Marijke Eijsink

THE ACORN THIEF Marijke Eijsink

It is winter, and a blanket of snow covers the forest floor. A squirrel and a jay are looking for their food stash. But no matter how much they search and wherever they dig, no acorns are to be found. They have all disappeared – bar one. Initially they are suspicious of each other, resulting in a confrontation. But eventually they decide to work together. Even though they can barely resist the temptation to eat the last acorn, they need it. They use it to set

a trap, so they can find out who took their supplies.

The story is a funny whodunit that also touches on themes of friendship, the importance of sharing, and cooperation.

The illustrations consist of monotypes and ink structures, combined with materials such as pastels and acrylic paint, and some digital assistance to bring everything together.

Already as a child, MARIJKE EIJSINK loved to write and draw. After graduating as an art teacher from the art school in Arnhem, she taught in secondary education and offered art classes for adults. Later she attended a creative writing course at Script Plus in Amsterdam. She currently works as an art teacher and coach for fellow teachers in primary education. Working with young children inspired her to write and illustrate stories for little ones.

Marijke Eijsink grew up nearby the forested Veluwe area, where a love of nature came naturally. The forest was a place where her imagination could run free. And it still is, today. This story came to her during an autumn walk. Squirrels and jays were working overtime in preparation for winter. She saw a jay burying food and then pretending he hadn’t done anything, in an attempt to trick any onlookers. Later he buried it elsewhere. So there it was: a character begging to be made into a story.

When illustrating, the search for appealing characters and emotions is an exciting process. Marijke would love to develop this in other books. Besides printing techniques she likes to use all kinds of materials such as watercolour and ink. Marijke lives and works in Deventer. www.marijke-eijsink.nl

@marijkeeijsink

JURY REPORT In three strong narrative pictures, Marijke Eijsink presents animals full of character. During winter, the acorns hidden by the squirrels have disappeared. A wild boar turns out to be the culprit, but his gluttony has caused him to get stuck in a hollow tree. But then the force of his sneeze sends him flying out. The maker must have had a lot of fun making this work. Curiosity, anger and movement are all depicted very beautifully. Based on mono-prints, Marijke Eijsink manages to create interesting textures, especially in animal fur and tree bark.