Stranded!

June 1, 2023

Gr 1-4-Bringing the folklore and magic of Iceland to life, the author relates the story of when his grandfather became stranded with a friend on a newly formed volcanic island. Based on a true account, the book's comfortable and engaging storytelling presents the tale in a humorous way sprinkled with Icelandic myths and a dash of magic. In a wonderful marriage of text and images, Benediktsson's words are encapsulated in Wilson's art, much like a graphic novel, which helps enrich the storytelling feel. Readers get a further taste of Icelandic culture in the back matter, as well as through end notes on volcanoes and Norse mythology. VERDICT Highly recommended for public or school libraries. This gently exciting story will be enjoyed by adventure-loving children.-Cassie Veselovsky

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Starred review from May 15, 2023
Two amateur explorers become stranded on a newly formed volcanic island when the fishing boat that drops them off fails to come back. "Iceland," the author writes, "is a small and beautiful island in the middle of nowhere" with plenty of volcanoes--including one dubbed Surtsey, newly emerged from the sea, that his grandfather and a friend one day impulsively think would be a noteworthy place to visit and photograph. And so it turns out to be despite the ground's boot-melting heat and a total lack of food or fresh water, which become issues when their return ride fails to show up. Still, when the night turns cold, sleeping next to a volcano is a perfect idea for keeping warm, right? ("It really isn't.") A day and a night later, the weary explorers reach the top of a hill...and find a friendly, dark-skinned man from America waiting with a helicopter to take them back to the mainland! How's that for wishes come true? Using a storyteller's tricks as well as tone, Benediktsson swears there's only one thing in his yarn that isn't true...and that, he waits to the end to reveal, was the color of his forbear's melty footwear. Wilson sets the hapless, light-skinned duo in a forbiddingly rocky landscape depicted in lurid hues and lines that wriggle and flow in suggestively molten ways, where lava dances "like some fire red northern lights." (This book was reviewed digitally.) Definitely a case of fools rushing in, made all the funnier by its scary bits. (maps; information on Iceland, Surtsey, and gods of Norse mythology; author's and illustrator's notes) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

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July 24, 2023
Benediktsson’s Icelandic grandfather inspires this “mostly true,” magically buoyed tale of a volcanic excursion that teeters on disaster. An opening bit prompts careful reading: “Everything in this story is true, except for one little thing. See if you can spot it!” The adventure tells of how ÆVar and a companion, both portrayed with pale skin, became stranded on newly formed isle Surtsey with minimal supplies and only the still-flowing lava for warmth. With curving strokes and vibrantly saturated coloring, Wilson’s artwork animates the landscape with impish faces tucked throughout—a nod toward Iceland as “a land of fairies and magic.” Meanwhile, Benediktsson’s folksy narration includes many asides, goading the reader along in search of the story’s single fiction, revealed after a conclusion that enchants with its affirmation of the existence of a mythical “magic wishing moment.” Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 6–10.