1300 bommen in 13 minuen
(1300 bombs in 13 minutes)
Author: Marte jongbloed
Cover illustration: Marieke Nelissen
Series: Historical
Original language: Dutch
Translated into English: not
Published: April 2025
Publisher: Luitingh-Sijthoff B.V.
ISBN13: 9789021053523
Price: € 15.99 (HC)
Age: 10 years old and up
Author Marte Jongbloed wrote "1300 Bommen in 13 Minutes," a beautiful children's book about the bombing of Rotterdam in May 1940. It's not only a beautiful story, but it's also important for children to read about World War II. It is part of the history of the Netherlands, but sadly war also lives again in our world of today.
From the perspective of Joop, a boy of just 13 years old, you'll read about what the city looked like seconds after the bombs were dropped. What people in Rotterdam experienced, and what it was like for children to live at that time.
The Joop in the book didn't really exist, but boys like him did. Marte Jongbloed spoke with people who were children during this war, but there aren't many of them left. So she also based her book on stories and photos from the Rotterdam City Archives. A visit to the Museum Rotterdam '40-'45 NU is also very enjoyable and educational, both for young monsters as for their parents, as we found out!
We also need to mention that the book cover was designed by illustrator Marieke Nelissen, and she did a wonderful job. This book is a great asset for children, even more so if you live in Rotterdam. (sadly this book is not translated into English).
3 bright shining stars for 1300 bombs in 13 minutes, from our young listeners, readers, and the narrators!