Danish writer wins nordic youth book prize

Jakob Martin Strid, a Danish author and illustrator, received the Nordic Council’s Children and Young People’s Literature Prize for his picture book ‘The Fantastic Bus’. The award was presented in Reykjavik, Iceland. The story revolves around Taku, a bear cub, and his friends from Anhstarr City who journey in a giant bus to find a cure for Timo’s illness caused by pollution, hoping the saffron lily can save him. The committee praised Strid’s evocative imagery that captures the warmth of togetherness inside the bus and the harshness of the outside world. The book became a bestseller in Denmark upon its release. Strid, having previously authored ‘Mustafas Kiosk’ and ‘The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear’, took 15 years to write ‘The Fantastic Bus’. A cash prize and a statuette accompany the award.