Naar het Noorden (To the North)
Author: Koos Meinderts
Illustrator: Annette Fienieg
Original language: Dutch
Translated by: not
Published: november 2016
Publisher: Hoogland & Van Klaveren
ISBN13: 9789089672322
Price: € 14.95 (HC)
Age: 10 - 12 years and up
Naar het Noorden (To the North) is a beautiful book by Koos Meinderts. It is 1944-45 and there is war in the Netherlands. When this book begins, the Netherlands are entering the hunger winter, when there was almost nothing left to eat in the cities. Malnourished urban children who were in the worst shape were taken to farming families in the countryside in order to survive.
From the perspective of his protagonist Jaap, an 11-year-old city boy, Koos Meinderts tells in the first person what life was like in wartime. What it meant for Jaap to be suddenly separated from his parents at such a young age. The subtle illustrations of Annette Fienieg match beautifully with the story. See more work of Annette Fienig or visit her webshop here.
Naar het Noorden was not by accident crowned with the Gouden Griffel of 2017. It is a terrific and important story, in which you fully sympathize with Jaap and his family. The book comes with our heartfelt recommendation!
Three warm-shining stars in the dark for, Naar het Noorden (To the North), from all the young readers!