Inspired by a true story, Kafka and the Doll recounts a remarkable gesture of kindness from one of the world’s most bewildering and iconic writers. In the fall of 1923, Franz Kafka encountered a distraught little girl on a walk in the park. She’d lost her doll and was inconsolable. Kafka told her the doll wasn’t lost, but instead, traveling the world and having grand adventures! And to reassure her, Kafka began delivering letters from the doll to the girl for weeks.
The legend of Kafka and the doll has captivated imaginations for decades as it reveals the playful and compassionate side of a man known for his dark and brooding tales. Kafka and the Doll is a testament to living life to the fullest and to the life-changing power of storytelling.
Author
Larissa Theule
Larissa Theule holds an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is the author of the picture books Kafka and the Doll, Born to Ride: A Story About Bicycle Face, A Way with Wild Things, and Mouseboat. She lives in Pasadena, California.Please visit LarissaTheule.com or follow her on Instagram @Larissa.Theule.Teagan White is an illustrator who specializes in the worlds of magical forests and animal friends. They are the illustrator of bestselling title That’s Me Loving You by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. When they’re not making art, they enjoy adventures in the woods, working in their garden, and trying to be a good neighbor to all living things. They live in Oregon with their partner, stepdaughter, and cat named Bug.Please visit them at TinyMothStudios.com or TeaganWhite.com or follow them on Instagram @TinyMothStudios.
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Rebecca Green
Rebecca Green is the illustrator of Madame Saqui: Revolutionary Rope Dancer and How to Make Friends with a Ghost, which she also wrote. Booklist called the latter “a heartfelt lesson in kindness and caring.” Most recently, she illustrated Kafka and the Doll, which received two starred reviews. In addition to working as an illustrator for children’s books, magazines, and galleries, she also helped run The Warren, a studio in Nashville that houses five working artists and hosts a variety of community events. Some of her clients include HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the Wall Street Journal, and Flow magazine. Visit her at myblankpaper.com.
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