WHEN GRANDPA JONAH WAS JUST A KID

One of Yannets Levi's most celebrated works - an early chapter book series about Jonah, a little boy from a very poor family.
Or should we call him Grandpa Jonah? As Levi writes, "when Grandpa Jonah told me all the spectacular things that happened to him when he was a kid who had nothing, he was already a grandpa. And everyone called him Grandpa Jonah."

Jonah has nothing: no TV, no toys or games, no bed, not even a blanket. But if you think he's miserable, think again! A kid as smart and kind as Jonah will always be able to seek out adventure and make the world around him that little bit better, despite all odds.

Through resourcefulness, creativity, and, ultimately, generosity of spirit, Jonah finds his way out of any pickle he or his parents end up in, be it his mother's overbearing prejudiced employer, his father's untreated illness, their family's eviction or their perpetual lack of money and food.

Though a work of fiction, WHEN GRADPA JONAH WAS JUST A KID is based on a true story - the childhood experiences of the author's father, Elijah Levi.
Growing up in Israel in the 1920s and 1930s, Elijah, who was of Yemenite decent, endured dire poverty at home and savage bullying at school because of his Mizrahi origins. Elijah later became a journalist and was also a member of the Lehi underground. That part of his life inspired the series CARTHAGO, written by Yannets and his brother Reshef Levi and recently awarded two prizes at Canneseries.

WHEN GRADPA JONAH WAS JUST A KID is a universal and timeless story about the gap between the poor and the rich. Depicting the life of one marginalized family, the series focuses on four main challenges that come with poverty: lack of proper education, inaccessibility of health services, housing issues and inequality before the law.

The books are written with Levi's signature wit and ingenuity. The first three volumes all hit bestseller lists immediately after publication. Volume 4 is scheduled for 2023 as well.