Catharina Valckx – illustratör

A springtime fresh picture book about a good day out with friends—climbing mountains, swimming and singing—and the difference between storytelling and lies.Lisette and her friend Bobbi the lizard have never told a lie. But they are eager to try—it might be fun! They tell Popof they are going for a trip to the mountains. When Popof decides to come too, they realize they’ll have to make the mountain. A liar needs to improvise.In this funny story about imaginative play with friends, Lisette’s creativity and quick thinking make for a wonderful day out. Gently exploring the differences between storytelling and little white lies and the importance of good intentions, this picture book is ideal to read aloud with preschoolers. With illustrations that convey a range of mood and emotion, the animal friends are brimming with personality and childlike playfulness."... delightfully droll. Her characters may have feathers, a tail and a trunk, but they sound and act like children we know."—The New York TimesCatharina Valckx was born in the Netherlands and grew up in France with four sisters. She traveled back and forth between the two countries before settling down in Amsterdam. She started writing books for children after the birth of her son. Her books are like guides for a happy life."Valckx has a writing style that seems to revel in obliqueness and gentle surrealism."—Financial TimesOther books from Catharina Valckx:Lisette’s Green SockZanzibarBruno Praise for Lisette’s Green Sock"... delightfully droll. Her characters may have feathers, a tail and a trunk, but they sound and act like children we know…There is a fable-like quality to the story — though, unlike Aesop, Valckx turns the moral on its head."—The New York TimesPraise for Lisette’s Green Sock"Utterly simple and springtime fresh, this French import tells of a charming little bird whose fashion sense, like that of many young children, is decidedly unconventional. Valckx conveys an impressive range of mood and action through spare, swooping brushstrokes, and pale tones of lemon, mint, and sky blue allow the kelly green of the sock to draw the eye instantly. A hilarious postscript to the story's main action will give children a laugh for the road."—Booklist, starred review"Valckx's droll caricatures, executed in watercolor, are brimming with personality. Adept at understatement, the illustrator uses spare backgrounds and strong outlines to convey a mood in a minimum of strokes: dejected shoulders, a wilted flower, a coquettish kerchief on Mama speak volumes."—School Library Journal, starred review"Even in this seemingly simple story, Valckx imbues Lisette’s discovery of the green sock with greater meaning: why should we conform to traditional ideas of how things are meant to be when we can find joy in ways we never imagined."—INIS Magazine