Hekla and Laki: A Picture Book

by Marine Schneider

Overview

A comforting, poetic picture book about the beauty and brutality of life and death, inspired by two Icelandic volcanoes, from award-winning creator Marine Schneider

“Achingly beautiful . . . These are dreams drawn from the subconscious, realized by gifted artists, suitable for study by children awake to the surreal and the sublime.” —Dave Eggers, New York Times Book Review

Carried in by a strong wind, a tiny creature named Hekla twirls delicately into a crater, falling at the feet—and, very suddenly, into the life—of an old giant named Laki. Each is vastly different from the other: Laki is a solitary being, preferring order and calmness, while Hekla is young, spirited, and messy. But in their newfound state of coexistence, they learn to live together and help each other grow, forging an attachment that binds them in life—and in death. Inspired by two Icelandic volcanoes, Hekla and Laki is a masterstroke of text and image about the beauty and the brutality of life, the passing of knowledge over time, and the sense of optimism that emerges in death.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781990252310
Publisher:	Milky Way Picture Books
Publication date:	09/17/2024
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	420,415
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 12.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Marine Schneider is a Belgian author and illustrator, who decided, at age five, that she would grow up to make children’s books. After studying illustration in Ghent and traveling the world, she began her career by illustrating three books for children’s author Elisabeth Helland Larsen. Schneider’s most recent work, Hekla et Laki, was awarded the 2022 Pepite d’or—one of France’s top honors for children’s literature—at the Montreuil Children’s Book Fair. She lives and works in Brussels.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/19/2024

This strangely moving, legend-like story told in two parts starts with Laki, a very old, blue, hulking creature, whose world is upended when small, child-like, orange Hekla falls into his life “just like the samara of a sycamore tree.” Hekla brings both chaos and meaning to Laki’s existence. Laki sits, head in hand, as Hekla scales a bookcase, knocking things off the shelves. Yet Laki cares deeply about Hekla, and most of all about keeping the tiny creature away from the lake outside: “Not the lake, Hekla,” Laki repeats. When Hekla no longer needs a caretaker, and Laki’s life comes to an end—an event whose mythological dimensions soften the blow—Hekla’s landscape experiences profound changes. Via dynamic, ambitious painting and writing, Schneider doesn’t just create a myth but also imagines geological-level shifts with crystalline intensity. Ages 6–9. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Inspired by two Icelandic volcanoes – one old and inactive, the other young and erupting – Hekla & Laki tells a tale of the beauty and brutality of life, providing young readers with a comforting and vividly engaging story that looks at life and death through the eyes of friendship, acceptance, and ultimately hope. . . Poetry and powerful symbolism across every page."

Montreal Review of Books

“Achingly beautiful . . . These are dreams drawn from the subconscious, realized by gifted artists, suitable for study by children awake to the surreal and the sublime.”

Dave Eggers

"Schneider’s refined, atmospheric illustrations present the beauty, power,
and magnificence of Icelandic landscapes in striking wordless spreads . . .Originally published in French, this nuanced translation is full of warmth.”

Booklist

"A visually compelling and emotionally gratifying glimpse at learning how to hold on and let go."—Kirkus, starred review

"Schneider’s refined, atmospheric illustrations present the beauty, power,
and magnificence of Icelandic landscapes in striking wordless spreads . . .Originally published in French, this nuanced translation is full of warmth.”
—Booklist

“Achingly beautiful . . . These are dreams drawn from the subconscious, realized by gifted artists, suitable for study by children awake to the surreal and the sublime.”

—Dave Eggers, New York Times Book Review

"Via dynamic, ambitious painting and writing, Schneider doesn’t just create a myth but also imagines geological-level shifts with crystalline intensity."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Belgian author Schneider weaves a tale of unexpected love, loss, and renewal . . . a narrative that is both somber and hopeful, depicting a world that is simultaneously merciless and marvelous.”
—School Library Journal

"Inspired by two Icelandic volcanoes – one old and inactive, the other young and erupting – Hekla Laki tells a tale of the beauty and brutality of life, providing young readers with a comforting and vividly engaging story that looks at life and death through the eyes of friendship, acceptance, and ultimately hope. . . Poetry and powerful symbolism across every page."—Montreal Review of Books

From the Publisher

07/01/2024

Gr 2–4—Drawing inspiration from two of Iceland's most destructive volcanoes, Belgian author Schneider weaves a tale of unexpected love, loss, and renewal. Hekla, a tiny creature who is "constantly causing small catastrophes," is found and nurtured by Laki, a gentle, old giant who grows to love Hekla despite the disruption to his "precious routine." The pair are each other's only companions through the cycle of many seasons, with Hekla playing outside and exploring the changing landscape while Laki watches patiently through the window of their home. Eventually Laki dies, leaving Hekla to navigate the ever-changing world on his own. Schneider's prose is simple and poetic, accompanied by vivid illustrations that combine paint, ink, and pastels to show the blend of beauty and brutality in nature. Hekla, depicted in glowing shades of orange, is named for an active stratovolcano. The much older volcano Laki, once destructive but now dormant, is embodied in cool blues and purples. After Laki's death, Hekla discovers a new landscape that unites the warm and cool hues, and eventually finds creatures like himself beyond the rim of the crater where he has always lived. Hekla and Laki portrays the endless flow of creation and destruction with the feel of a classic folktale. It is an exploration of juxtapositions, with a narrative that is both somber and hopeful, depicting a world that is simultaneously merciless and marvelous. VERDICT An innovative and beautifully illustrated story that will inspire rich discussions over multiple readings.—Amy Reimann

School Library Journal

★ 2024-05-31
An old giant and a young newcomer forge an unlikely bond at the edge of a crater.

Belgian author/illustrator Schneider has named her characters after volcanoes in the south of Iceland. Laki is a blue, bearded, monolithic figure accustomed to a solitary life. The rambunctious Hekla tumbles into his life in a swirl of yellow and orange—as if from lava. The small, silent, orange child likes to collect rocks, replace broken household items with flowers, and explore. In Part One, the seasons pass pleasantly; Laki builds his diminutive friend a bed and keeps him safe. The ice covering the lake in the crater melts each spring, and Laki is especially concerned about keeping curious Hekla away from it. Their growing, tender connection plays out in myriad ways against dramatic skies filled with warm oranges and cool blues and the dark volcano walls contrasting with the irresistible, pale lake. When Hekla comes home wet and smiling after a dip in the lake, Laki seems to sense that the youngster has matured; that night, Laki dies. Schneider’s gentle, beautifully written text, translated from French, expresses feelings in childlike terms, neither overwhelming nor sentimental: “Now that Laki was gone, the world didn’t seem as interesting.” Part Two finds Hekla taking stock, uttering his first words, and discovering an island. His fear in the face of calamitous weather gives way to bravery and, ultimately, excitement at being alive.

A visually compelling and emotionally gratifying glimpse at learning how to hold on and let go. (author’s note)(Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews