Children’s book about a time journey to a Roman castellum
Author: Harry Lindelauf
Photography:
In July, The Roman Bullet will be published, the first book by Rob Koops in his new series The Time Viewer. Central to the story is the “time viewer,” which enables two teenagers to travel to Roman times. Only after exciting adventures are they able to return.
The story of The Roman Bullet takes place at Castellum Hoge Woerd near Utrecht during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117–138 AD). There, at the frontier of the Roman Empire along the Rhine, Maud (11) and her cousin Vos (10) end up thanks to their “time viewer.” An exciting quest must help them obtain the Roman bullet that will allow them to return to the present day.
Rob Koops became known through The Puzzle Solver, followed by the successful Primeval Blood trilogy. The new book is intended for children aged 10 to 12.
‘Roman glasses’
He owes the Roman angle of his new book partly to advice from, among others, Saskia Stevens of Utrecht University, leader of the project Constructing the Limes. He supplements that knowledge with his imagination. In an interview with De Boekenkrant, Rob Koops said: “When I cycle through the city, I look around me as if wearing a kind of ‘Roman glasses.’ If I see something that I think is a good idea, I quickly write it down in my phone.”
And he reads about the Romans: “For example, about emperors who lived at that time. Usually, I read several books at once. Often that includes a history book and a children’s book.” The illustrations in The Roman Bullet were created by his wife, Maruga Koops.
The Roman Bullet, Rob Koops. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9789402720921
