Koen Dobbelaer

Fisherman’s son Benjamin - Bennie - Stout is a boy with a heart of gold who always gets himself into trouble. His St. Nicholas wish list includes a pedal car, just like the one the sneaky mayor’s son Roderick has. These are the depression years in the 1930s and because the haul falls short, his father stays in Spain a little longer to earn some extra money. Bennie now only has one wish left: that his father will come home. If need be, he will go and get him from Spain himself. He catches Roderick erasing his name from the Bad Children list in St. Nicholas’ Great Book when an idea occurs to him. He quickly adds his name to the list, which lands him a place in St. Nicholas’ bag. But the saint does not understand that Bennie doesn’t mind going to Spain.

Bruno finds it very interesting that his father, Daan (35), shaves his beard and head before he leaves on a military mission. When Daan offers his son to shave him, Bruno finds it an offer he cannot refuse. Along with this intimate way of saying goodbye, we see what happens to Daan on his mission in Afghanistan through Bruno playing with his toy soldiers.