Lycklig den som Dunne får

Dunne #6

by Rose Lagercrantz, Eva Eriksson (Illustrator)

What do you do if your best friend lives in another city and the adults can't keep their promises about when you'll see her? You have to sort it out for yourself!

Dani's father is away and Dani is staying with her grandparents. When she is invited to Ella's party, she thinks of the world's best gift for the world's best friend: she, Dani, will be the present! Her grandmother agrees―if she's brave enough to take the train alone. So Dani sets out on a journey all by herself.

Genres: Childrens, Friendship, Juvenile, Chapter Books, Travel, Sweden, School

187 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Rose Lagercrantz is a popular Swedish author of books for children as well as for adults. Her first book was published in 1973. She has received many of the top Swedish literary awards, including the August Prize and the Astrid Lindgren Prize.

Reviews

[DaNae · Rating 5 out of 5]

12-23 This is the only book of the series I have previously read. I have a greater appreciation for all things Dani going forward. I feel like children and adults will have different takeaways from these adventures. There is so much charm, longing, and heartache built into each of the stories I’ve read so far. And certainly no tidy endings. I am throughly enamored.

Favorite Things challenge: Warm woolen mittens

[Leonard Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read Henkes’ Sweeping Up the Heart yet, but maybe he should write for a Swedish audience, because this is possibly the most melancholy “children’s book” I’ve ever read. I do think it’s one of the best of this series, though When I Am Happiest (which made me sob) is still probably the peak for me so far.

[Aarne Pohjois-Koivisto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jälleen kerran tunteikas ja draamaa sisältävä realistinen lastenkirja loistavan Dunne-sarjan jatkeeksi. Tykkään näissä kirjoissa juuri siitä, että tarina herättää oikeasti voimakkaitakin tunteita, myös aikuisessa lukijassa. Kirjojen kautta voi vahvasti asettua Dunnen asemaan, ja kokea empatiaa, niin aitoja ja riipaisevia ovat juonenkäänteet välillä. Vaikka kyse on aivan tavallisen ruotsalaistytön elämästä, pienistä asioista kehkeytyy jännitystä. Tällä kertaa Dunne lähtee ensimmäistä kertaa yksin junamatkalle tukholmasta kohti Norrköpingiä, jossa hänen paras ystävä Ella Frida asuu. Eniten maailmassa hän haluaisi juuri tavata Ella Fridan. Kaikki ei kuitenkaan mene kuten oltiin suunniteltu. Todella harmillista. Pettymyksen tunne oli voimakas eräässä kohtaa kirjaa. Kirja tuntuu loppuvan jotenkin kesken. Annan silti neljä tähteä, sillä joskus kirjan kuuluukin olla tällainen. Kirjan lopussa oli kuitenkin jonkinlainen positiivinen vire, johon liittyi ruusuja ja yllätysvieras.

[Pernilla (ett_eget_rum) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dunne går nu i tvåan och längtar efter Ella-Frida lika mycket som vanligt. Pappa och Vera har gjort slut så pappa är deprimerad och måste åka till sin mamma i Rom för att trösta sig. Dunne får bo hos mormor och morfar istället, vilket hon ju är van vid, eftersom hon gjorde det när mamma dog och pappa inte orkade ta hand om ett litet barn.

Så minns Dunne plötsligt att Ella-Frida fyller år och övertalar mormor att hon ska få åja och hälsa på bästisen i Norrköping, alldeles själv.
Men det går inte riktigt som planerat...

Min 8-åring, som också går i tvåan gillar fortfarande böckerna om Dunne, även om det där med döda föräldrar är svinjobbigt.

Passar bra att högläsa men funkar också att läsa själv.

[Connie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming writing and illustrations in a rather serious situation: a girl whose mother has died, whose best friend has moved away, and whose depressed father is taking a trip without her.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how I adore this series and these characters. Their lives touch gently for a moment, and then they disappear only to appear once again. Dani is usually positive and happy, and she simply loves school. Her father often battles depression, and it took him some time to recover from his wife's death. In this book, he decides he needs some time alone, and asks Dani's grandparents to take care of her. Dani loves her grandparents and tries to convince them to take her to visit her best friend Ella for her birthday. Both of them are too busy to fit in this modification to their plans so Dani's grandmother arranges for her to ride the train from Stockholm to Northbrook where Ella lives. (I know, I know, that made me nervous since Dani is on in the second year of school, but her grandmother trusts that all will be well and thinks life consists of taking small risks.) As it turns out, Dani has come on the wrong day, and there is no one at the station to meet her. She ends up being bothered by some mean boys and a dog, and even reconnects with Sadie, her father's old girlfriend and her sister, Lisette, a police officer. Dani ends up going back home, getting sick, and receiving a token of affection from Cushion. I found the black and white illustrations just as appealing as the storyline. Although it's hard for Dani to keep a stiff upper lip throughout all this disappointment, readers know that everything will work out just fine. While the adults in her life and their relationships are complicated, a fact with which Dani is aware, the author only lightly touches on those problems, allowing them to be viewed from the lens of a child. If you haven't read any of these well-written books--this is the sixth one--you are really missing out a treat.

[Labeba Salameh · Rating 3 out of 5]

ثلاثة نجوم ونصف
القصة لطيفة بمجملها وهي جزء سادس من سلسلة لم أقرا منها سوا جزءا واحدا سابقا

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ordered 'See You When I See You' and 'Where Dani Goes, Happy Follows' from the library as part of our study on Sweden. Miss 6 was so enchanted that we read both in the same day. They are books 5 and 6 in the series but that didn't matter, there was enough information in the books for us to get a solid feel for family dynamics and for the characters. We both loved the illustrations and the realism in the books and that both adults and children are depicted as having their own rich inner lives.

There are deep topics that the book touches on lightly and that acted as discussion points for us. We talked about why the adults may not have shared their relationship choices with Dani; we talked about Dani's feelings and views on Sadie and how these may have changed over books 5 and 6; we talked about the way different adults in the book engage with Dani's thoughts and feelings and goals. We talked about how excited and scared she is about going on a long train between cities by herself and the ways in which things go wrong (and why most kids would be travelling with an adult). As an adult, I can think of many more ways the train trip by a very young unaccompanied minor could have gone wrong but I think for Miss 6 it showed that as exciting as the idea of such independence might be, it was also very scary, and the ways in which it went wrong were scary but age appropriate. I also really liked that they were resolved with the help of both an adult she trusted and an a police officer (all narratively woven in very well).

Miss 6 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Ms. Garr · Rating 4 out of 5]

For grade 2 and up; another lovely, complex installment in this series. As always, second grader Dani would like to spend time with her best friend Ella, who’s moved to another part of Sweden. She decides to surprise Ella by taking a train to visit her for her birthday. But as in each of these stories, the adventure doesn’t go smoothly- there’s excitement, fear, understanding, love, heartbreak. Life and all of its ups and downs are explored in a way that’s both matter-of-fact and endearing. This is translated into English - I bet reading it in its original Swedish would provide even more insight and depth. Whole series: highly recommended.

[Eileen Winfrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little story about Dani who is staying with her grandparents while her father goes to Rome for more grieving (her mother has died a while ago). Dani’s grandparents are too busy to get her to see her friend who has moved to another town, but allow her to travel by herself on a train. Complications ensue. The strange thing is I think Dani is in second grade. (Year 2 according to the book, set in Sweden). A train trip alone on a snowy night and she has her own cell phone. As a parent I was surprised by this premise. It doesn’t really end in a tidy way either; I wonder what my students will make of this... interesting, emotional.

[Jody Lewandowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dani stays with her grandparents while Dad travels to Rome to "think about his life." Despite missing him, Dani is an upbeat child. (She's also lost her mother and her best friend, Ella, moved a few hours away). She dreams up a plan to surprise Ella on her birthday, but it will require bravery and fortitude. This illustrated chapter book is part of a series, but stands well on its own. The authenticity of Dani and the adults in her life make this a story that will resonate with young readers, showing us we can love the people we're with, flaws and all.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dani is back with her grandparents as her dad has gone to Rome to see his mother. Sadie and he have broken up and both are sad. Dani gets to take a trip on the train to surprise Ella for her birthday. Unfortunately, things go wrong and she ends up with Sadie and her sister. They return to her grandparents' home and Dani is ill.
The adult tensions continue to affect Dani and readers see how she escapes into her happy places and masks her other emotions.

[Alexia Cathryn Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

This was a very cute book! I probably would have liked it even more if I had read the ones that come before it, but I didn’t realize it was part of a series initially. That said, I picked everything up and the story stood decently well on its own. I think that this is something I could have in my classroom, but I wouldn’t necessarily use it for any lessons. It isn’t something I would go out of my way to buy, but if I came across it, I would pick it up.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

No. 6 in this series and now we are off into No. 7. Over the course of this year I have been reading this entire series to Class 2. They just love Dani's adventures and so do I. Top marks for an entertaining story, full of warmth and affection, about real children in real families. The author does not flinch from difficult subjects, but always maintains a light touch. Such an excellent series.

[Lua]

Dunne ❤️ i sjätte boken om Dunne så är det lov och pappa åker till Rom utan henne. Dunne får bo hos mormor och morfar, bästisen Ella Frida fyller år och Dunne kommer på bästa presenten att ge henne! Men ibland blir det inte alltid som man har tänkt sig..

[Erja Linnonmaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hyvä tarina! Dunnen maailmaan kuuluu sekä surua että iloa, vastoinkäymisiä voimakkaine pettymyksen tunteineen mutta myös iloisia yllätyksiä. Kaikesta kuitenkin selvitään! Erinomainen teos tunnetaitojen opetteluun.

[Samu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dunne <3

[Desna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Dani and her family, friends and her wonderful, simplistic take on life. https://tinyurl.com/y4lfghx8 longer review

[Elizabeth S · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are all just lovely. Both happy and unhappy things happen, not everything is resolved, yet the end is a warm hug.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The depth of emotion in these books, and yet also their accuracy about how little *kids* feel, rather than adults, is really quite stunning.

And the illustrations are adorable as always.

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad to be reminded of this beginning chapter book series. Translated, with spot illustrations.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the whole collection of Dani and her happy life. Cannot wait for the next.

[Saoirse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un sixième tome dans la lignée des précédents, toujours aussi mignon bien qu’il arrive à Dunne des péripéties pas très drôles.

[Helena Paciorek · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Meag McHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first I've read in this series, and it stands alone well (though I do want to go back and read the others!). Dani's voice and perspective is very much a child's - I think a lot of beginning readers can relate to her feelings surrounding loss, friendship, and family. I'll admit I was a little distressed about the whole train-mix up (I was literally on the edge of my seat!) but I don't think kid readers will look so much into the slight irresponsibility of the adults. It all ends well! I also enjoyed the accompanying illustrations - they definitely add to the already strong story.

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet story but much sadder than I expected.