224
Bos, Chris
Kleine leugens (Little lies)
Amsterdam : Leopold, 2000. – [116pp]
ISBN 90-258-3405-1
Friendship - Grandparents - Sexuality - Love
Solange, a trendy teenager who wants to explore her own sexual feelings, meets Ruben, a
self-willed boy who can very well take care of himself. He considers being in love as a
sick phenomenon, totally disconnected from reality. Accordingly, he does not react to
Solange's advances). Solange's story is interwoven with that of her grandmother. Sick with
grief about the husband she never had, she commits suicide. The characters and their
relationships are well elaborated. In the end, the two story lines come together, and
Solange begins to understand many things about herself and about life. (10+)
225
Busser, Marianne / Schröder, Ron (text)
Steen, Wilbert van der (illus.)
De griezeltjes (The little ogres)
Houten : Van Holkema & Warendorf, 2000. – 48pp
ISBN 90-269-9340-4
Teasing - Ogres - Aunt
Mees and Moontje are allowed to stay with aunt Tivoli for a year, because their parents
are abroad. But Madame Pin, the principal of the orphanage, demands the children to come
directly with her. Madame Pin is the personification of evil and all their ingenuity is
required to chase this terrible creature away. The readers will enjoy all the quirky
tricks the three play on her. In the end, they triumph: Madame Pin is dismissed and aunt
Tivoli is appointed principal of the orphanage. The colourful illustrations are simple,
but particularly funny and cheerful. (5+)
Special Mention
226
Dematons, Charlotte (text/illus.)
Ga je mee? (Are you coming with me?)
Rotterdam : Lemniscaat, 2000. – [28pp]
ISBN 90-5637-288-2
Adventure
The boy-narrator of this picture book lives in a particularly child-friendly
neighbourhood, in a house with an immense garden. The reader is taken in tow by the young
narrator in an original, highly imaginative way as a travelling companion on an
adventurous trip and gets a number of assignments. The reader has to indicate to the boy
the way between the freakish rocks to the open sea, distract the robbers with some firm
abuses, or turn the pages really quietly, so that the snoring giant, hiding in the bushes,
will not wake up. The fully explored, double-spread illustrations catch the eye
immediately. Details and unexpected surprises call for accurate observation. The story
keeps reminding the reader how important his contribution to the story is. (5+)
227
Hagen, Hans / Hagen, Monique (text)
Törnqvist, Marit (illus.)
Jij bent de liefste (You are the sweetest)
Amsterdam : Querido, 2000. – [52pp]
ISBN 90-214-6478-0
Pre-schooler - Everyday life - Children's poetry
This anthology features poems on subjects pre-schoolers are very fond of sweet-hearts,
dreams, the longing for a dog, or staying over at a friend's. The rhymes are characterised
by boundless imagination akin to the pre-schoolers' way of thinking. The expression
excells in simplicity, while the rhythm never declines to a boring drone. The exuberant
and festive illustrations create loving characters and tell mostly their own story,
incorporating the subject of the poems in a creative way. (4+)
228
Kolk, Anton van der (text)
Straaten, Harmen van (illus.)
De dag dat er niets bijzonders gebeurde (The day that nothing special happened)
Tilburg : Zwijsen, 1999. – 37pp
(Spetter : 7+)
ISBN 90-276-4300-8
Friendship
In the reflection of a window Bas sees that the light is different today. This must be a
sign giving promise of exciting events on a day on which nothing special was going to
happen! And truly, Bas goes on an adventure with a friend. It's a voyage of discoveries
that leads to new insights and a solid friendship. A simple, well set up story that
explores the different meanings and understandings of the word »special«. The linguistic
level has been adapted to beginning readership. The principal characters really come to
life and will be very recognisable to the young reader. The illustrations complement the
story, giving it an extra dimension. (7+)
229
Schaap, Peter
Beeldhouwer voor de farao (Sculptor for the pharaoh)
Amsterdam : Uitg. Piramide, 2000. – 239pp
ISBN 90-245-3608-1
Egypt/History - Pharaoh - Sculpture
By coincidence, the young water carrier Joeti meets sculptors who work for pharaoh
Echnaton and his wife Nefertiti. It is a turbulent time, and fairly quickly Joeti gets
involved in a complot against the ruling authority. Espionage, changes of power, but also
the love for a beautiful girl add to the confusion of the protagonist. This novel
incorporates a wealth of information about the life of the Egyptians; sometimes, the
excess of information disturbs the flow of the story. Overall, however, this is an
exciting story unfolding against a rich historical backdrop. (11+)
230
Verschoor, Diet
Emma's noorderlicht (Emma's northern lights)
Haarlem : Uitg. Holland, 2000. – 191pp
(Life)
ISBN 90-251-0840-7
Holidays - Grandmother - Love
Fifteen-year old Emma is at a turning point in her life: Her mother suffers from
depression and goes to a Frisian island and Emma is left with her father, a minister, with
whom she cannot really talk. Against her will, she accompanies her grandmother to the
family home on Texel. This is where she learns about her mother's big secret from the
letters of her great-grandmother and where she lives her first passionate love. Emma's
confused feelings are described with understanding and psychological insight. Convincing
parallels are drawn between her experiences and those of her mother. Fragments of poetry
complement this romantic story very well. (14+)
231
Westera, Bette (text)
Straaten, Harmen van (illus.)
Een opa om nooit te vergeten (A grandfather to never forget)
Amsterdam : Hillen ; Leuven : Davidsfonds/Infodok, 2000. – [28pp]
ISBN 90-76766-05-3. - 90-6565-942-0
Grandfather - Death - Funeral - Grief
While he waits for his grandfather's funeral, Joost thinks about all the nice things they
did together. To be honest, he does not want to go, and, to soothe him, his mother plays
peekaboo with grandfather's red handkerchief. Her question »Do you remember?« brings
vivid memories back to life: how Joost and grandfather played cowboy or pirate together,
how grandfather taught Joost to ride his bike and how every stay with him was like a
party. At the churchyard he notices how slowly the grown-ups walk and his mind is full of
questions. The realistic illustrations are provocative and original and fit the story
about taking leave and the power of memories perfectly. They are characterised by a plain,
impressive use of colours and very strong composition. (4+)