Wat een prachtig boek! Ik houd van de tekeningen, van de diepte in de eenvoud. Ik houd van het geduld, de compassie, van de liefde en de fantasie. En uiteraard van de link met Virginia Woolf ❤️

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Citaten:

Ze was een erg bazige wolf.

Het hele huis zonk weg.
Boven werd onder.
Klaar werd vaag.
Fleurig werd treurig.

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Mijn zus werd wakker.
Eerst zag ze niet wat ik aan het doen was.
Ze was nog te druk met huilen naar de maan.

Ik schilderde een schommel en een ladder die
tot het raam reikte, zodat wat onder was,
naar boven kon.

I loved everything about this one.

ugh this is so perfect

3.5

How do children come to terms with so much in the world that doesn't make sense? I don't know when Virginia Woolf's mental and emotional illness began to take over her life, but Virginia Wolf shows potentially how her sister Vanessa came to terms with it and tried to help and make a beautiful (Bloomsberry) world where Virginia wasn't so wolfish. Beautiful illustrations, touching story, very well told.

Age: 1st-3rd grade
Tough Issue: Depression

"Vanessa's sister, Virginia, is in a "wolfish" mood -- growling, howling and acting very strange. It's a funk so fierce, the whole household feels topsy-turvy. Vanessa tries everything she can think of to cheer her up, but nothing seems to work. Then Virginia tells Vanessa about an imaginary, perfect place called Bloomsberry. Armed with an idea, Vanessa begins to paint Bloomsberry on the bedroom walls, transforming them into a beautiful garden complete with a ladder and swing 'so that what was down could climb up'" (Goodreads feature review).

A finely crafted tale that addresses a family member in a spell of depression, yet addresses it in such a way that readers/listeners of any background can commiserate with a "down-and-out" day. The artwork ties in perfectly with the moods of this tale as Vanessa tries to patiently help her sister.

Beautiful art, but story an odd choice for preschoolers. Probably really great for children who have loved ones dealing with depression.

As an adult, it is difficult to separate the inspiration for this book--based on the lives of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell-- from the picture book text. I doubt many (OK, any) young readers would recognize the references to Virginia's depression and her sister's painting.

Judging the picture book on its own, the story is average. Beautiful illustrations, though.

Maar mama, je kan toch niet echt in een wolf veranderen?
en
Maar mama, waarom is ze niet gelukkig?

Heel mooi kinderboek over depressie, al denk ik wel dat mijn vijfjarige er nog net iets te jong voor was... (En mijn driejarige al zeker, want hij had het vooral over het gele kleedje van het hoofdpersonage - bleef iedereen maar altijd zo)

While I loved the illustrations (a solid 5 stars to those) and--initially, at least--the premise, I'm not sure the Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell retelling was quite effective or appealing (or even noticeable) for a child audience. Beautiful presentation, but the story felt a bit stilted and caught up in the author's intention to capture the sisterly relationship between two historical figures who would be entirely unknown to most young readers. I'm also not sure it's fair to relegate Woolf's mental health struggles to a bad mood (even keeping in mind the retelling/adaptation aspect of this particular story). Even so, what initially captured my attention was the idea of the metaphor behind "feeling wolfish" and another sister's efforts to drawn her sad sister from her doom and gloom with art and imagination. All historical inspirations aside, I also appreciate how this story could be helpful to a child who has experienced the effects of depression, whether personally or via proximity to a struggling/coping friend or family member. All in all, this might have been something very special without the real Woolf ties.