Oskar Loves
By Britta Teckentrup
Prestel, 2016
Before I Wake Up
By Britta Teckentrup
Prestel, 2016
Britta Teckentrup, a popular German
author-illustrator, has published two beautiful picture books, “Oscar Loves”
and “Before I Wake Up.”
“Oskar Loves” tells the reader
all the things that a happy, little black bird named Oskar loves. It begins, “This
is Oskar./Oskar loves the deep blue ocean.../...and the soft green grass.”
The story continues with what
Oskar loves about spring and autumn, cherries and pebbles, and other things in
nature, but includes books and pictures.
The illustrations are simple but
colorful, and attractive. Oskar himself is expressive though he is made up of
only a few geometric shapes.
The story ends by inviting the
reader to consider, “What do you love?” This would be fun for the reader and a
parent or teacher.
“Before I Wake Up” is the imaginative
story of the girl narrator’s dreams. The rhyming text and detailed dark
pictures take the reader on a journey with the girl and her stuffed lion friend
who has become a real lion.
Together the girl and her lion fly
on a bed that is being lifted like a hot air balloon by the moon. They fly over
the seas and through storms, but she isn’t afraid because her lion protects
her.
The girl swims with whales, rides
on her lion’s back through a wood, and meets friendly wild creatures. She plays
with her lion and feels brave with him near.
Finally, when night fades, the
girl and her lion run out of the wood to a light meadow. The girl tells her lion
friend goodbye and gets back on the hot air balloon bed to return home.
The illustrations are the
strongest part of this story. They are beautiful and dreamlike, and full of
small details to find.
The words sometimes sound a bit
forced to make the rhymes. “In the blue meadow, I’m joined by my friend./We
travel together in our world without end.” Or the rhymes are only near rhymes,
such as “Together we fly/with arms stretched out wide/over the seas/and leave
our worries behind.”
Once the A-B-C-B rhyme scheme is
broken with an A-B-C-C pattern, “We feel the wind./We hear the sea./We sing our
song./Together we’re strong.”
Nevertheless, I recommend the
book for its beautiful, dreamlike pictures. Youngsters would enjoy following
the characters through their adventure. It may also help them not to be afraid
of their dreams.
About the Author/Illustrator
Britta Teckentrup is the author and illustrator of many
beloved books for children, including The Memory Tree, The Odd One Out, and Grumpy Cat. Her artwork has been displayed in galleries
around the world. She lives and works in Berlin, Germany, with her husband and
young son.
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