Melios’s Birthday

Melios the beetle turned himself upside down, rolling his mud ball. And how strange… when you’re upside down, you see more clearly… and you can discover so much. Where is the truth hidden? What is truly worth it? A tender fairy tale with powerful symbolism. For this book, the author was awarded the 2015 ‘Penelope Maximou’ Prize for a short-form narrative book for children by the Greek Children’s Book Circle.

Following the huge success of the book *Upside Down*, which introduced Melios to young readers, in Theodoros Papaioannou’s new book we meet the beloved beetle once again, facing a new challenge: His friend, Melani, is on the other side of the forest waiting for him, but to get there he has to cross the main road! How will he manage that? On his blue bike? On his purple scooter? With a parachute? On a magic carpet? Well, he’ll try them all! And even if he fails! You never know, perhaps luck is made of many failures... The book comes with a CD featuring songs written by Orestis Papaioannou especially for the book. To listen to a sample of the songs, click [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PxlrcOZDe4&feature;=youtu.be).

Neither Kostis nor Diamantia are at all keen on the idea of spending their summer holidays in the mountains. Boring! But the blue waterfall, the breathing cave, the gold at the roots of the ancient oak tree, and the haunted watermill await them… And Silouani will show them the paths, turning every day into a new adventure. Silouani is my first novel for children and teenagers. It all began with a letter given to me by my pupil Silouani on her last day at primary school. ‘This, sir, is for you,’ she said, looking me straight in the eye. I don’t know how many times I read it. And then I began wandering around the mountains near Edessa and Panagitsa, searching for answers to those wonderful questions children ask whenever they put their thoughts down on paper. And so the story of Silouani and the ‘children of the mountain’ was born; they may be imaginary heroes, but they live in places that are entirely real. – T.P.

Melios and Melani wake up, emerge from their nests and together set off for a walk in the forest. The sound of water, the sweetness of sap, the colour of the sunset, the scent of flowers, even the chill of the snow—everything feels special when you share it with someone you love, together.

Everything is true until you write it in a book and say it’s a lie. Memories from your childhood, stories you were told, books you read, music you listened to, films you watched, moments you shared, the words and deeds of loved ones, fragments of dreams… And if some truth or lie turns your world upside down, then you’re ready to start your life all over again. A book about second chances and the decisions that make us start afresh. A personal quest that takes us on a journey through Greece from the 1960s to the present day.

The quiet village of ants is thrown into turmoil by an unexpected, literally sky-sent gift. Next door, a bear with a sweet tooth and an irresistible itch wanders unsuspectingly through the forest. But how are all these things connected? Take a guess! With a drop of honey…

During a school class’s visit to a sculpture museum, one of the artworks, with the enigmatic title The Pelican, raises various questions: Why did the artist name it that? What does it symbolise? Does it hide a secret? The sculptor will take the young visitors on a journey through time via a story about the adventure of learning, the pursuit of dreams and the magic of art. But will he reveal who the real pelican is? The award-winning author of the fairy tales Anapoda (Penelope Maximou Award – Greek Children’s Book Circle, 2015), Across (Public Bookshops Special Prize, 2016), Together (Public Bookshops Special Prize, 2019) and Silouani (Children’s Literature Award from the Reader’s Literary Awards, 2018) returns with Pelekanos, a new young adult novel for children aged 9 and over.

The child who stars in Theodoros Papaioannou’s new illustrated book has a dream: he wants to play music! But he doesn’t know which instrument to choose. He discovers a book featuring all kinds of musical instruments, loses himself in its pages and imagines what their sounds and music might be like. He tries them all out – in his own way – one by one: the oboe, the horn, the ukulele, the violin… He makes them and fills the house with music. The notes reach as far as the house next door and throughout the whole block of flats! It probably doesn’t matter which instrument he chooses because he’s making his dream come true!