Christmas is coming and Stella is looking forward to it like crazy—just like she always does. But then things start getting complicated. Her mom gets a bizarre offer from abroad and just like that, completely disappears. Then Stella agrees to sing in the Christmas pageant at school, even though she’s never done something like that before. And then everyone around her suddenly gets a crush on someone—even Stella’s brother Palli and Skinny Hanni the cheapskate. Which leads Stella wonder whether someone could get a crush on a perfectly average girl in a wheelchair who happens to have the weirdest family on the planet?
The Stella‘s Bonkers Family Series has earned its place among Iceland‘s most popular children’s books. Each of the books has won Iceland’s Children’s Choice Book Award and the first, My Bonkers Mum!, also won the Icelandic Literary Prize for Children and Young People’s Books. The book was adapted into a popular stage play, and the audience — just like the other Stella fans around Iceland — cheered for more. And now they have yet another story!
- Children‘s Choice Book Prize 2016
„This is a highly amusing children´s and teenager´s book and no less brilliant than it´s predecessor, My Bonkers Mum. That book got the Icelandic Literary Award for best Children´s Book. Professor Dad is not only funny and entertaining but in it is hidden a beautiful message. The Author has this X-factor, the spark that is needed to entertain the reader. One laughs out loud, tears up a bit and has a wonderful time throughout.“
Vikan, weekly magazine
“Professor Dad is the coming-of-age story of Stella, who is actually not a child anymore but rather a teenager who wants to have a boyfriend and wants to be different, but still to fit in. The story is also one of family, where communication and relationships influence people and where it matters how people treat each other. Relationships and communication within the family are very convincing and situations and the things that happen are very familiar in many ways. Stella, as a character is extremely well shaped, she is contradictory like most people are and her emotions swing from joy to surrender according to what´s happening to her. Stella needs to reevaluate her self-image and confront herself as well as new friends in Junior High before she can reach a decision about who she is and who she wants to be.
The tone is light and the text full of humour and joie de vivre. Entertaining reading that encourages reflection on the lives of others by emphasizing the familiar, and showing it in a new light.”
bokmenntir.is
„* * * * * (four stars of five possible)
Children´s book of the year 2016!“
Morgunbladid daily
„One of the things that make Helgason´s books so good and refreshing is the fact that he seems to care first and foremost about the readers, if they are going to enjoy the books. He puts humor in the front but manages to cover different groups of people in society with sensetivity. It is uplifting to see books such as his become a regular part of the children´s book flora. Without a doubt there are many fans waiting anxiously for Professor Dad and I wish those lucky readers happy fits of laughter and a merry book-Christmas.“
Vidsja, National Radio
