The Gray City - Hardcover

by Torben Kuhlmann (Author), David Henry Wilson (Translator)

A Bank Street Best Book of 2025, Outstanding Merit Selection

Let there be color! From the creator of the Mouse Adventures-Torben Kuhlmann-comes an epic, illustrated story about a girl who sets out to bring color back to a city where everything is gray.

There is something off about Robin's new city. Everything there is gray--house facades, people, even flowers. Where are all the colors? Robin sets out in search of color and uncovers a plot: behind all the gray is the faceless Gray Works company. Thanks to her powers of deduction and a few allies, Robin gets into the company's control center and sets all the controls to colorful. In the end, only her cat is left gray.

Torben Kuhlmann-creator of the Mouse Adventures series including the 2019 Batchelder honor winner Edison-uses his love of science and his mastery of illustration to introduce color theory to young readers through his striking visuals and contemporary narrative.

Author Biography

Torben Kuhlmann lives and works in Hamburg as a freelance children's author and illustrator. He studied illustration and communications design at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. He wrote and illustrated his first picture book, Lindbergh: the Tale of a Flying Mouse, in 2012 as his final thesis, and it was published in 2014 by NordSüd Verlag. It quickly became a bestseller and has been translated into more than 30 languages. Three more mouse adventures followed and were equally successful. In 2024, the tenth anniversary was celebrated by the publication of Earhart, the fifth book in the series. However, a few mouse-free books have also crept into the repertoire during the last ten years, including Moletown and The Gray City.

David Henry Wilson was born in London in 1937. As well as being a translator, he is a playwright and children's author, best known for his Jeremy James books. He lives in Somerset, England, and has two surviving children and three grandchildren.