Do Not Lie! (2022)

Alexander Daniel Hermann Dawidsson isn’t a real person, but maybe you know someone like him? Or maybe he’s a little like… YOU? Alexander Daniel Hermann Dawidsson now has an enormous family, but not an apartment that will fit them all. He has a great group of friends but unfortunately he has his enemies as well, and now he’s gotten on the wrong side of a real and very dangerous criminal! Alexander Daníel Hermann Dawidsson is not a very good liar, but sometimes he has no choice but to give it a shot. He doesn’t understand people who think it’s okay to lie. His ADHD hasn’t gone away of course, but Alexander is always getting better at dealing with it. The first book about Alexander Daniel Hermann Dawidsson, Do Not Destroy!, was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize 2022 and the 2022 West Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize.

“... such great fun ... ” SUNNA DIS MASDOTTIR, KILJAN/NATIONAL TV

Reviews

... such great fun ...

SUNNA DIS MASDOTTIR, KILJAN/NATIONAL TV

In Do Not Destroy! Gunnar Helgason frankly, but with sensitive insight and much fine humour, paints a compelling picture of the story‘s protagonist, Alexander Daníel Hermann Dawidsson. Alexander experiences the world in a very special way, which has both a negative and a positive impact on his whole life. But one thing is perfectly clear from the start: We are on Alexander‘s level, and therein lies the strength of the book. … A strong thread in the book is the important idea of meeting everyone, big or small, where they stand. Everyone deserves respect, and most of us go through all kinds of difficulties that have a complicated impact on our daily lives. … Gunnar Helgason masterfully directs the narrative, allowing the rhythm of the story to chime with Alexander‘s state of mind, and giving the reader insight into the role of ADHD in it. … The book‘s illustrator is Rán Flygenring. The powerful, almost quivering ink drawings portray Alexander‘s inner point of view, and show how he struggles hyperactively to cope with his life. Sometimes there is total chaos in the imagery, while elsewhere there is just a single thing: namely when something completely absorbs Alexander‘s attention. Just like the book‘s text, the drawings are full of imagination, humour and respect for the material.

RATIONALE, NORDEN.ORG - ABOUT THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES

Awards

Nominated

Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize 2022Refers to the first book in the series, 'Do Not Destroy!', not this title directly.
West Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize 2022Refers to the first book in the series, 'Do Not Destroy!', not this title directly.