Denmark
177
Bluitgen, Kåre (text)
Karrebæk,
Dorte (illus.)
Peder Paars <proper name>
Karlslunde : Agertoft, 2001. - [74] p.
ISBN 87-7878-066-7
Lover - Voyage - Obstacle
By rewriting old stories by the Danish author Ludvig Holberg for a modern
book - a method that has already been employed successfully with the
underground travels of Nils Klim - Bluitgen makes a classic tale accessible
and interesting to young readers today. The story of the salesman Peder Paars
who against all odds finally reaches his lover on board a ship, is bound to
grab young readers' attention, especially because of its crude style of
narration. Moreover, readers will be even more fascinated by Dorte Karrebæk's
newly designed drastic full-colour illustrations that thwart many conventional
expectations. (12+)
178
Flansmose, Julie
(text/illus.)
En af den slags dage (One of these
peculiar days)
[København] : Haase, 2001. - [28] p.
ISBN 87-559-1160-9
Child - Bad mood
When a boy gets out of bed with the wrong foot, then one disaster follows
another all day long: The breakfast milk has turned sour, his parents are in a
bad mood, and so are the teachers, the classmates, and, above all, the
protagonist himself. An everyday situation, yet captured in unusual and
original pictures. In her first picture book, the young artist strives to
increase the distorted qualities of her characters by employing elements
typical of contemporary art, such as collages, expressionistic spacing, series
of the same drawings, and pieces of tape placed across the pictures. Together,
all these elements do not allow the readers to be drawn into the picture but
make them examine the two-dimensional illustrations with some emotional
distance. (7+)
179
Gammelgaard, Per (text)
Ranheimsæter, Jon (illus.)
ABCDille (ABCDile <wordplay>)
[København] : Gyldendal, 2000. - [62] p.
ISBN 87-02-00129-2
Alphabet - Danish
From A to Z, all through the alphabet, both people and animals have or do
something they do not want to have or do. Their truly favourite activities or
objects, however, always lead to the following letter of the alphabet. This
absurd ABC-book starts with an ape and an orange (Danish: »apelsin«) and
returns to the orange after the last letter. Although Jon Ranheimsæter is one
of Denmark's most original caricaturists he is not well-known abroad. Thanks
to his drawings every page holds some bizarre surprises for the reader. (8+)
180
Jørgensen, Bent (text)
Helweg, Pernille Kløvedal (illus.)
Sex - hvad er meningen? :
kønslivets naturhistorie (Sexuality - What's the meaning behind it? : the
natural history of sexual life)
København : Høst & Søn, 2001. - 140 p.
ISBN 87-14-19890-8
Sexuality – Animals
In this book, a topic which by itself already arouses a lot of interest
is presented by the former director of the Copenhagen Zoo with profound
knowledge and an abundance of details. Nature's creativity alone would make
this book a read far from monotonous; the fact that it is written in a
perceptive and witty style renders it all the more enjoyable to its readers.
Without a doubt, this book is a further example of the importance that is
attributed to sexuality and eroticism in Scandinavian children's and youth
literature. Moreover, it is typical for the Scandinavian ingenuity in dealing
with this topic. In accordance with the humorous text, the illustrator does
not use embarrassingly detailed pictures but rather turns to etchings
complementing the text in a less serious manner. (14+)
Special
Mention
181
Mogensen, Jan (text/illus.)
Sulliman Ahmed Beduins eventyr (The
adventures of the Bedouin Sulliman Ahmed)
[Bagsværd] : Carlsen, 2001. - [28] p.
ISBN 87-562-8740-2
International understanding - Hospitality
An average Danish family on holiday in the desert needs help to get their
car started again. The old Bedouin Sulliman Ahmed helps them with his camel
and invites the whole family into his tent afterwards. Later, the family is
back home, everything was wonderful. Suddenly, Ahmed and his camel knock on
the door of the Danish home; a most unwelcome surprise for the parents who
have invited some guests for this evening; and besides …. The children,
however, are delighted to see their old friend again and ask him to stay. He
is the centre of attention at the party and they all fraternise with each
other. Back home in the desert, Ahmed looks at his photographs, smiling, and
thinks: Allah is great. Using friendly and uncomplicated pictures, Mogensen
tells a story that today still remains a dream, although an amiable one. You
have to start with the children if you want the world to become a better place
- that's what Jella Lepman, founder of the International Youth Library, said.
(8+)<>
182
Rostrup,
Anders (text)
Kjærgaard, Anna
Margarethe (illus.)
Børges bedste bryster (The most
beautiful breasts for Børge)
København : Høst & Søn, 2001. - [28] p.
ISBN 87-14-19800-2
Child - Curiosity - Female breasts
Børge, a small boy, plays with his mother's breasts, which he considers
the most beautiful breasts in the world. Yet, when his father heedlessly tells
him that the world is full of wonderful breasts and that he only needs to
reach out for them, young Børge takes this literally. Accordingly, he soon
gets into embarrassing situations with several ladies. This enables the
illustrator to present a conglomeration of most unusual shapes in her first
picture book, including those of two men. Apart from providing information
about the facts of life, this book also explains to children in a witty way
why they cannot do whatever they please without considering other people's
feelings. (5+)
183
Rostrup, Anders (text)
Riis, Claus (illus.)
Brødrene Brormand (The Brormand
Brothers)
[København] : Forum, 2001. - 86 p.
(Zik zak zoom)
ISBN 87-553-3093-2
Siblings - Brotherly love - Everyday life
First-person narrator Stig often feels embarrassed about his
seven-year-old brother. The little lad's behaviour is inappropriate and not
quite childlike, especially when he presents his »You-know-what« to
everybody and even pulls down his trousers at the royal palace. Nevertheless,
Stig's love for his little brother remains strong because the small boy proves
to be surprisingly sensitive when Stig picks up his first girlfriend. The
funny stories, with their exaggerated caricatures perfectly matching the
overall style, allow the readers to gain an insight into a rather unusual
family - even for modern Denmark - consisting of a mother, two children, and
two fathers. Hardly less unusual is the demanding series of books among which
this title is published, aimed at rousing the readers' interest in literature.
(7+)