The Book about Selma

Ellen Karlsson & Eva Lindström

It’s summer and 7-year old Selma finally gets to be in the country with grandma and grandpa. There she doesn’t need to bother about not having a best friend in town. But the bird inside is pecking her and
reminding her constantly. However, during the summer she meets String, an eccentric girl who goes her own way. Selma doesn’t really know how to behave, not having had a friend before. She muddles along, coping with the insecurity of this new experience. And suddenly the bird doesn’t peck as much anymore… Soon it’s time for Selma to go home again and start second grade. Will it be better in the new class? She doesn’t know anybody. The bird has stopped pecking and she misses her friend String heaps. One day Selma notices Fabian, a boy in her class. He knows all about gemstones and he owns both a dog and a budgie! And he dares, like String, to be himself. But can Selma have two best friends…?

A subtle chapter book with both depth and humor, perfect for reading out loud. Ellen Karlsson depicts a 7-year old’s universe precisely, and Eva Lindström’s images are wonderfully humorous. The first book in the series about Selma was awarded the August Prize in 2013.