PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
Tonke Dragt was born in Jakarta in 1930 and spent most of her childhood in Indonesia. Her family moved to the Netherlands after the war and, after studying at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Dragt became an art teacher. She published her first book in 1961, followed a year later by The Letter for the King, which won the Children's Book of the Year award and has been translated into sixteen languages. Dragt was awarded the State Prize for Youth Literature in 1976 and was knighted in 2001.
[A] wonderful book... Ms. Dragt's drawings are as delightful as her storytelling... What makes The Goldsmith and the Master Thief a joy is its lively spirit; what makes it refreshing is the clarity of its moral sensibility. The characters may stumble and fall, but they quickly right themselves and affirm the values of honesty and loyalty... This is a terrific family read-aloud, ideal for a mix of ages between 4 and 12. -- The Wall Street Journal Older readers will be swept up by the sometimes dizzyingly Shakespearean twists and complexity; younger audiences would be best pleased hearing these misadventures read aloud. -- Booklist Even better than The Letter For The King, gorgeous Xmas gift. -- Amanda Craig, author of The Lie of the Land Captivating and beautifully written. -- Angels and Urchins
