Germany
70
Abmeier, Armin [et al.] (ed.)
Müller, Thomas M. (illus.)
Lebens-Mittel : was Kinder brauchen (Food / Means of life ‚punƒ) : what children
need)
Frankfurt am Main [et al.] : Büchergilde Gutenberg, 2003. – [32] p. + 1
poster
(Die tollen Hefte ; 22)
ISBN 3-7632-6022-6. 3-936482-22-0
Child – Wish – Humour – Poetry – Ultra-short story
»What children need« – that’s the subtitle of this small encyclopaedic
compendium of poems and stories by famous German-speaking authors and poets
which all focus on children’s interests, wishes, and basic needs. Thus, the
texts cover topics such as »water«, »tree«, »bed«, »family«, »something
sweet«, etc. The colourful, imaginative illustrations add unexpected aspects
and connotations to various terms in an interpretative way. The booklet is
published on the occasion of the German UNICEF section’s 50th
anniversary (with a poster enclosed and with a slightly nonsensical glossary)
and can be savoured by child and adult readers of all ages. (8+) <>
¤
71
Bauer, Jutta (ed./illus.)
Ich sitze hier im Abendlicht : Briefe für die ganze Familie
(I’m sitting in the evening light : letters for the
whole family)
Hildesheim : Gerstenberg, 2003. – 168 p.
ISBN 3-8067-5028-9
LetterThis beautifully illustrated book is a large-format
collection of letters throughout the centuries – most of them about
children, childhood, and family life, but travel-, love-, and ordinary letters
are also included; serious ones and funny ones, many from well-known, others
from unknown people. In the age of e-mail and text messages, it is the editor
and illustrator’s intention to remind people of the genre ‘letter’ as
written and illustrated testimonies on paper and to show how many treasures
from this genre have survived. Various lives and fates open up before the
readers’ eyes. The fast modern world almost disappears behind them. A book
for children and their parents. (8+)
¤
72
Drvenkar, Zoran (text)
Könnecke, Ole (illus.)
Du schon wieder (It’s you again)
Hamburg : Carlsen, 2003. – [160] p.
ISBN 3-551-55240-1
Height – Outsider – Friendship – Quarrel – Reconciliation – Journey
Tiny Fredo and beanpole Rocky both do not fit into the norm, let alone into
school. Therefore, they set out into the big wide world. The small guy becomes
a cook for small portions, the tall guy turns into »muscle man«. When they
meet again, they start working on a joint project: First of all, they take
part in a »dwarf-throwing« tournament – and the invincible team wins, of
course, and becomes infinitely famous. But then they fight about which of them
is more important – and once again go their separate ways. In the end
however, they help each other in a life-threatening situation and finally stay
together for good. In this amusing but at the same time profound book, the
text and the comic-strip-like black-and-white illustrations are placed on
separate pages, so that readers can follow them both individually. This lends
an additional charme to both the written and the drawn story. (7+) ¤
73
Funke, Cornelia (text/illus.)
Tintenherz (Inkheart)
Hamburg : Dressler, 2003. – 573 p.
ISBN 3-7915-0465-7
Fictitious person – Reading – Coming alive – Magic – Danger –
Good/Evil – Fight – Girl – Single father – Missing the mother
Meggie’s father, a single parent, is a bookbinder –
»book doctor« she calls him. One day, Dustfinger, a dubious stranger, who
calls her father »Silvertongue«, warns him about a powerful pursuer called
Capricorn who would do everything to get his hands on one of the father’s
books. The girl has no idea that the protagonists of this old story entitled Tintenherz
(Inkheart) are all bandits who came alive one day through her father’s
special skill of making fictitious characters come into the real world by
reading their story aloud. At the same moment, Meggie’s mother in turn
disappeared without a trace. Father, daughter, and book-loving aunt Elinor
have to survive frightening adventures before the fictitious scoundrels vanish
and Meggie’s mother can finally return. A gripping novel about the power of
imagination and spoken words. (12+)
74
Hein, Christoph
Mama ist gegangen : Roman für Kinder (Mummy has left : a novel for children)
Weinheim [et al.] : Beltz & Gelberg, 2003. – 145 p.
ISBN 3-407-79853-9
Mother – Death – Family – Grief
Ulla’s family could not be happier: Her father works at home as a sculptor,
her beloved mother, a film director and centre of the family, is a beautiful
woman who simply laughs away problems and sadness; and her two older brothers
serve as examples for the girl. One day, however, her mother falls ill and
dies soon after. Now, the strong family relationships prove vital: The father
and siblings manage to support each other and fight depressive moods together.
The author writes in an unsentimental way and carefully hints at the long
process of coping with grief, showing how each family member finds their own
way of going on with life. The touching novel makes readers share the fateful
rift in the little girl’s childhood continuum. (8+)
75
Janßen, Ulrich / Steuernagel, Ulla (text)
Ensikat, Klaus (illus.)
Die Kinder-Uni : Forscher erklären die Rätsel der Welt
(The Children’s University : scientists and scholars
explain the world’s mysteries)
München : Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 2003. – 223 p.
ISBN 3-421-05695-1
Knowledge – School – University – Sciences
Today’s pupils are the students of tomorrow. This was reason enough for Tübingen
University to initiate a lecture series for children only, about themes and
topics that children’s heads and hearts are preoccupied with: dinosaurs,
volcanoes, jokes, poverty, death, wealth, and other topics. Renowned
palaeontologists, cultural scientists, economists, and teachers from many
other faculties have proven themselves with »easy answers to the most
difficult questions in the world«. This volume was put together from the
lectures, text and layout are convincing and arouse the readers’ curiosity.
Last but not least, the pictures by Klaus Ensikat, Germany’s »uncrowned
king of book illustration« (quote from the publisher), will also delight
grown-up readers. (10+)
76
Kemmler, Melanie (text/illus.)
Der hölzerne Mann (The wooden man)
Berlin : Aufbau-Verl., 2003. – [24] p.
ISBN 3-351-04034-2
Wooden doll – Playing – Toy – Chain reaction
A mysterious, still, but not really peaceful world – set up in a box – is
created here. A wooden (toy) man guards a wooden forester, a little toy mouse,
and the (toy) dog and cat who are obviously quite lively. The dog bites the
cat’s tail, the wooden forester arrests the dog, the wooden man in turn
arrests the wooden forester and the dog and locks them all (including the cat)
into his wooden house. The person responsible for all this can only be the
small, but in this setting fairly powerful, person whose shadow appears in the
last picture, hovering above the arrangement as ‘eminence grise’. Static
pictures with broad areas of earthy colours, lend a surreal dynamic to this
story. (4+)
77
Kuhl, Anke (text/illus.)
Cowboy will nicht reiten (Cowboy doesn’t want to ride)
Hamburg : Carlsen, 2003. – [32] p.
ISBN 3-551-51596-4
Cowboy – Riding – Fear – Horse – Relationship – Trust
This book tells the story of a cowboy who – not befitting his profession –
is afraid of horses and is miraculously cured of his fears: It is his fate
that, one day, he accidentally ends up on the back of a horse. A crazy ride
across hills and valleys ensues – for days and nights because the poor man
doesn’t know how to stop the horse. Eventually, he dozes off completely
exhausted and without a saddle underneath him. When he starts snoring, the
horse finally hears something like »Brrrr!« and immediately, just like its
rider, it falls into a deep sleep. After waking up, the relaxed cowboy
realises: Well, not all horses are bad, there are exceptions! A wonderful
parody on riders’ fears with the cartoon-like pictures slightly reminiscent
of Lucky Luke – and a lot of fun. (6+)
(Troisdorfer Bilderbuchpreis; 2003)
78
Lembcke, Marjaleena
In Afrika war er nie : Roman (He has never been to Africa : a novel)
München [et al.] : Nagel & Kimche, 2003. – 105 p.
ISBN 3-312-00938-3
Boy – Father – Missing the father – Motor bike – Waiting – Love –
Return
One day, Juhani’s father drove away on his Harley Davidson and disappeared
without a trace. The boy assumes he is in Africa. Six long years of waiting
– and suddenly a Harley Davidson again appears in the village. But
Juhani’s new search ends in disappointment: His father lived in the
neighbouring village most of the time, has alcohol problems, and had to sell
his motor bike because he was short of money. Nevertheless, for the boy a lot
has changed in the past few years. A shy first love for an equally shy girl is
more important now. Soberly and with a lot of wit, this story describes a
boy’s difficult process of growing up in a provincial environment.
(8+)
79
Mebs, Gudrun (text)
Rudelius, Wolfgang (illus.)
Herr Leo und sein Michael (Mr. Leo and his Michael)
Düsseldorf : Sauerländer, 2003. – 90 p.
ISBN 3-7941-6002-9
Grandfather – Grandson – Dog – Relationship
Mr. Leo thinks he has reached an age when everybody should have a grandson.
Unfortunately, the lack of grandchildren, once established, cannot be fixed
– unless of course you try to re-define the notion of »grandson«: If, for
example you encounter a fat furry something in the park one day that does not
budge from your side – could not this creature pass as grandson »Michael«?
True, he has completely different habits and needs from granddad Leo and he
has four paws. But he is so cute that Granddad can neither chase him away nor
forget him. Granddad and »Michael« are happy and Granddad has found a new
meaning to his life. In a slightly ironic yet sympathetic way, the author
describes the (mis)doings and adventures of this unlikely couple. (6+)
80
Mülbe, Wolfheinrich von der (text)
Berner, Rotraut Susanne (illus.)
Die Zauberlaterne : Roman (The magic lantern : a novel)
Frankfurt am Main [et al.] : Büchergilde Gutenberg, 2003. – 475 p.
ISBN 3-7632-5207-x
Literary fairy tale – Knight – Adventure – Magic – Task – Proving
oneself – Love
His mother’s carping about his un-knightly deeds drives young Kunibert out
into the world where a spectacular adventure awaits him. The lovesick knight
receives orders from the royal father of his beloved to go on a quest for a
magic shaving kit that a fairy once created and that is said to turn shaving
into a pleasure. Annoyingly enough, the single parts of this kit are scattered
around the world. This particularly attractive new edition of an almost
forgotten novel is a serious and at the same time humorous description of a
journey through the terrestrial and subterranean world. With its new full-page
illustrations accompanied by small vignettes, this treasure will give pleasure
to young and old readers alike. (10+)
81
Pausewang, Gudrun
Und was mach ich? : oder Der Traum vom Fliegen (And what do I do? : or The dream of flying)
Ravensburg : Ravensburger Buchverl., 2003. – 278 p.
(Ravensburger junge Reihe)
ISBN 3-473-35238-1
Siblings – Choice of profession – Loneliness – Accident – Drug abuse
– Independence
Nele, daughter of a hard-working middle-class family, tells of her mother’s
possessive attitude towards herself and her two brothers. To escape, the
adolescent girl finds herself a secret hiding-place in an abandoned building
and befriends the homeless people close by. Her brother Tobias’ longing for
freedom leaves him with gambling debts, and he finally ends up in prison for
drug abuse. The younger brother, Sascha, simply leaves home without an
explanation. One day, he dies in an accident. This summer, in her »owl’s
nest« (that’s what she calls her temporary dwelling) Nele grows up. With
empathy for all the characters, the author describes their conflict-ridden
family life and shows, with a great deal of commitment, how difficult it can
be to find a way out of apparently hopeless situations. (12+)
82
Prinz, Alois
Lieber wütend als traurig : die Lebensgeschichte der Ulrike Marie
Meinhof
(Rather angry than sad : the life of Ulrike Marie Meinhof)
Weinheim [et al.] : Beltz & Gelberg, 2003. – 328 p.
ISBN 3-407-80905-0
Meinhof, Ulrike Marie – Biography – Terrorism – Germany/1934-1976
Ulrike Meinhof is a symbol of left-wing radical terrorism in Germany in the
1970s. This extensive and detailed biography attempts to take a look at all
the facets of this woman and the process of her development: her interests in
aesthetics and literature and her charitable efforts for underprivileged
people during her teenage years as well as her way into the radical political
scene after 1968. All the events and protagonists of this time are described
in great detail. Neither does the author omit to mention that the
circumstances surrounding the deaths of Ulrike Meinhof and the other members
of the Baader-Meinhof-group at Stammheim prison were never fully clarified. An
illuminating read for young adults interested in Germany’s recent history. (16+)
83
Procházková, Iva (text)
Goedelt, Marion (illus.)
Elias und die Oma aus dem Ei (Elias and the grandmother who hatched from the
egg)
Düsseldorf : Sauerländer, 2003. – 127 p.
ISBN 3-7941-6005-3
Boy – Parents – Lack of time – Grandmother – Imagination –
Independence
Elias wants to have a grandmother of his own, just like all of his classmates
and friends. His longing for her is so strong that, one day, something hatches
from an ordinary, slightly larger bird’s egg. The creature is clearly a
small grandmother – even if she has wings. Now it is Elias’s task to teach
her everything a grandmother needs to know. Granny learns quickly, even how to
fly. This is very convenient when they organise a kite party at school: When
Elias’s kite does not take off, Granny can help it along a little. Yet, this
also means she soars into the sky with the kite and disappears from the
boy’s life. This poetic and not at all melancholic story focuses on longing
and imagination. (7+)
84
Reich, Jens (text)
Osburg, Swantje (illus.)
Es wird ein Mensch gemacht : Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Gentechnik
(A human being is created : chances and limitations of genetic
engineering)
Berlin : Rowohlt Berlin, 2003. – 189 p.
(Bücher für die nächste Generation)
ISBN 3-87134-471-0
Genetics – Genetic engineering – Ethics
Genetic engineering is a rapidly developing but also extremely complex field
in relation to both natural sciences and ethics. In this ambitious non-fiction
title, this field is presented to teenagers in great detail yet
comprehensibly. At the end of each chapter, readers will find fictitious
dialogues that discuss the pros and cons, the dangers of abuse, and the hope
for therapeutic benefits in administering the results of genetic research.
Based on the renowned author’s own knowledge and experience in medicine and
biochemistry, the book provides teenagers who are prepared to tackle a
demanding task with a well-founded and respectable introduction to a recent
and intensely discussed topic that is of great social importance. (16+)
85
Richter, Jutta (text)
Janssen, Susanne (illus.)
An einem großen stillen See (At a large and quiet lake)
München [et al.] : Hanser, 2003. – 63 p.
ISBN 3-446-20333-8
Night – Fear – Sleeplessness – Angel
A child and a man are afraid at night and cannot fall asleep even though
mother and wife, respectively, are trying to help them: Only when the two
sleepless people meet and tell each other about angels who protect human
beings, does the situation finally improve because, as the text states: »When
two people share their happiness it grows, and when two people share their
fear it dwindles.« Jutta Richter’s angel-poems speak of incomprehensible
experiences in one’s own soul with metaphors borrowed from nature. The
illustrations develop their own expressive fantastic atmosphere painted in
pasty colours. This book may not be particularly easy to understand for
younger readers but definitely has a lot to offer for older ones. (8+)
¤
86
Roeder, Annette (text)
Singer, Claire (illus.)
Und Papa schenkt mir dann ein Schloss (And Daddy will give me a castle)
Leipzig : LeiV, 2003. – [28] p.
(Mondino)
ISBN 3-89603-142-2
Single mother – Father – Competition
Little Theo’s parents, who live in separate flats, are striving to outdo
each other in the love for their child: Whenever they take him to
kindergarten, the means of transport becomes bigger, higher, and faster,
starting with an ordinary bike (followed by a rocket, a rollercoaster, and
others) and ending with a huge submarine. Readers can tell how exciting this
parental love is – but also how exhausting. In the end, despite his initial
enthusiasm, Theo has but one wish: Granny shall take him to kindergarten and
the parents shall come to collect him together – on foot. Full-page pastel
and charcoal drawings illustrate this truly imaginative story about parental
love, a child’s needs, and the difficulties to recognise them. (3+)
Special Mention
87
Rusch, Claudia
Meine freie deutsche Jugend (My free German teenage years)
Frankfurt am Main : Fischer, 2003. – 156 p.
ISBN 3-10-066058-7
German Democratic Republic (GDR) – Ministry of State Security – Girl –
Growing up – Family – School – Germany/1971-2003 – Autobiography
For the little girl from the coast of the Baltic Sea, freedom beyond the
borders of former East Germany (GDR) is identical with the so-called »Swedish
Ferry«, crossing the sea from Saßnitz on the island of Ruegen to Trelleborg
in Sweden twice a day. To travel with it only once – this wish may deeply
influence a geographically and politically confined childhood, especially if
the lives of family and friends are shaped by the civil rights movement of the
GDR and the child – no matter how bravely she stands up for the family’s
beliefs – feels she is being stigmatised and alienated from ‘normal’
society. Looking back on her childhood with a lot of humour and love for her
own childhood, the author describes her sometimes awfully funny, naive and
politically incorrect, linguistic and intellectual errors. As an A-level
graduate of 1989 – the year of the fall of the Berlin Wall – she seizes
the now historical chance to discover the larger world and its possibilities
with her former naivety and curiosity. A captivating autobiography, equally
recommendable for young adults in East and West. (14+)
88
Schami, Rafik (text)
Könnecke, Ole (illus.)
Wie ich Papa die Angst vor Fremden nahm (How I made Daddy overcome his fear of strangers)
München : Hanser, 2003. – [32] p.
ISBN 3-446-20331-1
Girl – Single father – Foreigner – Skin colour – Prejudice – Fear
– Community
Just like every little girl, this story’s protagonist absolutely adores her
big, strong, brave, funny, intelligent, and courageous Daddy. Still, he has
one little fault: He is afraid of strangers, especially those with dark skin,
whose language he does not understand and whom he considers dirty and noisy.
Today, Daddy is to be invited to the birthday party of Banja – his
daughter’s classmate from Africa – where he is supposed to perform some
magic tricks. He does not know anything about the family’s skin colour and
thus is quite confused about the huge African welcome he receives. Yet,
‘magically’ all his fears vanish during the party – and so do his
unfounded prejudices, now and forever. This book is a cheerful, uncomplicated
story with a serious background. (6+)
<>
89
Schnurre, Wolfdietrich (text)
Herfurth, Egbert (illus.)
Doddlmoddl <proper name>
Berlin : Aufbau-Verl., 2003. – 31 p.
ISBN 3-351-04036-9
Veterinarian – Human – Animals – Imprisonment – Suffering – Freedom
Vet Dr. Doddlmoddl is convinced that all the animals’ (and people’s)
illnesses are caused by the same thing: the suffering from …
humans. It seems relatively easy to cure animals of the disease if they
simply forget ‘their’ humans for a while and become real animals again.
Suddenly aware of so far unknown possibilities, the animal patients choose the
freedom they themselves want to have. (For human beings, a similar method
could be useful simply because they might rediscover their own
‘animalness’). The timeless social criticism of the rediscovered story
works even if children might not fully recognise this aspect. Egbert
Herfurth’s clear and at the same time ambiguous pictures perfectly meet the
text’s laconic tone. (5+)¤
90
Schröder, Patricia
Gyde und die Flut (Gyde and the high tide)
Frankfurt am Main: Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verl., 2003. – 93 p.
(Fischer Schatzinsel)
ISBN 3-596-85116-5
Girl – Single mother – Alcoholic – Missing the father – Imagination
– Murderer – Rape
Gyde lives at the coast. Her father, a sailor, is away most of the time while
her mother drowns her loneliness in drink. She longs for a happy family and
tries to cope with the responsibilities she has to face. When she falls in
love for the first time with young holiday-maker David, she plans to sail
across the sea with him on her self-made raft. This raft becomes a metaphor
for escape, freedom, and happiness – dreams that suddenly find a brutal and
horrible end. Before the high tide comes in, Gyde is killed by a sex murderer.
The story’s fascination lies in its narrative tone. It conveys a
‘normal’ world in a small village with school friends, neighbours, and
holiday-makers. Therefore, the catastrophe described makes a particularly
powerful impression on the readers. (14+)