North Rhine-Westphalia: Children's Book Prize NRW 2022 for "Two of Everyone"

Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - Rose and Rebecka Lagercrantz receive this year's children's book prize from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

North Rhine-Westphalia: Children's Book Prize NRW 2022 for "Two of Everyone"

Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - Rose and Rebecka Lagercrantz receive this year's children's book prize from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Swedish author Rose Lagercrantz will be honored for her "valuable and touching" book "Two of Everyone", said Minister of Culture Ina Brandes (CDU) on Friday. Her daughter Rebecka is honored for her "careful and fine" illustration. It tells the story of a childhood friendship and the resulting lifelong love that survives a painful separation.

Nine-year-olds Eli and Luli do everything together, but World War II tears them apart. Luli emigrates to America with her father, while Eli has to experience the Holocaust first-hand. After the war they meet again in New York and start a family. The minister praised the topics of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust for children in such a way that they are "understandable and moving, but not threatening and disturbing".

Since 1989, the children's book prize, which is endowed with 5000 euros, has been honoring outstanding books that, through true-to-life stories and imaginative illustrations, arouse the joy of reading even among the youngest and thus make a contribution to cultural education.