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Summary
Summary
Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019
USBBY Outstanding International Book of 2020
There's someone in the living room.
It's Dad.
It is Angryman.
Boj's father can be very angry and violent. Boj calls this side of his father's personality "Angryman." When Angryman comes no one is safe. Until something powerful happens...
Gro Dahle's astute text and Svein Nyhus's bold, evocative art capture the full range of emotions that descend upon a small family as they grapple with "Angryman."
With an important message to children who experience the same things as Boj: You are not alone. It's not your fault. You must tell someone you trust. It doesn't have to be this way!
Author Notes
Gro Dahle is an award-winning poet and author, born in Oslo, Norway in 1962. She graduated from the University of Oslo and has studied creative writing at the Telemark University College. In 1987, she debuted with Audien --a poetry collection that was very well received. She has since become a very well-known lyricist and novelist. She lives in Tjøme in Vestfold with her husband, Svein Nyhus.
Svein Nyhus is an illustrator and writer of children's books, born in 1962 in Tonsberg, Norway. He studied at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry. Among many other book projects, he illustrated Why Kings and Queens Don't Wear Crowns , written by Princess Martha Louise of Norway, and the New York Times Best Seller What Does the Fox Say? , based on Ylvis's YouTube hit The Fox . He lives in Tjøme in Vestfold with his wife, Gro Dahle.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-Sometimes Boj's daddy is calm and cheerful, but other times Angryman comes out of the dark cellar within. Boj can hear him coming, even as he silently promises to be good, be quiet. Angryman possesses Daddy's body. As Boj trembles in Mama's arms, he "doesn't want to hear. He doesn't want to see. He doesn't want to remember." Mama's attempts to physically shield Boj fail as Angryman approaches, burning "red and red and red and black." Finally, Angryman recedes and Daddy cries, promising to be nice, as he has promised many times before. Eventually, Boj summons the courage to write a letter to the king, who absolves Boj of all blame. The king takes Daddy to live with him in a place where he can learn to manage everything and everyone trapped inside. Boj looks forward to visiting his daddy one day. He can't wait to visit a daddy he can trust to keep him safe. Translated from Norwegian, the text and illustrations depict Boj's fear and anger with naked honesty. At once straightforward and yet lyrical, the third-person narrative is childlike and oftentimes heartbreaking. The dedication gives thanks to a family therapist and a psychologist both consulted in the creation of this title. The mixed-media illustrations employ thick, broad charcoal or oil pastel lines, fabric and paper textures, and a muted palette. As Boj's perspective changes, so do his mother's and father's size, shape, and expressions. Only the promise of a rosy ending seems strange and perhaps unrealistic for many children with abusive caregivers. While this tender and sensitive look at domestic violence is meant to be read and discussed with a trusted adult, it offers no back matter or resources to provide context or support for kids in abusive situations. -VERDICT This child-centric look at a tough topic that will be a useful tool for counselors and therapists looking to start conversations.-Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Sometimes Boj's daddy turns into "Angryman." Boj and Mama must survive the dangerous outbursts until, finally, Boj tells "the king" that "Daddy hits" and he gets help. This Norwegian import is an emotionally powerful child's perspective on domestic violence. The sharp angles, dark colors, heavy lines, and distorted perspectives effectively convey the child's experience. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
As with many Norwegian imports, this onean exploration of domestic violencepacks an emotional wallop.At first, Daddy is "cheerful as a bag of lemon drops." After a sudden, apparently unprovoked mood change, his voice "gets padlocks," and a closed door behind the voice hides a dark cellar where "someone is waiting." Little Boj's fear is palpable; the third-person narration describes his attempts to be quiet and good, to silently plead with Daddy not to let "Angryman" out. The enraged father outgrows the page, his monstrous body filling with fiery strokes of color as he lifts the mother while the boy cowers in the corner of the mixed-media compositions. Boj's desperate feelings overtake instructions to be silent, and help comes from a caring neighbor. Father, mother, and son have straight, dark hair and creamy skin that darkens or reddens as emotions play out. The text and images combine in surreal fashion what is actually happening with what the son is feeling/imaginingan effective strategy to maximize impact while avoiding displays of physical contact. While the number of sentences and pages are longer than in most American picture books, the story conveys the complexity of the protagonist's exterior and interior worlds, realistically capturing the perception of time and repeated refrains that accompany fear.Not for the timid, this may be most appreciated as bibliotherapy, its powerful saga signaling to hurting readers that they are not aloneand that asking for help can bring relief. (Picture book. 7-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
