Monthly Archives: February 2009

In the most recent issue of Cookie Magazine, the children’s book writer Ian Falconer, best known for the “Olivia” books shares his top picks in children’s literature. His number two choice is – can you guess? – TINTIN!

According to Falconer: “These books are for kids older than the Olivia range, but the amazing illustrations and the terrific adventures still kill me. I think there is a natural harmony when a writer is able to illustrate his or her own story. I illustrated Olivia first, with a general narrative in mind, so that the visual flow would be the primary force – you can almost read it without words. The pictures do a lot of the work, so you don’t want a redundant text that simply tells you what the pictures are. Hergé is the master of this balance. His drawings are so expressive and, at the same time, his plots are dazzlingly, engagingly complex.” We couldn’t agree more.

Falconer does offer a word of caution to Spielberg and Jackson: “I read that Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg are collaborating to turn the series into a movie. Bringing children’s books to the screen almost never works very well. I hope they can pull it off with Tintin.”