Austria


65
Dahimène, Adelheid (text)
Stöllinger, Heide (illus.)
Voller Mond und leerer Bär (Full moon and empty bear)
Wien : Verl. Jungbrunnen, 2000. – [32pp]
ISBN 3-7026-5719-3
Moon - Bear - Magic - Self-confidence - Hope
One night, the full moon shines through a window and sees a completely flat bear lying on the floor –
a big, sad head sitting on top. The moon wants to help and lift his sadness. He encourages the »empty« bear to get up and wash off the dust and dirt of the past years by the fountain. This succeeds and the two have great fun together. Soon the moon has to return to the sky. But he promises the bear to reserve him a place up there: if he has enough patience, one day (or night rather!) he will be a constellation up in the sky. Meanwhile, the bear returns to his bear-skin state, but he is no longer sad. Coloured pencil illustrations perfectly render the development from the sad, empty bear skin to the hopeful dreamer. (5+)


66
Gutenbergmuseum Mainz (ed.)
Von Gutenberg zum World Wide Web (From Gutenberg to the world wide web)
Wien : Dachs, 2000. – 117pp
ISBN 3-85191-190-3
Gutenberg, Johannes - Book printing - Computer - Internet
In time for Gutenberg's 600th birthday, here is a helpful reference book, documenting his contribution to print media and to the world of books in an encompassing and useful way. Along with his biography, partly based on documents of the many legal trials instigated by and against Gutenberg, come detailed descriptions of his craft, book printing, and its development to the present day. The section »The colourful encyclopedia of the black art« introduces a wide range of technical terms of printing and offers annotations to the topics »book and computer« and »media«. A list of addresses and useful hints (not only) for interested adolescents complement this thorough book. It looks as though paper and electronic media should get along nicely in the future. (12+)


67
Kaufmann, Angelika (text/illus.)
Cäcilie <proper name>
Weitra : Publ. No. 1, Bibl. der Provinz, [2000]. – [32pp]
ISBN 3-85252-175-0
Zebra - Siblings - Escape - Dream
A zebra familiy takes a rest in the grasslands around noon – stripes by stripes. Only the little foal wants to skip and jump about. When a lion appears in the distance, the herd flees, but Cäcilie falls into a deep ditch. She can only get out thanks to a pair of magic shoes. When she wakes up, it all turns out to have been a dream. But now she can tell the others about her adventure. The story is framed by the illustrator's report about her own work. A picture book inviting to be read over and over again – just the way children love it. (4+)


Special Mention

68
Kooij, Rachel van (text)
Wechdorn, Susanne (illus.)
Jonas, die Gans (Jonas, the gander)
Wien: Verl. Jungbrunnern, 2000. – 114pp
ISBN 3-7026-5721-5
Goose - Poultry farming - Captivity - Accident - Naiveté - Freedom
The geese at the plant may have plenty to eat and they may be clean, but their lives in the narrow coops consist of awaiting their turn at the butcher's. Only Jonas dares to ponder the why and wherefore of existence. And he of all geese is to serve as Anna's and Alois' Christmas roast! But things take an unexpected turn: the transport crashes, Jonas tries to find his destination on his own, escapes the fox and finally finds Alois. The farmer is relieved: his Christmas dinner seems secured. But Anna adopts Jonas into her family of pets. They will have carp for Christmas dinner instead – like every year. A suggestive and humorous story about a gander whose life is saved by his belief in the intrinsic goodness of the world. (8+)


69
Lukas, Leo (text)
Haderer, Gerhard (illus.)
Jörgi, der Drachentöter : ein Bilderbuch für Kinder und Erwachsene 
(Jörgi, the dragon fighter : a picture book for children and adults)
Wien : Ueberreuter, 2000. – [40pp]
ISBN 3-8000-3792-0
Boy - Dragon - Abuse of power - Racism - Democracy
Jörgi knows precisely what he wants to be when he grows up: a dragon fighter. To make things complicated, the king himself is a dragon – and Jörgi helps to depose him. The crown prince has hardly taken up his office, when he, too, turns into a dragon. Now it is Jörgi's turn to rule the country – and once again things turn out dragonly bad. The observant subjects conclude: the crown creates the dragons – let us get rid of it! That is what happens, and now (democratic) peace and happiness return. Older readers will rejoice at the caricatures of real-life contemporary politics and appreciate the satirical undertone. Cleverly enough, however, the fairy tale pictures show – for children – scenes from the times of chivalry when killing and dismissing dragons still helped. (6+)


70
Sklenitzka, Franz Sales (text/illus.)
Die Bibliothek : ein interaktives Leseabenteuer (The library : an interactive reading-adventure)
St. Pölten : NP-Buchverl., 2000. – [180pp]
ISBN 3-85326-156-6
Library - Theft - Detective - Interactive reading
Strange things happen in the local library: valuable volumes disappear, but even though the librarian might be very wise, he is also quite helpless. That's what the protagonist of these »library mysteries« discovers during his research for a German presentation. In the end, the mystery is solved and the researcher wins a trip to Ireland to have a look at the original »Book of Kells«. The term »interactive reading« probably relates to the text's affinity to the new media – it offers links which allow the reader to zap his own, unique way through the narrative. In any case, this entertaining volume states the case for a renewed discovery of books and libraries. (12+)


71
Treskatis, Barbara (text/illus.)
Wenn ich eine Katze hätte (If I had a cat)
Wien : Dachs, 2000. – [28pp]
ISBN 3-85191-186-5
Girl - Love for animals - Wish - Cat - Imagination
A little girl longs to have a kitten, but her mother and father keep putting the wish off. And then – what a surprise – her wish comes true without the slightest assistance of her parents: one kitten appears to play with Lena, one to protect her during the night, another one to keep her company on the way to kindergarten. Naturally, she insists on keeping these friends when she finally gets a real pet – and they promise to stay close to her. A book for the little ones with spacious, calm pictures in saturated colours encouraging trust in the world and most especially in the power of imagination. (5+)

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