Black

A published poet, with several books to his name, Håkon Øvreås made his debut into the world of youth literature in 2013 with Brown. The first book in middle grade series My Alter Ego Is a Superhero, Brown received the Norwegian Ministry of Culture's Literature Prize for Best Children's and Young Adult Book in 2013, the Dutch Silver Pencil in 2015, and the 2020 ALA Batchelder Award. Øyvind Torseter is a Norwegian artist and illustrator. He’s received numerous awards for his books, including a Bologna Ragazzi Award and the Norwegian Book Art Prize. In 2014, Øyvind was a finalist for the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. His books have been translated into several languages, with seven already published by Enchanted Lion. He lives and works in Oslo. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Kari Dickson grew up bilingually, as her mother is Norwegian and her grandparents could not speak English. She holds a B.A. in Scandinavian studies and an M.A. in translation. She is the translator of several books from Norwegian with Enchanted Lion, including Batchelder Award winner Brown and Batchelder Honor books My Father’s Arms Are a Boat and The Most Beautiful Story.

“Øvreås follows up his Batchelder Award–winning Brown (2019), originally published in Norway, with a similarly poker-faced middle volume. Hearing a standoffish new girl snippily claim that her mom is famous in America, Jack dons his homemade superhero costume and as ‘Black’ makes a like bid for glory by pilfering the mayor’s prize chicken—with the intent of returning it publicly and basking in the acclaim. But when he goes back to the shed where he’d stashed the purloined pullet, all he finds are feathers. Time to enlist his friends Rusty (‘Brown’) and Lou (‘Blue’) for detective work and a rescue! The spare narrative leaves much to pick up between the lines, and for readers who don’t quickly twig to the fact that Jack’s not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, Torseter supplies hair-fine line drawings on nearly every page of a round-headed lad skulking about looking generally befuddled or guilty. In the end Jack does bring the hen back to her owner but, unsurprisingly, gets neither credit nor a picture in the local press. No matter: A store owner’s comment that fame is less important than money leads to an instant readjustment of priorities. In the unfilled line drawings, Jack’s indulgent mother uses a wheelchair. More proof that Wimpy Kid–style hijinks are just as droll in translation.” —Kirkus Reviews“Jack’s story is quirky, well-paced and fun, and the deadpan humour and seemingly unfinished illustrations will have you in stitches (we were laughing so hard at one point that we were crying). A perfect chapter book for emerging and reluctant readers.” —Maureen Tai, Stories that Stay with Us