The Wound

In a work that’s just right for fans of Pepper and Me, AdBåge (The Grand Expedition) combines the matter-of-fact and the awe-inspiring to capture a glimpse of social caretaking and minor fame in the kid world. During an improvised game around a ping-pong table, the book’s protagonist gets a skinned knee that “bled and bled and bled and bled and bled and bled and bled.” Students from every grade immediately throng to the scene (“It almost felt kind of cozy, with everyone standing in a big, tight circle, like a flock”). Next, the protagonist gets to visit the teachers’ lounge, is given “my biggest bandage ever,” and inspires wound-related classroom projects (“In art we ran out of red pens!”). Peers even serve as personal waiters during lunch. Naif-style ink sketches with earthy washes speak to a knowing sense of school culture. And when, in a dramatically ew-worthy moment, the impressive scab falls into the pool during swim class, a teacher predicts a forever scar—a physical memorial that suits the protagonist just fine. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. Agent: Maria Åhlin, Rabén & Sjögren. (Oct.)