Dutch / Netherlands
Hoe Tortot zijn vissenhart verloor
(How Tortot lost his fish’s heart)
Lindelauf, Benny
(text)
Volbeda, Ludwig
(illus.)
Amsterdam: Querido, [2016]. – 234 p.
ISBN 978-90-451-1836-9
War | Army | Loyalty | Dilemma | Cook
Reading age: 12+
White Ravens issue: 2017
In this densely illustrated novel, Benny Lindelauf describes a pointless war of the kind that could have taken place not all that long ago, not all that far away. Tortot is a marvellous cook who always manages to make delicious meals for the soldiers, despite having fewer and fewer ingredients. It is thanks to him that the men can keep on fighting the war. His life depends on his creativity because if he does not succeed, he runs the risk of ending up before the firing squad. There is only one way out: when the going gets too tough, he swaps sides and joins the other army. Ludwig Volbeda, known for his work aimed at adults, brings to life this timeless parable about the absurdity of war and the dilemmas one can become trapped in. His drawings are packed with cannons and swords, emperors and castles, all of which tell their own fascinating stories. Even without reading the words, this is a book that readers can spend hours leafing through. In both the text and illustrations, grimness and gravity are masterfully offset by humour.