Category: International

An USBBY Outstanding International Book

1. Bibliography

Parr, Maria. 2018. Astrid the Unstoppable. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-1-5362-0017-1

2. Plot Summary

Astrid is unstoppable. She may be the only child in the small, rural town of Glimmerdal, but that’s not going to stop the fiery young heroine from having fun. Even though he’s seventy-four years old, Gunnvald—Astrid’s godfather—is her best friend and partner in crime. Together, the two have grand adventures. They come up with the best sled design for soaring down the snowy Norwegian mountainside and find the most effective way to round up Gunnvald’s misbehaving ram. Gunnvald knows everything about Astrid, and Astrid knows everything about Gunnvald—at least, she thinks she does. But when Gunnvald receives an unexpected letter with news about some woman Astrid has never heard off, Astrid learns there may be much more to Gunnvald’s past than she’d thought: things like a lover, a long-lost daughter, and a devastating mistake. Can Astrid help Gunnvald to right his past wrongs? And after finding out how much Gunnvald has hidden from her, does she really want to?

Translated from the original Norwegian, Astrid the Unstoppable is a heartwarming friendship story that centers around Astrid’s relationship with Gunnvald, Gunnvald’s relationship with his long-lost daughter, Heidi, and Heidi’s relationship with Astrid. The emphasis of the story is on family and belonging.

3.  Critical Analysis

Characters are front and center in this charming little middle-grade novel. Astrid, our heroine, is a dynamic young character, on par with Anne Shirley in the personality department. The unstoppable “little thunderbolt of Glimmerdal” is funny, obnoxious, loving, and thoughtful. She may not win over everyone in her small town with her loud personality, but she certainly wins over the reader, whether she’s getting into a fist fight with the town’s newest visitors or kidnapping Heidi’s dog to use as leverage in her plot to save Gunnvald’s farm. Whatever Astrid thinks up next is going to be big and a little crazy, but it’s always going to come from the noblest of intentions.

Gunnvald is just as loveable, despite his pretended grouchiness. It’s clear that the old man cherishes his relationship with his little red-haired lioness, and listens to her suggestions (which children will delight to see), notwithstanding the fact that he’s more than sixty years her senior. And it’s a good thing too—Astrid cheers Gunnvald on (and sometimes yells him on) as he attempts to patch up his relationship with his daughter, ask for her forgiveness, and find hope to believe that she still loves him. Children will stand beside Astrid and cheer Gunnvald on as he does his best to reach out to Heidi again.

Astrid’s story, an USBBY honor title, contains several Norwegian markers. Gunnvald and the other old men in the town delight in a Norwegian tobacco substance called “snus” (or “disgusting snus” if you’re talking to Astrid), the characters often eat foods like reindeer meatballs and venison stew, and special emphasis is placed on Christmas and Easter celebrations. But while the Norwegian setting, language, foods, and religious preferences may be new to some readers, all children will find ways to relate to the book’s themes of friendship and family. Most children may not be best friends with their seventy-four-year-old godfather, but they will understand Astrid’s loyalty to her friend despite his flaws and the betrayal she feels when she learns that he’s been keeping secrets from her. They’ll also understand Astrid’s yearning to spend more time with her mother (who’s usually off in Greenland checking rising water levels for her job) and Heidi’s yearning to be loved by both her parents.

Whether you’re eight or seventy-four, you’ll find lots to love in Astrid the Unstoppable. This would make a great addition to any late elementary or early middle-school collection looking for more international titles and more sweet friendship stories. Highly recommended.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

Amazon Editors’ Picks: Best Books of the Year, 2018 (Ages 6-8)

Booklist Book Review Stars, 2018

USBBY Outstanding International Books, 2019 (Grades 3-5)

From Booklist: “Drama and humor are interwoven throughout the well-paced narrative, which transports readers to a distinctive locale and introduces vividly drawn, memorable characters. . . Norwegian writer Parr, whose Adventures with Waffles (2013) has been translated into many languages, offers another original chapter book with a strong sense of place and international appeal.”

From Horn Book Magazines: “The action scenes are riveting, but it’s the relationships that deepen the story and make it memorable. Although there’s no missing the homages to Heidi (Gunnvald resembles Spyri’s novel’s grandfather; Gunnvald’s daughter is named Heidi; and Astrid reads Heidi throughout) and Pippi Longstocking (with Astrid’s flaming red hair, self-confidence, and almost-an-orphan independence, not to mention her shared first name with Pippi’s author), Parr (Adventures with Waffles) has crafted a fresh and original tale, all her own.”

5. Connections

The book Heidi plays a large role in Astrid the Unstoppable and book reviewers have also noted many parallels between Astrid and Pippi Longstocking. After reading this book as part of a book club or read-aloud program, read excerpts of Heidi and Pippi Longstocking, looking for similarities between the main characters. You might also suggest that children watch the movie adaptations of Heidi and Pippi.

Create a display of Astrid and other children’s books set in Norway, such as Hilda and the Troll, Adventures with Waffles, D’Aulaires’ Book of Trolls, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Locked in Ice: Nansen’s Daring Quest for the North Pole, and Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder.

  • Pearson, Luke. Hilda and the Troll. ISBN 9781909263789
  • Parr, Maria. Adventures with Waffles. ISBN 9781536203660
  • D’Aulaire, Ingri. D’Aulaires’ Book of Trolls. ISBN 9781590172179
  • Asbjørnsen, Peter Christen. The Three Billy Goats Gruff. ISBN 9780816430802
  • Lourie, Peter. Locked in Ice: Nansen’s Daring Quest for the North Pole. ISBN 9781250137647
  • Nesbø, Jo. Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder. ISBN 9781416979722

A Picture Book by Mem Fox

1. Bibliography

Fox, Mem, and Julie Vivas. 1983. Possum Magic. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-200572-2

2. Plot Summary

Hush and Grandma are two possums living in the Australian bush. To the amazement of all the other animals living there—kangaroos, kookaburras, and dingos included—Grandma Poss can do magic. She can even turn Hush invisible, keeping her safe from snakes and allowing her to have fun doing all sorts of silly shenanigans. Unfortunately, Grandma Poss forgets the magic to undo Hush’s spell. When she finally remembers it, Grandma Poss realizes that the two will have to take a culinary tour around Australia to make the poor little possum visible again. The back page of the book includes definitions of Australian (culinary) terms and a map of the Aussie cities that the possums visit on their journey.

3.  Critical Analysis

As someone who lived in Australia for two years, the “spell-breaking” foods introduced by Grandma Poss put a smile on my face. Many of them are Aussie classics—Anzac biscuits, Vegemite sandwiches, pavlova, lamingtons—and after I’d finished reading, I immediately felt the urge to bake my own lamingtons pronto. Mem Fox’s food tour has done what all good books do: it inspires action! I also appreciated the glossary of Australian terms found the in the back of the book, helping readers like me who aren’t quite sure what “mornay” is. According to the glossary, it’s “a supper dish of fish in white sauce, topped with bread crumbs and browned in the oven.” (Are you salivating yet?) In short, what a fun idea to write a book celebrating Australian animals, Australian cities, and Australian food all in one go!

I do wish that the illustrations put a little more emphasis on the fun foods the possums are eating. The pavlova is hardly recognizable sitting on an umbrella in the distance, similar to the only slightly visible packet of Anzac bickies in the cinema. But while the food illustrations feel a little underdone, I love that Julie Vivas’s illustrations highlight the unique Australian wildlife—possums, wombats, echidna, emu—you name it, she’s drawn it into the story, much to the delight of young readers.

I also wish the storyline were a little stronger. It seems almost as though Mem Fox threw together a jumble of three different storylines—one about Grandma Poss’s magic, one about Hush’s invisibility, and one about the Australian food tour—making the story less cohesive. Still, Mem Fox knows how to write a fun, if slightly forgettable, yarn, and Julie Vivas knows how to draw irresistible bush animals. All in all, Possum Magic is a book worth reading.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor List, 1986, Winner, Illustration

Kids Own Australian Literature Awards (KOALA), 1987, Winner, Primary

From Bookbird: “Another treat from Mem Fox that is sure to be treasured. The whimsical illustrations are a wonderful complement.”

From Children’s Literature: “The book provides a warm, wonderful first exploration of Australia!”

5. Connections

Ask children to brainstorm what Hush would eat if she came to your local city. Have the children present their answers to the group. Then have a food party complete with some of the Australian treats mentioned in Possum Magic and some of your own local food “magic.”

Create a display of Possum Magic and other children’s books set in Australia, such as the following selections:

  • Morrison, Yvonne. The Emu That Laid the Golden Egg. ISBN 9781921894008
  • Lai, Remy. Pie in the Sky. ISBN 9781250314093
  • Hameister, Jade. Polar Explorer. ISBN 9781250317681
  • Marshall, James Vance. Stories from the Billabong. ISBN 9781845077044
  • Coote, Maree. Robyn Boid: Architect. ISBN 9780992491741
  • Fox, Mem. I’m an Immigrant Too!. ISBN 9781534436022

A Batchelder Award Novel

1. Bibliography

Lee, Uk-Bae. 2019. When Spring Comes to the DMZ. Walden, NY: Plough Publishing House. ISBN 978-0-87486-972-9

2. Plot Summary

In When Spring Comes to the DMZ, one boy’s grandfather—living in South Korea—goes to the observatory at the edge of the DMZ (also known as the “demilitarized zone,” a razor wire barrier that was put in place in 1954, separating North Korea from South Korea), peering at the wildlife thriving within its razor wire walls and at the armies manning the fence without. The boy and his grandfather go to the observatory each season, longing for the tightly locked gates to open and to see long-lost family members that are still trapped on the North Korean side of the divide. The final pages explain the DMZ, the Korean divide, and Uk-Bae Lee’s (and many other Koreans’) hope for the future.

3.  Critical Analysis

Uk-Bae Lee’s illustrations carry a powerfully poignant message starting with the end papers in the very beginning of the book. There’s a map of the world, all in the same whitish hue except for a jagged red scar running through the middle of the Korean Peninsula. Immediately, Lee’s illustrations draw attention to that mottled area. Lee’s clever drawings don’t stop with the end pages, though. The title page includes a picture of the DMZ lookout glasses through which readers will “view” the DMZ wilderness on the next page spread with the grandfather, searching the far end of the razor wire barrier to try to catch a glimpse of what lies beyond.

Later spreads show peaceful animals unaffected by the barrier between North and South Korea, free to roam where they choose, while the soldiers that guard the border are—ironically—exhausted and locked out. The final spread of the story, when the grandfather flings open the tightly locked gates of the DMZ and joyfully reunites with lost loved ones from other side, packs a powerful punch. This is the only part of the story that isn’t describing what Grandfather is doing and seeing through his lookout glasses. Instead, it describes what he wants to do. The joyous family reunion that Grandfather wants so much is not yet a reality, but the beautifully imagined scene that Lee has drawn, uniting two aged brothers that haven’t seen each other in over 50 years, is so touching that readers will long for an end to the DMZ just like Grandfather. The final end pages reveal that the jagged red scar running through the middle of the Korean Peninsula has vanished. Again, the removal of the DMZ is not yet a reality, but a DMZ-less world is so appealing that it invites readers to want it too.

This picture book also offers something unique to picture book readers because it isn’t a historical story about a South Korean tragedy of long ago. No, this is a tragedy that is taking place in real time. The boy in the story is not a relic of the past but a modern 21st century kid, going on a seasonal outing with his grandfather, making him relatable to children across the globe who are reading his story. Still, while the divide is a heavy topic, Lee navigates When Spring Comes to the DMZ with grace, offering an ending that will leave children sad but hopeful. A book that allows children to understand a current global event affecting thousands of Koreans while inspiring empathy, When Spring Comes to the DMZ is a must-have picture book.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

Mildred L. Batchelder Award, 2020, Honor

Kirkus Best Picture Books, 2019

From Kirkus Review:“The cupboard is nearly bare of children’s books about the DMZ, making this an excellent introduction to the crises on the Korean Peninsula as well as a great choice for social justice collections, peace promoters, and animal lovers.”

From Booklist: “Highly detailed illustrations in watercolor and pencil capture the softness of Grandfathers heart and the exuberance of wildlife that grows without bounds. Back matter provides a brief explanation of the Korean War and the pain of the separated populations with eerie timeliness.”

5. Connections

Create a display of antiwar books for an elementary-age audience, such as the following selections:

  • Winter, Jeanette. The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq. ISBN 9780152054458
  • Mochizuki, Ken, and Dom Lee (illustrator). Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story. ISBN 9781584301578
  • Coerr, Elizabeth. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. ISBN 9780698118027
  • Long, Michael L., and Carlos Vélez (illustrator). Three Lines in a Circle: The Exciting Life of the Peace Symbol. ISBN 9781646981960

Create a display of When Spring Comes to the DMZ and other children’s books set in South Korea, such as the following selections:

  • Cho, Tina. The Ocean Calls. ISBN 9781984814869
  • Kim, So-un. Three Korean Fairy Tales. ISBN 9780804852272
  • Park, Linda Sue. A Single Shard. ISBN 9780547534268
  • Oh, Ellen. Finding Junie Kim. ISBN 9780062987983
  • Cheung, Hyechong, and Prodeepta Das. K is for Korea. ISBN 9781845077891
  • Lee, JiHyeon. Pool. ISBN 9781452142944