LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Children of all ages should be introduced to Farmer Pettson and his talking cat, the irrepressible Findus. They’ve been favourites with readers in Europe for decades and it’s great to see this new edition which comes with the endorsement of Philip Pullman. Pettson is having one of those days and doesn’t want to do anything other than sit glumly and feel sorry for himself. Findus is cheerier than ever and determined to lift Pettson’s spirits. He knows a fishing trip will do it and devises an ingenious plan to get Pettson down to the lake. The relationship between the two – familiarity, exasperation, tenderness – is beautifully portrayed and the illustrations are full of charm. With a longer text than most picture books, this is a satisfying story for bedtime, or anytime and is the 9th in the series. ~ Andrea Reece
You might also like the charming story of Findus Goes Camping.
Nathan Large, translator of the Findus books, says: "Illustrator Sven Nordqvist and his odd creations Pettson and Findus are household names in their native Sweden and beyond. Over the past two decades their books have been translated into 29 languages and read by millions (It can take a while for us English-speakers to catch up with what the rest of the world is reading). Cranky old Pettson and his stripey-trousered cat have developed a cult following among both children and adults, and when you meet them you’ll understand why."
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Findus Goes Fishing Synopsis
‘I’m in a bad mood and I want to be left alone.’ says Pettson. Findus the cat stares at him. He’s never seen the old farmer so grumpy. I must cheer him up, he thinks. Somehow. ‘Can’t we go fishing?’ he says. ‘Then you’ll feel better.’ But Pettson doesn’t want to go fishing. It’s cold and wet and he must dig over the potato patch and chop wood. But Findus knows how to make Pettson smile. Maybe he can get him to play instead of toiling in the soil. After all, Findus is a very unusual cat…
This book is based on real experience and is one of Sven’s favourites. "It came about when Jesper, our oldest son, was small. I was always at home so we grew close. He was always around." The event that the book is partly based on occurred on a day when Sven was building a veranda. "Jesper wanted to play and kept suggesting different things to do. But I just got annoyed – not quite as mad as Pettson in the book, but still." He finally relented. Sven put his son on the back of his bike and cycled down to the lake to swim. "It was one of those beautiful late summer evenings and suddenly my irritation was just gone. I remember it so clearly."
(Source: interview with Hanna Johansson, Hallandsposten 22-03-2008)
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Press Reviews
Sven Nordqvist Press Reviews
‘The stories are ingenious, the characters are quirky and original, and illustrations are absolutely delightful... I can’t recommend them highly enough!’ Philip Pullman, author
Author
About Sven Nordqvist
Sven Nordqvist started out as an architect and worked as an advertising artist for a while. It was in 1983, when he won a competition of best picture book at OPAL, that he started as an illustrator and author. His competition contribution was the book Agaton Öman och alfabetet, which has become a huge success in Sweden and is still popular 27 years later. As the story is about the alphabet it is very hard to translate it into other languages than the Nordic ones. A year later Sven Nordqvist wrote and illustrated his first book about an old man, Pettson, and his cat Findus, and this reknowned independent series of 8 books has been translated into around 40 languages.
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