Book 1 · Read & listen now
A boy. His cat. A world of possibility.
Big adventures.
Little paws.
A place together.
Meet Johannes and his cat, Stella Pickles. Ordinary rooms become extraordinary worlds in a gentle picture-book series about imagination, patience, and friendship.
For little listeners and the grown-ups beside them.
Every captain needs a quiet corner.
Meet Stella. Pickles, to her friends.
Johannes brings the big ideas. Stella brings her own point of view. Together, they discover that friendship sometimes means slowing down and listening.
A little hello from Pickles →Digital first. Bookshelves next.
A little story with a bigger purpose.
Book One · Illustrated PDF ebook
The Cape That Wouldn’t Fly
A homemade cape, a cardboard spaceship, and a cat with a different plan. A gentle adventure about making room for a friend.
$4.99 USD · planned launch price
Includes a downloadable illustrated PDF for personal family reading. Net proceeds after payment fees, taxes, and applicable costs will help fund proof copies and future physical printing.
Checkout is not open yet. No payment is collected. EPUB and the complete digital set are planned; they are not included in this initial PDF offer.
The little-adventure collection
One friendship. Six stories to grow with.
Book 2 · Coming soon
The Very Suspicious Box
Cover concept · story and illustrations in development.
Book 3 · Coming soon
The Thunder Under the Bed
Cover concept · story and illustrations in development.
Book 4 · Coming soon
The Great Sock Expedition
Cover concept · story and illustrations in development.
Book 5 · Coming soon
The Day Nothing Happened
Cover concept · story and illustrations in development.
Book 6 · Coming soon
One More Place at the Fort
Cover concept · story and illustrations in development.
The First Bookshelf Campaign
Help turn digital stories
into books you can hold.
We’re building Johannes & Stella Pickles one gentle adventure at a time. Our plan is simple: let digital editions help pay for physical ones.
Net ebook proceeds can fund a hardcover proof, print preparation, and eventually a larger print order. A larger run may reduce the cost per copy, depending on the printer’s quote. We’ll set quantities and a funding target after reviewing the proof and getting production prices.
1. Get the first book ready
Book 1’s story and illustrations are complete. Print files are prepared; a physical proof still needs review.
2. Launch digital sales
The $4.99 PDF offer is planned. Checkout and secure download delivery must be connected before sales open.
3. Print, then grow
Use available net proceeds toward printing, and finish the remaining books before offering a complete set.
Prelaunch · No contributions collected on this page. No funding target or delivery date announced. This is an independent community publishing campaign, not a live Kickstarter campaign. Hardcover preorders and complete-set purchases are not open.
Little ideas. A whole new adventure.
Where should Johannes
and Pickles go next?
A moon made of pillows? A mysterious garden visitor? An expedition behind the sofa? Tell us what you imagine!
Your idea could spark their next story.
Suggest their next adventure, and we’ll give you a free digital copy of the next Johannes & Stella Pickles book when it’s published.
Parents and grown-ups: share the idea together, then send it using your own email address. No child’s full name, age, photo, or contact details are needed.
For the grown-ups
A few little answers.
Can we enjoy the first story for free?
Yes. Watch the full narrated story or open the illustrated reading app. No account is needed. The optional $4.99 PDF ebook will help support physical printing when checkout launches.
How does the printing campaign work?
Our plan is to use net ebook proceeds toward a physical proof and future printing. We’ll announce a funding target and print quantities after reviewing the proof and production quotes. We aren’t collecting contributions or hardcover preorders yet.
How do we receive the free book for suggesting an adventure?
A grown-up can send an idea using the form below. It opens an email draft; send that draft to complete the submission. We’ll use the sender’s email to deliver a free PDF of the next published book. No purchase is required; one copy per submitting email address. There is no publication date yet.
Share your adventure idea →Can we read on a phone or tablet without internet?
Open the reading app while online and wait for “Ready for offline reading.” Book 1’s text and illustrations will then be available in this browser without internet. Audio and video still need a connection. Device storage cleanup may remove saved files.
Your pocket-sized story corner
A reading app for phones & tablets.
Open Book 1, turn the illustrated pages, listen to the narration, and return to where you left off on this device.
An installable web app; no app-store download required. Book 1 is available now. Future stories will appear as they are finished. Reading progress is saved only in this browser; it does not sync across devices.
From our family to your story time
A little more imagination.
A little more time together.
Inspired by Johannes and Stella Pickles, and created by Jaron Tauschmann. Every story starts with a small wonder and makes room for kindness.