Little Water Sprite (Otfried Preussler)

One spring day, the little Water Sprite is born in a house of reeds at the bottom of a mill pond. Duckweed soup, pickled water fleas, and other dainties are served to celebrate. The little Water Sprite grows up quickly, and soon he is bored of gazing out the window at the newts and fish swimming by. There is a whole new world to see outside his living room, and the little Water Sprite is determined to explore it! In the pond he makes friends with Cyprian the carp and encounters the fearsome nine-eyed lamprey, but his most thrilling adventures await him on dry land.

Otfried Preussler is one of Germany's most popular children's authors, two-time winner of the German Children's Book Prize, and one of the most widely translated children's authors, with books published in fifty-five languages and over fifty million copies sold.

Translated by Althea Bell.