Stranded!: A Mostly True Story from Iceland

by Ævar Þór Benediktsson, Anne Wilson (Illustrator)

Overview

“Benediktsson’s Icelandic grandfather inspires this ‘mostly true,’ magically buoyed tale of a volcanic excursion that teeters on disaster” – Publishers Weekly

Based on a true story, the author humorously recounts the time his grandfather got stranded with a friend on Surtsey, a brand new volcanic island in Iceland. The adventurers face epic challenges like molten lava, melted eyeglasses and scant supplies before finally getting rescued. Graphic novel-like layouts and spirited text invite readers to search for the one thing that's not actually true in this thrilling yet light-hearted tale of adventure. Endnotes include information about volcanoes, Icelandic culture and Norse mythology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646869923
Publisher:	Barefoot Books
Publication date:	08/08/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	390,113
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 9.75(h) x 3.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Ævar Þór Benediktsson is one of Iceland‘s most popular authors. He is Iceland‘s first UNICEF Ambassador and is known for launching popular nationwide reading challenges to encourage Icelandic children and teenagers to read more. In 2017 Ævar was chosen as one of the Aarhus39 – a collection of the 39 best emerging writers for young people from across Europe. He is the author of more than 30 books.

Anne Wilson was born on Ascension Island, a volcano in the South Atlantic. Her work is inspired by everyday life and traveling. The images she creates are constructed in layers, starting with drawing, mark making and printing, these are then manipulated in Photoshop. Anne has an MA in illustration from St Martins College of Art, London and has been an illustrator for over 20 years. She has illustrated many projects for Barefoot Books, including We're Roaming in the Rainforest and The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales.

Editorial Reviews

07/24/2023

Benediktsson’s Icelandic grandfather inspires this “mostly true,” magically buoyed tale of a volcanic excursion that teeters on disaster. An opening bit prompts careful reading: “Everything in this story is true, except for one little thing. See if you can spot it!” The adventure tells of how ÆVar and a companion, both portrayed with pale skin, became stranded on newly formed isle Surtsey with minimal supplies and only the still-flowing lava for warmth. With curving strokes and vibrantly saturated coloring, Wilson’s artwork animates the landscape with impish faces tucked throughout—a nod toward Iceland as “a land of fairies and magic.” Meanwhile, Benediktsson’s folksy narration includes many asides, goading the reader along in search of the story’s single fiction, revealed after a conclusion that enchants with its affirmation of the existence of a mythical “magic wishing moment.” Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 6–10. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

★ “Two amateur explorers become stranded on a newly formed volcanic island when the fishing boat that drops them off fails to come back” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review
 

“Based on a true account, the book’s comfortable and engaging storytelling presents the tale in a humorous way sprinkled with Icelandic myths and a dash of magic . . . Highly recommended for public or school libraries. This gently exciting story will be enjoyed by adventure-loving children.” - School Library Journal

“Benediktsson’s Icelandic grandfather inspires this ‘mostly true,’ magically buoyed tale of a volcanic excursion that teeters on disaster” – Publishers Weekly
 

"This strikingly unusual picture book contains a true story about the author’s grandfather, a scientist stranded on a volcanic island. Lively illustrations allude to the mythology, and the text, including facts in the back, is involving." - The Sunday Times, Best Books for Children 2023

From the Publisher

★ 2023-04-24
Two amateur explorers become stranded on a newly formed volcanic island when the fishing boat that drops them off fails to come back.

“Iceland,” the author writes, “is a small and beautiful island in the middle of nowhere” with plenty of volcanoes—including one dubbed Surtsey, newly emerged from the sea, that his grandfather and a friend one day impulsively think would be a noteworthy place to visit and photograph. And so it turns out to be despite the ground’s boot-melting heat and a total lack of food or fresh water, which become issues when their return ride fails to show up. Still, when the night turns cold, sleeping next to a volcano is a perfect idea for keeping warm, right? (“It really isn’t.”) A day and a night later, the weary explorers reach the top of a hill…and find a friendly, dark-skinned man from America waiting with a helicopter to take them back to the mainland! How’s that for wishes come true? Using a storyteller’s tricks as well as tone, Benediktsson swears there’s only one thing in his yarn that isn’t true…and that, he waits to the end to reveal, was the color of his forbear’s melty footwear. Wilson sets the hapless, light-skinned duo in a forbiddingly rocky landscape depicted in lurid hues and lines that wriggle and flow in suggestively molten ways, where lava dances “like some fire red northern lights.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Definitely a case of fools rushing in, made all the funnier by its scary bits. (maps; information on Iceland, Surtsey, and gods of Norse mythology; author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews