Benjamin is neighbors with the world-famous saxophonist, Bobben. He’s promised to help Benjamin with his Hanukkah party. But then Bobben gets a bout of arthritis and is in a bad way, and it’s strictly forbidden to call on him. The book depicts how many Jewish children in Norway prepare for and celebrate Hanukkah.

The winner of the Brage Prize 2016, open class category: Nonfiction for children and young adults!

Parties and Celebrations consists of five books that show how a central religious festival from world religions Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism is celebrated by today’s families with young children.

The series won the Brage Prize 2016 in the open class category: nonfiction for children.

The jury’s reasoning for the awarding of the Brage Prize 2016:

Parties and Celebrations is a large and elaborate work that elevates the richness of cultural diversity. Describing major world religions with the biggest celebrations as an entry point is both prudent and practical when keeping in mind everyday life in kindergartens and schools. The five volumes are devoted to each religion, each with its own family and its own protagonist. The simple stories the facts are woven into are straightforward, but also contain moments of tension that are superbly adapted to the oldest kindergarteners and the youngest elementary schoolchildren. Illustrator Piotrowska expresses himself with warm colors, joyful strokes and compositions that allow the reader to constantly discover something new. The books appear aesthetically as beautiful cornucopias with a wealth of informative details. The series supports integration in practice, without it being forced upon the reader. This artistic and educational work emerges as a result of a particularly fruitful collaboration between writer and illustrator.