equipment starts turning up in the woods...
At first, the old earl doesn’t know how to react when he meets the runaway Eli: What about his daily routines? But then, against all expectations, they become friends. Eli is even allowed to look at his secret collection of chewed chewing gums. Each one has a story. But Eli, too. At the end, not only Eli finds a new home, but also the chewed chewing gums…
Kirsten Reinhardt is incomparable – previous books have been translated into English, Turkish, Spanish and Catalan.
“Please don’t open!” is written on the mysterious package which Nemo receives one day. Obviously Nemo opens it ... and then three things happen:
Mini is a banana: yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Her father however is through and through yellow: he can only speak broken German and runs a Chinese restaurant. When Mini’s tradition-conscious uncle comes to visit, he brings new life to her father’s restaurant – but Mini suddenly realises that she comes from a completely different culture. What’s more, her uncle forces them to confront their past again: their previous life in Vietnam and their escape to Europe.
CONNI is Germany’s best-known role model – growing up with the children. There are books for children age 3 and up, novels for the age groups 7+, 10+ and 12+.
We have just celebrated 25 years of CONNI at Carlsen, and would love to share our publishing experiences and success with you.
Content picture book:
Sometimes everyhing goes wrong: Conni experiences the feeling of anger and the need to give vent to it.
Only this weekend. Just one more time staying in Grandpa’s old house in the middle of nowhere, where everything always was fine. That’s everything Ben – who just came of age and is stuck in school, family and life – wants. Getting out, if only for a few days. Together with his older sister Annika, who always was the more reasonable of both. A walk, an Easter bonfire, a toppled table and its consequences – nothing is the same in the end.
Three girls, three wishes, one App that makes dreams come true. Leni wants to be Nick’s girlfriend. Amelie doesn’t want her parents to divorce, and Paula could have been a star by now, but her parents won’t allow her to go to drama school. If a mysterious App can help them, wouldn’t it be worth trying?
A story of friendship, love and family. The App connects the three girls, also in real life.
Storm is the most cheeky boy you can imagine, that’s why his parents make him attend a convent school. But, all Storm really wants is to become a warrior … When one day, Storm and his dog are kidnapped by a viking, he sees the chance of a lifetime: finally he can prove that he is a dab hand at being brave and wild! That’s easier said than done, but then Storm makes an epoch-making invention: Football!
Start of a new series by bestselling author Jan Birck!
A group of desert animal friends (desert Fox, a dromedary, a grumpy chameleon and a belligerent termite) live peacefully in the desert of Sandara. When in the neighbouring City “Turboland” a motor racing is about to take place, they decide to participate, everyone for their own reason, fighting the “Big Three”, their obnoxious counterparts... Start of a new series!
A sensitive and warmhearted story about what children love about their father and what makes him their hero: and it’s not only that he can drive a car and knows how to repair toys ... there is so much more!
A penguin family goes on a risky journey to reach a place of safety after their home is endangered by war, in order to start a new life there.
Facing the inhabitants of the unknown land, the little penguin hopes for new friends and takes the first step towards them. A story about courage, friendship and empathy – and about finding a new home!
»Feely« is a colourful journey into the universe of feelings. Children get the opportunity to learn and talk about their feelings, even feelings that are not easy to accept.
This book is a perfect companion also for teachers.
Seven sheep searching for Jesus’ crib – here’s (finally!) a slightly different Christmas story.
Shrewd, witty and funny!
The new book by bestselling author Ulrich Hub, with colored illustrations by Jörg Mühle.
Peaceful coexistence of the most diverse beings is possible.
The animals of the tree get along and it’s fun to join them!
Toothbrush, fleece jacket, Lego bricks, yogurt cups ... Our everyday life is full of plastic.
Can we change it? YES, try to avoid it!
The book offers a lot of information about plastic and ideas to reduce our plastic consumption.
A book that speaks from the soul of young people!
Spine-chiller and school story in one: Rebecca has to go to England, doing a language trip to a quiet coastal town. While every other student gets wonderful host parents, Rebecca comes to Mrs Lydia. She is the owner of Blackhill Castle and this old castle is supposed to be cursed. Even more scary is that Rebecca exactly looks like the victims of the curse.
Rebecca decides to reveal more secrets that Blackhill Castle hides ...
Naturally sloth Kipper prefers to sleep – all day long! But then moth Mimi turns his life inside out.
Adventurous series for boys and girls, completed in three volumes.
All events in German language!
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CARLSEN Verlag GmbH
Völckersstraße 14-20
22765 Hamburg
Germany
Phone +49 (0)40 398 04-0
Publishers Renate Herre, Joachim F. Kaufmann
Editorial Department Anne Bender, Frank Kühne, Klaus Schikowski, Kai-Steffen Schwarz
Sales Carsten Hiller
Marketing Ricarda Witte-Masuhr
Public Relations Ulrike Dick, Katrin Hogrebe, Claudia Jerusalem-Groenewald, Hilke Schenck
Foreign Rights Daniela Steiner