Maria van Lieshout is an illustrator and author of several highly acclaimed children’s books in the United States. She grew up near Amsterdam and left high school for the US, where she studied graphic design. She lives and works in San Francisco. Her latest book is The song of the blackbirda graphic novel.
About the book
Nearly 7 decades have passed since World War II, but the future of 17-year-old Annick Vermeulen is likely tied to a secret lost in that war. When her grandmother is diagnosed with acute leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant, none of her siblings prove to be a match. In fact, they’re not even related.
Desperate for a living relative, Annick delves into the past, aided by six copper etchings, her grandmother’s only childhood possession, and the name of their maker: Emma Bergsma. Annick gradually discovers that 18-year-old resistance fighter Emma helped save thousands of lives in 1944 when she took part in the largest bank robbery in European history, right under the noses of the German occupiers. And that she ensured that Annick’s grandmother survived the war as a toddler. Can Annick unravel her grandmother’s war past and find a donor in time?
Participate in the competition
Answer the competition and have a chance to win the book The song of the blackbird from Maria van Lieshout!
(This competition runs until May 9, 2024)
