Austria
65
Achternbusch, Herbert (text/illus.)
Karpfn (Carps)
Weitra : Publ. P No 1, Bibliothek der
Provinz, [1999]. - [30] p.
ISBN 3-85252-186-6
Small girl - Carp - Lifesaving - Imagination - Anthropomorphism
There are two central questions implicitly discussed in this unusual
picture book: What are the limits of awareness for both humans and animals and
how do these two species communicate with each other? For the two carps living
in the pond in front of Naomi's house the »concept of the world« at first
naturally ends at the surface of the water. One day, though, three-year-old
Naomi saves the life of one of the carps, who dutifully expresses his thanks.
The small girl immediately tells her parents about it. Unlike Naomi's mother,
a teacher, her poetry-writing father does not consider talking carps
astonishing. In only a few lines of text and blue-ink brushwork the author
gives us his firm opinion about children, poets, carps, and teachers. (7+) ¤
66
Auer, Martin (text)
Wolfsgruber, Linda (illus.)
Luzi <proper name>
St. Pölten [et al.] : NP, 2001. - [28] p.
ISBN 3-85326-240-6
Devil - Wings - Loss - Search
Luzi, the son of great Lucifer, wants to bring back the large,
wonderfully white angelic wings his father lost long ago. He starts his search
on the earth's surface and tries out all the different materials he comes
across - without success, of course. Then Angela, a small angel, turns up and
persuades him to play hopscotch (in German called »Himmel und Hölle« / »Heaven
and Hell«). They jump around hopping from square to square with all the
tricks of the trade, and that is how Luzi finds a solution to his father's
problem: »If you can't fly, at least you can jump«, he tells him. Father
Lucifer smiles. Around the devils' family idyll, the small and big
protagonists move on a diabolically red background, around the secular world,
they move on a scenery dominated by earthen and heavenly colours. In this
picture book, heaven and hell become reconciled. (5+)
Special Mention
67
Auer, Martin (text)
Wolfsgruber, Linda (illus.)
Prinzessin Rotznase (Princess Snotty-Nose)
Weitra : Publ. P No 1, Bibliothek der Provinz, 2001. - [64] p.
(Kunst)
ISBN 3-85252-375-3
Princess - Example - Imitation - Dependence
Because of their psychological dependence on others, the protagonists of
this picture book act very weirdly. A high-ranking person does something
impertinent and immediately everybody imitates that behaviour in some form:
When the proud princess refuses to blow her nose, the prince does not want to
comb his hair anymore, the king stops washing himself, the magician tears his
clothes, etc. etc. And in the end, to make matters worse, the fool even
intends to let himself be eaten by the crocodile - only because of the other
people's foolishness. Luckily enough, the story ends happily for both the fool
and the crocodile. The various mixed-media collages, are set off against a
uniform background resembling a table on which all the protagonists meet. The
text is partly hand-written, partly printed. The arrangement of text and
pictures, full of sudden breaks and leaps, underscores the absurdity of the
action. Despite its serious background, this interactive book also invites its
readers to play. (Cut-out dolls are included) (4+) ¤
68
Janisch, Heinz (text)
Bansch, Helga (illus.)
Es gibt so Tage ... (There are those days ...)
Wien : Jungbrunnen, 2001. - [28] p.
ISBN 3-7026-5734-7
Girl - Everyday life - Imagination – Mood
There are certain days ... when the world seems all topsy-turvy. Maybe,
one should indeed think about Merike's interpretation of reality as presented
in the creative and lively pictures: Isn't it true that sometimes everybody
seems to walk on stilts or stand on their heads (at least inwardly)? Doesn't
the city really seem like a huge jungle at times? And, on the bright side,
doesn't everyone get a kiss once in a while? Doesn't everybody feel the need
to lean on somebody, to stare into the air, or to show a special trick to
someone? On those days ... when she rather stays in bed, Merike invents her
own stories. This book offers its readers almost endless possibilities for
dreaming on and on. (6+) ¤
69
Laube, Sigrid
Der unterbrochene Ton
(The interrupted sound)
Wien [et al.] : Jungbrunnen, 2001. - 270 p.
ISBN 3-7026-5736-3
Vienna/1938-1939 - Upper classes - Jews - Family - Daughter - National
Socialism - Persecution of the Jews – Emigration
This is a story told in flashbacks: In 1947, while travelling to her
father who emigrated overseas, Clara remembers the life-threatening incidents
of 1938 and 1939 and the momentous changes to her daily life in Vienna during
her childhood. In the course of these events, a well-guarded family secret
could not be kept any longer: to protect her children, Clara's non-Jewish
mother reveals that the father of Clara and her siblings, a friend of the
family, is »Aryan«. Their deeply-loved Jewish dad is not the natural father.
The children do not understand their parents' actions anymore. Yet, such
family matters fade into the background in the face of the real-life horrors.
This is a moving novel based on an authentic story and written with a profound
knowledge of historical details. (12+)
70
Said (text)
Kretschmann, Moidi (illus.)
Clara <proper name>
St. Pölten [et al.] : NP, 2001. - [24] p.
ISBN 3-85326-243-0
Scarecrow - Raven - Uselessness - Loneliness - Fear - Friendship – Age
Clara feels very lonely - until, one day, a raven comes along, who tells
her about the whole wide world. As Clara is afraid of the dark - a very
embarrassing thing for a scarecrow - she asks the raven to stay with her. The
urbane bird, however, intends to fetch her the moon from the sky to light up
the night. Yet, since Clara would definitely prefer her new friend's company,
she is not really disappointed when his big plan fails. Clara names the raven,
who has never had a name before, Jakob and they stay together. The
illustrations with their large white spaces make Clara's loneliness evident
and picture two slightly dishevelled but happy friends. (6+)
71
Thüminger, Rosemarie
Elena <proper name>
Wien : Dachs-Verl., 2001.- 139 p.
ISBN 3-85191-223-3
Friendship - Drug abuse - Coming of age
Elena and her brother get on very well. Therefore, his invitation to join
him and his girlfriend Susette on a trip to Amsterdam sounds very attractive
to Elena, even if she does not have a particularly good relationship with
Susette, a spoiled young woman. Of course, she doesn't have any idea that
Susette is a drug addict and intends to abuse her for smuggeling drugs. After
a while, the young woman's psychological situation becomes more and more
desperate; eventually, she freezes to death in the mountains, intoxicated with
alcohol and drugs. Elena sees and shares her brother's despair. Due to these
events, she matures and grows into a responsible young woman. In an
unspectacular style, the author convincingly relates the conflicts of young
people from different social backgrounds. (14+)