Kiki and I

The latest work by Leo Timmers, an illustrator nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Inspired by childhood memories and travels.

Writing about the eternal story of friendship, companionship, and growth between humans and animals.

Grand and exquisitely beautiful.

A monumental picture book worth cherishing for a lifetime. 

Early one morning, a father brings home a special surprise for his child.

This book tells the story of a horse's encounter with a little girl from the horse's perspective, as "Kiki and the Horse" slowly unfolds.

The two quickly become inseparable, and Kiki spares no effort in caring for the horse. For many years, they gallop together through fields and by the sea, exploring the vast world between heaven and earth. Until one day, Kiki is no longer a little girl, and her attention shifts to new friends. Will this change their friendship? Will they have a chance to explore new landscapes together again?

The story depicts a connection filled with love and understanding between humans and animals, delicately capturing the characters' inner worlds and the unspoken emotional turns. When Polly the horse first experiences loneliness and loss, how should she understand this sudden change? Why has her once inseparable best friend, with whom she shared every moment of her life, stopped appearing? What happened—did Kiki no longer love her horse, or is there another reason?

The book presents life experiences we have all gone through—the beautiful encounters, the inevitable partings, and the joy of reunion, all creating ripples in the reader's heart. The author writes not only about the bond between a person and a horse but also gently outlines the most cherished and unforgettable friendships one wishes to keep for a lifetime.

Belgian illustrator Leo Timmers spent two years completing this picture book. During the creative process, he constantly looked back at his childhood and re-evaluated his feelings and insights as a father of two daughters, accompanying them as they grew up. Thus, in the book, he is simultaneously the child, the father, and the horse.

He believes that a good picture book can speak to both children and adults—it reserves space for children to explore and discover, and it allows adults to find emotional resonance in the reading.

Therefore, he uses alternating black and white and color images to create a reading rhythm, and he uses magnificent natural landscapes to layer the emotions and memories between the characters—the mist from cascading waterfalls, the white spray from waves crashing against rocks, the storm chasing Kiki and the horse, the sunset glow over the mountains, the whale's tail fin emerging from the sea under the moonlight, and the lighthouse shrouded in clouds.

The entire book skillfully uses changes in light to create different atmospheres as the scenes change. The sixty-page text and images maintain a tight, engaging rhythm, with every spread revealing the author's dedicated effort, showcasing a new and unprecedented personal style.