Kapřík Metlík Publishing

Kapřík Metlík Publishing is a Czech publishing house best known for the children's book series Kapřík Metlík (roughly "Little Carp Metlík"), written and illustrated by Jan Opatřil. The publisher operates primarily through the author's own website, janopatril.cz, where it sells the books directly and promotes Opatřil's work as a writer, illustrator and angler. Its catalogue is built around illustrated fish tales for children, printed in A4 format with large type and full-page watercolour illustrations. The brand's identity is closely tied to its founder-author. The website presents Jan Opatřil as "spisovatel, ilustrátor a rybář" (writer, illustrator and fisherman) and serves as the commercial and informational hub for the series: readers can buy books, read excerpts, follow news, and book author readings. The series includes titles such as Kapřík Metlík nový domov, Kapřík Metlík v řece, Kapřík Metlík ve sportovním rybníku, Kapřík Metlík útěk, and the later Úhoř Řehoř ve škole, described as the sixth book in the fish-tale series for children. Beyond book publishing, the brand extends into live events and community activities. Opatřil gives author readings for children in kindergartens, primary schools and libraries, as well as for adults in clubs and libraries. The publisher also supports the children's fishing competition "O pohár kapříka Metlíka" (For the Cup of Kapřík Metlík), which by its sixth edition was held at a pond in Jimramov, with video coverage posted on the website. The company is a small, privately held Czech publisher. Its output is niche and author-driven rather than a broad trade list, and its marketing relies on the website, direct sales, school and library visits, and the association between the fictional carp character and real-world fishing culture. The site's footer carries the notice "Copyright © 2016 - 2021 Kapřík Metlík publishing," indicating the publishing imprint has been active in this form since at least the mid-2010s.

Kapřík Metlík Publishing is a Czech publishing house whose history is inseparable from its founder, Jan Opatřil, a writer, illustrator and angler. The imprint grew out of Opatřil's own children's book series about fish, centred on the character Kapřík Metlík (Little Carp Metlík). Rather than operating as a conventional trade publisher with a broad list, it functions as an author-led imprint that publishes, sells and promotes Opatřil's illustrated fish tales. The series developed over multiple volumes. Titles referenced on the publisher's website include Kapřík Metlík nový domov, Kapřík Metlík v řece, Kapřík Metlík ve sportovním rybníku and Kapřík Metlík útěk. The third and fourth volumes of Kapřík Metlík were christened (launched) by Jakub Vágner, a well-known Czech angler and television personality, linking the books to the country's fishing culture. The sixth book in the series, Úhoř Řehoř ve škole, was announced on 5 April 2026; like its predecessors it is in A4 format with larger type and full-page watercolour illustrations. The publishing activity is paired with an events programme. Opatřil gives author readings for children in kindergartens, primary schools and libraries, and for adults in clubs and libraries, with the website inviting organisers to book dates in advance. The brand also supports the children's fishing competition O pohár kapříka Metlíka (For the Cup of Kapřík Metlík); the sixth edition took place at a pond in Jimramov, and a video of the event was published on 18 June 2026. The website also carries reports and media coverage about the author. The company's web presence is the commercial core of the brand: visitors can buy books, read excerpts, subscribe to news, and find information about the author's complete biography. The site footer states "Copyright © 2016 - 2021 Kapřík Metlík publishing," indicating the imprint has been operating under this name since at least the mid-2010s. Wikidata records it simply as a Czech publishing house. The publisher remains a small, private, active Czech business focused on children's literature and fishing-themed community events.

• 2016

  Website copyright notice begins, indicating the Kapřík Metlík publishing imprint was active by this period.

• Third and fourth volumes of Kapřík Metlík launched by Czech angler Jakub Vágner.

• Author readings rescheduled to spring 2026.

• Sixth book in the fish-tale series, Úhoř Řehoř ve škole, released.

• Video published from the sixth edition of the children's fishing competition For the Cup of Kapřík Metlík, held at a pond in Jimramov.

Small, author-driven Czech publisher of illustrated children's fish tales, sold directly and promoted through school, library and fishing-community events.

• Kapřík Metlík nový domov

• Kapřík Metlík v řece

• Kapřík Metlík ve sportovním rybníku

• Kapřík Metlík útěk

• Úhoř Řehoř ve škole

1. 1Úvodní stránka - Kapřík Metlík publishingjanopatril.cz
2. 2Kapřík Metlík Publishing - Wikidatawikidata.org