Constance Ørbeck-Nilssen

Sheltering in a bombed-out building, a young girl lies awake while her exhausted mother sleeps, and is visited by the bird from her mother's stories, the bird who comes down from the mountains at night and keeps their family safe. At the prompting of her avian visitor, the girl slowly remembers the sights and sounds and people of her life before - before catastrophe overtook her home and city. Most of all, she slowly recalls the colors of those experiences, and when the morning comes, she show more and her mother set out with hope...

Norwegian author Constance Ørbeck-Nilssen and Turkish-Norwegian illustrator Akin Düzakin, who previously collaborated on Why Am I Here? and I'm Right Here, join forces again for this third picture-book, which offers a poignant and powerful exploration of the destruction of war, and the courage and hope necessary to become a refugee. The magical realist story perfectly captures the young girl's emotional state, demonstrating how suffering has slowly leached the color - the joy - out of her life. It uses the fantastical device of the bird to show that the power of memory and of love can help one regain that joy, and can give hope and courage. The artwork, which is just beautiful, is perfectly attuned to the story, slowly adding color as the bird leads the girl through her memories of the past, restoring them to their proper state. The rainbow at the end is a nice touch - a bridge of light, symbolizing the path to the future. I continue to be impressed by this author/illustrator team, and will hope that they produce more work together. As for this one, I highly recommend it to anyone seeking children's stories addressing such themes as war, refugees, memory, hope, and love. show less

William and his grandmother share their fears with one another in this gentle, thought-provoking picture-book from Norway. Asking his grandmother if she is ever afraid, and if so, of what, he is surprised by her answers. She is afraid of not seeing the squirrel in his oak tree, or the white flowers in bloom again. She is afraid of never hearing the birds singing again, or knowing that the magpie is building his nest. These are not the things Wiliam fears. He is afraid of angry dogs, stinging show more wasps and dangerous fires, of darkness and war, and of storms and sharks. When his grandmother confides that once she feared practically everything, but now she only fears losing what she loves, by dying and leaving it all behind, William replies that he'll be right there, where she can see him. Wherever she is then, once she is gone, she'll be able to see him, so there is no need to fear...

Originally published in Norwegian as Jeg er jo her, this poignant and ultimately uplifting picture-book about both childhood and late-life fears pairs the text of Norwegian journalist and children's author Constance Ørbeck-Nilssen and the artwork of Turkish-Norwegian illustrator and children's author Akin Düzakin, who also collaborated on Why Am I Here? I thought that the narrative of I'm Right Here was quite compelling, in a matter-of-fact, non-sensational kind of way. The contrast between William's fears, which are of the dangers of the world around him, and his grandmother's fears, which are of losing the beauty of the world around her, and the love of those close to her, is nicely done, and highlight the differing perspectives of youth and age. The conclusion, in which William offers the comforting idea that he will be right there, is also well done. William gains the perspective that his fears will change over time, and he puts his own current emotions aside, in offering solace to another. Grandmother gains the wisdom, through William's simple statement, to see that things will go on after her departure and nothing will be lost. Will she still be able to "see" William because she will still be there, through him, or will she be able to "see" him because she is looking down on him from some kind of heaven? This is not clear, and is left for the reader to ponder.

Whatever the case might be, Ørbeck-Nilssen's narrative is perceptive and thought-provoking, exploring issues of fear and how its changes over time, of death and the separation it brings, and of the love between the generations, and how it can help to defeat fear. Powerful stuff indeed! Düzakin's artwork is likewise powerful, and although I didn't quite care for his human faces, I thought many of his scenes were quite expressive. I liked how he used more gray tones, in the scenes depicting William's fears, and more colorful hues, in the scenes showing what Grandmother loves and fears losing. My two favorite scenes were the ones depicting the tree full of songbirds, and the one in which William is abroad on the sea in a tiny boat, with a massive shark bearing down on him. This was a high 4.5 stars for me, and would have been a rare 5 star title, if I didn't dislike Düzakin's faces. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about childhood fears, fear of death, and the loving bond between the generations. show less

The young narrator of this Norwegian picture-book wonders what his life would be like, if he lived somewhere else, questioning why he is where he is. Considering the possibilities - what would life be like if he lived alone in a great city, or somewhere he was forced to work (as so many children are), or perhaps in a war-torn country? - he ponders whether it would be possible for him to move, to come to the country in which he currently resides...

Originally published in Norwegian as Hvorfor show more er jeg her?, this gently contemplative picture-book is the second I have read from author Constance Ørbeck-Nilssen and illustrator Akin Düzakin, following upon their I'm Right Here. Like that earlier book, Why Am I Here? is quite phiosophical, raising a number of questions that young people might have as they grow older about life, the world, and their place in it. Given the description of war-torn countries, and the depiction of people fleeing by land and by sea, it's difficult not to read this one as an exploration of the current migrant crisis in Europe, but although I do believe it is meant to address that issue, I think it also has wider implications, and can be used to launch a more general discussion of those existential questions that are (in the end) unanswerable. I appreciated this one, finding the narrative interesting and the artwork lovely, but it wasn't quite as poignant somehow, as this team's other book. Perhaps because the loss depicted there was personal and individual, rather than communal and hypothetical? Whatever the case may be, I would recommend this one to those seeking more philosophical picture-books about the world, our place in it, and our relationship to people from other places. show less

This is another great book offered by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. I have read quite a few of their books over the last few years, and they seem to have a nice standard of quality both in the whimsical nature of the artwork and the thoughtful storytelling.
The story itself is simple, comparing what scares a young boy to what scares his grandmother. The boy's fears are immediate threats, such as angry dogs and dangerous fires. The grandmother fears not being able to enjoy and spend time show more with the things and people she loves. The book introduces the idea of death in a very gentle way, and the boy and his grandmother are able to offer each other comfort. The illustrations complement the story and help the reader to see the world as the grandmother does, so we understand why she fears losing it. I have yet to get to the end of this book with dry eyes, but my son (age 6) loves it and doesn't find it disturbing or challenging in any way. In addition to providing an opportunity to talk about death, this book also can be used to start a discussion about fears in general. show less