Winner of the 2014 UKLA Book Award: an eco-fable with heart and humour
Brimir and Hulda are best friends, living on a beautiful blue planet where there are no grown-ups, life is wild and free, and each day is more exciting than the last. Until, one day, a rocket ship piloted by a strange-looking adult named Gleesome Goodday crashes on the beach. He promises to make life a hundred times more fun - with flying-powder, and coated skin so that noone ever has to bathe again - and even nails the sun to their sky. But Hulda and Brimir soon discover that their endless fun has consequences they could never have imagined. Could it be that Gleesome Goodday is not everything he seems?
An extraordinary adventure of magic and generosity, and a beautifully simple tale of selfishness and sacrifice, The Story of the Blue Planet will delight and challenge readers of every age.
Andri Snaer Magnason is one of Iceland's most celebrated young writers. In 2002 Love Star was named 'Novel of the Year' by Icelandic booksellers and received the DV Literary Award and a nomination to the Icelandic Literary Prize. The Story of the Blue Planet - now published or performed in 22 countries - was the first children's book to receive the Icelandic Literary Prize and was also the recipient of the Janusz Korczak Honorary Award and the West Nordic Children's Book Prize. Magnason is the winner of the 2010 Kairos Award.
Industry Reviews
A Seussian mix of wonder, wit and gravitas The New York Times Ambitious and intriguing, it creates a fable whose contemporary relevance will be easily grasped by its intended readers... there is nothing that I can think of in contemporary English language writing for children that has this kind of ambition -- Clive Barnes Books for Keeps (Editor's Choice) Magnason's writing is lean, swift and often lyrical... immensely satisfying - a major contribution to the sparsely populated eco-lit genre, and one that could entice other authors to contribute New York Times Book Review Magnason's beautifully illustrated and expertly translated book is charming, eccentric, moving, and humbling - often reminiscent of Roald Dahl or William Steig. It's a magical coming-of-age story that may also remind adults to appreciate the here and the now, and that the grass on the other side may appear greener, but that doesn't mean it's better Typographical Era It's a delightful and pointed tale. Indeed, The Story of the Blue Planet, aided by Aslaug Jonsdottir's fanciful and evocative illustrations, raises important issues about greed, collaboration, friendship and trust that will kick-start discussions among children and their caretakers. Home and school libraries would do well to add it to their collections Truthout The sound ecological message that is conveyed in The Story of the Blue Planet has justifiably met with widespread international acclaim, with the book having won numerous highly sought-after prizes, and being the first chidren's book to be awarded the Icelandic Literary Prize Book Pleasures Adventurous and entertaining...the illustrations are lovely and offer a visual stimulus for the story Books for Kids Those who enjoyed Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark and Grimm (Dutton, 2010) may find Magnason's cautionary ecological tale a perfect complement. Well-paced, with some wonderful, story-enhancing color illustrations School Library Journal An extraordinary story... thought-provoking on many levels The Irish Examiner The environmental warning is stark, but this tale of adventure and friendship just about carries it off The Observer
