The spirit of nature – A picture book with an animistic view of nature
Junis Värld is a picture book which portrays an animistic perspective. Animism is the belief that everything in nature has a soul. The inspiration for the project is my grandmother from the north of Norway who is Sami. The theme of animism came about when I was reflecting on my connection to her culture.
The purpose of the project is to get the reader to reflect on their relationship with nature. What do you see when you look out through the window or step into the woods? What do you feel when you’re standing in a meadow or sitting amongst the branches of a tree? With the book I want the children who experience animism to recognise themselves in Juni’s outlook on the world. The book also shines light on how vastly different things around us can look depending on someone’s worldview. Therefore not all characters in the book see nature in the same way as Juni does.
The story in the book has been developed through conversations with my grandmother who is a phenomenal storyteller. Her tales from the island where she grew up and the context of a grandmother who’s telling stories to a grandchild have been woven together to create the narrative in the book.
@ziccole
nicole@sihvo.se