Swedish Books for Young Readers 1
25 Swedish Books for Young Readers Pernilla Stalf
elt Who Are You? A Book About Tolerance, picture book, 2012, Rabén & Sjögren Rights: Rabén & Sjögren Agency “Sometimes you can be really surprised, when you understand that everyone is not exactly the same as yourself.” Pernilla Stalfelt’s book is about tolerance in all its forms. About similarities, about differences, about fear and exclusion. But how different are we really? The Book of Life, picture book, 2010, Rabén & Sjögren Rights: Rabén & Sjögren Agency About being born, about dying, and about everything that happens in between. About how time passes, and about what one might do during life, for example measure someone with a ruler, catch butterflies, or wait for the light to turn green. But how do you know if you are really alive? The Book of Life does not contain truths or solutions, but provides food for thought. The Death Book, picture book, 1999, Rabén & Sjögren Rights: Rabén & Sjögren Agency An important book about the mortally serious subject of death in a very personal way. What happens at a funeral? And what really happens when you die? Do you go to Heaven? Or do you turn into a hot dog? Pernilla Stalfelt is one of Sweden’s most innovative creators of picture books, taking on subject matter close to home but which breaks traditional boundaries. She is best known for her non-fiction series that includes among other titles The Hair Book, The Poo-Poo Book, The Death Book, The Love Book, and The Violence Book. The books are researched with young children and written in a manner that is both light-hearted and informative, and designed to encourage children to think about existential subjects. Her illustrations are drawn in a naive style to align the subject-matter to a child’s perception and to inspire children to write and draw. Her books are available in fourteen countries. The first, The Hair Book, received the Heffaklump, while The Death Book was nominated for the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis Photo: Karin Alfredson