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LE KIW
FRENDE
Le Kiw, Nono and Raf walking through the courtyard of their house in the Alpilles, near the garden tent
THE SERIES

LE KIW

Two adventures in Provence

LES AVENTURES DU KIW EN PROVENCE

From the Alpilles to the Camargue, Le Kiw, Nono and Raf investigate the natural world. Two bright picture books about looking closely, understanding and wondering.

  • Ages 4 to 7
  • 32 pages
  • Square picture book
  • Printed book
Discover the books
Book 1 on AmazonBook 2 on Amazon

French edition

See the price and conditions on Amazon.

The illustrations show the updated edition. Please check the edition and the cover on Amazon before ordering.

The Books

Two investigations, two Provencal landscapes

Book one takes place in the garden of the Alpilles, book two beside the salt marshes of the Camargue. Each book stands on its own and carries the same curiosity.

Cover of book one, LE KIW, The Secret of the Cicadas, with Le Kiw, Nono and Raf
BOOK 1Updated edition

The Secret of the Cicadas

In the courtyard of their house in the Alpilles, Le Kiw, Nono and Raf turn the tent into their headquarters. While their parents make lunch indoors, a mysterious song drifts across the garden. From the old wall to the great olive tree, from tiny holes in the ground to an empty shell clinging to the bark, their search reveals the secret of the cicadas.

  • 32 pages
  • Square full colour picture book
  • For ages 4 to 7
  • From age 3 when read together
  • Printed book
  • Written by Mathieu Delranc
See on AmazonSee the book page

See the price and conditions on Amazon.

The illustrations show the updated edition. Please check the edition and the cover on Amazon before ordering.

Cover of book two, LE KIW, The Birds That Turned Pink, with Le Kiw, Nono and Raf
BOOK 2Updated edition

The Birds That Turned Pink

In the Camargue, Le Kiw, Nono and Raf try to find out why flamingos are not born pink. From the water of the salt marshes to the tiny brine shrimp, from the filtering beak to a young grey flamingo, their clues reveal how food slowly colours the feathers.

  • 32 pages
  • Square full colour picture book
  • For ages 4 to 7
  • From age 3 when read together
  • Printed book
  • Written by Mathieu Delranc
See on AmazonSee the book page

See the price and conditions on Amazon.

The illustrations show the updated edition. Please check the edition and the cover on Amazon before ordering.

For ages 4 to 7, from age 3 when read together. Printed books only. Both books are published in French only, and the Amazon links point to the French edition.

Inside the Story

Three moments from book one

A glimpse of the pages of book one, from the garden of the house to the secret hidden in the olive bark.

Swipe to browse the illustrations

  • Le Kiw, Nono and Raf crouching beside small round holes in the dry earth at the foot of the olive tree

    The first clues

    Near the trunk, small round holes with clean edges appear in the dry earth.

  • Nono, Le Kiw and Raf watching a cicada on the olive trunk, beside its shed skin

    There it is!

    Nono spots a brown cicada pressed against the bark, close to its shed skin. All three watch it without touching it.

  • A cicada resting on a tree trunk, with an explanatory magnified view of its tymbals

    The secret of the song

    The male sings using two small membranes, called tymbals, on the sides of its abdomen. They vibrate very fast.

Le Kiw, Nono and Raf together under an olive branch

The Characters

Three friends, three ways to explore

Le Kiw watches and thinks, Nono listens and picks up the details, and Raf tries things out with enthusiasm. From the Alpilles to the Camargue, they turn nature’s little mysteries into big adventures.

  • Le KiwThe observer, aged 8

    Curious and attentive, she notices the details that everyone else misses.

  • NonoThe attentive ear, aged 8

    A careful listener with a sharp eye, she follows the clues and spots what the others do not see.

  • RafThe little explorer, aged 2

    The smallest of the group. With his bucket, he turns every discovery into a game.

The Promise

Observe, understand, wonder

  • 01

    A real adventure

    An easy to follow mystery, with suspense, humour and a band of friends.

  • 02

    The art of noticing

    Looking at details, listening to sounds and learning to ask good questions.

  • 03

    Words explained

    Shed skin, tymbals, salt marsh, brine shrimp and filtering beak.

  • 04

    Provence for real

    The Alpilles, the olive trees, the salt marshes of the Camargue and the southern light.

The Series

A new part of Provence in every book

Each book explores a new place in Provence. After the Alpilles garden of book one, book two takes Le Kiw, Nono and Raf to the salt marshes of the Camargue and its flamingos.

LES AVENTURES DU KIW EN PROVENCE

Next adventure

BOOK 3 · The Hat Thief

The mistral wind pulls the children onto a brand new trail.

LE KIW

LES AVENTURES DU KIW EN PROVENCE

Ages 4 to 732 pagesSquare picture bookPrinted book

Two adventures in Provence

Editions

Le Kiw is travelling into new languages

The French edition is published first. The English and German editions are in preparation. Italian, Dutch and Spanish will follow step by step.

  1. FR

    French, original edition

  2. EN · DE

    English and German, in preparation

  3. IT · NL · ES

    Italian, Dutch and Spanish, later

Help Inspire the Next Adventure

Have an idea for a future story?

Do you know a place, tradition or little mystery in Provence that Le Kiw, Nono and Raf could explore? Write to us.

Share an Ideacontact@lekiw.com

Choose a bookFrench edition

Artwork from the updated edition. Please check the edition on Amazon.

Book 1 on AmazonBook 2 on Amazon