LITTLE FOX

VOSJE (LITTLE FOX)
year:
2018

genre:

children's book, 80 p.

publisher:

Querido, Amsterdam

illustrator:
Marije Tolman
age:

6+
awards:
Silver Pencil 2019 (for the illustrations)
Silver Slate 2019 (for the text)
Nominatie Boekenleeuw 2019 (Belgium)
White Raven 2019
Kröte des Monats Februar 2020 (Austria)
Die Besten 7 von März 2020 (Germany)

Nomination Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis 2021 (Germany)
rights sold:
Russian (KompasGuide)
German (Gerstenberg)
French (Albin Michel)
Italian (Il Castoro)
English (USA) (Levine Querido)
Iran (Read My World)

Lithuanian (Nieko Rimto)
Macedonian (Chudna Suma)
Spanish (Argentina) (Adriana Hidalgo/Pípala)
Slovenian (Sanje)
Slovak (IKAR)

Turkish (MEAV)

Chinese (Mainland) (Jieli)

A fox, not more than a few months old, plays and plays in his natural surroundings - but when it jumps of a bunker it falls flat on the ground. From this unconscious state a dream begins. In this dream he relives his whole life - but oh, what is the little boy doing in the book? Is he on his way to save the little fox? 
This book is illuminated by the magical illustrations of Marije Tolman. She used mixed techniques to create a whole new world - in which Little Fox is carried and loved. Her work is a writer's dream.  

 A special on this book by the Dutch Literature Fund, aimed at possible translations, is to be found here.

THE DAYS OF BLUEGRASSLOVE

Cover of the third edition

DE DAGEN VAN DE BLUEGRASSLIEFDE (THE DAYS OF BLUEGRASSLOVE)
year:

1999

genre:

young adult novel, 148 p.

publisher:

Querido, Amsterdam

age:

15+
awards:
Gouden Zoen 2000 (Golden Kiss Award, best book for youth)
foreign editions:
German (Carlsen)
Latvian (Liels un Mazs)
English (USA, Levine Querido)

Cover of the second edition

My first young adult novel, and still in print! It's an intense lovestory - between Tycho (18) from Holland and Oliver (18) from Norway. They meet in a youth camp in the USA and fall in love. The book is all about experiencing your first life-changing love-affair (in this case: between two boys), and trying to find your way in this new reality.

Second German cover

- The Dutch Translation Fund made a special on this book - here.
- A proof translation in English is available.
- There were two German editions. First it was published under the title SPRING WENN DU DICH TRAUST, later it was re-issued as DIE TAGE DER BLUEGRASSLIEBE.
- In 2006 I wrote a folllow-up to this book, ONS DERDE LICHAAM (OUR THIRD BODY), and in 2015 a prequel was published, OLIVER.