Sebastian Graß
Author · Art Director · Publisher
"Books that make children wonder in two languages – that's what it's all about."
As the uncle of two nieces, Sebastian has seen how special reading aloud can be – and how rarely truly great bilingual books can be found. Books that
aren't just translated, but written with care and love in both languages from the start.
In 2025, he founded Horizon & Hedge Press to create books for children in Germany and across the English-speaking world. With Lino – a small cat
with big dreams – the first book series was born.
Sebastian writes, art-directs the illustrations, and publishes every book personally.
Every detail – from word choice to page design – is created with the families in mind
who sit together at bedtime and read aloud.
How Lino's World Comes to Life
Every illustration in Lino's world goes through several rounds. I start
with an idea, a character, a mood, a moment I can picture in the story,
and work with Adobe Firefly, an AI image generator, until something comes
close to what I have in mind. Then I bring it all together in Photoshop:
backgrounds, character poses, light and atmosphere.
That sounds more technical than it feels. In practice it's a lot of
trying, a lot of discarding, and every now and then that quiet yes.
I think being open about this goes without saying. AI tools have found
their way into creative work, and everyone approaches them differently.
My approach: the tools help me find the image I already have in my head.
The story, the characters and Lino's world have always been mine.
What Sebastian reads
Books that inspire Horizon & Hedge Press:
- Maurice Sendak — Where the Wild Things Are
- Leo Lionni — Frederick
- Tomi Ungerer — The Three Robbers
- Astrid Lindgren — Pippi Longstocking
