The Playdate by Uje Brandelius

The Playdate by Uje Brandelius

For one little girl, the prospect of a playdate at her friend Henry’s house fills her with excitement. To get to Henry’s house, they have to take a bus, then the underground, then change to another line, then a bus, and then walk for a bit, but it’s worth it because Henry’s house has millions of rooms to hide in and hundreds of toys to play with.

But while the text tells one story, the illustrations slowly reveal another. As the kids tear around the house enjoying each other’s company, their mums experience the playdate very differently. Soon we find that the little girl and her friend Henry live lives that are poles apart.

A powerful story about friendship across economic divides that encourages readers to question why we live in a society where those who have and those who have not live very different lives.

Swedish author Uje Brandelius worked as a journalist and press secretary in Sweden before becoming the frontman of chart-topping pop band Doktor Kosmos and touring sold-out concert venues for several years. The Playdate is his first picture book.

Clara Dackenberg is a Swedish illustrator and visual artist. She studied in Gothenburg and Stockholm before debuting as a picture book illustrator. Her work has been chosen for the Contemporary Swedish Illustrators exhibition at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

Nichola Smalley is a literary translator from Swedish and Norwegian. Her translations have won or been nominated for multiple awards, including the International Booker Prize, twice. She has lived in many places, but calls London home.