New South Books
Per Gustavsson, translated by Eva Apelqvist
9781778402203/1 October 2026/AUD$34.99, NZD$39.99
I’m not going to pretend. It’s quite unusual and you can definitely discern that Scandinavian-type vibe to it – a little bit understated, a little bit dark, a little bit odd, a little bit fable and a little bit philosophical. All of the above.
A boy lives with his father on an island. They are completely alone but happy with playing soccer and fishing as well as the father giving sage advice like avoid the sea because of sharks and the woods because of bears. This is no action-packed adventure story but a slow and thoughtful exploration of life, death, growing up, facing fears and, ultimately, new beginnings.
It’s unclear why the father ages and the boy doesn’t but he does and eventually he becomes a tree, right in the middle of the kitchen. A huge flood takes the tree out into the currents and the sea and the boy with it. Falling asleep drifting on the water, the boy wakes up to find a bear on board. Worried about being gobbled up, he’s quite surprised to find the bear is docile. Then they both end up in the water and the bear can’t swim so the boy tries to rescue him – but alas! the bear is too heavy and they both sink. But miraculously they are both saved by a shark! and end up back on land where the trees are just like those the boy grew up with. So he builds a house and invites the bear to share it.
Yes, it’s odd but it’s not unlikeable though it’s not really for your Smalls. This is more the sort of book that you would chew over with older children, digging deep into some possible theories on what the author is trying to convey and one of those books that a reader could return to time and again to consider more fully. I’m giving it a 4 👦🏼🌳🐻🦈 for kiddos probably around Year 3 up – I would certainly not hesitate to use it as a provocation with secondary students as well.
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