Tamar Brown Elkeles

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Tamar Brown Elkeles is an author, screenwriter and playwright, born in Nigeria and raised in Israel. Her first children’s book, the bestselling The Bird’s Bakery,  was selected for the national cultural program for schools and is currently being adapted into a theatrical production. Her second book, The Kingdom of Serious and The Kingdom of Silly, was included in the 2020 Children’s Book Parade and was among the books chosen as the most beloved book by children. The book is poised to be staged as a play at the Mediatheque Theater. Tamar lives in Tel Aviv with her husband, a photographer and documentary filmmaker, and their two children. She has worked on the sets of various documentary films and was the writer of a documentary for National Geographic. Her debut play, Dust, premiered in 2009 to critical acclaim.

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Moran Barak is an Illustrator, graduated with honors from the Illustration track in the Visual Communication Department at Shenkar. He has illustrated for all major newspapers in Israel and numerous magazines, designed and illustrated hundreds of book covers, and created illustrations for organizations and NGOs focused on human rights and democracy in Israel and worldwide. He has illustrated many children's books both in Israel and internationally, worked in animation studios, illustrated animated films, and designed and illustrated animation series for an American television channel and the public broadcasting corporation. He has taught at various academies in Israel and currently teaches illustration and design at the University of Haifa and in Bezalel. He also serves as the academic director of Bezalel’s preparatory program.

 

The Grand Piano’s Grand Adventure [working title]

MG (Middle Grade)

Publisher: Matar

Year: 2025

 

Translation rights: World

Audio visual rights: World

Translation: Complete English available

 

In the 1930s, a grand piano is transported by boat from Danzig all the way to the distant Land of Israel. It encounters historical characters along the way and takes part in the defining moments of the emerging Israeli culture. At the heart of this true story lies the deep connection between Bertha, the little girl and her beloved lost piano, which misses her playing immensely. Together they embark on a journey of hope and self-growth, combining traditional music with new sounds and realizing the power of music and its ability to bridge distances, create human connections and hold on to dreams, even in hard times. The book sheds light on the dramatic period of the Fifth Aliyah (1932-1939 wave of Jewish immigration to the land of Israel) and reminds readers how the sound of a single grand piano could create new lives, a new culture, and shine a light in the darkness through the power of art and the resilience of the human spirit. It is a story of nostalgia, music and the fulfillment of dreams, promising to inspire everyone who reads it.

   

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Critical Praise for Past Works

 

A lovely book about friendship, love, the ability to compromise when necessary and the love for music.

Meira Barnea Goldberg, MAKO

 

A touching story… We experience with Yoav and his family the worry, disappointment and unexpected solution, in a sensitive, humoristic and loving way. Recommended for anyone dealing with an obstacle, whether simple or complicated.

Tamar Pearlstein, Makor Rishon

 

A feel-good book the whole family will love.

Adi Shtamberger, Jerusalem Post

 

A book you won’t want to miss!

National Geographic Kids

 

The Birds’ Bakery confronts the sensitive issue of the child’s economic existence, from a sensitive and unusual perspective… When Yoav’s parents are worried about what lies ahead and are preparing to sell their bakery, surprisingly Yoav himself comes up with the solution to the difficult situation. His love and care for the birds save the family from bankruptcy. The text addresses both the economic crisis and the parents' difficulty in explaining and mediating this situation for their child. Where words fail, the illustrations step in, revealing the struggles experienced by the father and mother as they witness the collapse of their life's work on one hand, and Yoav's lack of understanding of the other, which also generates a trying sense of uncertainty and even an escape into the world of birds. This world, filled with magic and vibrant colors, stands in stark contrast to the parents’ distress. The happy ending shows that sometimes it is imagination and creativity that lead to financial success, because thanks to the new ‘customers’ that Yoav found, the bakery becomes a household name. And unlike other capitalist parables, such as the parable of the ant and the cricket that teaches a lack of compassion towards the less fortunate, it is generosity that leads to abundance and success in the story.

Professor Shai Rodin

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