A new family is moving into the house next door. One of the back doors opens and a girl jumps out. Naima and Lisen quickly become friends and the very first day they meet they start their project; finding the perfect room for Lisen. In order to find the answer, they have to try sleeping in all the rooms of the house and grade them. The grownups get irritated with Lisen and Naima but the two of them just want to keep testing rooms—mostly so they can be together all the hours of the day.
A Room for Lisen was shortlisted with the following words from the August Jury: “There is a buzz of emotions in A Room for Lisen, where the new neighbors Naima and Lisen have to check all the rooms in the house, in order to find the right one for Lisen. Elin Johansson’s and Ellen Svedjeland’s accurate text leaves plenty of room for Emma AdBåge’s sensitive illustrations that gently carve out the characters. The budding love between the girls is portrayed sensitively and intensely. Through darker lines, the interplay between the adult world’s supposed tolerance and the children’s discoveries of themselves and each other is emphasized.”
The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on November 22.
https://goteborg-bookfair.com/subtitled-seminars/representation-picture-books-english/