I Wish

"I Wish is a made up of a series of powerful portraits by the Belgian illustrator Ingrid Godon, accompanied by philosophical meditations written by Toon Tellegen. Surprising in every way, the book has gone through reprint after reprint and was nominated for the prestigious Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 2013." - Tzum (The Netherlands)

"Several years ago Ingrid Godon surprised friend and foe with a series of mysterious portraits of children...Connoisseurs of children's books already knew she was capable of much more than cute animal faces, but with these intimist, realistic portraits she has tapped into an entirely new style. Initially it seemed like I Wish would remain primarily an art project - until the author Toon Tellegen and the designer Kris Demey joined in and turned it into a gem of a book." - De Standaard (Belgium)

"Portraits that recall both family photographs and the Dutch and Flemish masters...Texts that reveal imaginary wishes that are far removed from the usual presentations of childhood happiness, speaking too of hurt, fears, lost joy, unfulfilled longing and hopes that might yet be fulfilled...An outstanding example of the literature of childhood, full of wisdom and of a brilliance that calls out for calm, quiet moments to enjoy it." - Jury Report, nomination for Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis