Mats Vänehem
Mats Vänehem is an illustrator and an archaeologist. He started as an illustrator of children’s books with the Easy-to-read series The School for Knights together with the author Magnus Ljunggren. The duo creates the football series The Best Club as well.
Mats also collaborates with the author Martin Widmark and makes the illustrations for the books about the boy Halvdan Viking. Beside this, he published his own picture book in 2010, called Hitta Historien.
In parallel with his work as an archaeologist for many years, he has been freelance as a cartoonist all the time. It has mostly become illustrations of and for historical facts. The pictures have been used in teaching materials, magazines, dissertations, popular science books and so on. They can also be seen in exhibitions at various museums around Sweden.
Books by Mats Vänehem
Robbers in the Woods
Magnus Ljunggren
The eighteenth book in the series ”School for Knights”, easy-to-read adventure for starter readers!The children at the School for Knights long for adventure, but absolutely nothing is happening this Saturday. And even worse Roderick has made them spr…
The Bear is on the Run!
Magnus Ljunggren
An easy-to-read adventure for beginner readers!The children at the School of Knights are at the village market. There they come upon some pranksters, one of whom has a real live bear in a big cage. But animals should not be in cages, they think. And…
The Dangerous Duel
Magnus Ljunggren
An easy-to-read adventure for beginners! Egon, Fiona and Urban get curious when a theatre company comes to the castle. But the knights are not very impressed and start quarrelling with the actors. Now there is going to be a duel at dawn! And how will…
The Crazy Treasure Hunt
Magnus Ljunggren
Egon, Fiona and Urban find a real treasure map, and they are soon on the treasure hunt of the century. Along the way, they have to face a waterfall, dangerous traps and an angry dragon. But the worst is yet to come…
The Big Cheat
Magnus Ljunggren
Knights and adventures in this easy-to-read and playful book for girls and boys that have just started to read.The King’s cousin the Emperor is visiting and he has the children from the school in the castle with him. It’s time to see whichof the cous…
Bad Luck in the Castle
Magnus Ljunggren
An easy to read adventure about knights for boys and girls that have just started to read. This exciting tale complete with action-packed illustrations is about the three friends Egon, Fiona and Urban. The king is planning a magnificent birthday pa…
The Best Club
Magnus Ljunggren
It all starts with a new player on the team. He is very good and Joel, who up to now has been one of the better players, feels threatened. The team is going on tour but Joel is only interested in his own game and showing that he is the best in the te…
Write and Tell with the School for Knights
Magnus Ljunggren
What would happen if a giant came to the fortress? Or a wicked magician! Thinking “What if…” is the best way to begin a story with writes Magnus Ljunggren. He has written scripts for television, books for young people and all thirteen books about t…
The Secret Letter
Magnus Ljunggren
Excitement, drama and humor in an entertaining mixture of the life of a knight and a school setting. Entertaining reading for both boys and girls who have just learned to read on their own, with cool, action-packed illustrations. The series about the…
Alone in the Castle
Magnus Ljunggren
All the grown-ups are at a party in the village. But for Egon, Fiona and Urban the evening in the castle is anything but a quiet one. Lucky that they are always on the alert! Magnus Ljunggren and Mats Vänehem’s series The School for Knights are easy-…
The Vikings
Mats Vänehem
A book about Vikings by Mats Vänehem who has written, illustrated and dug deep—like the archaeologist he is! Who were the Vikings? Go on an exciting dig among prehistoric graves, houses, boats and sacrificial places. Every object that is found is a p…
Trim the Team
Magnus Ljunggren
Zickan gets the football boots of her dreams as a birthday present, but she’s not chosen to play in the match—she sits on the sidelines. The best club’s usual trainer is sick and a couple of parents are helping out, but they trim the team! Zickan is…
Lost in the Dark Forest
Magnus Ljunggren
A Lucky Shot
Magnus Ljunggren
The hightlight of the year is only a few days away – the Derby Cup! Last year both the boys and girls teams lost the finals to Ekeby. The boys were winning a bit into the first half of the game with 2-0 and yet they lost! This year they would take th…
How Rodrick Became a Knight
Magnus Ljunggren
Welcome to a non-fiction adventure in the series The School for Knights. The School for Knights’ teacher Rodrick is back to tell about how he became a knight. Magnus Ljunggren’s fun and catchy text illustrated by Mats Vänehem’s detailed, vivid pictur…
A Dragon of Ones Own
Magnus Ljunggren
Knights, excitement, humour, and easy to read in a playful mix for girls and boys who are just beginning to read themselves. Entertaining read with speedy and tough illustrations. The three friends Egon, Fiona and Urban attending The School for Knigh…
Tough Game
Magnus Ljunggren
In the new series about The Best Club by Magnus Ljungren and Mats Väneholm, there are two teams that train together, a boys team and a girls team. The books are as much about football as of life off the football pitch. These are perfect books for chi…
Bamboozled
Magnus Ljunggren
Yalam and Samir train on the same team. They`ll take the bus home from a match as no-one has the time to pick them up but they have been given money for sweets. They can’t think of anything but the sweets so things don’t go well either on the footb…
Defending the Castle
Magnus Ljunggren
Take cover! When author Magnus Ljunggren and illustrator and archaeologist Mats Vänehem tell what could happen during a siege in the Middle Ages it becomes more than just facts. Welcome to a breathtaking non-fiction adventure in the series The School…
The Giants are Attacking!
Magnus Ljunggren
Knights, excitement, humour, and easy to read in a playful mix for girls and boys who are just beginning to read themselves. Entertaining read with speedy and tough illustrations. The three friends Egon, Fiona and Urban attending The School for Knigh…
Party in the Castle
Magnus Ljunggren
Knights, excitement, humour, and easy to read! The castle is celebrating 850 years and there is to be a big party with lots of guests. The King’s priceless jewels are to be on display for the occasion too. The magician Zeke arrives before the p…
Horrible Harald
Magnus Ljunggren
Finding History
Mats Vänehem
A non-fiction book fun for both kids and adults!Come along on a journey of discovery in pictures, and learn some interesting facts into the bargain! “Finding History” is a fantastic, fascinating historical picture book that describes one particular p…
Small is Best
Magnus Ljunggren
Knights, excitement, humour, and easy to read!When the knights play football, anything goes – if you have the nerve!Knights, excitement, humour and easy reading in a playful mixture of the life of a knight and a school environment for both boys and g…
The Headlong Gallop
Magnus Ljunggren
The School for Knights is a series about three friends, Egon, Fiona and Urban, who attend the school for knights.Egon, Fiona and Urban have just finished their first riding lesson, and have discovered how cool riding is. When the other pupils return…
The Best Knight in the World
Magnus Ljunggren
Knights, excitement, humour, and easy to read!Excitement, drama and humour in an entertaining mixture of the life of a knight and a school setting, perfect for both boys and girls. Entertaining reading for children who have just learned to read on th…
The Dreadful Dragon
Magnus Ljunggren
Egon, Fiona and Urban succeed in stopping the dragon from destroying the castle and the entire school for knights; their methods are somewhat unexpected! Excitement, drama and humour in an entertaining mixture with a high recognition factor, perfect…
The Magic Sword
Magnus Ljunggren
The School for Knights is a series about three friends, Egon, Fiona and Urban, who attend the school for knights and are training to be knights.In the second completely free-standing story The Magic Sword the three friends first of all manage to lose…
