German / Germany
Manno! Alles genau so in echt passiert
(Aw, come on! It all happened just like that)
Kuhl, Anke
(text/illus.)
Leipzig: Klett Kinderbuch, 2020. – 128 p.
ISBN 978-3-95470-218-3
Siblings | Family | Grandparents | Childhood
Reading age: 10+
White Ravens issue: 2020
Anke Kuhl’s artistic style is just as unmistakable as her fondness for anecdotal writing and for the comical, yet distressing moments of life. In her autobiographical comic book “Manno!” she lets her readers share childhood memories that “all happened just like that”: Anke and her sister Eva fight over favourite underpants, hit each other with toilet brushes, and turn to “Openom” (Grandma and Grandpa) for love and security, when their parents are at each other’s throats. The TV shows mentioned and the rooms’ decor and furniture lend the book such an old-style West Germany feel that the kids of the 1970s and 80s (i.e. today’s parents) will feel like in a time machine. Yet at the same time, the goings-on between plush sofa and the TV shows of legendary hosts, such as the Dutch entertainer Rudi Carrell, are universal: After all, sibling rivalry and sibling love are ever-present. “Manno!” truly is a book for everyone! [IG]