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A testament to the power of the imagination and the saving power of storytelling.
About the author
Brynjulf Jung Tjønn (b. 1980) made his
literary debut with the novel I Came to Love (Eg kom for å elske) in 2002. He has since
published a number of books for both children and adults. His young adult
novel You Are So Beautiful
(Så vakker du er) won
the Brage Prize for children's and young adult literature in 2013.
Øyvind Torseter is a Norwegian artist and illustrator
who has created eight books on his own and several with other authors. He’s
received numerous awards for his books, including a Bologna Ragazzi Award and
the Norwegian Book Art Prize. In 2014, Øyvind was a finalist for the
prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. This is his sixth book to be
published by Enchanted Lion.
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Kari Dickson grew up bilingually,
as her mother is Norwegian and her grandparents could not speak English. She
holds a B.A. in Scandinavian studies and an M.A. in translation.
Summary
This 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Honor book is a testament to the power of the imagination and the saving power of storytelling.
While the rest of the world is sleeping, Vera is out running, flying to the lake at the top of the hill. She needs to meet her little brother again, and so, she turns to Syl. Syl, the magical creature who rises from the lake. Syl, who helps reframe grief and pain into healing and acceptance. Syl, who tells the story Vera most wants to hear: the story that brings Vera's brother back to life.
The Most Beautiful Story, both sad and hopeful, is a stunning testament to the saving power of stories. Together, Tjønn and Torseter have created a quiet, introspective book about longing, loss, and a love that transcends both.
Additional text
“This Norwegian exposition on death and loss almost defies description. It is mesmeric and obtuse, alarming and atmospheric, and ultimately peaceful and unresolved—much like death and loss themselves. A child mourning her younger brother ventures into a wood with her brother’s spirit in tow, passing creatures familiar and menacing, to arrive in the presence of a lake-bound lady who recounts their story. The scratchy black-and-white figures move through dark, densely colored landscapes full of inexplicable detail on a propulsive quest for something, a hurried passage through the hardest part of their story, to come out the other side. Torseter’s imagery defines their journey, indelibly imprinting on the reader myriad confounding and consuming emotions, in tension with one another. We are left with many questions, but beneath them a definite sense of it’s-going-to-be-okay. This is what art is for.” —Calling Caldecott (a Horn Book blog)
“Thought-provoking narrative entwined with emotive illustrations create an enchanting story that can be appreciated by children of all ages.” —Dr. Marie A. Lejeune, 2022 Batchelder Chair
"Poetic and dreamlike, rushing, soaring, beautiful and sharp." —www.barnebokkritikk.no (Children's Book Criticism)
—Dagbladet (Daily Magazine)
