Three burglars, a friendly police inspector, and a vegetarian fox: Scandinavian exceptionalism, children’s literature, and desistance-conducive cultures

ABSTRACT

This article draws connections between cultural criminology, the Scandinavian penal exceptionalism literature and desistance research by taking a close look at two Norwegian children’s books published in the 1950s. I argue that both books are fundamentally desistance stories and that their enduring success should be seen, at least in part, as a result of their articulation of broader cultural values that Norwegian parents have seen (and continue to see) as important to communicate to their children. Both books highlight redemption and forgiveness as important values. I also argue that because they have become part of the Norwegian literary canon, they continue to act as arenas for the reproduction of these values. These books may, therefore, be seen as both exhibiting and reproducing what we may call a desistance-conducive ‘culture of second chances’.

KEYWORDS:

• Scandinavian penal exceptionalism
• children’s literature
• cultural criminology
• desistance
• desistance-conducive cultures

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my children Eldbjørg, Kolbein and Agnar for the endless opportunities they provide me to immerse myself in Egner’s universe. Avi Brisman, Anders Heger, Yvonne Jewkes, Fergus McNeill, Kristian Mjåland, Sveinung Sandberg, and John Todd-Kvam have all read earlier versions of this paper. I am indebted to them all for their constructive suggestions as well as their enthusiasm.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. I rely here on the English language versions of Egner’s classics, translated by Anthony Barnett (Cardamom Town, first published in 1993) and Heidi Sævareid (Huckybucky, first published in 2018).

2. A term suggested by Fergus McNeill, personal communication.