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Artwork by Anke Kuhl
12th ed. published 2024. 143 pages From the age of 9 years up All rights available
»Salah Naoura tells a warm, humorous summer tale in a concise manner and with an inside view of the German-Finnish soul. It is a miracle that Matti and his parents survive all their fib-telling unscathed. Apparently strong families survive rough stories.« Explanation of the jury for the Peter-Härtling Prize
Matti is 11 years old and dreams of a family vacation in his father’s native country, Finnland. He manages to get what he wants by telling a whopping lie. But once they get there, Matti, his younger brother Sami and his parents find themselves without a place to stay, no money and no car in the middle of Finnish wasteland. Only a miracle can save them – or Uncle Jussi, who has been struggling to compete with Matti’s father his whole life. A summer novel for children that stands out for its wonderful pun... And that is not even telling a lie...
Winner of the Peter Härtling Prize 2011!