A book for curious nature-loving children of all ages!
The Icelandic Literary Prize 2024, in the category of children’s books
The Icelandic Booksellers‘ Prize for Best Children‘s Book of 2024
Nominated for the Icelandic Women’s Literature Prize 2024, in the category of children’s books
The Children’s Book of the Year 2024, selected by Morgunbladid Daily
Our garden is a very ordinary garden. We know it better than the back of our hands! Or so we thought … until we stumbled upon it. The dent.
When Fern and Robin stumble upon a peculiar dent in the middle of their garden, everything changes. Weevils and millipedes, a mysterious ghost child, an unpredictable statue of a selkie and unhelpful neighbors are just a few of the wonders that surface as the friends take to their shovels.
The dent turns out to be a pond. The newfound pond brings life and joy, but when chaos shows up, things get heated. As the line between curiosity and control starts to blur, the urge for order and dominance puts their friendship to a test. And their lives …
The Pond is a profound and magical tale of curiosity and courage, of order and disorder, but most of all, about the relationships we have with our own species and all the others we share our environment with.
“The Pond is a multi-layered story about a magical world within the everyday lives of children who discover a dried-up pond in their garden, which then comes to life. The book is suitable for children of all ages as well as adults, and is an endless source of conversation and new discoveries, just like the pond itself. A wide range of topics are explored, such as friendship, ownership, governance, collaboration, and even resource utilization, all within the framework of adventure and play. The imagination leads the way in vibrant imagery, and these work well together with the text. Additionally, Rán’s unique visual world greatly enhances the story. The Pond is a beautiful and enjoyable work that readers can immerse themselves in, with the story deepening with every read.”
REVIEW FROM THE FINAL JURY, THE ICELANDIC LITERARY PRIZE 2024
“A heartwarming and insightful story that touches on themes such as friendship, collaboration, and the environment, as well as what happens when things go wrong or spiral out of control.
The book’s unique visual world enhances the narrative, and at times, the illustrations speak for themselves, making text unnecessary.”
JURY‘S VERDICT
The Icelandic Literary Prize 2024, Finalist in the category of children’s books and YA
“The Pond by Rán Flygenring explores themes such as playfulness, friendship, and compromise. A garden serves as the favorite play area for two friends, and one day they notice a dent in the grass—thus begins their adventure.
The illustrations complement the text beautifully while also reflecting modern Iceland in a relaxed manner, introducing young readers to a variety of interesting words and enriching their vocabulary.
The Pond is a beautiful and humorous work of art, as well as an engaging and educational story.”
JURY‘S VERDICT
Icelandic Women’s Literature Prize 2024, Finalist in the category of children’s books and YA
“The whole team fell in love with this outstanding book and is very impressed with how much you can find under the surface of this pond and how much there is to talk about with your child if you want.”
KERSTIN HEHNKEN, EDITOR FISHCER SAUERLANDER / ROTFUCHS
“The Pond draws forth a lively and diverse nature that hides everywhere and is unpredictable, interacting with the imaginative flights of the children and their creative thinking, which is natural to them … The story reveals interactions between species in the ecosystem where humans are just one species among many.”
VIDAR HREINSSON, TMM, LITERARY MAGAZINE
“An author who is an absolute treasure. I feel lucky to be able to read this to children and even just for ourselves. I think this is simply one of the best books we read for the program.”
INGIBJORG IDA AUDUNSDOTTIR, KILJAN NATIONAL TV
“The story is short, but it holds so much beneath the surface … There is deep meaning here. [The Pond] is simply a wonderful book.”
KOLBRUN BERGTHORSDOTTIR, KILJAN NATIONAL TV
★ ★ ★ ★
“The abundance of details on each spread draws readers’ attention to smaller elements on the edges of the illustrations, enriching and enhancing the imagery. Early in the story, there are more elements than just the main narrative of the storyteller [Fern] and her friend, Robin. As the story progresses, contrasting viewpoints emerge regarding ownership and resource use, access to benefits, and restrictions. These complex themes are remarkably handled in a clear and straightforward manner. The narrative thread incorporates an ethical discussion: how do we unite to tackle challenges and resolve them, how do we share resources, how does selfishness take over and lead us astray, and what lessons can be learned from this experience?
… An outstanding work for young readers.”
PBB, HEIMILDIN WEEKLY
