Jule Wellerdiek

HOLGER’S HOUSE Jule Wellerdiek

Holger is really mad at Pebble again. That goof is just always so noisy and makes a mess of their house. But then Holger comes up with an idea: what if this house was his house, and his alone? At the next opportunity, Holger picks up the house and sets out for a new place. But it doesn’t take long for him to notice how lonely he feels without his friend.

From a young age, most of us are familiar with a similar inner conflict: the fear of being lonely versus the wish to be alone. Sometimes, we would rather have the four walls we normally share with others for ourselves. But at the same time, we discover that ‘home’ is not just a house but also the company we share it with.

The main characters are fox Holger and his friend Pebble. Holger loves to have things tidy and organised. He is happiest sitting quietly and reading a book. But Pebble regularly upsets his plans, causing chaos and noise. The two friends argue, upon which Holger runs off. Towards the end of the story, the two of them make up and apologise for their behaviour. In between, Holger’s inner conflict is described: how he at first seeks and enjoys the lonesomeness while still being angry with Pebble. But after a while he begins to miss him so much that he finally returns to him.

JULE WELLERDIEK (1997) is an illustrator from Germany. She started drawing from a young age. What started as a distraction from boring school classes and rainy afternoons gradually became her most favourite thing to do. It also turned out to be an excellent way of comprehending the world around her, as well as expressing all her thoughts inside.

The opportunity to study illustration at the Münster School of Design eventually made her dream of making a living through being creative come true. Holger’s House is her first book and was also her final project at MSD, upon completing her Bachelor of Arts in spring 2021.

While feeling mostly at home in the department of writing and illustrating for children’s books, she can’t wait to spend the rest of life exploring the possibilities of all mediums that work with illustrations.

JURY REPORT Fox Holger is neat and wellorganised. He likes to have things orderly and tidy – in contrast to his friend Pebble, who spreads disorder, chaos and noise, and simply chills out while Holger cleans the house. One day, when Pebble is not around, Holger spontaneously packs the house they share on his bicycle trailer and sets off. But after a while he misses his friend so much that he finally returns to him. Jule Wellerdiek narrates

this story with very airy and bright images in shades of green and blue, with numerous small loving details and a fine sense for childlike humour. The illustrations, which are created in an elaborate technique mixing water colour, drawing and collage, stand out for their cheerful and playful atmosphere.