Children’s book writer David Vlietstra from Paterswolde chooses the side of the silent children

David Vlietstra (45) wrote about ten children’s books for a Flemish publisher before finding refuge in the Netherlands. Two publishers showed interest in his latest manuscript. He had good conversations with both and chose Gottmer because he felt that the humorous books he still wants to write fit better there. First there is the 10+ book The list of Violet Soaps with a striking cover and special illustrations by the Groningen-born illustrator Yoko Heiligers from Zwolle.

Playdates

The original and well-written book could well be the breakthrough of children’s book writer David Vlietstra, born and raised in Franeker. His picture and children’s books were translated into several languages, but were not really noticed in our country. The toddler books about Master Whisker , in which children have to get used to the fact that there is no longer a teacher in front of the classroom, he drew partly on his own experiences as a teacher. Vlietstra works three days a week at a primary school in his hometown of Paterswolde. The other days he writes.

His new book focuses on a school class. Vlietstra used the surnames of the children from his class from the previous school year with permission and was inspired by a student on one point. The main character Violet comes up with the plan to make a play date with all the children in the class. Vlietstra: “I experienced that in real life a few years ago. A student had the same intention and coincidentally her mother recently told me that she has come a long way, but just didn’t quite finish.”

Dodos in the shed

Vlietstra uses the play dates to incorporate a number of loose ideas he had into a big story. Violet experiences strange things while playing with children in her class. That starts relatively small. A classmate claims that the film about Wiplala was shot in her house. At another playdate, she finds the mother’s lost wedding ring. That could well be the case, but events are starting to take on forms that are borderline believable. During the pole vault, a boy is struck by lightning, after which they continue happily. A classmate lifts a pony like Pippi Longstocking, and a grandfather claims he’s going to the Olympics as a triple jumper. Things get really crazy when Violet finds a bunch of live dodos in a shed.

As a reader you are inclined to go along with it, because Violet describes the bizarre adventures in a lifelike and convincing manner. Vlietstra says he consciously plays with credibility. “It is a challenge to write down things that are not possible in such a way that the reader starts to doubt. It is very striking that all these things happen to children in the same class.”

Quiet and introverted boy

Without completely revealing the plot: Violet struggles with social anxiety for which she regularly visits a psychologist who gives her assignments. She has to talk to complete strangers on the street and is sent to the supermarket on an idiotic errand. Vlietstra spoke extensively about this storyline with his wife, who works as a child psychologist. And he could base himself on his own childhood. Little David was also a quiet and introverted boy and, like Violet, found it exciting to talk spontaneously with strangers. “It has changed, but in company I still prefer to listen rather than talk. I don’t like it when attention is drawn to me.”

The main characters in his books are often introverted and modest and that is no coincidence. “I side with the silent children. In many children’s books the heroes are brutal and dare to do almost anything. I didn’t recognize that as a child. It is not that I wrote the book because I want to encourage introverted children. But I do hope that they recognize themselves in it and find it useful. They are not the only ones who sometimes find contact with others a bit difficult.”