New Swedish Books, Spring 2020 1
New Swedish Books 18 Billie, Frank and the Sea Wh
en Billie, her mum and their dog Frank arrive at the seaside Frank shoots off like a rocket to rummage in the seaweed and roll around in the sand. Billie, on the other hand, wants to take it easy and be left on her own. The water doesn’t tempt her all that much either. And what’s more she gets stung by a jellyfish. Everything is pretty boring up until Frank returns, dragging an old diving mask with her. With the aid of the mask Billie discovers an exciting world beneath the surface of the water, where, as she looks around, things seem to shimmer and shine in a pretty magical way. Julia Hansson’s debut is a subtle, pastelcoloured and summery book that contains within it a kind of restrained energy and inherent humour. That she is an illustrator educated in Tokyo as well as Stockholm, is obvious in her images, with their echoes of Japanese manga traditions. Billie, Frank and the Sea is a light and adorable story to make you happy and warm inside. I look forward to discovering more of Julia Hansson’s work. Julia Hansson This is Julia Hansson’s first book. Chapter book, 32 p. Julia Hansson (b. 1990) Publisher Natur & Kultur www.nok.se Rights Koja Agency Carin Bacho carin.bacho@kojaagency.com Photo: José Figueroa