Germany
72
Baginski, Antonia (text)
Röder, Annette (illus.)
Anton mit dem roten Schal
(Anton with the red scarf)
München : Prestel, 2000. – [28pp]
ISBN 3-7913-2416-0
Piglet - Adventure - Elf - Departure - Return
Anton is a little, adventurous piglet. One day he goes into the forest to look for the
elves he heard stories about. Of course, he gets lost! And had it not been for the help of
a little boar – a piglet with stripes! (Or could it possibly have been the elves who helped him?) – Anton had certainly died
of cold. Back home, they all want to hear Anton's adventure over and over again. The
coloured drawings of the different animals and the generous composition give this picture
book a special flair. (4+)
73
Bauer, Jutta (text/illus.)
Schreimutter (Screaming Mom)
Weinheim : Beltz & Gelberg, 2000. – [36pp]
ISBN 3-407-79264-6
Child - Mother - Upbringing - Anger - Reconciliation
One morning a penguin child experiences a terrible scene: Angry and for no apparent
reason, its mother has a screaming fit. Shocked, the child feels as though all its body
parts had been blasted off and spread all over the cosmos: the head in outer space, the
wings in the jungle. The beak on the mountain top is silent, and the feet are dug in the
desert – there is no more penguin child. But »Screaming Mom« comes to her senses:
she gathers all the various parts and sews them together again. »I'm sorry«, she says at
last. Despite all, the clash of maternal irritation and childlike anxiety, illustrated
with soft watercolours, tells a story about the joys of reconciliation. (5+)
74
Bolliger, Max (text)
Ensikat, Klaus (illus.)
Kleines Glück & Wilde Welt
(Small Happiness & Wild World)
Berlin : Aufbau, 2000. – 38pp
ISBN 3-351-04011-3
Home - Caution - Wanderlust - Departure - Return - Adventure - Character
Two dissimilar (fox-)brothers share a den until one of them leaves home to seek adventure
in the big wide world. The other one stays at home and finds happiness in the immediate,
unspectacular surroundings. The two brothers share the fate of all creatures: They have to
follow their inner calling, at the same time longing for another, maybe a better life. In
the end, the two are reunited. Both paths were full of adventures – wild or quiet
ones. Klaus Ensikat renders the different characters and their respective worlds with
graphic perfection and perceptive psychological insight. (6+)
75
Brussig, Thomas
Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenalle (At the shorter end of Sonnenallee <street name>)
Berlin : Verl. Volk & Welt, 1999. – 156pp
ISBN 3-353-01168-4
Berlin <East> - Berlin wall - Adolescence -
First love - Humour - Irony - History 1973
The shorter end of Sonnenallee lies in East, the longer one in West Berlin. Entrenched
between these mutually exclusive societies, teenagers get crazy ideas and adults are
plotting illicit traffic of more than simply smarties and coffee. The 70s in the GDR are
not all grey but unexpectedly colourful. The text sets a literary monument to the
notorious self-irony of Berliners. With a good amount of self confidence and a pinch of
nostalgia, the author tells about a life unknown to the West: a life full of dangers and
paradoxes which would surely have continued for a long time had it not been for the
historical events of 1989/90. (14+) <>
76
Chidolue, Dagmar
Nicht alle Engel sind aus Stein (Not all angels are made of stone)
Hamburg : Dressler, 2000. – 175pp
ISBN 3-7915-0396-0
Daughter - Mother - Depression - Responsibility - Reversal of roles
An ordinary middle-class-family: The mother is an artist but lacks a real occupation to
give her a sense of fulfillment. The father fails to realise the social isolation his
well-cared-for wife suffers from. It is the daughter's task to cope with the ups and downs
of everyday life and to endow them with sense. Her depressive mother keeps talking about
death. The unexpected prospect of establishing a little book store for her raises hopes to
solve the problems. The author credibly relates the inner strife of a 12-year-old girl: a
childhood filled with the desire for comfort and (supposed) responsibility for a mother
who refuses to grow up. (12+)
77
Dörrie, Doris (text)
Kaergel, Julia (illus.)
Lotte und die Monster (Lotte and the monsters)
Ravensburg : Ravensburger Buchverl., 2000. – [32pp]
ISBN 3-473-33960-1
(Includes a puzzle)
Girl - Going to bed - Fear - Overcoming fears
Lotte is afraid of the monsters in her room, because they mess up her toys and create
havock. Her mother assures her that monsters do not exist, but Lotte is not comforted
until she has the courage to ask what those beasts want: Maybe they simply want to watch
TV? This question is the key to all her troubles! She can lock her door behind them and go
to bed without any further worries. This picture book encourages children to confront
their fears – also verbally. It shows that, when cooperative adults reach the limits
of their imagination, children will have to find their own ways to solve their problems.
(5+)
78
Drvenkar, Zoran
Der Winter der Kinder oder Alissas Traum (The children's winter or Alissa's dream)
Hamburg : Oetinger, 2000. – 194pp
ISBN 3-7891-3306-X
Daughter - Father - Loss of father - Grief -
Psychosomatic illness - Dream
Alissa has cold. Ever since the day her father died in a car accident, life around her
kept losing touch with reality. Although Alissa's freezing is a physical symptom, it
cannot be treated medically. The author cures Alissa's problem with a dream: In that
dream, Alissa encounters other children who have lost loved ones. She understands that she
has to decide against freezing-to-death and for life. She feels that her father has not
left her for good, but that she can be with him in her thoughts and that he continues to
be close to her. The author succeeds in portraying Allisa's situation with deep
psychological insight and great literary skill. (10+)
79
Engelmann, Reiner (ed.)
Plötzlich ist nichts mehr sicher : Kinder und der Krieg
(All of a sudden, nothing is safe anymore : children and war)
Berlin : Elefanten Press, 2000. – 141pp
ISBN 3-88520-765-6
Child - War- Anthology
This book tells about wars all over the world – about how children suffer from wars
and are destroyed by them. Children write these texts, remembering their own experiences.
Adults write texts about children during war times. The book expresses the firm conviction
that words are powerful and can be of consequence, that the protest against war and
suffering shall not be silenced. In collaboration with other organizations, the children's
fund UNICEF, sponsor of this anthology, supports traumatised children on their road back
to normality. The appendix of the book provides addresses for those interested in further
information. (10+) <>
80
Gernhardt, Robert (text)
Waechter, Philip (illus.)
Die Reise nach Amerika (The voyage to America)
Hamburg : Ellermann, 2000. – [44pp]
ISBN 3-7707-6427-7
Dog - Boat trip - Departure - Coming home - Poetry
This is a story about spirit of enterprise and foolhardiness: Even though the voyage to
America is not completed, the adventurer returns home wiser than he left it. Trulli, the
most daring of the dogs, shipwrecks his inflated boat and can be happy to reach the shore
sound and safe. He is awaited by the rest of the gloating dog team. Humorous, poignant
verse and witty pictures in a moderate cartoon-style lead the way through this adventure.
The all-encompassing perspective at the end reveals the big ocean to be a little pond; the big adventure proves to have been a nice
amusement. The happy end does not conceal the dangers of a dare devil's solitary
enterprise. (5+)
81
Härtling, Peter
Reise gegen den Wind : wie Primel das Ende des Krieges erlebt
(Voyage against the wind : how Primel experienced the end of war)
Weinheim : Beltz & Gelberg, 2000. – 145pp
ISBN 3-407-79814-8
World War II - Post war time - Austria - Boy - Aunt - Refugee
Bernd, nicknamed Primel, has lost his parents during the war and has to flee his Moravian
home town together with his aunt. They make halt in a small Austrian village. He befriends
two village children and a little stray dog, and, for a short time, the chaotic situation
seems to him full off excitement and adventure. But the machinations of the grown-up
civilians and militaries remain incomprehensible and frightening to him. Because the child
does not know nor understand the larger historical context, the daily experiences are of
much greater impact. The earnestness in tone, possibly due to the author's
autobiographical background, conveys this very clearly – despite some comical
episodes and quaint protagonists. (10+) <> ¤
Special Mention
82
Hohler, Franz (text)
Berner, Rotraut Susanne (illus.)
Wenn ich mir etwas wünschen könnte (If I had three wishes)
München : Hanser, 2000. – 30pp
ISBN 3-446-19819-9
Girl - Dissatisfaction - School - Looks - Wish - Magic
Barbara feels she is ugly, bad at school and has no friends. One night, when a fairy
actually grants her three wishes, this is what she comes up with: a pair of blue sneakers, a red pen and a parrot. It must have been a very clever fairy
(even though she had to push a few sighs at such nonsense). For with her new shoes Barbara
runs as fast as Erich – who becomes her friend. With her new pen she can write
without care and mistakes – which wins her the favours of the class mates. The parrot
pays her compliments which makes her more beautiful every day. What a wonderfully careless
message for a picture book completely free of pedagogical pedantry: kids, get real and
wish to your heart's content! Then – perhaps – secret wishes may come true all
by themselves. Colourful pictures full of detail contribute to the cheerful overall
impression of this book. (8+) ¤
83
Joop, Florentine (text/illus.)
Bonifacio oder das Geheimnis der Faultiere (Bonifacio or the secret of the sloth family)
Hamburg : Ed. Riesenrad, 2000. – [30pp]
ISBN 3-933697-83-2
Sloth - Thinking - Work - Society - Naming
Once upon a time the busiest animals were neither the bees nor the ants but the sloths
– back then called »busy bears«. Until one day a young animal discovered a cob web
up in a tree. Dew drops were hanging from it, mirroring the entire jungle – in short:
the whole world. This made the little animal think. It hang from the tree all day. And
thought. This intensive thinking inspired other animals. Soon, the »busy bears« became
known as the sloths (»lazy bears«). And since that day, they lived happily ever after.
They're still hanging around. This convincing story with a deeper meaning employs
metaphors and humour to reflect upon the gaping discrepancy between activist belief in
progress and philosophical musing. (6+) ¤
84
Klippel, Christian (text)
Riese, Anna de (illus.)
Schiff in der Wüste (Ship in the desert)
Berlin : Altberliner Verl., 2000. – 206pp
ISBN 3-357-00874-2
Astronaut - Desert - Lake - Ecological equilibrium - Ship
A rusty ship rides at anchor in a presumed desert, or, to be more precise: in a dried up
lake. The stranded astronaut Jürgen tries to find water for little Pjotr, his mother and
grandfather who still live on the old boat. And – surprise: An oil-mogul pumps melted
snow from the mountains instead of oil down his pipelines. In exchange, he asks for a trip
into space. Ship, men and nature are miraculously saved. This story appears to the reader
at once fantastic and commonplace. It is told with humour and conviction and illustrated
with many, often full-spread pictures. (10+) ¤
85
Lebert, Benjamin / Lebert, Ursula (text)
Müller, Hildegard (illus.)
Die Geschichte vom kleinen Hund, der nicht bellen konnte (The story of the little dog who couldn't bark)
Frankfurt am Main : Fischer Taschenbuchverl., 2000. – [32pp]
(Fischer Schatzinsel)
ISBN 3-596-85077-0
Dog - Vocal defect - Identity crisis - Accident - Rescue
Despite relentless effort, a little dog cannot bark. Nobody can understand that, because
all animals have their own voices: cows mooh, sheep baah, cats meow – but the little
dog remains silent and sad. Until fortune arranges for the farmer to come home one night
– not quite sober. He steps on the dog's tail. The little one starts barking –
with pain of course. Surprised by this unexpected sound, he continues barking and does not
stop. »Howling dog«, the others call him, ignoring the troubles of silence. This book
tells of the existential need to express oneself and to be listended to. It presents this
problem pervading all childhood in an unspecta-cular, humorous manner. (4+)
86
Lemke, Elisabeth
Marc Chagall : Welche Farben hat das Paradies? : Bilder zur Bibel
(Marc Chagall : What colour is paradise? : Pictures for the Bible)
München : Prestel, 2000. – 28pp
(Abenteuer Kunst)
ISBN 3-7913-2418-7
The Bible - Chagall, Marc
Suprisingly, this picture book about religious art in its largest sense does not adhere to
the text of the Bible. The text combines the biography of the painter Marc Chagall,
historical events and biblical narratives to create a new entity. The pictures tell more
than the words and with richer detail. The book invites children and parents to explore
and discover but also to call into memory the ancient texts. The series »Abenteuer
Kunst« (Art Adventures) always features the Éuvre of one artist and presents it in an
accessible but dense, impressing and convincing way for children. (8+)
¤
87
Mönter, Petra (text)
Wiemers, Sabine (illus.)
Geh mit niemandem mit, Lena! (Don't go along with a stranger, Lena!)
Freiburg : Kerle im Verl. Herder, 2000. [28pp]
ISBN 3-451-70317-3
Girl - Threat - Cunning - Protection - Solidarity
Even though Lena is tired of her mother's continous warnings, she begins feeling
uncomfortable when, on her way to school, she sees a stranger sitting in a car,
scrutinising the street. At lunch-hour the girls do not dare to pass his car. They alarm
their mothers. Despite the fact that the whole story turns out to be complete-ly harmless,
the children learn to appreciate their source of strength: caution, solidarity and last
but not least, their loud whistles! Full-spread pictures with slightly distorted images
and exaggerated perspectives suggest the controversial nature of this issue. (6+)
88
Moritz, Karl Philipp (text)
Erlbruch, Wolf (illus.)
Neues ABC-Buch (New ABC-book)
München : Kunstmann, 2000. – [64pp]
ISBN 3-88897-235-3
Alphabet
What characterises this very unusual, almost biblio-phile ABC book is an intensive
reflection upon the nature of man and the universe. It is based on a very early
representative of the genre: Karl Philipp Moritz published the original text in 1790.
The carefully modernised texts accompanying each letter still pay tribute to the spirit of
the Age of Enlightenment. The well-known illustrator Wolf Erlbruch skilfully displays his
mastery entering into a visual dialogue with the historical text and playing with the genre of ABC books. He
designs complex illustrations using various techniques and mixed media. They complement
the informational value of the text. (12+)
89
Pausewang, Gudrun
Du darfst nicht schreien (You must not cry)
Ravensburg : Ravensburger Buchverl., 2000. – 252pp
(Ravensburger junge Reihe)
ISBN 3-473-35203-9
World War II - Brno <Moravia> - Occupation - German student - Friendship - Czechs -
Execution - History 1942
It is the year of the assassination of German general Heydrich in Prague, 1942. Georg, a
high school student in the city of Brno, lives in a room with a view on the former Kaunitz
College which now serves as a prison. Soon, the boy has to discover that executions are
carried out there by the German SS. Georg's unreflected German-national sentiments and
thoughts are suddenly challenged. One day, the mother of a class mate, a Czech member of
the anti-Nazi resistance movement, is taken to Kaunitz College and executed. The deeply
stirred reader experiences the life of a young man at cruel times and witnesses his
attempts to learn to cope with them. (14+)
90
Procházková, Iva (text)
Tessmer, Silke (illus.)
Vinzenz fährt nach Afrika (Vinzenz goes to Africa)
Hamburg : Ellermann, 2000. – 128pp
ISBN 3-7707-3095-X
Boy - Psychomatic illness - Shamanism - Cure
Vinzenz suffers from a mysterious tiredness. Neither traditional nor alternative medical
praticioners in Germany can find out what the cause is. But Vinzenz finds advice in Mr.
Yaloké's Africa shop just around the corner: One of Mr. Yaloké's relatives is a shaman
and says that Vinzenz should go to Africa and bring about the cure himself. The trip turns
out to be a great adventure and a big success: Vinzenz has recovered and has found new
friends. Both the subject and its literary treatment make this a convincing novel with
rich detail, openness toward foreign worlds, humanitarian spirit, a good portion of humour
and an engaging plot. (8+)
91
Richter, Jutta
Der Tag, als ich lernte, die Spinnen zu zähmen (The day I learned to tame spiders)
München : Hanser, 2000. – 87pp
ISBN 3-446-19896-2
Girl - Boy - Outcast - Assistance - Friendship - Loyalty - Social discrepancy
Rainer, an outcast, and the heroine (and narrative I) of this story become friends when
the boy helps her to overcome her phobia of spiders. But when Rainer injures a boy in a
group scuffle, the girl is also marginalised. Her worries about the injured school mate
and her desire to return to the group finally lead her to betray the friendship with
Rainer. Rainer is alone once again. The author does not give her protagonist a name. This
way, commonplace betrayal is treated in an exemplary manner, just the way it happens
always and everywhere amongst children. Well plotted and not lingering on facts,
this book also entices older readers. (10+) ¤
92
Schnurre, Wolfdietrich (text)
Berner, Rotraut Susanne (illus.)
Die Prinzessin kommt um vier (The princess comes at four)
Berlin : Aufbau-Verl., 2000. – [32pp]
ISBN 3-351-04000-8
Boy - Hyena - Metamorphosis - Ugliness - Beauty - Lie - Love - Understanding
This bright, colourful picture book presents an imaginative interpretation of a rather
bland text by Wolfdietrich Schnurre, first published in 1959. »I« is a boy who sees a
ragged, bleary-eyed hyena in the zoo who pretends to be a princess. Her curse, she
assures, can be lifted by a simple invitation to coffee. The boy fulfills her wish. The
hyena comes at four, stuffs her face and finally has to admit that she is nothing but an
ordinary hyena. Her host had nurtured doubts before and forgives her. This is a real love story, a
book for younger and older children, without pedagogy, with a happy end and absolutely
plausible. (4+) ¤
93
Schulz, Hermann
Sonnennebel (Sun-Fog)
Hamburg : Carlsen, 2000. – 285pp
ISBN 3-551-58064-2
Ruhrgebiet <industrial area of Germany> - Adolescent - Orphan - Growing-up - Carrier
pigeon - Gross madness - First love - History 1950
This novel is set in the 1950s. Accordingly, people live a very frugal life in a small
provincial town in the industrial region on the Ruhr. More or less legally, 15-year-old
Freddy tries to make a little money and repeatedly comes into conflict with the police
without however ever really turning criminal. When he meets his first love, all problems
are overcome including the social difference between him and Cornelia and the soon
following break-up. The reader retains the hope that both will find their own way. Both
tone and language are refreshingly vivid, the narration full of subdued humour. This is an
authentic retrospective on the problems facing German adolescents after World War II.
(12+)
94
Schwitters, Kurt (text)
Märtin, Carsten (illus.)
Die Geschichte vom Hasen (The story of the hare)
Oldenburg : Lappan, 2001. – [32pp]
ISBN 3-8303-1009-9
Hare - Metamorphosis - Imagination
Beware of this hare: none would think that he, »endangered animal of the year 2001« considered worthy of protection, could »actually«
be quite versatile: his brown fur, the long ears and the short tail can mutate into all
sorts of imaginable attrib-utes, creating new, unexpected species. Besides the fun
unleashed by these playful metamorphoses, this book gives an impression of the infinite,
lively world of (animal-)life. Humans only make a marginal appearance in the form of
scarecrows or children. The text is a classic of German nonsense literature; the generous
illustrations are rich in detail and perfectly capture the spirit of the whimsical words.
(5+) ¤
95
Steinhöfel, Andreas (text)
Schulmeyer, Heribert (illus.)
Wo bist du nur? (Where could you be?)
Hamburg : Carlsen, 2000. – [32pp]
ISBN 3-551-51492-5
Child - Love - Loneliness - Quest - Reunion
A punk-child doll is desperately looking for someone who apparently has disappeared and
whom it loves a lot. The telephone remains silent; the loneliness is unbearable, the
letter box is empty, the sun surely is a forgery, and memories of past joys are a torment.
And then: a key sounds in the door and all is well again. This book tells the story in
distinct words and well arranged pictures but leaves enough room for the imagination to
roam: nobody will ever know more about the missed person than that he or she has returned
and is loved – no clue as to what he or she looks like, nothing. Everything is left
up to the reader: everyone is allowed to cherish his or her very own love and own secrets,
most of all a child. (4+)
96
Stuhr, Michael
Der Ruf der Steppe (Call of the prairies)
Stuttgart : Thienemann, 2000. – 365pp
ISBN 3-522-17374-0
Prairie - Girl - Dog - Departure - Homecoming - Danger - Magic - Love
This novel is set out of time and place. A clan leaves a city in a harsh and hostile
landscape and ventures into the prairies in quest of new living space for the humans. The
leader of the group is >a young girl. Stories of bravery and treachery, magic, love and
unforeseen dangers unfold against the background of a fantasy world in which men and women
fight for survival. The atmosphere of adventure, courage and solidarity is sure to engage
the reader who will follow the plot to the very last page with fascination. (12+)
97
Tenberken, Sabriye (text)
Kronenberg, Paul (photos)
Mein Weg führt nach Tibet : die blinden Kinder von Lhasa
(My road leads to Tibet : the blind children of Lhasa)
Köln : Kiepenheuer und Witsch, 2000. – 251pp
ISBN 3-462-02936-3
Tibet - Blind - School for the blind
The blind German student of Tibetan studies, Sabriye Tenberken, plots the bold scheme of
helping the blind children of Tibet by founding a school for them. In Tibetan culture,
blindness is considered a punishment sent by the demons. Blind children were cast from
society and often even thought to be mentally retarded. Tenberken travels to Tibet all on
her own and tells of her attempts to realise her project against all odds – under
great difficulties and personal sacrifices. This compelling autobiographic account gives
insight into fascinating and unknown worlds with sets of values very different to those of
most modern, industrialised societies. (12+) <>
98
Tolstoi, Lev N. (text)
Kindermann, Barbara (adapt.)
Gangwisch, Lisa (illus.)
Der Befehl des Oberteufels oder wie das Teufelchen sein Brot verdiente
(The order of the devil or how the little devil earned his bread)
Berlin : Kindermann, 2000. – [24pp]
ISBN 3-934029-00-0
Peasant - Devil - Trial - Poverty - Wealth
A poor peasant shows compassion and gives his last piece of bread to a little devil. But
the moment the peasant has become a wealthy man – with assistance of the devil –
his heart hardens and he becomes greedy. He and his comrades behave more like animals than
like humans. This folk tale by Leo Tostoi has been adapted for German readers and shows
– in an idealising way – the destructive potential of riches to man. Dynamic,
large-formatted watercolour drawings in rich, dark colours enhance the text. (8+)¤
99
Wohmann, Gabriele
Das Hallenbad (The indoor swimming pool)
München : Piper, 2000. – 190pp
ISBN 3-492-04258-9
Girl - Imagination - Writing - Swimming lessons - Fear - Excuse
Mona is afraid of going to her swimming lessons. So she pretends to suffer from a
water-trauma caused by an airplane crash over the Atlantic. It is of little consequence to
the plot whether anyone believes her story. The narrative focusses on the capacity of this
sensitive girl to cope with unpleasant realities of day-by-day existence by confronting
and transforming them with the help of language and intriguing words. The reader might
even be tempted to imitate Mona's way of coping. The author succeeds in describing Mona's
inner life by adopting a style akin to the free floating imagination of a 13-year-old. She
avoids platitudes, her tone is refreshingly young, the language never tries for jargon.
This novel certainly raises sympathy for all those plagued by puberty. (12+)
100
Zwerger, Lisbeth (illus.)
Die Bibel : ausgewählte Texte (The Bible : selected texts)
Stuttgart : Dt. Bibelges. ; Stuttgart : Verl. Kath. Bibelwerk, 2000. – 159pp
ISBN 3-438-01666-4 ; 3-460-30670-x
The Bible
Religious texts present a delicate challenge to adapters and illustrators. Officiousness
and missionary zeal tend to overpower the biblical narrative. This is an offence to
children's intelligence and curiosity. This version of the Bible, however, is wonderfully
free of religious fervour and pedantry. Not exclusively conceived for children, the words
and pictures are plain and simple without ever verging on the simplistic. No concessions
have been made to sentimentalities. The illustrator's fine hand congeniously translates
the intimate message of the words and proposes interpretations which convince children and
adults on the aesthetic as well as on the narrative level. (8+) ¤