An adventurous tale of friendship and otherness by an award-winning author duo.

Children’s and Young Adult

A fairytale story set during Advent about two children with unique but hidden gifts. Tony’s body glows with light, so his protective parents keep him at home, where he amuses himself by making masks. Shelly and her mother, a former ballerina, move from place to place before settling in the uncanny building with a conservatory where Tony lives. She owns a magic torch that transforms everything into a colourful geyser of fantasy in the heroes’ imaginations. They both long for a friend, and each finds a precious kindred soul in the other. Author Jana Šrámková has pertinently used colloquial language, which lends authenticity to the story; two colours are used to differentiate between the children’s dialogue. Filip Pošivač’s original illustrations alternate funny line drawings and whole-page saturated acrylic base images. The book won the Czech annual Golden Ribbon prize in 2024, and has also been turned into a successful animated film, with a screenplay by Jana Šrámková, and directed by Filip Pošivač. The 2023 film won the Czech Lion prize and the Contrechamp Jury Award at the Annecy Festival.

Age 9+