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A modern fairy tale of a brave child who must save her village, illustrated with incredible paper-cut kirigami scenes.
Anya lives in a paper village, among delicate paper trees and paper houses, where the people are paper-light. When dangerous winds blow through the village of Paperlee, Anya crafts a kirigami paper bridge to cross the chasm to meet the strangers who live there and discover how to save her home.
Explore a real paper world – of 3D houses, folded foliage and cut-out characters – created using the art of kirigami (paper cutting and folding) in a moving story about friendship, bravery and climate change.
Shortlisted for The Carnegie Medal for Illustratin
A Foreword Reviews Best Children's Book of 2025
'An unmatched work of art.'—Foreword Reviews, Starred Review
'The story reads like a parable, drawing readers into a setting like our own but ever so slightly off-kilter, while the exquisite illustrations are rife with small details for those who choose to linger... A beautifully crafted world to get lost in.'—Kirkus Reviews
'Ratanavanh's meticulous, captivating art is truly exquisite... inviting readers to linger over every inspired detail as they absorb the warmth of this tender original fable by debut author Veyrenc.'—Booklist
'The Paper Bridge is completely captivating — a gorgeous heart-warming tale with a message of hope at its core, showing how a series of actions in one community can have a devastating effect on another, and highlighting the impact of climate change and the challenges of working together to protect our shared natural world.' —Outside In World
'Beautifully crafted. With its imaginative storytelling, timeless aesthetic, and strong message about valuing diversity, empathy and cooperation, this book would be a wonderful read aloud.'—Puget Sound Council for the Review of Children's and Young Adult Literature
'Truly a one-of-a-kind picture book... Such meticulous effort put into each and every page deserves recognition and appreciation... It is wonderfully unique and amusing.'—Georgie Bartlett, YA Books Central
'The story [...] and the illustrations fuse to create the perfect piece of art. Frankly, I think this should be in the library of anyone, of any age, who believes in the power of hope and community to make a meaningful impact. This is undoubtedly one of my best books of the year so far.'—Doreen Sheridan, The Frumious Consortium
'Beautiful, striking, and creative... If you're looking to expand your collection with unique titles that will introduce readers to new things and teach them about peaceful resolutions, I'd pick up this one.'—Charessa S,Centralia Regional Library District, IL
'I feel that this book will become a favorite of most people, will be given many awards and I could even see it becoming a modern classic.'—Northshire Bookstore
'A delightful story about friendship, bravery, and climate change. The art really makes this book!'—OmniLibros
Joelle Veyrenc is a children's writer from Paris, France. The Paper Bridge is her first picture book.
Seng Soun Ratanavanh is a French illustrator and painter who was born in Laos. She has illustrated several books for children and taught herself the art of kirigami specially to create the striking blend of 2D and 3D paper illustrations in The Paper Bridge.
Katy Lockwood-Holmes studied French and Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh. She works in publishing and lives in Edinburgh, UK.