Let’s Build a City

Henrik Wallnäs & Charlotte Ramel

On that fine edge between imagination and reality, we get to join two young children in their play. Together, they create a city in their joint imagination:

“Then we find an old man.”
“Who is a girl.”
But the imagination is fragile and built on cooperation:
“Look,” I say.
“No,” says Osman.

Osman breaks the fantasy by stomping on the city and the game is ruined:
I run after him.
Hit Osman.
Hard.
He begins to cry.
I’m crying too.
But no one wants to say sorry.

The children build a city but above all a friendship, learning the art of saying sorry and becoming friends again after a fight.

Wallnäs’ subtle short text combined with Ramel’s harmonious and enjoyable art creates a story with ear for the young child’s voice and world.

Henrik Wallnäs is a writer and librarian, who lives in Malmö. His debut picture book, Åka buss (The Bus Ride), was an August Prize nominee in 2016. Charlotte Ramel is one of Sweden’s most beloved illustrators. She has worked together with Ulf Stark and Barbro Lindgren, among others

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