(Ger Guijs, 2006, 95 pagina's)

In the days of slavery it could happen: you’re the daughter of a plantation owner and when you’re twelve you get your own slave. Slaaf Kindje Slaaf by Dolf Verroen begins with Maria’s birthday party. Little Koko is brought in on a silver plate and Maria’s aunt gives her a whip to go with her present. That’s how you beat the laziness out of them and if you really don’t like the boy, you can just sell him again at the market. Just like Papa’s beautiful slave woman, whose value has sunk considerably since Maria’s jealous mother smashed her face up.

(Leopold, 2010, 64 pagina's)

The princesses in De prinses en de paradijstuin (The Princess and the Paradise Garden) couldn’t care less about royal etiquette. Instead of marrying a prince, they’d rather have a swineherd or a stable lad. And when their eyes do happen to fall on a majestic specimen, they always seem to be lazy good-for-nothings or have bandy legs.

(Leopold, 2016, 96 pagina's)

It is, of course, no coincidence that the boy on the front of Oorlog en vriendschap (War and Friendship) wears exactly the same distinctive round glasses as the 88-year-old author Dolf Verroen. The protagonist may be called Joop, but his experiences are the wartime memories of Verroen himself.

(Leopold, 2018, 36 pagina's)

At ninety years old, Dolf Verroen is the oldest children’s writer in the Netherlands who is still having books published. Two years ago, he surprised readers with the flawless Oorlog en vriendschap (War and Friendship), his first collaboration with the illustrator Charlotte Dematons. This apparently went well, as Droomopa (Dream Grandpa) has also been illustrated by the same artist.