Denmark
Special
Mention
170
Der er kommet en komet : nordiske digte for børn (There came a comet : Nordic poems for children)
Transl. of non-Danish texts by Knud Erik Pedersen
København : Forum, 2003. – 106 p. + 1 CD
ISBN 87-553-3318-4
Scandinavia
– Poetry
Thanks to state support for book projects, it is often possible in
Scandinavian countries to publish outstanding editions from which children,
too, will profit (if they want to). Authors, illustrators, publishers, and
translators have joined forces to produce a truly magnificent anthology of
children’s poetry, which – despite the great number of people involved –
can be considered a harmonious whole. All of the poems (and the respective
illustrations, of course) have been created especially for this publication.
An enclosed CD offers the poems read by their authors and allows the children
to experience the sounds of the original languages. This volume can be seen as
one of the best showpieces of children’s book culture in the North. Its
creation was also supported by the »great old man of children’s poetry from
the Nordic countries,« Swedish poet Lennart Hellsing, who himself – out of
modesty – has not added any of his own poems to the collection. (8+) <>
171
Glaz Serup, Martin (text)
Thaulov, Pia (illus.)
Skræp! (Cackle!)
[København] : Gyldendal, 2003. – [28] p.
ISBN 87-02-01740-7
Goose – Noise – Slaughter – Love of animals
This story turns the legend of the geese who saved Rome on its head. After his
wife has abandoned him and the farm animals suffer from nervous breakdowns, a
farmer cannot stand his geese’s cackling anymore. Even when their cries warn
him about a thief, his heart is not softened. On the contrary: While the
burglar empties the house, the farmer takes his geese and surrenders them to
the butcher. Eventually, quiet returns to the farm. Together with his wife,
who has suddenly returned, the farmer contentedly digs into a frugal dinner in
the empty house. Could the very modern moral of this bizarre fable be that you
can only get rid of annoying fellows by resorting to brutal methods? Or should
the adults who read this story to their children explain that the story should
actually end differently? (6+)
172
Hega Holst, Kamilla (text)
Thaulov, Pia (illus.)
Den sovende sangerinde (The
sleeping singer)
København : Høst & Søn, 2003. – 87 p.
ISBN 87-14-11807-6
Mother – Nervous breakdown – Child – Helplessness
Liv, whose family has just moved, becomes friends with Nis, the boy from next
door. But Nis is different from others: On the one hand, he has a lot of
imagination and is able to arouse that of other children. On the other hand,
however, there is also a dark side to his life. He has to look after his
depressed mother, a former singer, who just vegetates ever since Nis’s
father disappeared. When the desperate boy runs away, Liv and her mother take
over and slowly help Nis’s mother to regain an interest in life. When Nis
finally comes back home, his mother starts singing again. On only a few pages
and with sparse language, a fascinating web of tender human relations is
spread out before the readers. It allows them to enter into the realm of
imagination but also to glimpse at life’s dark mysteries. (10+)
173
Johansen, Anders (text)
Bak, Mette-Kirstine (illus.)
Lasses store verden (Lasse’s big world)
Århus : Forl. Modtryk, 2003. – 160 p.
ISBN 87-7394-814-4
Denmark/1950-1960 – Child – Everyday life
Anders Johansen tells his readers about a time when their grandfathers were
children. He does not choose to relate a »Once upon a time ...« story,
however; instead, with great narrative skill, he simply recounts the
adventures of a small boy with his family and friends. Thus, modern day
children do not deliberately have to travel back to the late 1950s in their
minds. They automatically slip into the past, which they might even consider
an idyllic time, and will hardly be surprised that this family did not even
own a television set. The black-and-white ink illustrations with their
slightly caricaturesque style draw a lively picture of the boy’s mostly
funny little adventures. (5+)
174
Lassen, Linda
Sandhedens time (Time of certainty)
[Frederiksberg] : Branner og Korch, 2003. – 262 p.
ISBN 87-411-5992-6
Teenage girl – Boarding school – Character development
One day, out of the blue, young Mia is sent to boarding school by her parents.
At first, she suspects that they want to get rid of her, but the reason for
this decision rather seems to be a problem between the parents themselves. Mia
has to make herself at home in a new environment, leave old friends behind,
try hard to find new friends, and figure out what it is she wants to do with
her life. This typical coming-of-age story, written with great empathy by a
psychologist, will certainly inspire readers, girls in particular, to start
thinking about themselves and their lives. (14+)
175
Wiizan, Marianne
Marie’s løfte (Marie’s promise)
[København] : Carlsen, 2003. – 217 p.
ISBN 87-626-0067-2
France/1793 – French Revolution – Village – Change of values – Orphan
The French Revolution has turned the lives and habits of the people in a small
village upside down. Marie, the blacksmith’s daughter, has lost her father
in an accident, while her mother, who is mentally disturbed, is looked after
in a convent that no longer receives any financial support because of the
revolution. One day, the girl meets Cat, an aristocratic child whose parents
were murdered and who currently lives with a group of gypsies. The two girls
find Cat’s hidden jewellery box but they have to win a fight before they can
share the treasure. Marie leaves her share to the convent so that they can
keep the hospital running. This well-written novel combining adventures and
human problems provides readers with an interesting glimpse into the chaotic
life in France around 1800. (12+)