Kids Comics Pitchfest Showcase

Wake Up, Hannelore!

Hannelore isn't the first person to party until the cows come home, but she might actually be the first person ever to try milking those cows after the party is over. In this story, we follow thirteen-year-old Hannelore through her first year as a farmhand apprentice. She may be the youngest and the smallest in the group, but she is determined to give it her best and not let others push her around. Training as a farm hand is hard work, but there is still time for fun and building friendships to last a lifetime. Based on interviews (in German) with the real eighty-one-year-old Hannelore.

Elevator pitch: Little House on the Prairie and Ann of Green Gables meet Roller Girl in Soviet occupied East Germany.

My Why:

When I first met Hannelore, I had no idea what I was getting into. At first glance, she's an old woman with (literally) two teeth in her head, who shuffles about on crutches. But now that I know her better, I realize she has a lifetime of experiences I will never have and a wealth of knowledge I would like to gain. If her childhood stories have given me something special and helped make me a better person, maybe they can do the same for others. Hannelore belongs to a category of unsung heroes of postwar Germany: the widows and fatherless left behind to build up a devastated country. In her unassuming manner, Hannelore teaches us how to face life’s challenges with determination, spunk, and humor.