Lena and the secret of the blue deer
Lena and the secret of the blue deer (Dutch original title: Dertien rennende hertjes ) is a children's book by the Dutch author Edward van de Vendel . The German translation was published by Gerstenberg Verlag in 2014 . The book was illustrated by the Dutch illustrator Mattias De Leeuw. Lena and the Secret of the Blue Deer is nominated for the German Youth Literature Award 2015 in the children's book category.
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Lena is actually sitting at the kitchen table with her mother, as she often does. But when her mother is briefly occupied, something extraordinary happens - 13 blue mini deers jump out of a blue vase and declare Lena to be their master before they disappear again into a picture in her room.
She is now a master, but she is not allowed to tell anyone about it, not even her mother, otherwise they won't come back, her brother Raff explains. He himself had visited an animal, but told his father about it, whereupon his animal never did more has surfaced.
The existence of her blue mini deer gives Lena strength and self-confidence in her everyday life from now on. It is as if a little sun shines inside you, which also shines when it is sad, unlucky or being teased.
When the mother tells Lena and her brother Raff about their pregnancy and wants to surprise them with the fact that they have a little sibling, Raff breaks out again. But this time he shows his own animal, which he thought he would never to see it again: a black lion. At the same time, Lena's deer reappear and are attacked by Raff's angry lions. However, Raff succeeds in calming his lion and turning it into a calm kitten and thus saving Lena's deer.
The story not only describes the development process of Lena and Raff, it is also about the sibling relationship between the two. At first this relationship is strained mainly due to Raff's quick temper, but the animals, Lena's 13 blue deer and Raff's black lion, bring the two closer together. Raff manages to control his anger and they both share a common secret.
Book presentations
In September 2015, Edward van de Vendel presented the book at the children's and youth program at the 15th Berlin International Literature Festival .
literature
- 2014 Lena and the secret of the blue deer by Edward van de Vendel , from the Dutch by Rolf Erdorf , Gerstenberg Verlag , ISBN 978-3-8369-5767-0