German / Germany
Als der Elsternkönig sein Weiß verlor
(When the magpie king lost his white)
Stavarič, Michael
(text)
Wolfsgruber, Linda
(illus.)
Mannheim: Kunstanstifter, 2017. – [36] p.
ISBN 978-3-942795-47-0
Reading age: 6+
White Ravens issue: 2018
When the king of the magpies wakes up one day, he’s shocked by what he sees in the mirror: his white feathers have disappeared, leaving him totally black! What happened? He becomes angry and senses a conspiracy. But the other magpies are also rattled: Is this really their king? He looks like a good-for-nothing crow! No one dares to express these doubts out loud. This makes the rumour mill churn all the quicker, which in turn makes the king even angrier: “Why do people care so much about external appearances, if he remains the same person now as ever?” Michael Stavarič’s story is about a fundamental crisis of identity, mistrust, being cast out, and the power of language. Instead of helpful, honest words, muddled gossip poisons communal life. Linda Wolfsgruber’s illustrations portray the inner and outer turmoil. Her black brush strokes and red accents are powerfully composed yet also airy and delicate.