Netherlands
(Dutch)
217
Bekebrede, Noortje (text/illus.)
Een raar gevoel (A peculiar feeling)
Nieuwegein : Vereniging »Ouders, Kinderen
en Kanker« [VOKK], 2006. – [30] p.
without ISBN
Illness – Siblings – Sadness
Lot’s little sister falls seriously ill and is taken to hospital, and the parents seem so preoccupied with her illness that they completely forget about Lot. At the hospital, the adults are too immersed in important conversations, and her little sister gets all the presents. And above all, playing alone is definitely no fun. Eventually, Lot is able to talk about her emotions with her favourite aunt and discovers that feeling sad and lost (and slightly jealous) is completely normal in this situation. The succinct text of this unusual picture book, which opens vertically (just like a wall calendar), is accompanied by slightly distorted mixed-media collages. Children will easily identify with the main character’s feelings. (7+)
218
Bon, Annemarie
Oppassen (Baby-sitting)
Houten : Van Holkema & Warendorf,
2006. – 143 p.
ISBN 90-269-1521-7
Truth – Lie – Reality – Munchausen Syndrome
To earn some pocket money, fifteen-year-old Mette often takes care of little children. One day, she babysits the child of a family she has never been to before. At first, everything seems perfectly alright, but the evening ends in a terrible nightmare. The mother returns and finds her baby dead in its bed. Naturally, Mette is suspected to be responsible and is questioned by the police. She asserts that she didn’t do the baby any harm, but it takes a long time for all those involved to learn what really happened. This moving novel is told in short chapters from the perspective of both Mette and her boyfriend. With a lot of empathy for the vividly portrayed characters, the author unravels the mystery of the thrilling plot. (14+)
219
Dudok de Wit, Michael (text/illus.)
Vier bevertjes en een kastanje (Four little beavers and a chestnut)
Amsterdam : Leopold, 2007. – [28] p.
ISBN 978-90-258-5030-2
Death – Grief
Four little beavers are sitting under a chestnut tree when suddenly a chestnut hits one of them on the head. The bump hurts terribly, and so the friends set off in search of Old Beaver to ask him how to stop the throbbing pain. Yet, when they finally find the ancient animal, he is lying on the grass unable to move his stiff joints. The beavers stay with him all night, and by the following morning, Old Beaver has died. They dig a beautiful grave for him and put the chestnut inside, hoping it will slowly grow into a huge chestnut tree. This picture book features colourful animation-film-like illustrations drawn from unusual perspectives. The story is simple, but the theme of death and afterlife is developed in a very convincing way. (5+)
Special Mention
220
Groothof, Frank (text)
Huiberts, Marjet (song texts)
Rogaar, Karst-Janneke (illus.)
Gilgamesj <proper name>
Amsterdam : Nieuw Amsterdam Uitg.,
2006. – 79 p. + CD
ISBN 90-468-0071-7
Gilgamesh epos – Persia
This is a compelling contemporary adaptation of the famous epic about
Gilgamesh, the Persian king of Uruk. Gilgamesh is forced to fight his enemy,
the savage Enkidoe, but the combat ends in a draw and they become good friends.
Together they perform all kinds of heroic deeds, such as killing the keeper of
the cedar wood. As Enkidoe was initially sent to Gilga-mesh by the gods so
they would be able to keep a tight rein on Gilgamesh, the gods are infuriated
by the friendship and seek revenge. This spellbinding retelling with numerous
modern elements does credit to the original epic of Gilgamesh. An eloquent
storyteller leads the readers through the book, which is adorned with highly
detailed illustrations. On the accompanying CD, the story is told in an
engaging voice and complemented with songs. This attractive and felicitous
combination of book and Audio-CD invites the audience to sit back and relax,
listen to the story, and enjoy the pictures. (9+)
221
Jonge, Harm de (text)
Tulp, Wouter (illus.)
Josja Pruis <proper name>
Houten: Van Goor, 2006. – 135 p.
ISBN 90-00-03748-4
The Netherlands/1956 – Boy – School – Twins – Brother – Death
One day in 1956, a new pupil arrives in the classroom: Josja Pruis, who claims to be the only surviving half of a Siamese twin. One of his new classmates, Homme Prins, also had a little brother once who died immediately after his birth. Whenever the boy asks his mother about his brother, she starts crying. With Josja’s arrival, a lot changes at school but in the end, the boy vanishes as abruptly as he came, leaving Homme with a lot of unanswered questions. This powerful, complex novel, with three different levels, intertwines the search of Homme and his girlfriend for more information about Josja’s past with that of Homme’s own past. The author compellingly portrays the various characters and their friendship. (10+)
222
Posthuma, Sieb (text/illus.)
Mannetje jas (Mr. Coat)
Amsterdam : Querido, 2006. – [26] p.
ISBN 90-451-0245-5
Friendship – Love
In this modern fairy tale, readers meet a little man who never gets warm, no
matter how many coats he wears. Eventually, he comes across a woman who
suffers from the same problem. They fall in love, and their mutual affection
warms them both. This out-of-the-ordinary picture book is full of humour. Even
though the text may not be easy for small children, the meaning of difficult
words and complex sentences becomes evident through the context. The emotions
of the characters are delightfully expressed in both words and pictures. The
full-page mixed-media illustrations (pen-and-ink, water-colour and collage)
are brimming with details, and every time readers go back to look at them
again, they are
bound to discover something new. (4+)
223
Rinck, Maranke (text)
Linden, Martijn van der (illus.)
Meisjes om te zoenen (Absolutely delightful girls)
Rotterdam : Lemniscaat, 2006. – [28] p.
ISBN 978-90-5637-828-8
Prince – Love – Metamorphosis
A huge crowd of beautiful animal girls is queuing up in front of the frog prince’s palace, eagerly waiting to kiss him. It’s the poor prince’s difficult task to choose the fairest of them all. While the beautiful hummingbird is the first one to approach him, the other animals have to wait their turn, chattering animatedly about the best way to impress His Royal Highness. When, in the final round, the chosen animals are invited to kiss the prince, a surprising metamorphosis takes place. This picture book features attractive and very realistic illustrations with shamanistic motives of North American Indians. The story is cleverly composed and thus keeps the readers in suspense until its unexpected ending. (5+)
224
Roovers, Eus (text)
Vriends van der Steijn, Ingeborg (illus.)
Reus en dwerg (Giant and Dwarf)
Haarlem : Uitg. Holland, 2006. – 44 p.
ISBN 90-251-1002-9
Everyday life – Friendship
This enchanting book for small children tells short stories about the numerous adventures of Giant and Dwarf, two unusual friends. The topics touched upon are going on holidays, getting lost and being unable to find the way back home, playing hide-and-seek, and discovering true friendship. Dwarf is the one who always takes the initiative in their various activities. Although the two friends are very different, they are both ingenious characters. Little children will recognise themselves easily in the protagonists’ exciting experiences. The entertaining stories, in which difficult words are explained in a childlike way, are interspersed with a lot of dialogue. They are complemented by idiosyncratic illustrations with plenty of details. (3+)
225
Verroen, Dolf (text)
Nahmias, Veronica (illus.)
Slaaf kindje slaaf (Slave, my little child, slave)
Rotterdam : Uitg. Ger Guijs, 2006. – 95 p.
ISBN 90-6734-451-6
(also published in German in 2005)
Surinam/18th century – Slavery
This touching story is told from the perspective of a twelve-year-old white girl on the threshold of maturity growing up in Surinam in the 18th century. Maria’s birthday present is a small black boy – her first personal slave. For the girl, slavery is completely natural, and she talks about it without a trace of guilt. Today’s readers, however, are confronted with the cruel reality of adults treating slaves like property. The text is written in short and simple yet carefully constructed sentences. The pencil drawings faithfully depict all the different characters of the story, who look just as modest and austere as they are described in the text. (10+) (Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, 2006; Gustav-Heinemann-Friedenspreis, 2006) <>