Shortlisted for the 2020 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Translated YA Book Prize This charming, bittersweet fable about the madness of war won its author the Gouden Lijst Prize for Children’s Literature in his native Netherlands, and comes lavished with gloriously intricate pen-and-ink illustrations by Ludwig Volbeda.- Financial Times A quick look at the illustrations … Continue reading #DutchKidLit – Tortot, the Cold Fish who Lost His World and Found His Heart by Benny Lindelauf
#DutchKidLit – A Pond Full of Ink: Annie M.G. Schmidt’s most beautiful children’s poems by Annie M.G. Schmidt
In the creative cosmos of beloved Dutch poet Annie M.G. Schmidt, anything is possible — and the more whimsical, the better. Her rollicking poems transform ordinary events and places into extraordinary adventures full of imagination.- Eerdlings: the official blog of Eerdman's Books for Young Readers The Man Who Writes Fairy Tales has run out of ink. Luckily for … Continue reading #DutchKidLit – A Pond Full of Ink: Annie M.G. Schmidt’s most beautiful children’s poems by Annie M.G. Schmidt
#DutchKidLit and The Canon of the Netherlands, Part 2 – The Subversive Wit of Annie M.G. Schmidt
"Never do what your mother tells you to do, then everything will be all right,” to quote Annie M.G. Schmidt. Just saying what you want to say, not making a fuss, breaking any rules that don’t make sense, and recalcitrant humour; these are the secrets of her pen [sic]."1911-1995 Annie M.G. Schmidt: Going against the … Continue reading #DutchKidLit and The Canon of the Netherlands, Part 2 – The Subversive Wit of Annie M.G. Schmidt
#DutchKidLit and The Canon of the Netherlands, Part 1 – Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl
Image: Canonslinger 2020 wall chart. The Canon of the Netherlands is a huge cultural project that tells a story about the historical and cultural development of the Netherlands from ± 5500 BC to present. The Canon was first conceived in 2006 and was recently updated in June 2020. It is now a 50-window timeline using … Continue reading #DutchKidLit and The Canon of the Netherlands, Part 1 – Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl
#WorldKidLitMonth September 2021 – Spotlight #DutchKidLit
When Karen Van Drie, the enthusiastic and dedicated Executive Director of Global Literature in Libraries Initiative, invited me to be the guest editor for the GLLI blog during World Kid Lit Month this year and to feature Dutch kid lit all month long, I was happy to do so because it would mean that I … Continue reading #WorldKidLitMonth September 2021 – Spotlight #DutchKidLit
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Soul Lanterns
August 6, 1945, is a date forever etched into the memories of those who live in Hiroshima. Today, it is marked by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, where thousands of lanterns are set afloat along the Motoyasu River in memory of those who died in the devastating bombing of the city. Soul Lanterns, a historical … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Soul Lanterns
#WorldKidLit Month 2020: Puerto Rican Kid Lit from Here to the World
Today is the last day of September, and with it, the end of this #WorldKidLit Month. It has been an honor to present to the global reading public children's and Young Adult books, written by Puerto Ricans, with Puerto Rican themes, from both the island and the diaspora. I hope that from wherever in the … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: Puerto Rican Kid Lit from Here to the World
#WorldKidLit Month 2020: Incubating Children’s Literature in Puerto Rico
In addition to previously-unbeknownst-to-me books, my research for #WorldKidLit Month led me to the discovery of a marvelous new effort to grow the profile of children's and young adult literature in Puerto Rico. Historical Photograph: Bookmobile in front of Dr. María Cadilla High School in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, 1961. Courtesy of Puerto Rico Historic Building … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: Incubating Children’s Literature in Puerto Rico
#WorldKidLit Month 2020: The Legend of Kiki Kokí
If you've been reading this blog during #WorldKidLit Month, you may have already learned a bit about the coquí. A small species of tree frog onomatopoeically named for its vociferous song, the coquí has long been a symbol of Puerto Rico. The Taíno, for example, carved what are believed representations of the coquí on rock … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: The Legend of Kiki Kokí
#WorldKidLit Month 2020: Ellas: Histories of Puerto Rican Women
As part of my research in preparation for serving as guest editor of the GLLI blog for #WorldKidLit Month, I made it a point to look online for books published on the island of Puerto Rico proper. I knew there were books out there that I didn't have immediate knowledge of, as I am located … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: Ellas: Histories of Puerto Rican Women
