John the Skeleton - Hardcover

by Triinu Laan (Author), Adam Cullen (Translator), Marja-Liisa Plats (Illustrator)

2025 Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winner

2025 USBBY Outstanding International Book

2022 Bologna Children's Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition Winner

2021 The White Ravens Catalog

2021 Tartu Prize for Children's Literature

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 the 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.

Author Biography

Triinu Laan (1975) is a manager of cultural activities and a children's writer. She graduated in law from the Tallinn School of Economics and received a master's degree in cultural management from the University of Tartu in 2018. She is involved in the translation and editing of Võro-language books, and organizes events aimed at the promotion of the Võro language and culture. As an author, Laan has written four children's books, all of which are in both the Võro (a regional language in South Estonia), and Estonian languages. Her debut work, The Big Black Dog, (published under her previous name Triinu Ojar) received immediate international acclaim and was listed in the White Ravens catalogue.

Marja-Liisa Plats (1984) is an illustrator, graphic designer, photographer, and singer. She graduated from Tartu Art College in photography and is a member of the Young Authors' Association in Tartu and the Tartu Artists' Union. Plats has illustrated more than 40 children's books and regularly contributes to the children's magazine Täheke. She has received extensive recognition for her works and has been listed in the White Ravens catalogue three times. Her illustrations are inquisitive and experiment with a broad range of visual techniques.

Adam Cullen is a freelance translator of Estonian prose, poetry, and drama. His translations include novels by Mihkel Mutt (The Cavemen Chronicle, nominated for the 2015 Cultural Endowment of Estonia's Prize for Literary Translation), Rein Raud (The Brother and The Reconstruction, nominated for the 2017 Cultural Endowment of Estonia's Prize for Literary Translation), Kai Aareleid (Burning Cities), and Tonu Onnepalu (Radio). Cullen's debut collection of original poetry, Lichen / Samblik, was published in 2017. Originally from Minnesota, he has resided in Estonia since 2007.