The Wound by Emma Adbage is an absolute gem of a picture story book.

Melissa Bowers translation is pitch perfect.

Imagine playing with friends when you fall and cut your leg - there is blood - there is concern and there is care and support.

This is a short tale of one such accident from the pain to the healing

Emma Adbåge’s illustrations are wonderful - quirky but with feeling ..it’s worth looking closely at every page ( especially for the pigeon and the facial reactions ) Teachers sharing this book with a class will be entertained - especially at the staff room scene.

This is an ideal story for 3-7 year olds-exploring the emotions of pain and the recovery. The prose is spot- on and funny as well.

As for the healing process and the scab ..well, no spoilers here- you’ll have to read the book 😊

No wonder this book has won awards 😊😊

Highly recommended

This was such a cute, funny and realistic look at the very serious undertaking of being a kid! I loved the evocative pictures of the kids inventing new games when the ping pong paddles broke, the way everyone is interested in a new development (in this case, the main character's wound), and the attention and drama that kids revel in. This book will be well-loved in primary classrooms, and I highly recommend it for library storytimes. I can't stop smiling after reading this!

Wounds and injuries can be very drastic and special experiences for children.
As an adult, you often remember (I do) the first time you lost a tooth at school or had a minor accident while playing. Measured in adult life, a week with a plaster or bandage is a short time, in the young lives of children it is an eternity in comparison.

In “The most beautiful wound”, the children run wild around the table tennis table in the schoolyard. An improvised game because there are no rackets. The improvised game has strict rules. One child stands on the table and cheers on the others, who chase each other. An almost anarchic scene, as we know it from Emma Adbåge's picture books.

At the climax of this scene, it happens and the nameless narrator bangs off the table. BANG!

After a brief moment of shock and the appropriate treatment of the wound, the injury and the wound become THE topic in the classroom and schoolyard. Although the wound itself hurts, it also brings the young narrator attention and an adventure narrative.

But what happens when the wound gradually heals? The blood becomes a scab and later the scab falls off? It will simply disappear and nothing will prove that something really bad has been overcome.

The only consolation is the hope that a scar - at least a small one - will remain

A great book about childhood fears, worries and confusing feelings about a fading part of identity.

I love a bit of earnest catastrophe in a picture book, and this hit the wound right on its scab, so to speak! Lovely first person narration from a dramatic child, endearingly nostalgic images and just enough repetition to feel authentic but not overdone. A true little slice of life. I love it!

PEPPER AND ME has a Swedish cousin... It's THE WOUND by Emma Adbage!

This book employs both an honest accounting of the kids-eye emotions of an everyday playground experience (a wound!), and the brash, exaggerated style of retelling that so many kids enjoy when recounting their tales of woe.

This is a standout picture book in translation for 2025.

Kids will relate to the wounded child in this book—the drama and attention surrounding a real (but not terribly serious) injury, and wearing a scab and then a scar like a badge of honor. Childlike illustrations complement the story's voice.

An excellent picture book in translation! Comp to PEPPER AND ME, this title with resonate with kids and make for a fun storytime and discussion. Will be purchasing a copy of this for my elementary school library.

This was very on brand to how kids react to wounds. Everyone wanting to see, and having a nice time when everyone looks after you.

A seriously cool art style, love something that’s different to the norm. Loved this.

I think we all have this core memory stored somewhere from childhood.

The main character falls and cuts their knee. Much drama ensues. The child is crowded around, brought to the teachers lounge and made a huge fuss of. Everyone helps them over the next few days as they sport a huge bandage and a mild limp. They're treated with such kindness and receive attention even from people they don't know.
The character continues their drama by showing off the huge scab once the bandage comes off. To their disappointment, the scab eventually falls off, leaving a smooth pink mark on their leg and ending the attention and drama.

We all have experience of this as a child. The untold drama of it that, while the wound is sore, the attention and care feels quite nice and cozy.
This book really captures that feeling and experience and brought me right back to my own sore knee when I was seven years old.
The illustrations are stunning and really make the nostalgic atmosphere come to life.

A gorgeous picturebook.

This reminded me of a book about a girl that gets a scab. My students were very engaged in that book and I can see that happening with this book as well. This book was much longer and wordier, maybe would be more appropriate for older children. But I think kids can relate to this story quite a bit.

This is an interesting little book, with beautiful illustrations. A little child in the school where I work recently cut themselves by accident and it reminded me of this book. The other children were all very interested in what had happened and the child did become like a kind of celebrity because of it, just like the child in this book. The next day, when I checked on them, they were very proud to show me their scab. Even now, months later, it's something that they bring up to remind me. I would love to read this book with them and the other children and discuss the drawings and what they can see going on in the school.

I love this book but I cannot exactly explain why. Maybe it is because it reminds me of an accident I had at school when I was in Year 3 that got me in the Principal's room and then the emergency room of the local hospital. And that happened after my English exam and I still had a few exams in the days following that accident.

Anyway, the illustration has a nostalgic charm to it which works even better in reminding me of my past -- a past that many adults will probably have. I somehow think this book might be just as big a hit among adults as it will be among children.

As the title suggests, “The Wound” is a story about an accident, but it’s also a drama that unfolds minute by minute. From the moment of the fall to everything that follows…
Thrilling and entertaining, this book leaves no one indifferent.

What a perfect portrait of childhood. Who can't relate to the irresistible intrigue a new ouchie/scab/wound provokes? The urge to name every person, render adults overarching, kids limbs flapping and in constant motion.

This would be a fun conversation starter for a classroom discussion. Kids could share about times they’ve had physical injuries, scars and talk about the attention it gave them. Getting a boo-boo is just one of many things kids around the world can relate to.

"From the Mo Willems of Sweden" was all I needed to see before requesting a review copy of this book. I think Jon Klassen might be a better comparison, but nonetheless, a delightful exploration of wounds turning into scabs turning into scars and how each transformation is a badge of honor for a kid. So fun! Will buy for my library!