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His book about evolution, Het raadsel van alles wat leeft (published in English as The Mystery of Life) has been an international success. From 2015 to 2017, Schutten was the Dutch Children’s Book Ambassador, during which time he focused on the importance of non-fiction in promoting reading and literacy.

Jan Paul Schutten

‘When you’ve finished this book, you’ll know a bit more about how the world works,’ writes Schutten. That’s reassuring. Understanding everything is obviously quite a challenge, so knowing ‘a bit more’ sounds pretty good. Particularly when you read later in the book that even the greatest geniuses don’t always understand everything and that plenty of their questions remain unanswered. By having the occasional ‘pause for thought’ and asking the reader to keep on questioning everything, Schutten rightly points out that not all science is based on facts, but on insights that have been proved – for now – and so it is never finished.

Jan Paul Schutten’s special gift lies in his ability to serve up complicated science in an attractive and easy-todigest way.

Schutten, along with the reader, takes part in all kinds of scientific thought experiments, the kind of thoughts that preceded all those pioneering insights into how our universe was born, the qualities of matter, the forces of magnetism and electricity, and why time and space form a whole. He succeeds in guiding the reader through all this material because of his direct style of writing and his captivating and often amusing use of language and imagery. He sends the reader off on a ‘journey through time’, goes for ‘a tour of space’ and explodes frozen cola in order to explain the rapidly expanding universe.Rieder’s playful illustrations are an essential element, clarifying the thought processes while allowing lots of space for the imagination. The lively pictures that pile up with details, zooming in and out like a microscope or a telescope, are particularly effective, like the one of a line that is expanded to such an extent that you begin to grasp the notion that there might be an infinite number of dimensions.This constantly changing perspective on life makes it a ‘golden book’.

Rieder surpasses the work she did in The Mystery of Life, for which she won the Gouden Penseel, with illustrations that are even more enlightening and amusing, and so they hit the target perfectly.

Book

Asset

Assets

Het mysterie van niks en oneindig veel snot

From the Big Bang to Einstein’s theory of relativity, and from supernovas to reverse gravity: in this book, non-fiction writer Jan Paul Schutten and illustrator Floor Rieder manage to present the most complex of subjects in an accessible and appealing way, one step at a time and with a great sense of humour.

The Mystery of Nothing and Infinite Snot

Oberendorff has used pencil to create large, almost photographic pictures, with backgrounds that are made up of shades of grey and contrasts between light and dark. All kinds of animals turn out to be hiding among the leaves, combining the educational element with the playfulness of a look-and-find book. The illustrations are meticulous in their design and reveal a loving craftsmanship; the spores of a mushroom, the minute details of a frog’s body, the reflection of snowy trees in a pool – all depicted in a naturalistic way and with great precision.Each spread is accompanied by an entertaining text by Jan Paul Schutten about the cycle of nature, about parasites that are parasites of other parasites and about the deadly beauty of the forest. Those pages are followed in turn by spreads in which individual elements of the forest are highlighted in further detail, in words and pictures, this time in colour, which Oberendorff added digitally to the analogue pictures.

Black and white is the new colour.

This way of working results in a photorealism that bears a resemblance to the work of the English illustrator Ben Rothery, although his habitat is the African savanna and Oberendorff has opted for the nature of the Low Countries. The colour illustrations create a cheerful rhythm in the book, but would the reader have missed them if they weren’t there? Used in the right way, black and white can be just as evocative as colour, as this book convincingly demonstrates.

A wonderful book.

Wonder bos

Bright yellow letters glow out from a dark wood that is captured in a deep midnight blue. The mysterious cover of A Forest of Wonders beautifully matches the contents of this non-fiction book, which can be seen as a declaration of love to nature, and is supported by Medy Oberendorff’s hyper-realistic illustrations.

A Forest of Wonders

‘Is my collar right? Does my hair look good? Is my hat on straight?’ The men of the shooting company are feeling a little anxious. Rembrandt is painting all of them, but who’s going to be the star? Anyone who is familiar with the painting will know that one person ends up in the spotlight: the sweetest member of the company, the girl in the golden dress, who is at the heart of author Jan Paul Schutten’s simple but very effective story.Illustrator Van der Linden employs visual references to The Night Watch and other paintings in his dramatic presentation of the Amsterdam of the Golden Age. This book offers a perfect glimpse into history. Publishing details Het meisje met de gouden jurk (2012) 28 pages Publisher Rubinstein

Schutten presents an appealing insight into life during the Golden Age and the creation of 'The Night Watch'.

Jan Paul Schutten has written a very engaging and accessible story for young readers.

Children's books

Het meisje met de gouden jurk

Rembrandt’s 'The Night Watch' is the number one attraction at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. But, when you take a good look at this painting, what do you actually see? Hidden among all the fine gentlemen, there is a girl. The story that Schutten tells about her takes young readers on an appealing journey to the world of Rembrandt and his best-known work.

The Girl in the Golden Dress

Just Smell What I’m Saying decodes the secret language of nature, explaining in simple terms what the sounds, smells and colours of the forest really mean. Jan Paul Schutten describes what some plants do to avoid being nibbled and how brightly feathered birds of paradise turn out to be less faithful than those with duller plumage. Each chapter contains humorous black-and-white drawings and fascinating facts to keep children amused for hours. Just Smell What I’m Saying shows what fun learning about nature can be. Publishing details Ruik eens wat ik zeg (2003) 121 pages 9+ Publisher Querido Kind

Schutten writes in a clear and direct style that fills his readers with enthusiasm.

Ruik eens wat ik zeg

Can we talk to the animals? Do you understand what your pet is telling you, or what birdsong means? Animals and even plants have a great deal to say. How does maize send out SOS messages? If a monkey learns sign language, what does he talk about? Why do some frogs mime? Why does your cat nuzzle you? Is it true that barking dogs don’t bite? Are baby birds given singing lessons? Why do midges dance?

Just Smell What I’m Saying

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