Can You Whistle, Johanna
(Hardback)
Available Formats
Publishing Details
Can You Whistle, Johanna
By (Author) Ulf Stark
Illustrated by Anna Hglund
Gecko Press
Gecko Press
1st February 2021
New Zealand
Classifications
Children
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Death and grief
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Families and family members
Educational: First / native language: Readers and reading schemes
839
Winner of Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German Youth Literature Prize) 1994 (Germany)
Physical Properties
Hardback
80
Width 151mm, Height 210mm
Description
Why doesnt Berra have a grandfather And how can he get one
There are plenty of old men at the retirement home, Ulf suggests.
They go there together to find oneideally one who eats pigs trotters, invites you to tea and can teach you to whistle.
Can You Whistle, Johanna is an international award-winner and classic in many countries by one of the world's great writers.
Best Middle-Grade Fiction 2021, Kirkus.
Reviews
"Together, the words and illustrations... tell a story that is sad and happy at the same time. Its a story that makes sense to everyone who ever had - or wanted - a grandfather."
-- The School Magazine (NSW)"This is an extraordinarily tender, beautiful story of friendship and loss. Stark combines searing poignancy with joyous humour and the most lyrical phrases to produce a quirky, endearing story that deeply touches the heart"
-- The Sunday Tasmanian (AU)"This story touches the heart. It manages to be charming, warm, funny, poignant and sad all at once and its told in such a way that a grandparent can reminisce and a young person can understand about friendship and loss not just through their own eyes but through the perspective of a much older person."
-- PETAStarred review. A sweet, tender, never maudlin evocation of an intergenerational friendship.
-- Kirkus Reviews5+ One of those rare perfect ones.
-- Youth Services Book ReviewCan You Whistle, Johanna... is a heartwarming and emotional tale of human connection, and its importance at any age.
-- NetGalley ReviewerA book that demands to be shared and enjoyed.
-- IBBY UKAuthor Bio
Ulf Stark (19442017) is one of the world's great writers. Author of over 30 books for children and young adults, he has won many prizes, including the German Youth Literature Prize and the Astrid Lindgren Prize. He was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2018.
Anna Hglund is a Swedish illustrator and author. Her work has been recognized with Swedish and international awards. She has worked with many well-known authors including Barbro Lindgren and Ulf Stark.
