Kateřina Blažková, Nanako Ishida
In her new book, Kateřina Blažková (b. 1973) has found an original way of blending fantasy with a real story about the need for friendship, human connection and motherly love. The author’s other published works include a remarkable sci-fi trilogy for children. Thyme from Oxara is a gorgeous book, beautifully illustrated by the
Japanese artist Nanako Ishida (b. 1979, Tokyo). Ishida has here magnificently depicted the personalities of the book’s characters in a world dominated by darkness, as they attempt to alleviate their anxiety through love and friendship. Ishida has worked with many excellent modern children’s literature writers, in Czechia and other countries (Jiří Wolker, Dylan Thomas, Guus Kuijer, Jostein Gaarder and more.).
Thyme from Oxara
November 2019, 256 pages
Can an ordinary girl save an entire fantasy world?
Everything is possible – as Justine will soon find out for herself. One evening, a boy whose name smells of thyme appears in her room to request her help. They dive straight into a submarine world imagined by an author named Nutcracker. Unfortunately, the writer died before finishing his book, and the world was overcome by evil and chaos. Justine must be the one to fix it, to finish the story and to give it structure. Before that can happen, she and Thyme are in for huge challenges. They will walk enchanted paths, meet a talking map and other fantastic creatures, climb the Hill of Hours, join a battle and enter the fields of the Timekeepers.
