A story about children’s expeditions, the quest for independence, and encounters with nature.

Children’s and Young Adult

In this book, written and illustrated by Lucie Lučanská, a night spent in a tent in the garden is transformed into a pilgrimage of many days to a new, unknown country, where two siblings decide to pitch their tent before taking cover from the wind. As darkness falls, the world changes and brings various challenges, fears and misgivings: is that a hedgehog rustling outside, or are the “skeletons and witches who eat children” sharpening their teeth at the unfortunate twosome? The subtly poetic narrative, which won the 2023 Serpa International Award for Picture Books, lays bare the joys and sorrows of wild sleeping. Appropriate visual creativity and a font that resembles a child’s handwriting bolster the child’s perspective. Panoramic shots of the landscape at various points during the night and coming morning are composed of attractively colourful but indistinct scenes, plus brief moments and observations that will surely remind many parents of their own adventures in nature.

Age 7+