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Read The 1st Chapter Of My New Novel Here (Chapters 2-3 Are Now Also Available In English, Contact Me)
Translation Rights
Picture Books
Agents/Publishers: complete English translation available for your discretion. Please contact me.
...When I Grow Up
An amusingly rhymed catalog of professions!
Ages 4-8, 36pp. Over 10 reprints.
Co-written with Nevo Ziv.
Illustrations: Na'ama Peleg.
Am-Oved Publishers, 2002.
Rights availability:
All languages/territories.
Representation: Directly by author.
Pumpkin the Kitten
PJ Library, Platinum book.
Oh, Brother
Won the Israeli Museum Illustration prize.
When Dad was Sad
Illustrations: Gilad Soffer.
In the Neighborhood
Kids run around the hood, old school!
Ages 4-8, 32pp.
Illustrations: Noam Nadav.
Am-Oved Publishers, 2010.
Rights availability:
All languages/territories.
Representation: Directly by author.
Dorri the Dragon
Dorri dreams he's a dragon and keeps at it all day…
Ages 4-8, 32pp.
Illustrations: Ofer Getz.
Am-Oved Publishers, 2013.
Rights availability:
All languages/territories.
Representation: Directly by author.
King Leo Retires
King Leo's had it with running the jungle! The animals form a government…
Ages 4-9, 32pp.
Illustrations: Ofer Getz.
Kinneret-Zmora Publishers, 2015.
Translations: Chinese (2018).
Rights availability:
All other languages/territories.
Representation: Assia Literary Agency
Cockatoo Hairdo
Ra'ama's hair has a mind of its own. One morning two hatchlings are in it…
Ages 4-8, 36pp.
Illustrations: Liora Grossman.
Am-Oved Publishers, 2017.
Translations: German (2017), French (2017) both published with original.
Rights availability:
All languages/territories including German and French (rights retrieved to author).
Representation: Directly by author.
A Night at the Playground
Amnon Ben Tamim takes his parents
on a playground adventure – at night!
Ages 4-9, 32pp.
Illustrations: Aviel Basil.
Am-Oved Publishers, 2021.
Translations: English (2023).
Rights availability:
All other languages/territories.
Representation: Assia Literary Agency
Rona's Moving Out
Rona doesn't want to tidy up her room (what a shocker). She decides to move to anpther family and her parents help her pack, fix her a meal and help her find a better home: her friend Michal's from upstairs. But there Rona realizes there's no place like (messy) home.
Ages 4-9, 40pp.
Illustrations: Aviel Basil.
Mellel Publishing House, 2024.
Rights availability:
All languages/territories.
Representation: Directly by author.
Young Adults
Agents/Publishers: English sample translation is available for your discretion. Please contact me.
Zehavim
Ariel's fight for survival in the toughest of boarding schools. A touching and nerve-wrecking thriller!
Ages 12-16, 428pp.
Am-Oved Publishers, 2006.
Rights availability:
All languages/territories.
Representation: Directly by author.
Anti
A family tragedy makes Dror a rapper and saves him through art and love.
Ages 12-16, 247pp.
Am-Oved Publishers, 2011.
Translations: Japanese (2019).
Rights availability:
All other languages/territories.
Representation: ITHL.
Love vs. Friendship
(Ahava Neged Haveruth)
Yarin and Lior have been best friends forever. Now they both fall in love with the same girl!
Ages 10-14, 216pp.
Illustrations: Noni Sagol.
Miskal Publishers, 2017.
Rights availability:
All languages/territories.
Representation: Directly by author.
Fiction Novels
Agents/Publishers: English sample translation is available for all of my novels. Request.
"A language juggler, page turner, such a fun book!"
Avri Gil'ad IDF radio.
"A brilliant novel!"
Critic Yaron Frid, Ma'ariv daily
"Jonathan Yavin's writing can be summed up telegraphically: Original, riveting, unpredictable, surprising. Each of his novels revealed a different aspect of his excellent narrative skill. I am anxious to find out where his next book takes me."
Author Haim Be'er
"A spicy story, extremely well built."
Critic Tzur Erlich Makor Rishon daily
"Skillful, intelligent entertainment: rhythmic, sexy & funny!"
Critic Dr. Arik Glassner Yedioth Aharonot daily
"Yavin writes with almost annoying edginess…"
Columnist Jackie Levi for Israel Today tabloid
"I've enjoyed every word in this book. I don't think this has ever happened to me with a book."
Author Na'ama Segal
My Newest:
Loyal to None but Himself
(Ne'eman LeAtzmo)
Agents and non-Israeli Publishers:
Longer English synopsis PDF file is available for your consideration. Download
Saul Na’aman, Israel’s biggest radio star, is going deaf and hides it. Inevitably, he mishears something on live air, lashes out and gets himself suspended.
He befriends Dolev, an enigmatic forensics expert in the Israeli police, a ski fanatic, wine lover and a certified womanizer, but is also dangerously drawn to Dolev's wife, Osnat, a gifted glass artist. Thus Saul is driven away from his beloved wife, Sigri, his children, himself. Rising up from the wine cellars of Tel Aviv to the peaks of the Austrian Alps, a tantalizing journey between loyalty and betrayal leads to a cliffhanger ending.
Readers Rave!*
"I can't describe how much I've enjoyed this book. As a religious Jewish woman, I had to swallow some frogs, but I rejoiced with your language – and what joy it was! The pace! I was chasing the words ecstatically." Sarit Zussman, actress and artist.
"Jonathan is an excellent writer, who doesn't suffice with flat characters, but builds them layers upon layers."
Zipporah Roman, journalist, Woman's World.
"Beautiful book, I just couldn't put it down. The plot is captivating, the characters accurately built, you can't resist getting emotionally involved with each and every one of them. Jonathan masters the language spectacularly, as he has shown in his previous novels. A Hebrew lovers feast."
Yaron sadan, former CEO, Am-Oved publishing house.
"I dove into this book head-first and marveled at Saul, the main character. Found myself chained to the plot. Just wonderful."
Adi Hillel, reader.
*All responses are published with responder's consent.
"Wow, wow, wow. Loyal to None but Himself. I've read it today from beginning to end. Highly recommended!"
Eyal, reader.
"Just finished it. Great book. You bastard!"
Private message from author Noya Sagiv.
"I eagerly gulped down the first 140 pages on my flight. I'm now waiting anxiously for my flight back, trying hard not to pull the book out of my suitcase."
Danny Reicher, Co-Founder, "Beit Hagishur"
"This book is an invitation to a nonstop game with fire. I was sucked in by every word, jumped through every hoop. I was moved, surprised, broken-down only to rise up again with more air and courage. Your writing is brave, unique and edgy."
Orit Levisman, reader.
Previous Novels
Baba Gee
My debut novel. Nadav, a 28 yo lost boy photographer, goes to India. His Father, Elli, tags along. 369pp.
Am-Oved Publishers, 2004.
Rights availability:
All languages/territories.
Representation: Directly by author.
House-Sitter
(Shemar-Ba'it)
Amos, a boring bank teller, survives a robbery, becomes a house-sitter and meets a lover and a killer. Written in ancient Hebrew. 355pp.
Am-Oved Publishers, 2011.
Rights availability:
All languages/territories.
Representation: Directly by author.
The Misanthropist
(HaMisantrop)
Doron, a snide abusive playwright, is the star of Tel-Aviv's theater world. His girlfriend, Irit, leads him down a slippery slope of violence. 480pp.
Kinneret-Zmora-Bitan Publishers, 2014.
Rights availability:
All languages/territories.
Representation: Directly by author.
Nonfiction
Agents/Publishers: English sample translation is available for your discretion. Please contact me.
Building a Story - a Writer's guide
(Bonim Sipur)
About 15 years of writing workshops resulted in a method I developed and perfected. Philosophy, psychology and practice of writing. 272pp.
Kinneret-Zmora-Bitan Publishers, 2012.
Rights availability:
All languages/territories.
Representation: Assia Literary Agency