(Sagan af bláa hnettinum, 1999)
This deceptively simple book carries with it a profound message of environmentalism and global empathy. It should be a delight to read to children due to its straight-forward yet whimsical narration and its many illustrations. Published in translation in more than 30 countries, The Story of the Blue Planet is the book that first brought Andri Snær to the attention of readers across the world.
Life among the ageless wild children on the blue planet is simple and happy. They want for nothing and have everything that they need. That is, until the sudden arrival of the shyster Jolly Goodday and his rocket. With promises of a new and improved life on the blue planet, Jolly sets out to bring the children’s lives ever closer to what he calls absolute “perfection”. But when two of the children, Hulda and Brimir, set out on a journey to the other side of the planet, they learn the true cost of all this perfection.
The Story of the Blue Planet won the Icelandic Literature Prize in 1999 – making it the first childrens book to receive the prize. It’s message of environmentalism and ethical consumption is as relevant today as it was when the book was first published.