The Excursion

Anders Holmer

”Are we there now?”
”We are HERE but we haven’t made it all the way THERE yet.”
“So we’re still on an excursion?”
“Yes.”

In Anders Holmer’s new picture book, two children stroll through mysterious imaginative landscapes. One of them is a know-it-all, whereas the other one is more uncertain of what is going on. They try on different identities and take on different shapes when they decide to go on an excursion, something they’re unsure of what it is and how it works.

A tribute to children’s ability to create hopeful playfulness and make the world apprehensible. We try to make sense of our lives, but sometimes we have to accept that we cannot make sense of everything, and that’s okay. Maybe we won’t be wiser, but we’ll have fun along the way.

Awards

Winner of Snöbollen – best picture book of the year 2024

What is an excursion? In Anders Holmer’s picture book, the concept is explored through the play initiated by the children’s questions and answers in the dialogical text. The hand-written text in brown and green is integrated into the powerful illustrations, expressing fascination with nature, both real and fictional. With humor and empathy, Holmer portrays both the necessary elements of an excursion and its suspenseful uncertainty. This in turn raises broader questions: Is life an excursion? Are we there yet? No. “So it’s still an excursion? Yes.” – The jury’s praise

Books by Anders Holmer