German / Germany
Der Knäckebrotkrach. Bei Oma und Opa fliegen die Fetzen
(The crispbread fight. Sparks fly at Grandma and Grandpa’s)
Konrad, Bob
(text)
Kohl, Daniela
(illus.)
Würzburg: Arena, 2019. – 93 p.
ISBN 978-3-401-60307-0
Fight | Trifle | Escalation | Reconciliation
Reading age: 8+
White Ravens issue: 2019
The question whether to butter the smooth or the rough side of crispbread has Grandma and Grandpa start bickering and arguing. Sparks are flying – not only at the kitchen table. Soon the molehill becomes a mountain and the whole village is divided. Whereas the men side with Grandpa, the women support Grandma. Everyone comes up with increasingly absurd plans to score against the other side. No-one seems to notice that the matter is getting completely out of hand, except for the granddaughter and storyteller, who wonders: This can’t be true, can it? Bob Konrad and Daniela Kohl show how a mere trifle can grow into a huge conflict. Written as a graphic novel, the story imbues an all-time favourite topic with a casualness and new momentum, while clearly shouting out: Come on, people, snap out of it!