New Swedish Books, Autumn 2017 1
New Swedish Books 48 Stupid Drawing Mint’s big br
other is three years older, and almost everything he does is three times better than when Mint has a go. Drawing, for example: his big brother is super good at that. But when Mint tries everything just goes wrong. The paper gets all wrinkled and ugly and with a hole through it. Stupid pen! Stupid paper! STUPID DRAWING! The body language of Emma Adbåge’s characters is brilliantly captured here. Mint clings to and climbs around his big brother to reach his level, almost bending backwards to finish his drawing. The blazing red in the images is at first just the colour of the wellordered flowers in the vase, but soon enough, as the flowers lie poured across the table, it’s also the colour of Mint’s red-hot cheeks. Stupid Drawing is a humorous and well-aimed picture book from two of Sweden’s most admired and celebrated authors. It’s about jealousy, frustration and sibling love. About the anger you feel when everything goes wrong, and the triumph when you finally succeed. Johanna Thydell (text) b. 1980 Emma Adbåge (ill) b. 1982 Stupid Drawing Publisher Alfabeta www.alfabeta.se Rights Alfabeta annakaisa@alfabeta.se Johanna Thydell Selected Works I taket lyser stjärnorna 2003 Young adult novel Det fattas en tärning 2006 Young adult novel Ursäkta att man vill bli lite älskad 2010 Young adult novel Literary Prizes Slangbellan 2003 Augustpriset 2003 Emilpriset 2009 Emma Adbåge Selected Works Leni är ett sockerhjärta Picture book Leni blir en bebis 2011 Picture book Jag är jag 2011 Chapter book Literary Prizes Lennart Hellsingpriset 2017 Photo: Magnus Liam Karlsson Photo: Richard Gustafsson