Oskar and the Things

About this book

Oskar is extremely unhappy that he has to spend two months of the summer at Grandma’s house in the countryside, while Mum goes on a trip to America and Dad works in the city. Grandma has many rules, cooks strange food and insists that he plays outside as much as possible. To make matters worse, he has forgotten to bring his mobile phone with him.

One morning, while exploring the shed, Oskar finds a pleasing piece of wood, which he makes into a toy mobile phone. He pretends to phone the iron and is utterly astounded when it answers his call. Realising that he can call all sorts of objects, Oskar’s dreary stay at Grandma’s becomes much more exciting. He has a lovely chat with the feathers in his pillow, helps a dining chair travel the world by carrying her to different parts of the house, and befriends a beautiful red balloon, who is caught in the branches of a tall birch tree.

Set in Estonia and translated into English, this quirky tale celebrates the power of imaginative play and is accompanied throughout by distinctive illustrations in shades of red and blue.