New Swedish Books, Spring 2020 1
New Swedish Books 28 Board books During the last
5–7 years something interesting has happened with board books for the youngest. Instead of the traditional single word books with pictures of apples, balls and ducks, publishers in Sweden have started to encourage picture books makers to produce more elaborate board books. As a result, we now see a wide range of narratives, stretching from illustrated children´s songs to miniature stories with a good deal of playfulness. An author who has found a new way within this genre is Emma Virke, one of the rising stars in Sweden. She makes picture books with a fine sense for the kids’ own interests and worlds. In her series of books about Toto, holes in the pages are used to make the readers part of the story, inviting them to interact with the book and with Toto himself. By putting two fingers into holes, for example, Toto gets moving legs as he sits on the swing. Playing with the book inspires interaction between the child and the adult reader, making the reading of the book a mutual voyage of discovery. Picture Books for the youngest (aged 1-3) A recurring subject in picture books for the youngest children is nature, and above all nature in close proximity to the child themself. An author and illustrator who has handled this with a very gentle touch is Linnéa Krylén. Her two books about Freja make us part of a small, close to home, but mind-expanding adventure. In Freja’s Place, Freja’s boots can take her anywhere she wants, showing us all the interesting places that Freja passes on her way to her special place. Other common motifs include relationships and everyday matters. In Maria Nilsson Thore’s series All Three, we follow three playschool friends and join them on their adventures, in their habits, and in how they solve conflicts that arise. These mini-dramas are easy to identify with and full of fun. Picture Books for children aged 3 to 6 When it comes to picture books it is easy to observe how each country seems to have their own particular image tradition, yet capturing that in words is as difficult as describing someone’s handwriting. But if I were to try and identify a typical trait in Swedish picture books for children aged 3 to 6, I would point to the manner in which children are portrayed. Children are seldom pictured as sweet or trouble-free. Instead we often meet powerful and clever children, with strong wills and an ability to face any trouble that’s heading their way. The reason for this could be the enduring debate in Sweden about the importance of the child’s perspective – stories for children should stay loyal to the way they think, feel and look upon the world. One example of this is Stupid Drawing, a collaboration between author Johanna Tydell and illustrator Emma Adbåge. The story follows Mint and her older brother doing drawings together. Or rather – big brother is absorbed in his drawings whilst Mint desperately tries to think of what to draw. And things don’t get better due to the fact that big brother is so good at drawing, whereas everything Mint tries to do is all wonky. It is with great empathy that the story depicts the younger sibling’s agony. Not the least through Mint’s body language, ingeniously captured in the often humorous illustrations. Ten years or so ago it was difficult to find poems for children. Of course, we have our great master in the field, Lennart Hellsing, but apart from his work, there wasn’t much to be found. Since then, much has changed and now picture books are often in the form of poems. A fine example of poetry for children are the three books that Anders Holmer has made so far. His first book Everything Happens has a playfulness and craziness comparable to works by