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About the Episode
We all dread teaching our children about death—probably because of the way death figures into our own lives. If we could forestall death’s terror by refiguring it as a natural part of lived experience, would it help our children (and us?) to live more purposeful and holistic lives? In this episode, we look at a codex that presents such a life. Tinted with a bittersweet melancholy, this beautiful picture book has a lot to offer for both children and adults. It recasts the entire category of “children’s book about grief.” Join us for some close reading and pondering of Bruno Hächler and Albrecht Rissler’s 1999 Hubert and the Apple Tree.
Show Notes
Unfortunately, this one isn’t available on the Internet Archive. In fact, it appears to be out of print, though it’s still available new on Amazon, and the scant used copies on AbeBooks (also Amazon) aren’t terribly spendy.
In the episode, I draw the comparison between the establishing shot of Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal and Rissler’s opening illustration. I do tend towards over-reading and hyperbole, but I’m standing by this one! Also, the picture book image definitely confirms the tragedy of the gutter in this text. The full-bleed spreads being broken by the binding is frankly a crime!
Here’s that first page. Note the wonderful texture on the clapboards, and the carpenter bee happily chomping away on them. I love the way the casing of the window slowly converges from the text.
And Hubert lounging under his tree.
This is frame-worthy. I’m assuming that black paper was used here, with blue and white pastel on the left hand to create space for the text. It’s just gorgeous.
The penultimate frame—one of three instances of Hubert not appearing, because he’s now passed.
And the final endpapers—with bonus creator bios!