English editionA very big no. A very small hero.
Dinner is ready. A little voice says no. And Amor has an idea… A warm, funny picture book about taking the time to listen.
A little story. A lovely moment together.
Little paws.So much love.
Amor is a series of picture books for children aged 3–8 about one little kitten, a family to love and storytimes to look forward to.
Stories for little ones, ages 3–8
Amor and the Great Big NO! is the first book in the Amor picture-book series by Samaher Thabit and Martin Törnell: a warm, funny story for ages 3–8 about taking the time to listen. It is a 32-page full-colour paperback, available on Amazon in English, Swedish, German, Spanish and French.
What language would you like to read in?
Choose your language. We’ll remember it for next time.
English editionMake yourself at home
Small paws. Big ideas. And a family to come home to.
Read the greeting
Welcome home to Amor. Here lives a little kitten with little paws and big ideas. Settle in beside Jennifer, Mary and James, open the book and discover the story together: Amor and the Great Big NO!
AmorJenniferThe childMaryMumJamesDad
Can you find Amor?
What has Amor spotted? There’s a little discovery waiting in the pictures.
Four little beginnings. A whole world to discover.
Life’s big feelings, through a little kitten’s eyes. Open a cover and peek inside.
AMOR and the Big BIRTHDAY
Book 2Amor and the Cloud That Followed
Book 3AMOR and the Daring Dark
Book 428 stories + 5 special books planned
Amor at a glance
The essential facts about the Amor picture-book series, in plain words.
Last updated:
- Authors
- Samaher Thabit and Martin Törnell
- Age
- 3–8 years; shared reading is best from about age 3
- Format
- Paperback, 32 pages, 210 × 280 mm, full-colour illustrations
- Book 1
- Amor and the Great Big NO!, published 15 September 2026
- Book 1 languages
- English, Swedish, German, Spanish and French (more editions in preparation)
- Themes
- Big feelings, listening, birthdays, gloomy days, the dark
- Reading time
- About ten minutes for the story, plus time for the picture riddles
- Where to buy
- Amazon; every purchase link is in the table below
| Language | Title | ISBN-13 | Published | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | AMOR AND THE GREAT BIG NO! | 979-8-17459520-0 | Amazon.se Amazon.com | |
| Svenska | AMOR OCH ETT JÄTTESTORT NEJ! | 978-91-992334-3-7 | Amazon.se | |
| Deutsch | AMOR UND DAS RIESENGROSSE NEIN! | 978-91-992334-2-0 | Amazon.de | |
| Español | AMOR Y EL GRAN ¡NO! | 978-91-992334-5-1 | Amazon.es | |
| Français | AMOR ET LE GRAND NON ! | 978-91-992334-6-8 | Amazon.fr |
Who writes Amor
- Samaher ThabitChildren’s book author
Mother of two with a background in television; she worked on several TV talk shows for MBC. She brings the warmth and gentle humour of family life into the books.
- Martin TörnellAuthor and entrepreneur
From Borås, Sweden, with more than 20 years of experience in leadership and IT. He builds Amor’s world together with Samaher, one book at a time.
Meet Amor and his family
Amor is a small orange-and-white kitten with little white paws and big ideas. He lives with Jennifer and her parents, Mary and James. The family only hears his meows, but readers get to hear what he is thinking.
- Amor
- The curious kitten and hero of every story. His thoughts appear in small labels.
- Jennifer
- The child at the heart of each story and its big feelings.
- Mary and James
- Jennifer’s parents, who listen and take the time to understand.
About the pictures
The books use soft, warm digital illustrations with a watercolour feel. Every spread hides small details to find, so children can look closely, point and tell the story in their own words.
Amor is a fictional character created by Samaher Thabit and Martin Törnell. The word amor also means love in Latin, Spanish and Portuguese.
A little movie moment. Just for you.
Pull up a cushion. Amor has something to show you.
Read the film transcript
Amor and the Great Big NO! NO! This dinner needed a hero. Who was that… staring back at him? He tilted his head… so did the stranger! Amor had a brilliant idea… A mouse for dinner? Oh, Amor! Tonight’s bedtime story, for mum and her little girl: Amor and the Great Big NO! On Amazon now.
A little friend to grow with.
From the first great big no to birthdays, cloudy days and brave nights. Follow Amor and his family through a planned series of 28 stories and 5 special books.
28+5
The booksHow to read Amor together
Five gentle steps for a read-aloud that turns a story into a conversation.
- Find a cosy spot and look at the cover together. Ask who the little kitten might be.
- Read slowly and let your child look at every picture. Amor’s own thoughts appear in small labels, so give them a playful voice.
- Pause where something changes in the pictures and ask: “What did Amor notice?”
- After the story, talk about the feeling: “How did Mum help Jennifer?” Let your child answer in their own words.
- When your child feels like it, try the picture riddles and the letter game. There is no need to finish everything in one evening.
Ideas for home, preschool and the classroom
Simple ways to keep the story going after the last page.
- Bedtime: read one book as a bedtime story and finish with the question from the guide above.
- Picture hunt: look for Amor’s small details in the pictures and count them together.
- Letter game: play the capital A and small a game at the end of Book 1, then spot those letters around the house.
- Feelings chat: ask your child to show Amor’s feeling with their face, then talk about a time they felt the same.
- Drawing: draw Amor on a day when you felt a big feeling.
- Circle time: read one spread aloud and let each child say what Amor noticed.
Reading Amor in two languages
Book 1 exists in English, Swedish, German, Spanish and French with the same story. Families with two languages can read both editions and compare words side by side.
Questions and answers about Amor
Short answers to the questions parents, teachers and librarians ask most often.
What is Amor and the Great Big NO! about?
Dinner is ready, but Jennifer says “NO!”. Amor investigates, brings his finest cloth mouse and finally spots a tiny toy plate that gives him an idea. It is a warm, funny story about noticing small things and taking the time to listen, followed by three picture riddles and a letter game with capital A and small a.
What age are the Amor books for?
The Amor books are for children aged 3 to 8. Children from about 3 to 6 enjoy them most as shared reading with a grown-up, and early readers can explore the pictures and riddles on their own.
Where can I buy the Amor books, and in which languages?
Book 1 is sold as a paperback on Amazon in English, Swedish, German, Spanish and French. Every purchase link is on this page, and more language editions are in preparation.
How long does it take to read an Amor book?
Most families need about ten minutes for a first read-aloud, plus extra time for hunting for hidden details in the pictures and solving the riddles.
Can I try a book before I buy it?
Yes. Press “Open & read” on this page to read the first spreads of Book 1 for free. You can also watch the short film and hear the family’s welcome in your language.
Who writes the Amor books?
Samaher Thabit and Martin Törnell write them together. Samaher is a mother of two who worked on TV talk shows for MBC, and Martin is an author and entrepreneur from Borås, Sweden, with more than 20 years in leadership and IT.
What do the Amor stories help children with?
They give children and parents words for everyday big feelings, such as saying no, feeling shy at a party, having a gloomy day or being afraid of the dark. In every story a grown-up listens, and the books invite you to talk about the feeling afterwards.
How can I contact the authors?
Use the contact form on this page to send a question, an idea, a wish or just a hello. You can also write to martin.f.tornell@gmail.com.
Why reading aloud and talking about feelings helps
The Amor books are made for shared reading. This is what the research says about it.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reading aloud with children from infancy and notes that regular shared reading builds language, literacy and social-emotional skills. [1]
- A pediatric programme that promoted reading aloud and play was followed by lasting positive effects on children’s behaviour at school entry. [2]
- In a randomised study, children’s language scores improved when parents asked open questions while reading picture books, a method called dialogic reading (Whitehurst et al., 1988). [3]
References
- High PC, Klass P; Council on Early Childhood. Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice. Pediatrics. 2014;134(2):404–409. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24962987/
- Mendelsohn AL, Cates CB, Weisleder A, et al. Reading Aloud, Play, and Social-Emotional Development. Pediatrics. 2018;141(5):e20173393. pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/141/5/e20173393
- Whitehurst GJ, Falco FL, Lonigan CJ, et al. Accelerating language development through picture book reading. Developmental Psychology. 1988;24(4):552–559. psycnet.apa.org/record/1989-02401-001
- Cole PM, Martin SE, Dennis TA. Emotion regulation as a scientific construct: methodological challenges and directions for child development research. Child Development. 2004;75(2):317–333. doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00673.x
- Dunn J, Brown J, Beardsall L. Family talk about feeling states and children’s later understanding of others’ emotions. Developmental Psychology. 1991;27(3):448–455. doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.27.3.448
Cite this page
Thabit, S., & Törnell, M. (2026). Amor and the Great Big NO! – Picture Book for Ages 3–8. Amorstory.se. https://amorstory.se/en/books/01/ (last updated 2026-10-01).
Shall Amor come home with you?
Start with one little kitten and a great big no. Make the rest of storytime your own.
Buy on Amazon
We’d love to hear from you
A question, an idea or something you’d love to see in the next book? Tell us about it.
You can also email usmartin.f.tornell@gmail.com