In the Great Wars a new battle is fought every week. Soldiers perish like mayflies, while friend and foe change more often than fashions in Paris. Struggling to survive amid the chaos is Tortot, the finest army cook in the land. With only his pots and pans and his flask of Eternal Soup he can magic up mouthwatering meals from the dullest of ingredients. But as well as being a genius in the kitchen, he also has an uncanny knack for saving his own skin, and people say he has a heart as cold as a fish at the bottom of the ocean. Then one day, Tortot finds a surprise hiding in a barrel of gherkins - a boy soldier who has lost both his brothers and his legs in battle, and who begs the cook not to give him away. Can Tortot find it within his cold heart to help? This is a deeply moving and beautifully illustrated tale of friendship and the absurdity of war.
About the AuthorBenny Lindelauf is a multi-award-winning Dutch children's book author whose books have been translated into six languages. He also teaches creative writing to adults and children. Ludwig Volbeda (1990), is a Dutch illustrator based in Amsterdam. Tortot, the Cold Fish Who Lost His World and Found His Heart is the first children's book he has illustrated and it won a nomination for the BoekenPauw prize for best illustrated children's book.
ReviewsA timeless and ageless parable about the absurdity of war De Standaard Imbued with that tradition of storytelling, of tales you really wish were true De Volkskrant (five stars)
Book InformationISBN 9781782691549
Author Benny LindelaufFormat Hardback
Page Count 240
Imprint Pushkin Children's BooksPublisher Pushkin Children's Books