Helke Rah

The picture book "Fiete Hansen Loads and Unloads a Ship" takes readers back to a long-gone era when professions like cooper, stevedore, and tallyman existed, when the harbor was bustling with activity, and Fiete Hansen was right in the middle of it as a true dockworker. Grandpa Fiete now shares stories of those days with his grandson Finn. Ships are loaded and unloaded, bulk goods and general cargo are loaded into railway cars, and Finn learns sailor knots with Grandpa's string. With charming Low German interjections in Grandpa Fiete's tales, great-grandson Finn discovers an unknown world that fascinates him. Gradually, the boy finds answers to his many questions and eventually becomes a little expert himself. Today's boys and girls learn alongside Finn how things used to be among coffee sacks and banana crates, sheds and cranes. The exciting time travel of Grandpa Fiete and Finn is brought to life through the loving illustrations by Helke Rah, making this book a delightful reading experience for both young and old.