The Travelling Bookshop: Mim and the Baffling Bully by Katrina Nannestad illustrated by Cheryl Orsini

Putting the perfect book into the hands of a reader can be such a powerful transaction. Mim's father, Zedekiah, has a knack for this. The small family of Mim Cohen, her dad Zedekiah and brother Nat, travel the countryside in a caravan pulled by a large Clydesdale horse. In this first adventure the caravan has arrived in a small town in The Netherlands.

People from the town are keen to visit the 'shop' and everyone who enters is amazed by the size inside and the way the shelves are bulging with treasures. Zebekiah asks his customers one or two questions and then he reaches onto his shelves and presents each person with a curious book. At first the book seems 'wrong' but in fact each book will prove to be perfect. A lonely person needs to make a friend; a young girl needs help with her difficult family; and most of all Mim and her family need to help a young girl called Willemina in a truly special way. 

I should also mention this book is filled with delicious cakes. You will want to eat cupcakes for breakfast and stroopwafels by the dozen. 

Image Source: Dutch Gezelling

The Travelling Bookshop will be published at the end of July. I suggest you add it to your book order today. This book should be in every school library and it would be a delightful family read aloud too. I highly recommend this book for readers aged 8+. My advance copy did not have all of the art by Cheryl Orsini but I am certain this will be terrific. The beautiful book cover gives you a hint of what is to come. This book is also sure to feature on our CBCA notable and short lists in 2022. Enormous thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance reader copy of this splendid book. 

Katrina Nannestad, in my advance reader copy of this book says: the caravan is "a place where the right book will be put into the right hands, to change a life forever. But of course, every book changes a life in some way, big or small. ... Because books are magic."

The bookshop, created by Katrina Nannestad, reminded me of a shop in London which is housed on a barge called Word on the Water.

Word on the Water, a bookstore on a barge, is truly a book-lovers paradise.  Every nook and cranny of this 100-year-old Dutch barge is stacked with neat rows of new and used classics, cult, contemporary fiction and a large range of children’s books. Customers are welcome to browse the books displayed outside or jump aboard and cosy up with a book by the stove! While books are clearly the star of the show, every inch of this book barge is cleverly used to its fullest potential.

Images:  Word on the Water 

I also remember reading about a bookshop, possibly also in London or New York, where you describe a book you have read or talk about yourself as a reader via a book interview and the shop gathers a small collection of books especially for you. I love this idea. Wish I could remember the name of that shop.

I have loved so many other books by Katrina Nannestad:

The girl who bought Mischief

We are Wolves

Olive of Groves