“Dragon Coconut” star Ingo Siegner
“When reading aloud, children and adults experience closeness”
“The Little Dragon Coconut” author Ingo Siegner at one of his performances.
© imago/Joachim Sielski
What do children experience when reading aloud and what adventures await the little dragon Coconut in the future? Ingo Siegner explains that here.
There is hardly a child who does not know him: “The Little Dragon Coconut” has been experiencing his adventures in book form since 2002. The creator of the fire dragon and his friends Matilda and Oskar is Ingo Siegner (born 1965). The author and illustrator from Hanover, who is now a guest at the “White Ravens Festival” (July 16 to 20 in Munich), explains in an interview with spot on news what he loves most about his job: “The exchange with The children is the best part of my work. The children are amazed and laugh a lot, often have funny questions and suggestions that I sometimes take over.”
Your “The Little Dragon Coconut” series has been very successful for a long time. What do you think is the reason why coconut and his friends are so well received by the children?
Ingo Siegner: It’s probably because of the humor and the tension in the stories. The protagonists always get into sticky situations, but it never gets to the extreme and the way out they find is mostly surprising and funny.
The illustrations certainly play a role in the popularity, and that even the adults sometimes have something to smile about when reading aloud.
In addition, I am still passionate about it. Perhaps this is reflected in the text and images.
Again and again there is talk of a lack of interest in reading among children. Computers, TVs and game consoles seem to outperform books. How is your experience?
Siegner: Digital media will play an increasingly important role. I don’t think there’s a cure for that. We should accept this development and accompany it critically.
In addition, we should continue to introduce the children to reading, because reading is one of the most important skills for many developmental stages of the brain, for example the ability to abstract and empathize. When reading aloud, children and adults experience closeness, listen to each other, respond to each other, the speed and pitch can be adjusted according to the child’s receptiveness. Technical devices, no matter how smart, cannot do that.
Digital development or not: once a child has experienced the thrill of reading – first when someone reads to him and later when he reads it himself – then he will reach for the book again and again.
What arguments, tips and tricks can be used to make reading attractive to children and young people?
Siegner: We won’t get very far with children with tricks. But with good stories.
Which books fascinated you the most as a child? And what are you reading today?
Siegner: I don’t remember any books from my childhood, but as a teenager I discovered reading at some point, Karl May and other stories. Today I read a lot of newspapers and all sorts of books, maybe two a month, which I usually choose based on reviews, and sometimes a thriller.
What adventure will you send Coconut on next?
Siegner: In the latest adventure “Excitement in the Dragon School”, Coconut, Matilda and Oskar discover the skeleton of a three-headed dragon. Maybe in the next book they’ll take a trip back in time when this dragon lived. They have such a laser phaser that they can use to travel through time. But maybe it’s going somewhere else entirely, I don’t know yet. Coconut could fall in love, for example…
The “White Ravens Festival”
Ingo Siegner is one of the stars at the “White Ravens Festival for International Children’s and Young Adult Literature”, which the International Youth Library is organizing for the seventh time. From July 16 to 20, 2023, she invites you to meet 13 authors from nine countries. The main venue is the International Youth Library in Blutenburg Castle.
In addition, the children’s and youth book authors appear in Munich and throughout Bavaria in 49 schools, youth and cultural centers and libraries. On July 16, the festival will open with a big family celebration in Blutenburg Castle.