Duck, Death and the Tulip is the creation of award-winning German artist and writer Wolf Erlbruch, who has chosen childhood as his subject in the manner of, say, William Golding or Harper Lee. Erlbruch (probably best known as the illustrator of The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew It Was None of His Business) is a much-venerated figure in Germany; his subjects emerge from the uncosy side of childhood, a place populated by edgy creatures and uncomfortable themes. You won't find a fuzzy bunny or a little bear who can't sleep in Duck, Death and the Tulip.