I had the pleasure of illustrating this picturebook written by Natalia Kucirkova, an author and professor of reading and early childhood development. The book is published in Swedish and Norwegian by Sandviks Publishing and is part of the Goboken Series
A little robin finds a golden key. He wonders who it belongs to. "It's for an artist!" screams the magpie. But who needs a key to make art?
Robin asks everyone he knows – the singing nightingale, the poet Goose and the painter Peacock. But they are artists already, and do not need a magic key. Then Robin meets a friendly penguin, who shows him that everyone can make their own art if you just try and practice. After a lot of hard work, the robin understands that he is also an artist. He has been that all along, without realizing it. He just hadn't found the key.
The story opens up conversation and reflection with the child. Because what should you actually do if you find a key? What is art? And what is an artist? Is it something everyone is, or can become? And what made the key magical?
