Out on August 4, Ellie’s Voice, or Trööömmmpffff is a spare, profound picture book from beloved Estonian children’s author and illustrator Piret Raud, translated by Adam Cullen. Ellie the bird lives by the ocean and loves listening to the crashing of the waves, the wind blowing through trees, and the splattering of rain. But Ellie can’t make a sound of her own, until one day, when she finds a horn washed up on the beach. When Ellie blows into the horn, out comes: “TRÖÖÖMMMPFFFF.” Ellie is delighted with this newfound ability to express herself and parades around the beach showing off to her friends. But soon she learns that the horn actually belongs to Duke Junior, and without it he “is completely incomplete.” Should Ellie keep her new voice, or return the horn to its rightful owner?
A sweet, profound fable for ages 3–6 about the joy of listening, Ellie’s Voice has one-of-a-kind illustrations that will captivate children and adults alike. Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast describes Raud’s style as distinct: “The book’s bizarre creatures are intricately drawn in copious white space...it’s a surreal landscape Raud creates, much different from what we tend to see in American picture books.” And Travis Jonker at School Library Journal named Ellie’s Voice one of “the most astonishingly unconventional children’s books of 2020.” Read more about Raud’s inspiration for creating Ellie’s touching story and behind-the-scenes images of her process:
For me this is a book about music and talent and selflessness. When I wrote it I thought about the people who are able to give so much with their music and enrich other people's lives. This is an expression of my gratitude, my bow to all these musicians whose talent I admire so much. I love jazz music and there is a little hint there that Duke Junior does too. I listen to jazz while drawing, mostly classical jazz like Miles Davies, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz. I listened to them while drawing this book too.
My technique is really time-consuming and eye-straining. First I paint with watercolors and then draw with Indian ink on it.
To create different shades with various intensities I use little dots. The more dots there are the darker the shade is.
I use old-fashioned Soviet calligraphy pens that are not produced any more.
I combine dots with various lines and here the old-fashioned pen helps me vary the lines in thickness and boldness to achieve surfaces that are alive and not soulless.
The results are both minimalist and fantastical, and unlike any other children’s book we’ve ever seen. Preview Ellie’s Voice below:
About the Book
About the Author and Illustrator
© Dmitri Kotjuh
Piret Raud was born in 1971 in Tallinn, Estonia. She has studied printmaking at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Since graduating in 1995 she has been living and working in Tallinn as a graphic artist, book illustrator and author. She has illustrated approximately 50 books, written 18 books for children and one novel for adults.
About the Translator
© Dmitri Kotjuh
Adam Cullen is a poet and translator of Estonian prose, poetry, theater, and children’s literature into English. A member of the Estonian Writers’ Union, his most recent published translations include Eno Raud’s The Gothamites (Elsewhere Editions 2019), Kai Aareleid’s Burning Cities (Peter Owen Publishers 2018), contributions to New Baltic Poetry (Partian 2018) and The Butterfly Man and Other Stories by Mehis Heinsaar (Paper + Ink 2018), Rein Raud’s The Reconstruction (Dalkey Archive Press 2017), and Mihkel Mutt’s The Inner Immigrant (Dalkey Archive Press 2017). Several of his translations have been nominated for the Cultural Endowment of Estonia’s Award for Literary Translation. To date, Cullen has also published two collections of original poetry in Estonia. Originally from Minnesota, he has lived in Estonia for over a decade.
by Piret Raud
Translated from the Estonian by Adam Cullen
Yonder: Restless Books for Young Readers | Ages 3 - 6
World Literature Today’s 75 Notable Translations of 2020
A touching and profound tale of friendship, differences, and acceptance from renowned Estonian children’s author and illustrator Piret Raud.
Hardcover • ISBN: 9781632061911
Publication date: Aug 4, 2020