Children's Books · Hardback

THE WORLD’S CUTEST TOURIST

Norwegian title: Verdas søtaste turist

Rune Belsvik

Times are good in Bløygen. A bus full of tourists have shopped and stayed at the hotel, and the council and people of Bløygen have bought a new lamppost, escalator and more Christmas decorations. But after a while everything’s back to normal and the mayor, Rosina Myrl, wonders how they might attract more tourists.

Bidger and Esmiluni live in Bløygen and love one another. But Bidger dreams of something more. He dreams of being a father. He goes to the Bin Tramp at Trouble Kiosk for advice. But no one knows where children come from. There are only 13 people in Bløygen and that’s all there’s been for a long time. The Bin Tramp finds a book with explanations and instructions for making children. Bidger and Esmiluni try and really enjoy it. They try again and again just in case a child doesn’t come.

Rosina Myrl is enthusiastic at first – now they can make their own tourists! But she thinks the method is disgusting and is quite unwilling to try it.

This is the third story from Bløygen. Rune Belsvik writes about something important and quintessentially human in a direct and concrete way. All children are interested in where they came from, and this book explains it in a way which is both beautiful and funny. Rune Belsvik uses poetic and vivid language and it is a great pleasure to read his books.

‘This book provides the cutest sexual education imaginable. An adult reader will be heartily amused, a child will learn about things that it might be useful for them to know, and a young adult will maybe be slightly embarrassed, but enjoy it nonetheless. ... 6 out 6FÆDRELANDSVENNEN‘Belsvik serves up the absurd cleverly combined with everyday situations in which we recognise ourselves. [...] Even very young children spend a lot of time thinking about and trying to understand what in the world is needed to make a baby, where they come from and what parents have to do to make it possible. In this book, we follow the entire process in a somewhat absurd yet also altogether serious manner.’DAGBLADET

The press about the first books from Bløygen:‘The strength of Belsvik’s text lies first and foremost in all the meetings and conversations between the inhabitants of Bløygen.’BARNEBOKKRITIKK.NO 'The author plays with both the language and, not least, the reader.'FÆDRELANDSVENNEN