Awarded with the Gouden Penseel 2019!
Zilveren Penseel category Picture books 2019
Mijn wonderlijke oom
Illustrator and author: Yvonne Jagtenberg
The Jury Report:
« The unique thing about My wonderful uncle is that one hand that steered text and drawings. Both the style of drawing and the texts of Yvonne Jagtenberg are loose but accurate. Together they show in a convincing and sparkling way how liberating it is to do what you love to do, follow your own feeling, urge or imagination. That sounds like a 50s message that has been made completely topical again in the figure of Monsieur Hulot, the wonderful uncle.
The message is playful and implicit on the basis of everyday situations. Taking a walk with this wonderful uncle automatically becomes a tightrope walk on the curb. And a cop’s reprimand ends in a happy dance. As a child you will only have such a playful, inspiring uncle as a babysitter. The book is in every respect an ode to the power of the imagination. In addition to the loose lines that we know from earlier work, Yvonne used subtle areas of color in this book that become independent characters. For example, a building can get eyes that see everything and the glow of the table lamp changes into a safe dog bed.
The body language of the uncle and nephew he looks after refers in many ways to Jacques Tati’s silent films. And yet the book is more than a biopic. It is a plea for freedom, imagination and adventure. They make life richer than the fearful attitude of the parents. All these aspects together make My Wonderful Uncle a cheerful, challenging book that invites you to read and look at it several times. As timeless as the films on which it is based and therefore an encouragement to watch Tati’s films again. «
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