What Do the Animals Say?

Clara Dackenberg

Who knows what the frog, the blowfish, or the snail sound like? What do the forest mouse and the great big tiger say? And when the bumblebee sneezes, what noise echoes through the woods then? The right answer is trickier than you think! Because in Clara Dackenberg’s giggly bestiary you’ll find only surprising sounds. What Do the Animals Say? is a colorful, funny, and delightfully noisy picture book to read again and again!

Clara Dackenberg is a children’s illustrator and artist. She has been nominated for the August prize, the Elsa Beskow plaque as well as the Runeberg Junior, and was awarded the Ilon Wikland scholarship. She has created her previous picture books in collaboration with other authors. What Do the Animals Say? is her first own picture book, which is nominated for the August prize 2025.

“What sound does the frog make in Clara Dackenberg’s elegant flirtation with the medieval bestiary? Well, it’s certainly not ‘ribbit’! With page-turning as its engine, this interactive picture book invites readers into a thrilling, witty play of surprise, where drama and comedy hide within the visual details. A riot against facts and a delightful artistic experience, wrapped up in an irresistible package.” – The August Prize jury.

Books illustrated by Clara Dackenberg