The Grand Expedition

Swedish author-illustrator Adbåge’s cinematic ability to capture a household with its own idiosyncratic habits has the flavor of understated memoir. A girl in a striped pullover, with an impish grin, and her sister, Iben, prepare for a grand expedition. They set up a tent in the garden and pack flashlights, a toy knife, and quilts. They just need snacks, but Dad says there’s nothing but pickles. In one of Adbåge’s sly pencil-and-wash drawings, the pair tears the kitchen apart in search of other treats; the narrator holds a leaking box of rice, while Iben tosses utensils out from under the sink. They last in the tent as long as the pickles and songs hold out but then their resolve collapses: “We are sooo bored!... It’s no good anymore.” They move inside, and the narrator watches “a movie about crocodiles with fast music” with Dad, who reveals a secret stash of cheese puffs. The humor lies in the ironic mismatch between the girls’ lofty aspirations and the way things actually work out (“I think I need to poop”). While Adbåge’s affectionate family portrait feels particular to this quirky group, it relays a familiar truth of childhood: sometimes planning a novel activity is more fun than the activity itself. Ages 4–8.[em] (June) [/em]