Bror min
Author: Laura Djupvik
Picturebook, 60 pages
Published by Samlaget 2021
We are introduced to a girl and her father in a grief-stricken period of their lives, with each of them mourning in their own way. Dad disappears into himself, while the girl begins to dream about her departed brother. When the daughter eventually convinces her dad to join in with her make-believe, something big and unexpected happens.
Foreign rights
Republic of Korea: GreatBooks
USA: Archipelago Books
Foreign rights: Saga Literary Agency
Reviews
«A haunting English-language debut . . . Capturing the sense of closure and peace the brother’s visit gives the grieving family, this lingering work envisions a tender, deliberate farewell.»
Publishers Weekly
«Originally published in Norway, [My Brother] is a meditative musing on grief . . . scenes featuring heavy crosshatching and a washed-out palette give way to spreads full of color that fill the page, showing that life eventually goes on, even after loss. Djupvik’s straightforward text captures the emotions felt while one is deep in mourning . . . A sophisticated look at the process of grief.»
Kirkus Reviews
«In this macabre yet incredibly touching story, a father and daughter take healing steps in their grief for her older brother. While out on a fishing trip–a favorite activity–they reel him in and spend the next day with him before letting him go again. They find comfort in knowing that he still exists. This could be comforting for adults as well as children–I even wonder about shelving it in our adult grief section.»
Mary Wahlmeier Bracciano, Raven Book Store in Lawrence, KS
«I can attest that there are far too few good books about grief for children, and this one is a wonderful addition to that genre.»
Lyn Lauffer, former librarian at Sheldon Elementary School, Sheldon, Vermont
Norwegian reviews
«Bror min fører oss tilbake til den personlege, djupe opplevinga av eksistensens mysterium,
slik ein må rekna med at folk opplevde det før i tida. Dette attsynet er det Laura Djupvik sin tekst og Øyvind Torseter sine illustrasjonar formidlar til oss. Og det er useieleg vakkert.»
Hadle Oftedal Andersen, Klassekampen
«Det er et alvorlig tema Bror min tar for seg, og boka mer en lykkes med å behandle det,
uten dermed å bli alvorstynga. Den holder ser derimot i det leikne, med flust av plass til
barnets følelser og impulser. Både i tekst og bilde uttrykker boka uro, fortvilelse og
forventningsfull nysgjerrighet. Dessuten er den stillfarent vakker.»
Ulla Svalheim, Vårt Land