Bobbel woont in een bakfiets, met haar vader Mos en haar moeder Pina. Omdat ze altijd onderweg zijn, hebben ze steeds weer andere uitzichten achter de ramen. Jammer dat ze zo vreselijk weinig geld hebben. Mos verdient niet zo veel. En niemand wil de prachtige tekeningen die Pina maakt kopen, want uit geldgebrek moet Pina op wc-papier tekenen. Daarom wil Bobbel rijk worden. Helemaal zelf en in haar eentje. Als verrassing voor Pina en Mos. Maar rijk worden is moeilijker dan Bobbel denkt.
Bo-Belle (beautiful-beautiful in French), or Bobble as it becomes shortened to, has spent her whole life in a large tricycle with her parents, Moss and Pina. They live a meagre life but seem content and happy if not trapped by the fact that they have no money. One day, Bobble becomes disillusioned by the fact that her mother, a talented artist, cannot afford paper to draw on and so requests to stay with her wealthy uncle so that she can learn how to become rich.
But being a child whose social and culture norms are so different from both her uncle and aunt and her school, Bobble finds it difficult to fit in and although she finds a soul-mate in another class outcast, Toby, she knows that this is not the life for her.
Originally written by Leeuwen and translated by Salway, Bobble is like nothing I have read before. I have become very interested in Dutch children’s literature and their perspectives on childhood and childness. Bobble is a fascinating character and her perceptions of life are intriguing. Leeuwen leaves much that is unsaid but through Bobble’s eyes we can an interesting insight into the rest of society from an outsider’s perspective. She may have a cabbage nose, letter-box mouth, little piggy eyes and shoehorn ears but there is something quite beautiful about Bobble that I cannot quite put my finger on.
Prachtig. Ik denk dat ik me soms ook een beetje Bobbel voelde als kind. En dat ik nu ook wel wat van Pina weg heb. Ik ga Bobbel dus zeker voorlezen aan m'n eigen kinderen en leerlingen ❤️