Kai and the Kappas

BookLife Editor's Pick: "Lively modern fairy tale of the excitement and power of storytelling."

Japanese folklore meets the Boy Who Cried Wolf when Kai's love for storytelling teaches a lesson he'll never forget.

Kai loves sharing spooky stories about mythical creatures with the village kids, just as his grandmother once did for him. But when his wild imagination begins to blur the line between reality and fiction, he gets in trouble with the grown-ups. Suddenly, Kai comes face-to-face with a mischievous Kappa, a legendary creature straight out of his stories. With no one to help, Kai must outwit the Kappa using the lessons hidden in the books he knows so well.
Or is this just another story in the making?

With its spooky storytelling and a touch of mystery, Kai and the Kappas is perfect for fans of Jon Klassen, Brothers Grimm, Júlia Sardà and readers who love folklore-inspired adventures.

The illustrations in Kai and the Kappas blend digital art with hand-drawn and scanned text and textures woven into the scenes. With this mix of traditional and digital media, this book takes a stance against AI-generated imagery, celebrating the timeless art of human creativity. Kirkus Reviews calls it "Visually stunning".

A book for kids 6-9 years, and the ones buying it for them: "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." (C.S. Lewis)