Der war's

Sensationally good children's book about justice (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Ronen Steinke). Fabulous success with skillful dramaturgy! Let's not judge too quickly!

A crime has occurred in class 6a: Marie, the most popular girl in the class, has had her lunch sandwiches stolen. It quickly seems clear that only one person could be the culprit: Konrad. He is new to the class and hasn't made any friends yet. Instead of spending recess on the playground, he stays in the classroom. Who else could it be? However, Konrad is unaware of any wrongdoing. And when the children come up with the idea of holding a trial to discuss guilt or innocence, it turns out that things are quite different from what they thought.

Children have a strong sense of justice and responsibility. In many children's books, the violation of shared rules plays a role – children investigate thieves and put a stop to robbers. There is no doubt about who is guilty. In "It Was Him," however, things are different, just like in real life: the more the children let go of their prejudices and the closer they look, the more the previously clear suspicion crumbles.

"It Was Him" is a playful approach to teaching children the importance of the presumption of innocence and procedural fairness. A great children's novel by lawyer Elisa Hoven and lawyer and bestselling author Juli Zeh, featuring atmospheric black-and-white illustrations by Lena Hesse.