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A review by mat_tobin
My Father's Arms Are a Boat by Stein Erik Lunde
5.0
It's children's books like this that make me see how little I know about children's literature in its broadest sense and also how powerfully images and texts can work together to explore delicate yet deeply universal and powerful topics. Once again it is to the Dutch that we turn for topics that are rarely dealt with in the UK with such honesty and in such a tone that respects and honours the younger reader.
I have never seen a picturebook like this before. It comprises solely of hand-drawn images which are then cut-out and built into a three dimensional landscape. It gives an incredible sense of depth to the story and creates an atmosphere that is both intimate and deeply barren.
The first person narrative is told from the boy's perspective and Lunde's layout makes the read almost like free verse rather than prose. This gives an almost disjointed ad broken sense to the narrator's thoughts as he tries to comprehend his father's mood and actions as well as deal with the grieving loss that he carries within him of his mother's absence.
The colour palette is limited to black and white with only the palest colours breaking through the contrast every so often. Yet it is the fox and its connection with the fire which warms both father and son at the end: an animal often linked with the afterlife and as a guide.
In 2009, the book was awarded the Norwegian Ministry's Culture Prize for best book for children and youth (why don't we have a similar prize here in the UK?) and was nominated for the German Children's Literature Award two years later.
I have never seen a picturebook like this before. It comprises solely of hand-drawn images which are then cut-out and built into a three dimensional landscape. It gives an incredible sense of depth to the story and creates an atmosphere that is both intimate and deeply barren.
The first person narrative is told from the boy's perspective and Lunde's layout makes the read almost like free verse rather than prose. This gives an almost disjointed ad broken sense to the narrator's thoughts as he tries to comprehend his father's mood and actions as well as deal with the grieving loss that he carries within him of his mother's absence.
The colour palette is limited to black and white with only the palest colours breaking through the contrast every so often. Yet it is the fox and its connection with the fire which warms both father and son at the end: an animal often linked with the afterlife and as a guide.
In 2009, the book was awarded the Norwegian Ministry's Culture Prize for best book for children and youth (why don't we have a similar prize here in the UK?) and was nominated for the German Children's Literature Award two years later.