Why doesn't Berra have a grandfather? And how can he get one? There are plenty of old men at the retirement home, Ulf suggests. They go there together to find one-ideally one who eats pig's trotters, invites you to tea and can teach you to whistle. Can You Whistle, Johanna? is an international award-winner and classic in many countries by one of the world's great writers.

"Can You Whistle, Johanna? is possibly my favourite book of all time. Ulf Stark is a truly great writer. He makes me laugh, cry, think deeply and think again-often in just one sentence." Julia Marshall, Publisher Julia Marshall, Publisher

About the Author
Ulf Stark was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1944. He has written around thirty books for children and young adults, translated into more than twenty languages. He has won many prizes in Sweden and internationally, including the German Youth Literature Prize and the Astrid Lindgren Prize, and he was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2018.

Reviews

"Together, the words and illustrations... tell a story that is sad and happy at the same time. It's a story that makes sense to everyone who ever had - or wanted - a grandfather."

-- The School Magazine (NSW)

"This is an extraordinarily tender, beautiful story of friendship and loss. Stark combines searing poignancy with joyous humour and the most lyrical phrases to produce a quirky, endearing story that deeply touches the heart"

-- The Sunday Tasmanian (AU)

"This story touches the heart. It manages to be charming, warm, funny, poignant and sad all at once and it's told in such a way that a grandparent can reminisce and a young person can understand about friendship and loss not just through their own eyes but through the perspective of a much older person."

-- PETA

Starred review. A sweet, tender, never maudlin evocation of an intergenerational friendship.

-- Kirkus Reviews

5+ One of those rare perfect ones.

-- Youth Services Book Review

Can You Whistle, Johanna?... is a heartwarming and emotional tale of human connection, and its importance at any age.

-- NetGalley Reviewer

A book that demands to be shared and enjoyed.

-- IBBY UK


Awards
Winner of Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German Youth Literature Prize) 1994 (Germany).



Book Information
ISBN 9781776573264
Author Ulf Stark
Format Paperback
Page Count 92
Imprint Gecko Press
Publisher Gecko Press