About Wilde Haren

Welcome to Wilde Haren Publishers,

At Uitgeverij Wilde Haren we believe that every child should be able to recognize themselves in stories. Since our founding in the summer of 2020, we, D'Avellonne van Dijk and Loulou Drinkwaard, have been determined to make the world of children's books more inclusive and diverse.

From our personal experiences – D’Avellonne as an illustrator and Loulou as a Dutch teacher – we have seen how the lack of representation in stories can affect young minds. When we read books as children ourselves, we quickly discovered that the characters rarely looked like us. That experience inspired us to make a difference.

Our mission is clear: we celebrate diversity by offering alternative representations in children’s stories. We want to show children that they can be anything they want, regardless of their skin color or background. Color is self-evident to us, and storytelling goes beyond physical features. We cherish the rich creativity of creators of color as an essential core value in all our publications.

But we are more than a publisher. In addition to publishing books, we play an active role in promoting reading pleasure among children. We organize activities and initiatives that encourage children to read and discover stories in which they can recognize themselves. We want to offer young readers the opportunity to position themselves from the beginning of their lives in a world where diversity is a strength, not an exception.

Together we build an inclusive future, where every child finds his or her place in the stories we tell.

Publisher Wilde Haren - More than a Publisher