Experience the magic of The Book Thief with this enchanting Folio edition. Created in close collaboration with the author and featuring illustrations by Alexis Deacon, this is a reading experience that will stay with you forever.
If you have an account, log in with your email address.
Editor’s Note
Sophia Schoepfer, Editor
Death is the narrator of this tale, which follows Liesel Meminger, a young girl plucked from her home and dispatched to a foster family. When Liesel finds a book on the cold graveyard ground, her world changes forever. Marcus Zusak weaves a narrative that is a reckoning of the not-so-distant past, and a love letter to humanity and to literature.
This edition of the modern classic contains seven of Alexis Deacon's atmospheric illustrations, which the author described as being filled with ‘little gifts and treasures’.
PRODUCTION DETAILS
488 pages
6 double-page colour illustrations with illustrated title page spread and integrated black & white drawings
Set in Jenson with Albertus as display
Bound in printed and blocked textured paper
Printed slipcase
9 ½˝ x 6 ¾˝
Printed in Italy
SYNOPSIS
‘It was a great privilege to work with Markus Zusak’s powerful story. I loved being able to draw my own versions of the iconic and memorable characters he has created. I had also previously worked on another wartime story, told from the British perspective during the same momentous years. I was very happy to be given the chance to show another view of the same events, events that have done so much to shape our present time.’
Alexis Deacon, Illustrator
In Nazi Germany, where words are both a weapon and a solace, young Liesel Meminger discovers the power of books. After stealing her first volume from a snowy graveyard, she begins a quiet rebellion, sharing stories with her neighbours, her best friend and the Jewish man hiding in her basement. Narrated by Death, this haunting tale unfolds amidst war and loss, capturing the resilience of the human spirit. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is a profound and unforgettable exploration of love, hope and the extraordinary ways stories can light even the darkest times.
BIOGRAPHIES
About Markus Zusak
Markus Zusak was born in 1975 in Sydney, Australia, the youngest of four children of immigrant German and Austrian parents. Strongly encouraged to read and communicate in English from an early age, he began writing fiction at the age of 16 and later pursued a degree in teaching. He is the author of five books, The Underdog (1999), Fighting Ruben Wolfe (2000), When Dogs Cry (2001), The Messenger (2002), The Book Thief (2005, Folio 2024) and Bridge of Clay (2018). His fifth book, The Book Thief, became an international bestseller selling 17 million copies worldwide. It was translated into 63 languages and adapted into a feature film in 2013 starring Geoffrey Rush. In 2014, Zusak received the American Library Association’s Margaret Edwards Award, for his body of work ranging from The Underdog up to The Book Thief. He is currently working on his next novel.
About Alexis Deacon
Alexis Deacon is a writer and illustrator of children's books. His first book, Slow Loris, was published in 2002 and was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award. In 2015 it was named one of the hundred best children's books of all time by Time Magazine. Since then he has worked in various forms, from the picturebook, Beegu (2003), to the graphic novel series, The Curse of the Chosen (2002), and to books for older readers such as Russel Hoban's last novel, Soonchild (2012). He has twice been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal and is a two time recipient of The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books Award. In 2008 he was chosen by Booktrust as one of the ten best new illustrators of the preceding decade.
Reviews Powered By
Average Score for 2 Review(s)
The book shines !
Review by
MR LéO LACARIN
on 25th April 2025
Excellent book with beautiful and apt illustrations.
To mark Folio’s 75th anniversary, Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story is published as a magical new edition, beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Marie-Alice Harel and bursting with exquisite design details.
A magnificent Folio Society edition of a worldwide phenomenon. The award-winning trilogy His Dark Materials in a stunning fully illustrated hardback edition.
Discover The Folio Society’s beautiful ‘Wolf Hall’ Trilogy collection. Hilary Mantel’s acclaimed saga, tracing Thomas Cromwell’s rise and fall, is brought to life with stunning illustrations and exceptional craftsmanship. A must-have for fans of historical fiction.
Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s best-selling phenomenon The Shadow of the Wind is beautifully presented as a Folio collector’s edition with a new preface by translator Lucia Graves and atmospheric artwork by Jorge González.
