Switzerland
(German)
101
Andres, Kristina (text/illus.)
Ich bin ein Wolf (I am a wolf)
Zürich: NordSüd, 2008. – [26] p.
ISBN 978-3-314-01570-0
Wolf – Prejudice – Dream – Surprise
Every child knows that a wolf is big, scary, ravenous, and dangerous.
Really? Here a wolf who is amiable, small, and friendly introduces himself.
He always is in a good mood, even in the winter! Instead of howling
dissonantly, the wolf sings beautifully. Sometimes, though, he wants to be a
real mean wolf, who bares his teeth and scares animals. But that only
happens in his dreams. This picture book captivates with its clear-cut
composition, in which every sentence is flanked by a picture. Its nuanced
game with contrasts and oppositions – prejudice versus reality versus dreams
–
and the cryptic, ironic erasings (priceless: the wolf as Red Riding Hood) is
as strange as it is thought-provoking.
(5+)
102
Böge, Dieter (text)
Mölck-Tassel, Bernd (illus.)
Was tun!? (What to do!?)
Zürich: Bajazzo, 2008. – [33] p.
ISBN 978-3-905871-01-2
Career – Work – Leisure
What do people actually do the whole day? An interesting question, for after
all everyone in the world is always doing something. Either one works for
oneself or others – bakers bake bread early in the morning, carpenters build
houses, firemen help people and animals in need, office workers organize and
coordinate –, or
one simply does nothing for a while, and that loafing is just as important
as all the work. In addition to large-scale illustrations, which play with
skewed perspectives and speech bubbles, the text is interspersed with little
pictures. The whole-page illustrations are more than mere supplements to the
»encyclopedia entries«; they captivate with witty, unexpected details that
invite readers to marvel and to let their imagination roam free.
(5+)
103
Kahl, Ernst (text)
Muggenthaler, Eva (illus.)
Papa, ich will einen Hund! (Papa, I want a dog!)
Zürich: Kein & Aber, 2008. – [87] p.
ISBN 978-3-03-695251-2
Child – Dog – Pet
What child does not want a dog? Exactly! But when Papa starts counting how
many different dogs there are, namely 310, then the girl’s head soon starts
to spin: big, little, friendly, aloof, fat, lazy, and nervous ones – how is
one to decide? Better an ornamental fish, though there, too, one faces the
torture of deciding. Only one option remains: one must pick a hamster – like
Papa wanted from the start. Verses and language games, along with lively
illustrations drawn with a dynamic line, wild collage, and much love of
detail, make the book bubble with fun. The cherry on top is the inclusion of
a whimsical flick book, in which the dog is eaten by the fish and the fish
is eaten by the hamster. (4+)
104
Lindemuth, Thomas (text)
Lenz, Patrick (illus.)
Karl und Kumpel und viele Würste. Eine Geschichte (Karl and Kumpel and many sausages. A story)
Zürich: Atlantis, 2008. – [26] p.
ISBN 978-3-7152-0554-0
Vacation – Crowd – Escape – Moon – Surprise
Karl and his dog Kumpel look forward to their vacation. Unfortunately, first
they whoosh right into traffic, and then people are lying like sardines on
the beach. Because it is far too crowded everywhere, Karl plans to go to the
moon next year. He makes a rocket, and up we go. On the moon, there is no
one – until suddenly an armada of rockets spits out hordes of people. Time
to scram! But the petrol for the space ship has run out. Karl and Kumpel sit
tight; they have no money for more juice. Then Karl has an idea: they sell
hotdogs – and because suddenly they’re having so much fun, they stay on the
moon. Part comic book and part activity book, the story presented here
describes the happiness that one can find when things don’t turn out as
planned.
(4+)
105
Stamm, Peter (adapt.)
Binder, Hannes (illus.)
Heidi. Nach Johanna Spyri (Heidi. Following Johanna Spyri)
[Zürich] : Nagel & Kimche, 2008. – 41 p.
ISBN 978-3-312-00982-4
Nature – Mountains – Freedom – City – Compulsion
Who doesn’t know her? Refreshing, sympathetic Heidi, who makes the grumpy
Alm-Uncle laugh, who herds little goats and then has to move to the grey
metropolis and almost dies of sorrow. As one of the internationally
best-known children’s book heroines ever, Heidi has nearly achieved the
status of a national hero in her Swiss homeland. Now Peter Stamm and Hannes
Binder have
taken up the classic story of their fellow countrywoman. Stamm has very
competently condensed Spyri’s epically sweeping narrative. Worth noting are
Binder’s elaborate illustrations, as they refreshingly avoid typical Heidi
clichés. The erasings, done in different formats with strong colour
contrasts and connecting different perspectives, develop a dynamism and
liveliness in spite of the abstraction caused by the stylization.
(5+)
106
Zeller, Lydia (text)
Maslowska, Monika (illus.)
Suche Arbeit für Papa (Looking for work for Daddy)
Zürich: Bajazzo, 2008. – [28] p.
ISBN 978-3-907588-90-1
Father – Son – Unemployment – Job hunting
Since Daddy lost his job, he only hangs around the house and bugs everyone. It can’t go on like this, Oskar decides. And he also knows just what to do. Back when the cat disappeared, they posted notices, and then someone brought back the cat. So Oskar now pins up a sign reading: »Looking for work for Daddy« in the courtyard. Promptly, a neighbour phones and would like for Daddy to look at his broken car. And Daddy, who just got mad at Oskar, goes, repairs the car, and comes back whistling cheerfully. A quotidian, yet difficult and important topic is vividly presented here with cheerful pictures hinting at an optimistic happy end, which will have young and old smile. (4+)