Ik wil het weten!

We thoroughly enjoyed the "Dive into Time" book series and this time, we read "I Want to Know" by author Annemarie Bon. This book is about the people from Indonesia who came to the Netherlands in the 1950s, after the war for independence. We can't say whether the story really explains much about this history to children. We don't think so, but it was a very complicated struggle.

Fortunately, the fact that the Dutch Government treated the people who came here very badly was made clear in the story. Just like the older generation's adjustment issues, which our young listeners could certainly understand. But the fact that it was so awful for the children back then to live here really hit them hard. Sothat's the gain of this book, a moving storey.

Illustrator Marja Meijer has contributed significantly to made the problems these children had to face visible, with her sweet illustrations. She beautifully captures their not understanding their isolated, lonely lives. But you can also see the joy in their brief escape, or when Grandma tells them about their past, on their faces. Do check out her website for her other books!