The Best Children's Books from Holland
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The Best Children’s Books www.letterenfonds.nl Editors: Agnes Vogt, Dick Broer from Translation: Laura Watkinson Design: Philip Stroomberg Printing: Zwaan Printmedia Holland Joke van Leeuwen Somewhere Joke van Leeuwen performs in cabaret and theatre shows, writes and illustrates stories and poems for children, and Picture also prose and poetry for adults. In her work, which has received many awards and has been translated into more than twenty languages, she champions the uninhibited way that children look at the 2016 world and speaks out against repression 48 pages and narrow-mindedness. In her most Querido, Luciënne van der Leije: recent picture book, Somewhere, [email protected] books she demonstrates once again that high-quality literature need not be inaccessible. This philosophical graphic novel is about a mountaineer who falls into another world, where everything is put into question. Annemarie van Haeringen Little Snow White Knits a Monster A charming story with monsters and fairy-tale elements. Snow White the goat is happily knitting away, but then animals begin to fall from her knitting needles. Cuddly little goat kids are lovely, but when a wolf appears and gobbles down Mrs Sheep, Snow White 2014 has to knit up an even more dangerous 32 pages creature to deal with the wolf. Leopold, Luciënne van der Leije: Annemarie van Haeringen, three- [email protected] time winner of the award for the best illustrated children’s book of the year, Translations has created a book about the power of Chinese (Shandong Education Press), the imagination, with the comforting German (Freies Geistesleben), Japanese message that whatever you make up, (BL Publishing), Danish (Turbine) you can also undo. Sieb Posthuma Wouter van Reek The Big Rintje Coppernickel Read-Aloud Book Sieb Posthuma’s art is instantly Wouter van Reek’s Coppernickel began recognisable: his illustrations are always life on TV and moved into picture books stylised, brightly coloured and gently in 2005. Coppernickel Goes Mondrian is humorous. As a creator of children’s the sixth title in the series. Coppernickel books, Posthuma first became known and his faithful companion, Tungsten, for his stories about Rintje, his fox go on a journey through a world made terrier. Rintje was the alter ego of his up entirely of Mondrian colours, as young self, a child approaching the 2014 the artist’s famous paintings come 2011 world with an open mind and enjoying 248 pages to life. This title is part of a series 32 pages safe, child-sized adventures. The ink Querido, Luciënne van der Leije: of art picture books published by Leopold, Luciënne van der Leije: and Ecoline illustrations that Posthuma [email protected] Leopold in collaboration with the [email protected] made to accompany those stories are Gemeentemuseum in The Hague. Each packed with fun doggy details. This Translations title is based on an exhibition, ranging Translations book brings together Rintje’s best Arabic (Mahrosa), Chinese (Shanghai 99), from Coco Chanel to Delft blue and Chinese (PHEI), French (Bayard), adventures. With over 100 stories English (Gecko Press), German (Boje), dolls’ houses, from Karel Appel to Egon English (Enchanted Lion), German featuring many familiar events, it’s a Japanese (World Library) Schiele. (Gerstenberg) and 5 other languages book to read aloud every day. Ted van Lieshout Thé Tjong Khing & Philip Hopman Where Is the Cake? Farmer Boris An enchanting series about a very Thé Tjong-Khing is one of Holland’s young farmer. Boris is just a tiny tot, best-known illustrators of children’s but he lives on a farm and drives the books and was awarded the prestigious tractor like a professional. Along with Max Velthuijs Prize for his rich oeuvre. his animals, he has all kinds of little Where Is the Cake? was his first rhyming adventures, which author and wordless picture book, proving that poet Ted van Lieshout has captured in his pictures don’t need words to tell a a rhythm that’s great fun to read aloud. 2013 story. This successful book was the first 2004 This appealing little farmer has become 24 pages in a series of four titles with plenty of 32 pages the protagonist of a very popular Gottmer, Ingrid van der Mooren: fun and interesting details to find. The Lannoo, Liesbeth De Bruyne: series, with the ninth book currently in [email protected] latest one, Art with Cake, is an ode to [email protected] production. Van Lieshout works closely the artistic imagination, parodying Thé together with illustrator Philip Hopman, Translations Tjong-Khing’s own art and the work of Translations who has created Boris’s world in gentle German (Annette Betz), Danish (Turbine) great artists such as Van Gogh, Braque, English (Harry N. Abrams), German watercolours and bright acrylics. Hokusai and Dalí. (Moritz), and 10 other languages Gideon Samson Island Days “Island Days is a book that will remain.” VersTwee Up to 12 Jakob goes to stay with his dad, in Greece, even though he hasn’t seen him for four years. At first he hides in bed, but then he makes friends with Michális. When Michális’s girlfriend turns up, 2016 the three of them become close. Until 166 pages things go too far... Island Days evolves Querido, Luciënne van der Leije: from a gentle book about a summer [email protected] years holiday into an intense story that lingers with the reader for a long time. As he Rights sold did in Black Swan, Gideon Samson German (Gerstenberg) writes incisively about children facing the consequences of their actions. Sjoerd Kuyper The Big L Hotel “A riotous rollercoaster ride through adversity, love and happiness.” Het Parool Kos lives with his dad and three sisters in a hotel, but the business is going bankrupt. Then his dad has a heart attack – and Kos tries to keep the hotel 2014 afloat. In an attempt to solve the hotel’s 228 pages financial problems, Kos disguises Lemniscaat, Sacha Duijvestein: himself as a girl and enters the local [email protected] beauty contest... It’s a hilarious read, but ultimately the book is all about Rights sold honesty, loving one another and daring English (Lemniscaat USA), German to be yourself. (Thienemann-Gabriel), French (Didier), Sjoerd Kuyper has written more than Korean (Saenggakui Jip), Slovene (Zala), fifty children’s books, lyrics for musicals Turkish (Kırmızı Kedi Yayınları) and scripts for films and has won many prizes. Simon van der Geest Toon Tellegen Sputterfly Everyone Was There “Sputterfly may well become many “Toon Tellegen’s short stories are a children’s favourite book.” source of endless pleasure.” NRC Handelsblad Die Zeit What Hidde likes best is spending time Tellegen’s philosophical animal stories in his secret cellar with his insects. But are written in a simple yet sparkling tone. then his brother threatens to take his They are about Squirrel, Ant, Elephant cellar, and a battle ensues. The story 2012 and their fellow creatures, whose lives 2009 behind Hidde and his cellar is a sad one, Illustrations by Karst-Janneke Rogaar glide along, apparently without meaning, 380 pages (7 collections) but Simon van der Geest succeeds in 232 pages in an impossible environment: all of them Querido, Luciënne van der Leije: keeping the tone light, with amusing Querido, Luciënne van der Leije: are the same size and each is the only [email protected] cartoon-style illustrations and a [email protected] one of its kind. Everyone lives together smooth narrative style in the form of in harmony. Everything is possible and Translations a diary. Simon van der Geest won his Translations there are no obligations. For anyone who English (Boxer, Gecko), French (La joie first Gouden Griffel for Dissus (2010), a Danish (Turbine), German (Thienemann), wants to be delighted and amazed: read de lire), German (Hanser, Gerstenberg), vibrant adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey. French (La Joie de Lire), Polish (Format) a story a day. Spanish and 12 other languages Bibi Dumon Tak Marjolijn Hof Winter Animals Against the Odds “Written with so much love that it “A moving recognisable story that’s warms your heart” both tragic and easy to digest.” Leesgoed De Standaard Bibi Dumon Tak writes outstanding Kiek’s father is a doctor overseas. She’s literary non-fiction for children. In worried about him, but her mum says Winter Animals, she whisks you away he’ll be fine. After all, how many children to the most remote areas of our world. 2011 does Kiek know with dead dads? Having 2006 After a snappy introduction to the North Illustrations by Martijn van der Linden a dead dog plus a dead mouse plus 96 pages and South Poles, Dumon Tak discusses 135 pages a dead dad is even more unlikely. So Querido, Luciënne van der Leije: the lives of 23 polar residents and their Querido, Luciënne van der Leije: Kiek decides she needs a dead dog [email protected] ingenious anti-freeze systems and tricks [email protected] and a dead mouse, to improve the for surviving the cold. odds. Marjolijn Hof develops this idea in Translations Dumon Tak provides a great deal of Translations hilarious scenes, without ever making German (Bloomsbury Berlin), English information in her visual, poetic and German (Bloomsbury Berlin), Korean fun of Kiek’s anxiety. Her language is (Groundwood), French (Seuil), Japanese light-hearted writing, with Martijn van (Woongjin Publishing) polished and lively, her dialogues direct (Shogakukan), Korean, Norwegian, Polish, der Linden’s icy blue winter illustrations and disarming, her observations always Portuguese, Slovene, Turkish, Catalan, lending excellent support. spot on. Icelandic, Italian Edward van de Vendel Oliver “Oliver succeeds in accurately capturing many facets of an adolescent’s life.” 12 years De Standaard Sixteen-year-old Oliver makes his debut as a goalkeeper for Gjøvik FF, and his family falls apart – all on the same day.