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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=White+Ravens+2003&where=year%3D2003">2003</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=White+Ravens+2004&where=year%3D2004">2004</a> Country <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Albania&where=country%3D%27Albania%27">Albania</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Argentina&where=country%3D%27Argentina%27">Argentina</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Australia&where=country%3D%27Australia%27">Australia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Austria&where=country%3D%27Austria%27">Austria</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Belgium&where=country%3D%27Belgium%27">Belgium</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Belorussia&where=country%3D%27Belorussia%27">Belorussia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Bohemia&where=country%3D%27Bohemia%27">Bohemia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Bosnia-Herzegovina&where=country%3D%27Bosnia-Herzegovina%27">Bosnia-Herzegovina</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Brazil&where=country%3D%27Brazil%27">Brazil</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Bulgaria&where=country%3D%27Bulgaria%27">Bulgaria</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Cameroon&where=country%3D%27Cameroon%27">Cameroon</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Canada&where=country%3D%27Canada%27">Canada</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Chile&where=country%3D%27Chile%27">Chile</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Colombia&where=country%3D%27Colombia%27">Colombia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Croatia&where=country%3D%27Croatia%27">Croatia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Cyprus&where=country%3D%27Cyprus%27">Cyprus</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Czech+Republic&where=country%3D%27Czech+Republic%27">Czech Republic</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Denmark&where=country%3D%27Denmark%27">Denmark</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Egypt&where=country%3D%27Egypt%27">Egypt</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Finland&where=country%3D%27Finland%27">Finland</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=France&where=country%3D%27France%27">France</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Germany&where=country%3D%27Germany%27">Germany</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Ghana&where=country%3D%27Ghana%27">Ghana</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Great+Britain&where=country%3D%27Great+Britain%27">Great Britain</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Greece&where=country%3D%27Greece%27">Greece</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Greenland&where=country%3D%27Greenland%27">Greenland</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Guinea&where=country%3D%27Guinea%27">Guinea</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Hungary&where=country%3D%27Hungary%27">Hungary</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Iceland&where=country%3D%27Iceland%27">Iceland</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=India&where=country%3D%27India%27">India</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Iran&where=country%3D%27Iran%27">Iran</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Ireland&where=country%3D%27Ireland%27">Ireland</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Israel&where=country%3D%27Israel%27">Israel</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Italy&where=country%3D%27Italy%27">Italy</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Ivory+Coast&where=country%3D%27Ivory+Coast%27">Ivory Coast</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Japan&where=country%3D%27Japan%27">Japan</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Jordan&where=country%3D%27Jordan%27">Jordan</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Kenya&where=country%3D%27Kenya%27">Kenya</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Latvia&where=country%3D%27Latvia%27">Latvia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Lebanon&where=country%3D%27Lebanon%27">Lebanon</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Lithuania&where=country%3D%27Lithuania%27">Lithuania</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Mali&where=country%3D%27Mali%27">Mali</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Mexico&where=country%3D%27Mexico%27">Mexico</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Mongolia&where=country%3D%27Mongolia%27">Mongolia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Mordoviya&where=country%3D%27Mordoviya%27">Mordoviya</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Morocco&where=country%3D%27Morocco%27">Morocco</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Namibia&where=country%3D%27Namibia%27">Namibia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=New+Zealand&where=country%3D%27New+Zealand%27">New Zealand</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Nigeria&where=country%3D%27Nigeria%27">Nigeria</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Norway&where=country%3D%27Norway%27">Norway</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Palestine&where=country%3D%27Palestine%27">Palestine</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Philippines&where=country%3D%27Philippines%27">Philippines</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Poland&where=country%3D%27Poland%27">Poland</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Portugal&where=country%3D%27Portugal%27">Portugal</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Republic+of+China&where=country%3D%27Republic+of+China%27">Republic of China</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Republic+of+China+%28Taiwan%29&where=country%3D%27Republic+of+China+%28Taiwan%29%27">Republic of China (Taiwan)</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Republic+of+Korea&where=country%3D%27Republic+of+Korea%27">Republic of Korea</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Romania&where=country%3D%27Romania%27">Romania</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Russia&where=country%3D%27Russia%27">Russia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Serbia&where=country%3D%27Serbia%27">Serbia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Slovakia&where=country%3D%27Slovakia%27">Slovakia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Slovenia&where=country%3D%27Slovenia%27">Slovenia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=South+Africa&where=country%3D%27South+Africa%27">South Africa</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Spain&where=country%3D%27Spain%27">Spain</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Swaziland&where=country%3D%27Swaziland%27">Swaziland</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Sweden&where=country%3D%27Sweden%27">Sweden</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Switzerland&where=country%3D%27Switzerland%27">Switzerland</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Tanzania&where=country%3D%27Tanzania%27">Tanzania</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=The+Netherlands&where=country%3D%27The+Netherlands%27">The Netherlands</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Tunisia&where=country%3D%27Tunisia%27">Tunisia</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Turkey&where=country%3D%27Turkey%27">Turkey</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Ukrania&where=country%3D%27Ukrania%27">Ukrania</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Uruguay&where=country%3D%27Uruguay%27">Uruguay</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=USA&where=country%3D%27USA%27">USA</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Venezuela&where=country%3D%27Venezuela%27">Venezuela</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Zimbabwe&where=country%3D%27Zimbabwe%27">Zimbabwe</a> Language <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Afrikaans&where=language%3D%27Afrikaans%27">Afrikaans</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Albanian&where=language%3D%27Albanian%27">Albanian</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Arabic&where=language%3D%27Arabic%27">Arabic</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Basque&where=language%3D%27Basque%27">Basque</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Bulgarian&where=language%3D%27Bulgarian%27">Bulgarian</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Catalan&where=language%3D%27Catalan%27">Catalan</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Chinese&where=language%3D%27Chinese%27">Chinese</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Croatian&where=language%3D%27Croatian%27">Croatian</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Czech&where=language%3D%27Czech%27">Czech</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Danish&where=language%3D%27Danish%27">Danish</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Danish%2FInuit&where=language%3D%27Danish%2FInuit%27">Danish/Inuit</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Dutch&where=language%3D%27Dutch%27">Dutch</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=English&where=language%3D%27English%27">English</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=English%2FCree&where=language%3D%27English%2FCree%27">English/Cree</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Europe&where=language%3D%27Europe%27">Europe</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Finnish&where=language%3D%27Finnish%27">Finnish</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=Flemish&where=language%3D%27Flemish%27">Flemish</a> <a 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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050908081659/http://www.icdlbooks.org/servlet/WhiteRavens?title=In ICDL&where=inicdl=1">In ICDL</a> </td> <td valign="top"> <center> <h2>German</h2> 430 books     </center> Austria (German) - 1993 - 78 Bartos-Höppner, Barbara (text) Hölle, Erich (illus.) Rübezahl (<Proper name>) Wien: Betz, 1992. [n.p.] ISBN 3-219-10537-8 rübezahl - saga A selection of six "Rübezahl" stories is embedded in still another story in this lavishly illustrated book: old Melcher, who as a boy carried food- stuffs over the mountain ranges to the Schneekoppe and once met the mountain spirit himself, now shares what he knows of him with the children. This particular plot structure and the author's narrative tone make the individual episodes tangible and warm. The color, form and content of the large pictures are worked together into an harmonious whole. Additionally, the Transylvanian mountains, home of "Rübezahl", has once again come geographically and politically closer to western Europe. (5+) Austria (German) - 1993 - 79 Pacovská, Květa (text/illus.) Mitternachtsspiel (Midnight Game) Saizburg: Neugebauer, 1992. [n.p.] ISBN 3-85195-300-2 rearrangement game - imagination - game book The idea of game books which rearrange parts of a whole, splitting people and putting them back together again in novel combinations has been around forever it seems. However, rarely was one presented as artistically as this one demonstrating the possibilities of this congenial game art form by Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Květa Pacovská. Exquisitely laid out, the book extends an invitation to parents and children to make up their own stories. (4+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 1993 - 80 Morgenstern, Christian (text) Zwerger, Lisbeth (selection/illus.) Kindergedichte & Galganlieder (Children's Poems and Macabre Songs) Saizburg: Neugebauer, 1992. [n.p.] ISBN 3-85195-301-0 poetry - Germany - picture book A treasure of book illustrations: children's poems allow the graphic artist much more freedom tor his own ideas than prose text. Thus we find a spectrum of inspiring ideas in artistically akribic delicate workmanship in this little book. Typeface, paper coloring, page design are diversely presented. Each page reveals a new lyrical picture world. A book which will become a classic for children and adults. (4+) (A suggestion for the 2nd edition: Morgenstern titled his wordless poem "Fisches Nachtgesang", not "Fischer's".) Austria (German) - 1993 - 81 Stojka, Ceija Berger, Karin (ed.) Reisende auf dieser Welt. Aus dem Leben einer Rom-Zigeunerin (Nomads on Earth. The Life of a Romanic Gypsy) Wien: Picas, 1992. 176 p. ISBN 3-85452-237-1 Romas - Austria (20th century) - concentration camps - everyday life - children's book Born in 1933, the child Ceija Stojka and her family experienced persecution at the hands of German fascists and internment in the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. After 1945 the family resumed traveling by wagon through Austria, earning their living by trading horses. Due to progressive mechanization, this way of life became economically unviable for the Romanic families, and most were forced to put down roots, - The author's memories are related in a very lively manner and elucidate some of the rough romanticism - and some of the difficulties - of the wandering life- style. Despite the fate suffered by many of the Romanic peoples, one finds no hatred of Germans in the pages of the book - only sadness about those people who do not listen to reason. (12+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 82 Amberg, Dorothea (text) Heuninck, Ronald (illus.) Stan Bolovan zähmt den Drachen (Stan Bolovan Tames the Dragon) Stuttgart: Freies Geistesleben, 1992. [n.p.] ISBN 3-7725-1140-6 dragon - weak/strong - cunning - battle - liveli- hood - family - childlessness - fairy tales - Romania - picture book Transylvanian fairy tales rarely appear in Germany as single editions. This one, based on Ion Pop Reteganul's collection (Povesti Ardelenesti), communicates the irrefutable argument that whoever does not have enough physical strength to fight against someone stronger (perhaps even a dragon) should try to gain the victory by exercising cunning and intelligence. The farmer Stan Bolovan does just that: he not only lives to tell the tale but also brings home a lot of gold. - The emotions of the outwitted dragon are delightfully portrayed in the delicate, full-page pictures drawn with colored pencils. With their flowing transitions and atmosphere of harmony (despite the adventurous content), the illustrations remain within the anthroposophic tradition. (5+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 83 Askenazy, Ludwig (text) Petraškevics, Juris (illus.) Der Schlittschuhkarpfen (The Ice-Skating Carp) Köln: Middelhauve, 1992. [n.p.] ISBN 3-7876-9340-8 carp - ice skating - imaginative story/picture book A charming nonsense story and entrancing pictures: A favorite book. How the avid ice-skating carp cuts artistic figures on the ice and, thus, may keep the skates which a small girl forgot on the frozen pond. Vivacious illustrations which extend beyond the edge of the page, not at all appropriate for children in the pedagogical sense (i.e. not explicitly simple), but quite suitable for the childlike need for the naive, unconditional, imaginative joy of life. (6+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 84 Bofinger, Manfred (text/illus.) Flossi und Fressi (Flossie and Fressi) Leipzig: Leiv, 1992. [n.p.] ISBN 3-928885-19-7 friendship - cunning - large/small - comics - children's book Flossi is a small shy sea lion (motto and resolution: "Act more modest than you are, be shrewd and on your guard. Whoever laughs last gains courage!"); Fressi is a large white bear ("Act much more important than you are since a rough shell camouflages the plush bear inside you!"). They are friends in the circus "Liev." The picture story tells how, despite all their love for one another, they make life difficult for each other by their bragging, cunning and sprite. - These circus comics, over which the German union flag waves, not without a deeper meaning, are characterized by clear colors and forms, page division in four ever-recurring rectangles. (5+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 85 Chariot, Robert (text/illus.) Max, der Verwandlungskünstler (Max the Quick-Change Artist) Neusäß: Beck, 1992. [n.p.] ISBN 3-929014-00-9 transformation- identity - imaginative story - picture book Giordano, Mario (text) blue. The large-print text could be exciting for children beginning to read, the pictures also for smaller children who could look at the book without their parents. The quality of the layout radiates peace and harmony. (4+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 86 Erlbruch, Wolf (text/illus.) Das Bärenwunder (The Bear Miracle) Wuppertal: Hammer, 1992. 16 p. ISBN 3-87294-493-2 propagation - sex education - bears - picture book The big bear consults with a hare, a fish and a bird about how he can become a father. It is spring, and his mother has unfortunately only told him a story about a cloud where small bears live before they come into the world. This leaves him sad and feeling helpless - until a she-bear comes along who knows more about having children. The substantial animal radiates flawless situational comedy in his substantial child's helplessness in the face of the existential questions of life. An especially big adult, so to speak, who is also dependent on help: it is good for a child to know that such things can happen. - This bear is a worthy successor to the author's "little mole” - with a similar thirst for knowledge. (4+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 87 Faerber, Regina Der weite Horizont: vom Beginn einer Frauen-Hebe; für Mädchen und alle anderen (The Wide Horizon: The Beginning of a Lesbian Relationship; for young women and everyone else) Bad Homburg: Fiiedel, 1992. 185 p. ISBN 3-927937-14-2 love - girls - women - partnership - lesbian relationship - young adults book A highly interesting new configuration of this species of books for girls: it reports about this communal partnership of an adult woman and a young girl. However it is not one of those offending "problem" books, at least not in its tone and narrative force. It gives an account of love, its emerging and departing, the reactions of a positive or conditionally inclined environment - simply a love story which can claim the reader's interest. (16+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 88 Giordano, Mario (text) Wilharm, Sabine (illus.) Die wilde Chartotta (Wild Charlotte) Berlin: Elefantenpress, 1992. 150 p. ISBN 3-88520-428-2 Piracy - helpfulness-imaginative narrative - Children’s book Wild Charlotte is a rather shabby sailing ship on which a handful of pirates undertake fantastic adventures for the welfare of humankind. Imaginative storytelling about the likewise wild but good-hearted pirates who end up with their ship in the under(sea)world and, although ruffled, still emerge victorious. Relaxing/exciting entertainment for younger and older readers. (8+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 89 Hohler, Franz (text) Berthold, Matthias (illus.) Dr. Parkplatz (<Proper name>) Ravensburg: Maier, 1992. 63 p. (RTB Kinder- litaratur) ISBN 3-473-51830-1 doctor - advice - outsiders/community - suc- cess/envy - helpfulness - imagination - children's book Dr. Parkplatz is a doctor - of linguistics. The people in the village erroneously think that he is a medical doctor, however. Before he has made sense of this connection, he has already helped many of his visitors by giving good advice. Naturally without demanding payment. Thus he raises the ire of the medical profession and is supposed to leave the city, particularly after quite inexplicable occurrences are observed in his vicinity. - The cabaret artist Hohler attacks the predicaments of foreigners and outsiders with verve and success in this unextravagant book. (8+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 90 Jäckel, Karin Sag keinern, wer dein Vater ist! Das Schicksal von Priestarkindern: Zeugnissa - Berichte - Fragen (Don't Tell Anyone Who Your Father Is: Tha Fate of Priests' Children: Accounts - Reports - Questions) Recklinghausen: Bitter, 1992. 253 p. ISBN 3-7903-0460-3 celibacy - fatherhood - motherhood - father/child - single parents / nonfiction A topic which has not yet been discussed in literature for children and young people: the dilemma of celibacy, sexual partnerships and the parenthood of priests is faithfully conveyed in the context of meticulous research. The picture of the male priest which emerges seems quite ambivalent and full of conflict. None escape unscathed, not the man himself nor his partner and certainly not their children who are exposed to subtle environmental censure. The young people concerned have the most trouble in dealing with their own guilt feelings (which are often handed down from their parents) - above all since they cannot expect outside help. The publication of these statements and reports is all the more important since these conflicts are still shrouded in public silence today, contingent on private psychotherapeutic service. (14+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 91 Leer, Wim van (text) Trier, Walter (illus.) Richter, Hans-Michael (transl. from Dutch) Dahne, Gerhard (epilogue) Die Verzückung der Kurzschnabel-Berg-Amsel (The Rapture of the Short-Beaked Mountain Blackbird) Berlin: Aitberliner Verlag, 1992. [n.p.] ISBN 3-357-00414-3 bird/children - imaginative story/picture book The unique fate of this picture book justifies its appearance as a German translation in the White Ravens: the illustrator Walter Trier, who had to emigrate after 1933, is connected with the work of Erich Kästner and both with the International Youth Library. Author Wim van Leer, who also had to flee from the German national socialists, met Walter Trier while in England and wrote the little nonsense story about the funny blackbird especially for him. - The Altberliner Publishing House has now printed this book, which had never before appeared, thus offering an additional lovely mosaic tile in the work of Walter Trier, featuring his unmistakable hand- writing in a text other than that of Ench Kästner this time. (4+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1993 - 92 Klüger, Ruth waiter leban. Eien Jugend (Keep On Keeping On. A Youth) Göttingen: Wallstein, 1993. 285 p. ISBN 3-89244-036-0 biography - young adult's book. Jews - Austria/Germany (20th century) - concentration camps - National Socialism - auto biography - young adult's book. Courage to be true to one's own unadorned memory and a genuine literary language distinguish this extraordinary autobiography. And these qualities cannot be taken for granted since the book deals with a childhood experience of the holocaust - an historic fact which today, due to the persistent and abundant public interest in the subject, can no longer be the private concern of an individual's memory - unless there are aspects to report which have not before been considered worth mentioning: an early youth in which the greatest mystery is death rather than love and sexuality, curiosity about death, the sense that people experience similar fates quite individually and that their wounds are therefore unpredictable and diverse. Also that poetry and literature must be taken literally in catastrophic situations, in case something of it should be true: aspects of survival which radiate a vitality in defiance of all the austere and negative conditions, survival which is to be understood as living. - Although not conceived as a book for young people, this account is highly superior to all other so-called problem books published about this topic and should be made internationally accessible to every interested young person. The author teaches in the German Department of an American university. She wrote the book in German. (16+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 93 Pressler, Mirjam Ich sehne mich so. Die Lebensgeschichte der Anne Frank (I Yearn for So Much. Anne Frank’s Life Story) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1992. 152 p. (Beltz Biographie)) ISBN 3-407-80722-8 Jews - Germany (20th century) - Holland World War II-Anne Frank - biography Although Anne Frank's diary should be familiar to every young person today this biography fascinates the reader from the first page to the last. Drawing in part on the available sources, in part reading what is easily overlooked between the lines in the familiar texts, the author sketches the entire surroundings of the girl in her everyday life before and during the time of her hiding out in Amsterdam. Anne’s love for writing - her future career choice - is portrayed in an especially poignant manner. It is clear that her wish has been granted in the worldwide dissemination of her diaries. (12+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 94 Rachowski, Utz Biermann, Wolf (epilogue) Die Stimmen des Summers (The Voices of Summer) Berlin: Oberbaum, 1992. 73 p. ISBN 3-926409-70-3 Prague invasion (1968) - East Germany - civil courage - violence - prison - Berlin Wall - childhood - young adult's book Contemporary history is presented in short nar-ratives. For instance, a scene from the Warsaw Pact troop invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968: tank columns on the way to the East German border intrude into a child's life. The brother attempts to delay the column by performing motor scooter stunts. - A juvenile delinquent and an East German prison are implied. - The Berlin Wall is built on a Sunday, August 13th - the day of the mother's birthday, when the family was going to go on an outing in the blueberry woods. Instead, that is the day the relatives leave East Germany forever. - The fact that the short texts do not structurally hang together hinders their easy consumption. This book could be appropriate for young adults. In 1991 the author received the Eduard Mörike Förderpreis. (16+) Germany (German) - 1993 - 95 Serke, Jürgen Die varbrannten Dichter. Lebensgeschichten und Dokumente (The Burned Up Writers. Life Stories and Documents) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1992. 410 p. (Epilogue by the author. Revised/expanded edition of the 1977 original.) ISBN 3-407-80721-X censure - literature - Germany (20th century) - book burning - exile - writers - young adult's book - nonfiction The fact that the political persecution of authors and poets has remained a threat even among those living today has underscored the necessity of the historical discussion of this problem in the international sphere: a selection of the works and fates of authors forbidden by the national socialists are presented. Although some individual contributions to the volume have already been printed in magazines for the public, this re-print of the entire body deserves special attention in one particular aspect: the assessment and the divergent attention it was afforded in the previously socially, ideologically and politically divided Germany is documented here, thereby illuminating aspects of original research and literature reception contingent on different forms of state government and their ideological maxims. (16+) Switzerland (German) - 1993 - 96 Draeger, Heinz-Joachim (text/illus.) Affencirkus Kunterbunt (Monkey Circus Higgledy-Piggledy) Zürich: pro juventute, 1992. [n.p.] (Atlantis Kinderbücher) ISBN 3-7152-0245-9 circus - imagination - picture book In the monkey circus the animals perform all the numbers themselves (except the one in which four people in cars have to elevate their vehicles on their hind tires). In addition, one can admire horse pyramids, high wire lions, water and fire spouting camel humps - and everything glows colorfully in the mysterious darkness. Even Pegasus is there - a good omen for this effectual picture book which manages with a minimum of text. (3+) Switzerland (German) - 1993 - 97 Feth, Monika (text) Buchholz, Quint (illus.) Der Weg durch die Bilder (The Way Through the Pictures) Aarau: Sauerländer, 1992. 187 p. ISBN 3-7941-3482-6 parapsychology - everyday life - village - science - childhood - children's book. Ada is a farmer's daughter and has healing ca-pabilities. In addition, she can foresee catastrophies. In school she also often has "states" which resemble breakdowns. Her parents finally allow her to be tested in the institute of an experienced parapsychologist. Although Ada submits to the discipline demanded in the experiments, she returns afterward to her village and her parents with a light heart. With the help of her grandmother, she has learned to live with her gifts. The book skillfully and in an unspectacular manner treats a topic accorded little prior attention. A fascinating book. (12+) Switzerland (German) - 1993 - 98 Mebs, Gudrun (text) Rudelius, Wolfgang (illus.) Schokolada im Regan (Chocolate in the Rain) Zürich: Nagal & Kimche, 1992. 116 p. ISBN 3-312-00751-8 child/adult - father/daughter - mother/daughter - brother/sister - friendship (girl/boy) - children's book The narratives in this volume are all about the problems of children, but none are "problem stories." Gudrun Mebs is one the few German authors who can accomplish this feat: relating childhood concerns and conflicts - without allowing a moral to slip into her language or style. Thus, each text is fresh and pleasant, whether dealing with sad or cheerful subjects. Some of the stories were also adapted for radio. (7+) Switzerland (German) - 1993 - 99 Wiesmüller, Dieter (text/illus.) Pernix. Die Abenteuer eines kleinen Sauriers in Urzeitwald (Pernix: The Adventures of a Little Dinosaurier in the Prehistoric Forest) Aarau: Sauerländer, 1992. [n.p.] ISBN 3-7941-3434-6 dinosaurs - prehistoric times - large/small outsiders/community - picture book Among the legions of dinosaur books, this one is certainly an exception. The mammoths are depicted in a technically crafted, masterly fashion next to small examples, dim prehistoric light all around and a story about solitariness and security in an intact community, about the small ones’ fear of the large ones and about devouring and being devoured. From the example of the dinosauer, a child can form a picture of the dangers which had to be survived in prehistoric times, the world of gigantic creatures. (5+) Austria (German) - 1994 - 91 Blichner, Barbara Irrlicht. Im Bannkreis der Sekte (Ignis Fatuus. Under the Spell of Sects) Mödling: St. Gabriel, 1993. 199 p. ISBN 3-8S264-411-9 Sect - Family - Kidnapping - Swindle - Flight - Detective Story Letty is a victim of parental separation. She lives with her father and his girlfriend; mother and brother belong to a commune of the sect PLUS LUCIS. So Letty is pleased to see her brother again, never imagining that he plans to kidnap her in order to integrate her into the sect. Just in time they are able to prevent the plan to force Letty to fly to Rio de Janeiro against her will. Although this detective story succeeds without a complicated plot, it conveys vividly the demagogic dictatorial structure of a quasi-religious group. (12+) Austria (German) - 1994 - 92 Ekker, Ernst A. (text) Dreyer, Sabine (illus.) Lachmelone und Wackelstock (Laughing Bowler and Wobbly Stock) Wien: Osterreichischer Bundesverlag, 1993. 22 p. ISBN 3-215-11161-6 Chaplin, Charles Biography The color pencil drawings of this biography match the motifs of the most well-known scenes of the Chaplin film classics. In conversation with each other, Chaplin's famous bowler hat and walking stick help make the ideas and impact of the films accessible to young readers. Already published in this series are artist biographies about Mozart, Leonardo da Vinci, Camille Claudel and Josephine Baker, and more volumes are planned. (8+) Austria (German) - 1994 - 93 Esteri, Arnica (text) Dugin, Andrej (illus.) Dugina, Olga (illus.) Die Drachenfedem (The Dragon's Feathers) Wien: Osterreichischer Bundesverlag, 1993. 25 p. ISBN 3-215-07862-7 Poverty - Wealth - Lore - Riddle - Assistance - Dragon - Fairy Tale/German A handsome, but poor wood-cutter's son wants to marry the rich and equally beautiful tavern owner's daughter. Her father will only give his consent on the condition that the young man brings him three golden dragon feathers. So he sets off in search of the dragon, promising along the way to bring back advice for others, and returns home with both feathers and advice thanks to the help of the gentle dragon wife. Nothing more stands in the way of a happy ending. The detailed illustrations in the old-fashioned manner show the course of the story, filled with humorously alienated citations of persons and symbolic figures from Dugin's master teachers Dürer and Bosch. A picture book in which, in addition, it is fun to discover the encoded or ironical events taking place on the sidelines. (8+) Austria (German) - 1994 - 94 Herfurtner, Rudolf (text) Smith, Brigitte (illus.) Das Taubenmädchen (The Dove Maiden) Wien: Ueberreuter, 1992. 78 p. ISBN 3-8000-2367-9 First Love - Carrier Pigeon/Breeding - Return Since meeting Mona, Malte's world has been changed. For instance, he suddenly likes carrier pigeons - because Mona loves them. When he raises a young pigeon and lets it free he experiences the pain of parting - similar to taking leave of his girlfriend when she moves away with her parents. But the carrier pigeon returns, and Mona doesn't disappear entirely from Malte's life. The republication of this text with new illustrations (first edition was published 1987 by Franz Schneider, Munich) was well-deserved. Rudolf Herfurtner succeeds in portraying the feelings of the children without naming them all too directly and thereby trivializing them. (8+) Austria (German) - 1994 - 95 Mayer-Skumanz, Lene (text) Bors, Marianne (illus.) Das Lügennetz (The Web of Lies) Wien: Jugend u. Volk, 1993. 112 p. ISBN 3-224-11046-5 First love - Friendship - School - Foreign Child - Family - Lies - Humor Every Tuesday at four o'clock Roman meets blonde-haired Steffi to accompany her to flute lessons. And since he is supposed to visit his Aunt Steffi, who is almost a stranger to him, in a retirement home at that very time, his friend Zlatko regularly takes his place as the supposed great-nephew. Aunt Steffi begins to blossom out through Zlatko/Roman's attentions, not only because of the visits to cinema and wine cafes, but because she enjoys solving the riddle of the family swindle. The difficulties which the children in Zlatko's family (former Yugoslavs) have at school is also covered. Though they were born in Austria and don't feel a bit like foreigners, they still experience similar problems. With a deft hand the author writes a humorous, spell-binding story set in everyday life. (8+) Austria (German) - 1994 - 96 Retti, Christine (text) Holland, Carole (illus.) Das große und das kleine Pfüh (The Large and the Small Phoo) Wien: Herder, 1993. 16 p. ISBN 3-210-24843-5 Envy - Love - Happiness - Chimera - Search - Fantasy To be happy, everyone needs a 'Phoo'. But where to find one when no one can say where it is to be found and how it looks? Latting and Letting search and search, argue with each other, although they love each other very much, and. exhausted, want to give up, when they see the two pink little clouds hanging in their sleeping tree at home - A 'phoo' for each of them. So they say. The made-up good luck charm, the 'phoo' which everyone supposedly has and needs but never shows off, didn't come between them. A story with a deeper meaning, drawn in comic style. (6+) Austria (German) - 1994 - 97 Wagner, Bettina (text) Kunstreich, Pieter (illus.) Vom kleinen Känguruh, das aus dem Beutel fiel (The Little Kangaroo that Fell Out of the Pouch) Mödling: St. Gabriel, 1993. 16 p. ISBN 3-85264-408-9 Australia/Animals - Mother - Child - Independence - Assistance - Monster A lost kangaroo child is helpless without its mother. Although the little animal is helped by its relatives in the (Australian) animal world, its mother and the whole herd have simply disappeared. With the test of courage, asking the "great Bunyip" for advice, finally puts him on the right track. After surviving all the excitement, the little kangaroo has become independent when it finally finds its mother. The best-known animals of Australia are presented in an unspectacular manner, incorporated into the story of separation and reunion, which every child goes through. (5+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 98 Bedürftig, Friedemann (text) Winter, Dieter (text) Rieger, Birgit (illus.) Das Politikbuch (The Book of Politics) Ravensburg: Maier, 1994. 160 p. ISBN 3-473-35589-5 Politics - Government - Civil Courage Who makes governmental policy? Where are the decisions made as to how public life (and, as a result, private life, too) is to function. Is the responsibility for everything exclusively in the hands of politicians? How and in what ways can an individual, even a child of a young person, become active politically? The systematically researched and clearly written information book for children and young people encourages to get involved in the public debates over their interests and helps them get an overall view of the system. It provides the requisite knowledge with precise information about the structure of government and communities in a democracy like the Federal Republic of Germany. Extensive address list in the appendix enable the reader to contact directly the regional and supraregional agencies responsible for the needs of children and youth. (10+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 99 Boie, Kirsten (text) Bauer, Jutta (illus.) Juli, der Finder (Juli, the Finder) Weinheim: Beltz & Getherg, 1993. 16 p. ISBN 3-407-79104-6 Independence - Way Home - Boy - Police Juli is allowed for the first time to go home alone from kindergarten. He knows what he is supposed to do: cross the street only on green (he waits through several green lights, because he enjoys seeing large and small vehicles all stop for him), and not stop needlessly anywhere along the way. But what to do when he finds something he should take to the police, for instance, a shoe (old)? For he has to turn it in because someone might be missing it? The policeman follows the rules. He accepts the lost article. He takes Juli with his "Peter-car" (police car) home. Surely that has not happened to anyone else in kindergarten! A friendly text with an almost broodingly precise rendering of events and the elementary pleasure of little children over the experience of being independent, trustworthy and important. (5+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 100 Ende, Michael (text) Oberdieck, Bernhard (illus.) Der Teddy und die Tiere (Teddy Bear and the Animals) Stuttgart: Thienemann, 1993. 14 p. ISBN 3-522-34138-3 Self-discovery - Meaning of Life - Adventure - Togetherness - Teddy Bear Old Teddy Bear Washable wants to find out what his purpose in this world is (he no longer belongs to anyone). So he sets out and asks the animals. But they can only give him insufficient answers since they all keep themselves and their clan alive by searching for food and caring for their young. But Washable consists of fabric and sawdust, has no tasks and cannot do anything. He's just there. But why? A little girl knows the answer: "Will you be mine?" she asks. In this way, his Teddy Bear existence once again has a purpose. A story and a painted Teddy which uphold the wish to belong among younger children and help them to see their own (usually also "unnecessary" little selves) as valuable. The story has been set to music by Wilfried Hiller for theater performances. (4+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 101 Engelmann, Reiner (ed.) Morgen kann es zu spät sein. Texte gegen Gewalt - für Toleranz. (Tomorrow May Be Too Late. Texts Against Violence, for Tolernace) Würzburg: Arena, 1993. 235 p. ISBN 3-401-01766-7 Tolerance - Violence - Germany - Overseas - Anthology Twenty-four writers from Germany (East and West) and other countries write about the situation of the Germans in Germany, foreigners in Germany, foreigners and Germans in Germany. There are feelings of insecurity on both sides, but the greater burden is borne by the foreigners. Speechlessness (which is not verbal, but rather psychological) makes the situation worse. The authors hope to encourage, even request, their readers not to let themselves be overwhelmed by the general mood of pessimism, but rather to stay alert and active against perpetrators of violence. (10+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 102 Fuchshuber, Annegert (text/illus.) Vogel Kachka Ein Märchen aus Tadschikistan (The Bird Kachka. A Tale from Tadzhikistan) Ravensburg: Maier, 1993. 16 p. ISBN 3-437-33477-4 Assistance - Poverty - Wealth - Ingratitude - Betrayal - Punishment - Bird - Fairy Tale/- Tadzhikistan The bird Kachka is one of those who want to help good people in need. A poor old fisher receives a large fish every morning from the bird Kachka because he cannot catch anything himself any longer. The fisher and his wife soon grow fatter and richer - until one day the Padisha places a high reward on the bird's head. Then the fisher betrays his benefactor. But nothing good can come of that. Bird Kachka abducts the phalanx of bloodhounds on his trail to never-ever land in the endless skies. Annegert Fuchshuber's re-telling of this Tadzhik lale is a tribute to a wonder she remembers from her childhood when at the end of the Second World War the Russian officer Nikolai brought bread and sugar and told fairy tales. Possibly it is these early texts which influenced the visual imagery of the illustrator, which in its strong earthy tones links up to the western European ideas of Slavic-oriental tales (6+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 103 Giordano, Mario (text) Witharm, Sahine (illus.) Franz Ratte räumt auf (Franz the Rat Cleans Up) Berlin: Elefanten Press, 1993. 136 p. (Elefanten-Press-Kinderbiicher, 477) ISBN 3-88520-477-0 Boastfulness - Invention - Assistence - Love - Machismo - Animosity - Environment - Garbage - Dictatorship - Fantasy - Detective Story The inhabitants of Lüchtenberg, the garbage dump of Lüchtenwald, live in a well-ordered social system. Everyone knows who his friends and enemies are, and in times of need there is a truce until the danger has passed. In particular (Dr.) Franz Rat and his assistant Miss Pimpenelle, the grey mouse, hold strictly to this rule. It makes no difference whether (Dr.) Rat's patients, such as Cat Nelson, number among their mortal enemies - everyone receives treatment. With caution, of course. Rat's hour of glory comes, however, when the meglomanic cock- roaches plan to destroy all the inhabitants of Lüchtenberg. Barrels of poison in vast numbers are being dumped on the hill. Clever, tricky, and with believable citizen's courage Franz Rat and Miss Pimpernelle succeed in saving their world. (8+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 104 Große-Oetringhaus, Hans-Martin Kinder haben Rechte - überall: Aktions- und Informationsbuch (Children Have Rights - Everywhere: An Activity and Information Book / With photos) Berlin: Elefanten Press, 1993. 143 p. (Ein Terre-des-Hommes-Buch) ISBN 3-88520-478-9 Human Rights/Children The internal structure of this unsentimental, informative book is oriented around the twelve basic rights of man which are claimed in particular for children: the right to have one's own name, to equality, to food, to clothing and housing, to health, peace, education and cultural identity, to one's own opinion, to protection against exploitation, to social security. The rights of handicapped children and the right of protection as a refugee are treated in a separate chapter. The situation of children from around the world is presented in short texts, usually illustrated with photos. Suggestions for activities in one's own country are given which make it possible, on a small or larger scale, to do something, preferably with the help of schools and educators. One chapter reports on the widely unknown work of the children's parlaments in Germany and lists their addresses. Through their commitment these texts give hope to the idea that actions taken against the injustice which children experience throughout the whole world can be meaningful. (10+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1994 - 105 Clemens, Ditte Schweigen liber Lilo. Die Geschichte der Liselotte Herrmann (The Silence Surrounding Lilo. The Story of Liselotte Herrmann) Ravenshurg: Maier, 1993. 191 p. With photos ISBN 3-473-35129-6 Herrmann, Liselotte/Biography - National Socialism - Resistance - Execution - GDR/- Archive - GDR/History Liselolte Heirmann was executed by the National Socialists for treason and planning lo commit high treason already in 1937. She had been active in the Communist resistance. At the time of her death her son was three years old, she herself 28. In 1987, two years before the opening of the archives, Ditte Clemens, a citizen of the GDR, began to investigate the available sources - and after endless difficulties with the officials also the archival materials - about Liselotte Herrmann, who was considered a model case of a Communist resistance fighter. The official, i.e. "permissible" knowledge about Lilo was based on spotty sources and thus did not do her biography justice. Thus with this book an example of citizen's courage in the immediate present is unfolded for the reader. The desire and personal wish of the author to make history transparent, to set recognizable truth off from the declared cliches, gave her the courage to overstep them. In mutually complementary, alternating chapters, Ditte Clemens develops the archive material in question in a fascinating manner for the reader and at the same time reports on her own difficulties in the search for truth. It becomes evident - this is the merit of this book - what kind of historical falsification is necessary in a dictatorship of any color and that only the resistance of individuals can remedy it. (12+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 106 Härtling, Peter Lena auf dem Dach (Lena on the Roof) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1993. 132 p. ISBN 3-407-79614-5 Divorce - Family - Argument Lena and Lars try in their own way to do something about the more and more frequent arguments between their parents. Lena even climbs up onto the rooftop and threatens to jump off. Unfortunately, they have to accept the fact that neither their acts nor their sorrow change anything in this conflict, and that lawyers are not always the bad guys, but in some cases understanding people who are concerned as individuals and as lawyers about the "welfare of the children." This book about the breakup of a family shows that in a conflict both adults and children are on their own and can hardly or only insufficiently help each other. Without glossing over the difficulties, the author indicates that it is possible to cope with unexpected and painful new situations with outside help. The reader is spared a view of the future; instead the lively energy of the protagonists gives hope for a better one. (12+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 107 Hagemann, Marie Schwarzer Wolf, Skin (Black Wolf, Skin) Stuttgart: Thienemann, 1993. 125 p. ISBN 3-522-16839-9 Violence - Murder - Foreigner - Asylum Seeker - Skinhead - Family - Rightwing Extremism Wolfgang Schwarzer actually feels quite good in his role as "Black Wolf" with the other skins. He ran into this group of like- minded, in thought and deed violence-oriented gang at the age of twelve. The "solution" to the asylum seeker problem in Germany provides them with a goal and direction: they are not concerned about human lives. When one member of the group stands up to the others and saves a foreigner child, he is beaten to death by the gang. Full of catch words but still impressive, the author (writing under a pseudonym) portrays in the protagonist all the inner problems, brutality and lack of orientation seen among young people who have turned to violence, including the vicious circle of their isolated life's circumstances at school, in the family, and in the community, which condemns them to speechlessness. Violence in the family is continued outside of it. Blamed is once again the generation of parents who, in turn, had not been able to free themselves of their past. In a political sense the boys are mostly fully ignorant, they seek to be part of a substitute family, they want to retreat into their den, which is stocked to the hilt with weapons hut also quite homey with refrigerator and bed. Right-wing ideas and ideology are disseminated and practiced by veterans of the Nazi dictatorship who want to raise the youth to be "right fellows", just as they once were. In its word rhythm the text conveys the staccato of rap - the music and life- style of a generation fixed on speed and volume. The readability of the text carries the danger that its content will not be seen as the negative world which it seeks to portray. (14+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 108 Heidelbach, Nikolaus (text/illus.) Was machen die Mädchen? (What do Girls Do?) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1993. 53 p. ISBN 3-407-79100-3 . Girl - ABC/German Nikolaus Heidelbach's alphabet floats absolutely free in the realm of fantasy, only the names of the girls are alphabetic. Whether the scene involves a snake with human (children's) features or a thoroughly plausible happening such as the wish to read undisturbed, closer inspection shows that each portrait involves the dark side of the dear little ones. Irmgard sits reading in a stuffed wing chair on a carpet of racing rats, probably in order to disgust the adults. Patricia "keeps an eye on her brother" by twirling him like an airplane around her (near solid iron posts). Yvonne wants to watch television and keeps a knife and cleaver ready, just in case. Boys and feeble adults (fathers) make a poor showing, serving as mere show or as objects of female aggression. As in Heidelbach's past picture books, there is nothing child-like here. rather the opposite. In so far this could be an alphabet which teaches the grown-ups to feel the creeps. Some early interpersonal, but not yet verbalized experiences are presented here visually with subversive irony. (8+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 109 Heinz, Heide (text/illus.) Salzmann, Iris (text/illus.) Ich schwörs bei meiner Pfote Alles wahre Tiergeschichten (I Swear By My Paw. All True Animal Stories) Recklinghausen: Bitter, 1993. 144 p. ISBN 3-7903-0470-0 animal protection - animal shelters - man-animal -relationship - responsibility Animals of most varied types who have found shelter on an estate with animal lovers introduce themselves. In spite of an often poeticized form, the texts tell of quite real and commonplace, happy and terrible animal fates which are taken seriously in these friendly surroundings - of grooming and comradeship, and of death and loss. The authors work full-time in creative professions and are actively committed to the cause of animals' rights to respect and protection. (7+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 110 Kehr, Karoline (text/illus.) Ernst stand auf und August blieb liegen (Ernst Got Up and August Stayed in Bed < Children's rhyme>) Hildesheim: Gerstenberg, 1993. 14 p. ISBN 3-8067-4684-2 Dream - Mailman – Punctuality The mailman Ernst August is certified as the most punctual mailman in the world. But today Ernst gets into a dispute with August. Ernst gets up and August slays in bed when the alarm goes off at 5 a.m. Thus everything goes wrong on this day. Ernst falls off the bicycle, is bitten by a dog, and in his haste has forgotten to put on his uniform (or anything else). For all of these mishaps he naturally blames his alter ego August, who is lying at home in a warm bed. As Ernst is ready to confront August, Ernst August wakes up with a start. For the first time in his mailman existence he has overslept! A simple and humorous fable about the inner sleepyhead everyone knows. The illustrations; just as in the said morning rush, accidently smeared and corrected, but chrystal clear in their statement, with the necessary The mailman Ernst August is certified as the most punctual mailman in the world. But today Ernst gets into a dispute with August. Ernst gets up and August stays in bed when the alarm goes off at 5 a.m. Thus everything goes wrong on this day. Ernst falls off the bicycle, is bitten by a dog, and in his haste has forgotten to put on his uniform (or anything else). For all of these mishaps he naturally blames his alter ego August, who is lying at home in a warm bed. As Ernst is ready to confront August, Ernst August wakes up with a start. For the first time in his mailman existence he has overslept! A simple and humorous fable about the inner sleepyhead everyone knows. The illustrations; just as in the said morning rush, accidently smeared and corrected, but chrystal clear in their statement, with the necessary pinch of wink-eye. (6+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 111 Könner, Alfred (text) Ensikat, Klaus (illus.) Die Hochzeit des Pfaus (The Peacock's Wedding) Berlin: Altberliner Verlag, 1993. 12 p. ISBN 3-357-00171-3 Banquet - Vanity - Trickery - Fable The peacock issues invitations to the wedding of the century and everyone comes, in fancy dress, to celebrate with him. There is singing and dancing on the tables. True to his tricky nature, the fox offers his bushy tail as a wedding table - and disappears with the food and drink into his foxhole as soon as it is served, where he lives it up for a full week "and gave no one a crumb." Adapted from a Serbian tale, the text has been polished and interspersed with irony. Ensikat's graphic design for the text corresponds to the intent of the tale. Each illustration of this charmingly bestial show-off wedding party tempts the reader to enjoyable perusal thanks to the artist's mastership. The book's design enables all of the vain comrades of the wedding's host to be properly shown in the picture book world. (5+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 112 Maar, Paul (text) Ballhaus, Verena (illus.) Neben mir ist noch Platz (There's Still a Seat Next to Mine) Lohr a. M.: modus vivendi, 1993. 16 p. ISBN 3-927401-15-3 Asylum Seeker/Germany - Foreigner - Family/Germany/Libanon Steffi makes friends with a girl from Lebanon named Aischa, after she unexpectedly helped her out in a predicament. Both girls learn from and about each other - the customs and rules of their respective cultures. And yet Steffi unknowingly offends her foreign friend seriously by inviting her to a birthday party without her brother as escort. And Steffi cannot understand why Aischa expected such an invitation or is injured. Because of the ignorance of both children, the friendship is nearly at a breaking point. Only when Aischa is about to return to Lebanon with her family because their temporary quarters are threatened by attacks and her brother is insulted and mistreated in Germany, just as in his homeland, does a reconciliation take place. Simple imagery in and for the text. This book could be used in classrooms to help examine the situation of children from abroad. (7+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 113 Merten, C.S. (text) Greser, Achim (illus.) Der unsichtbare Kanzier (The Invisible Chancellor) Berlin: Elefantenpress, 1993. 125 p. (Elefanten-Press-Kinderbücher, 452) ISBN 3-88520-452-5 Invisibility - Germany - Politics - Humor Just before a major political event an important personality becomes invisible. Catastrophe threatens, the German reunification is endangered. Only with the help of a magic ring, which had once decided the order of succession in the House of the Hohenzol lern, could a solution perhaps be found. The ring is looked for. (Political) leisure reading about the state of the nation, for children and adults. (10+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 114 Schwarzer, Anneliese Grünberg lebt (Grunberg lives) Wuppertal: Hammer, 1993. 272 p. (Galileo) ISBN 3-87294-527-0 Nuclear Acchlent - Survival - Community - Nature An unexplainable catastrophe has turned the whole earth into a death zone, with the exception of only a few elevated areas. The survivors must try to secure their living with the natural means at their disposal. Using the example of a village community, the author describes spellbindingly what is possible in this situation and how life can continue to function. The conciliatory conclusion is the discovery that in the seas living nature - at the micro-level - is developing anew and the dead areas becoming overgrown. A warning for everyone, and a thrilling book as well. (12+) Germany (German) - 1994 - 115 Steinhach, Peter (text) Knorr, Peter (illus.) Der kleine Großvater (The Little Grandfather) Weinheim: Belz & Gelberg, 1993. 212 p. ISBN 3-407-79607-2 Transformation - Body Size - Observation Grandfather Karl-Gustav is given the surprising opportunity through a fantastic natural happening, lo be transformed into a mini- grandfather. When the twins Jenny and Johan pop in on him in the holidays, they have problems with their absent-minded or - seemingly - fully absent host, until they discover him in his disguise. And there are still more discoveries to be made by all children and adults who let themselves be transformed. How enormous a straaw is, or wonder of flight the living dragon-fly is! The author's intent stems from natural-ethical and religious ideas and aims at the abolition of structural violence. Fantasy, joie de vie, and the power of imagination on the part of the (by chance) large beings (people) for the little world all around them could help people to observe more closely and to respect and protect what is living. To let one's self be transformed from big to small could occur without any physical tricks of fantasy and help a person to empathize with the little ones. The particular merit of this text is its humor, which pokes fun at of the category body size. (8+) Switzerland (German) - 1994 - 116 Boge-ErIi, Nortnid Zwei Väter sind besser als keiner (Two Fathers are Better than None) Zurich: Nagel & Kimche, 1993. 142 p. ISBN 3-312-00760-7 Family - First Love - Father - Friend Isabel's natural father, a business man, is seldom at home and she misses him. Therefore she is pleased with the sudden appearance of Rudiger, her mother's old boy friend, and all of his desirable alternative life-style - communal living in the country, athletic, chum. Isabel's mother also feels comfortable around Rudiger. Finally when the parent's marriage threatens to fall apart, Isabel experiences her usually cool-headed father for the first time in despair. She recognizes that she doesn't want to be without him. The decision which Isabel's mother must make remains open in the book. The emotional conflict felt by the young girl is portrayed with an agreeable matter-of- course, without any noticeable pedagogic- psychological linguistic mannerisms. Everyday literature in the best sense of the word. (10+) Switzerland (German) - 1994 - 117 Betschart, Hansjörg (text) Mönster, B. Jub (illus.) Soheila oder ein Himmel aus Glas (Soheila or a Heaven of Glass) Zurich: Nagel & Kimche, 1993. 89 p. ISBN 3-312-00766-6 Asylum Seeker/Switzerland – War/Yugoslavia - Death - Friendship - Rat Multilingual Switzerland, a classic land for asylum, is an old and new homeland for people of many nationalities. And yet Salim - son of an Arab who is a Swiss citizen - must often defend himself against violent, stronger boys. On one such day he discovers a strange, bewildered girl who has hidden herself in the cellar of his apartment house. He would prefer to overlook his discovery, to forget it, repress it, because he senses that he will get into even more trouble on her account. His parents, however, demand that he take care of the little Muslim girl, who speaks no German. Soheila went into hiding after witnessing how her father was tortured and killed in the Yugoslavian war; (seemingly) minor incidents cause her to panic and she becomes unreachable for adults. Salim succeeds in reaching her through toys and animals. In the end They go to school together – until her petition for asylum is turned down and Soheila is picked up by the police in the middle of the schoolday. She flees and cannot be found. The portrayal of the tragic fate of a child, hurt by war and violence, forced to live in strange surroundings, is emotionally convincing. Linguistic curtailments and gaps give the reader an authentic insight into the associative thought patterns of a child’s world of picture and experiences. (10+) Switzerland (German) - 1994 - 118 Klapproth, Ruedi Tunnel der Gewalt. Die Geschichte von Milan lind Niki (Tunnel of Violence. The Story of Milan and Nicki) Luzern: rex, 1993. 116 p. ISBN 3-7252-0574-4 Switzerland - Yugloslavia - Foreigner - Violence - Family - School - Friendship - Death - Reconciliation Milan lives with his Serbo-Croation family in Switzerland. The unloved father is killed in the civil war in Yugoslavia. But even in the midst of peace, there is no end to violence for Milan. Now the older, stronger brother wants to step into the place of the brutal father; at school Milan is discriminated against by fellow pupils and teachers. When his mother enters hospital, Milan goes off on his own. He finds an older person who accepts him and understands him, but this friend, who had become a substitute father to him, dies. Only his friendship with a girl named Nicki and the support of her parents finally help him to overcome all his difficulties. A view from the inside of a difficult daily life in multilingual Switzer land, which the native and the foreign children experience vividly - and the reader with them. (12+) Switzerland (German) - 1994 - 119 Ullrich, Ursula (text) Brülhart, Stefan (illus.) Geschichten vom Florinchen (Stories About Little Florin) Zürich: Nagel & Kimche, 1993. 119 p. ISBN 3-312-00769-0 Girl - Family - Everyday Life - Dachshound - Parakeet (Budgie) - Teddy Bear Events in a child's everyday life - so an adult would say. Of course, Little Florin herself sees all of her large and small experiences as highly important and exciting. And so even an adult will read with pleasure about Teddy Max. Dachshound Oscar, how Flora loses a baby tooth bill doesn't throw it away, how she gives Mia, the parakeet, a burial and how she learns a judo chop so that the other children won't dare to laugh at her anymore on account of her speech problem, A cheery little book which shows with out much ado a family as a cooperative clan and even fights among siblings as solvable. (6+) Switzerland (German) - 1994 - 120 Wendt, Irmela (text) Mönster, B. Jub (illus.) Kleine Häsin (Little Hare) Aarau: Sauerländer, 1993. 46 p. Hare/Raising - Girl - Freedom Nenna saves a baby hare from being attacked by a dachshound. Now she must raise the little animal since its mother refuses to care for it any longer. Much resourcefulness and care are called for during their 15 days together. At last the little hare grows big and strong enough to be released into freedom. The attachment of the childen to the little, helpless animal, their sense of responsibility and the trust which is possible between them both is the subject of this simple and moving story (6+) Austria (German) - 1995 - 67 Egli, Werner J. Nur einer kehrt zurück (Only one will return) Wien: Ueberreuter, 1994. 192 p. ISBN 3-80000-2407-1 Eskimo - Polar Bear/Hunt - Death Three Eskimos set off on a polar bear hunt. The American girl, Angie, a visitor in the village, involuntarily joins up with them. The hunt goes badly and two of the men die in the drift ice, the third one can be rescued but is seriously injured. While the young white girl successfully battles against death with all her remaining strength, the Eskimo men give themselves up to fate with a certain resignation. The dramatic events of this novel are thrilling up to the last page. The reader gets a glimpse into the ethnological aspects of Eskimo life and learns the differences between white and Eskimo culture in terms of their attitudes to life and death for man and animal. (14+) ☆ Austria (German) - 1995 - 68 Esterl, Arnica (text) Zawadzki, Marek (illus.) Okino und die Wale (Okino and the Whales) Wien: Österreichischer Bundesverlag, 1994. [28] p. ISBN 3-215-11197-7 Modern fairy tale - Rites of initiation - Whale Sometimes Okino goes to the seashore to watch the whales. One day she tells her little son Takomi the ancient legend of a girl who once lived in the royal palace of the whales and was rescued by her mother and returned to earth. This interesting matriarchal variation of the tale of initiation has been illustrated with pictures of nighttime and water in a wide palette of blue tones which flow and circle around the text. The vast underwater world, the mysterious of the deep sea are opened up to the reader, vacillating between the world of nature and fairy tale. (6+) ☼ (1994 Troisdorf Picture Book Prize of the Children's Jury) Austria (German) - 1995 - 69 Jung, Reinhard Das geheime Wissen der Pinguine (The secret knowledge of the penguins) Wien: Jungbrunnen, 1993-1994. (2 vols.) 115 p.; 117pp ISBN 3-7026-5664-2; 3-7026-5670-7 Factual knowledge - Question-and-answer The secret knowledge of the penguins consists of the answers to so-called "dumb" questions children like to ask. Hence inquisitive children are encouraged here by penguins to ask as many dumb questions as possible without the usual scruples imposed by adults. And the children get their answers - first in a radio show, and now in a two-volume work on various topics. The editors, working through the penguins, ensure that in spite of all the sensible and nonsensical wordplay the significance of the questions is clear and the desired answers given - in one form or another, whether fable, fairy tale or factual report. To what extent the stories are appropriate, that is something the reader must reflect upon him or herself. And that may be done with the greatest of pleasure. (5+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1995 - 73 Abdel-Quadir, Ghazi (text) Buresch, Bettina (illus.) Das Blechkamel (The tin camel) München: Klopp, 1994. 110 p. ISBN 3-7817-0109-3 Arabia/Tribal culture - Poverty - Technology - Community - City life Samira is one of the Arab children who live in the tin-roofed hovels on the edge of a large city, near the garbage dumps. Hence the stories her grandmother tells about life years ago seems like a fairy tale. Their tribe had been affluent, there were camels, goats and chickens for them all. And although the children didn't go to school, when they grew up they knew how to get along in life, This was the way it was until the civil engineers watered the wasteland around the village, spreading artificial fertilizer and claiming ever greater portions of the harvest for themselves. Tribal disputes broke out among the neighbors, and the survivors were finally forced to move to the cities. That was how their impoverishment began. For all their greed, the members of the tribe had not listened to the warnings of the wise elders, but instead destroyed nature and hence their own life by the misguided use of technology. With tangible sadness, but without bitterness, the author tells a realistic story as a piece of fiction. The text also represents the possibility for acquainting children with socio-cultural aspects of life without writing a "problem book." (8+) ☆ ☼ Germany (German) - 1995 - 74 Andresen, Ute (text) Herfurth, Egbert (illus.) Alles hat einen Namen. Ein Wort-Schatz- Buch (Everything has a name. A treasury of words) Ravensburg: Ravensburger Bunchverlag, 1994. 77 p. ISBN 3-473-33463-4 Dictionary/Multilingual This treasure chest-like book of words combines pictures, poetry and words (in three languages) in a masterly manner. The chapters begin with the smallest place (a box) and end with the universe, showing in each case what is contained therein: box, knapsack, suitcase, closet, room and finally infinite cosmic space. A short verse characterizes each new dimension, pictures show the items, words describe the picture (in German, English, and French). The result is a play-like, but very informative dictionary even suited for very small children, who are able to explore their immediate and not-so-immediate surroundings and find out the names and labels of things. (4+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1995 - 75 Belli, Gioconda (text) Erlbnuch, Wolf (illus.) Schwarzer, Anneliese (transl. from Spanish) Die Werkstatt der Schmetterlinge (The Workshop for Butterflies) Wuppertal: Hammer, 1994. 40 p. ISBN 3-87294-607-2 Creation - Butterfly - Imagination For the "maker of all things" there exists from the creative point of view certain limitations: the animal and plant kingdom must remain strictly separate from one another. There is no place for a "tree that sings like a bird...or.. a bird that lays apples instead of eggs...". And yet, young people in particular have their dreams. Rodolfo wants to invent a creature which "is like a bird and like a flower at once." In memory of his grandfather, the inventor of the rainbow, he composes the wings of this creature from grains of pollen and then gives it legs and a body with a long tongue so that it can feed itself from this pollen. He calls it Butterfly and invents butterflies for all regions of the world. Even the Wise Old One, a mother figure like those in the creation myths of primitive peoples, impressively appearing in a huge scarlet gown, is enchanted by this unexpected beauty. The young inventor is given permission to summon together a jury of all creators to decide about the necessity of a separate workshop for the butterflies. The story is fully of fantasy and intelligence, the text (which is not available in this form in Spanish) holds an exotic type of brilliance; and Eribruch's pictures are as fascinating as ever. Seriousness and caricatural humor intersect with one another also at the formal artistic level. Inspite of the naturalistic portrayal of figures and objects on the page, the artist sensitively and accurately conveys the atmosphere of the both tedious and pleasurably creative task of designing. The large-sized, prize-winning book deserves all the attention it will receive. (6+) ☆ Germany (German) - 1995 - 76 Boie, Kirsten Erwachsene reden. Marco hat etwas getan (Adults talk. Marco has taken action) Hamburg: Oetinger, 1994. 100 p. ISBN 3-7891-3108-3 Right-wing radicalism - Society/Violence - Murder - Germany/Foreign residents Friends and classmates, teachers, school principal, neighbors, social workers, pastor and mayor talk here about the "Marco case". Their comments range from "no comment" to wordy statements, more or less precise, more or less burdened with self-reflection and the question of adult guilt in regard to Marco's behavior. Marco killed two people, Turkish children. Those witnesses questioned name the places of other recent murders, such as Mölln and Solingen. Even Marco had spoken aloud about the possibility of a similar deed, but no one paid attention to him - as had been the case throughout his childhood. To achieve just that, namely to achieve recognition, he took action. There was also a group of youth in this small, unpossessing place, who wanted to distance themselves from the deeds of Mölln and Sollingen with a chain of lights. But when the asylum seekers arrive, problems between the local residents and the foreigners arise. Using a very adept narrative technique the author brings in all the usual arguments and pseudo-arguments about the issue of enmity toward foreigners. Based on an isolated incident, the social setting for the potential origins of misanthropic and xenophobic acts become better understandable. (12+) ☆ Germany (German) - 1995 - 77 Brandis, Sylvia (text) Ensikat, Klaus (illus.) Momme in Schweden. Die Dachsreise (Momme in Sweden. The badger's journey) Hamburg: Rowohlt, 1994. 88 p. ISBN 3-499-20741-9 Sweden - Farm - Horse - Nature - Friendship Momme travels with his mother to visit Gunnar on a remote farm in Sweden. There he finds Bellmann, the old horse with a hundred faces, just one cow in the barn and mysteriously feuding neighbors, with whom however a reconciliation is possible. An elk calf is separated from its mother and Momme decides he will never to shoot elk, but instead become a farmer. A badger gets caught in a trap and is rescued from a sure death. This sympathetic story presents a not quite ideal world - but also not a problem world - and its inhabitants. Much is only alluded to, much remains part of an undefined background, but the protagonists are clearly drawn. The imaginative fantasy of children and the real world of adults are united in a pleasant relationship) which all of them can accept. The publisher of this original paperback is to be congratulated for including the illustrations by Klaus Ensikat, which effortlessly include these widely differing worlds in his drawings. (5+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1995 - 78 Feth, Monika (text) Boratyński, Antoni (illus.) Der Schilderputzer (The sign cleaner) Düsseldorf: Patmos, 1995. [32] p. ISBN 3-491-37310-7 Work - Happiness - Education - Fame Working in streets named Bach, Beethoven, Brecht or Kästner has unanticipated consequences for a street cleaner. He suddenly realizes that he knows nothing about the people whose names he is cleaning daily. At first he goes to concerts to hear their music, then to the public library to read their books. Soon he is singing and reciting while he works. An audience gathers around him and he is given a show on television. To make a long story short: the street sign cleaner turns down a post at the university and continues to his own work, holding lectures for his own and his listeners' pleasure. Antony Boratyńiski gives his protagonists realistic expressions but rather dream-like appearance, their faces are stereotypic but also lively. Two dimensional colors and distorted proportion, often out of perspective, correspond in a formal way to the substance of this sympathetic, but unfortunately hardly imaginable story about a happy person. (7+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1995 - 79 Grimm, Jacob (text) Grimm, Wilhelm (text) Ensikat, Klaus (illus.) Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten (The Bremen city musicians) Berlin: Altberliner Verlag, 1994. 24 p. ISBN 3-357-00766-5 Ingratitude - Man/Animal - Self-help - House/Occupation One can happily report that Klaus Ensikat is no longer an insider's tip in the western states of Germany, having being recently awarded the "Lux" for lifetime achievement by Germany's leading weekly newspaper "Die Zeit." This fairy tale edition contains all the qualities which he is known for: technical meticulousness along with a wealth of imagination, oscillation between classical genre and landscape art and a simultaneous unbroken tendency toward biting caricatural diversity for the protagonists. The dynamicism of the scenes is captured in the borders of each spread, which for the most part contains both text and illustration. Italic font and scattered motifs of musical instruments form a harmonious unity, as is also true of the brown-green tones. This fairy tale picture book has no expiration date. (6+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1995 - 80 Heller, Eva (text/illus.) Die wahre Geschichte von allen Farben (The true story of all colors) Oldenburg: Lappan, 1994. [52] p. ISBN 3-89082-129-4 Colors In the beginning was white. This is the beginning of the true story of all colors. White lets all the other colors glow and shine, and each individual color - red, blue, yellow - want to capture its place on white. In doing so, they come together and even mix with one another. To their great dismay they must accept that new members of the family thus arrive: orange, violet, brown and black. Each color has its own idiosyncrasies: red is loud, blue is gentle, violet is silent. Finally white, the sum of all colors, establishes order amidst all the fights over rank order and position. It invents the chromatic circle. Each is appointed an acceptable place between its neighboring relations. By giving the colours their own willfulness and character, the author creates a dynamic and structured tale for children who like to draw. (4+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1995 - 81 Hetmann, Frederik Reise bis zum Ende der Welt. Aus dem Leben des Robert Louis Stevenson (Journey to the end of the world. The life of Robert Louis Stevenson) Ravensburg: Ravensburger Buchverlag, 1994. 281 p. ISBN 3-473-35138-5 Stevenson, Robert Louis/Biography Ever since childhood Robert Louis Stevenson suffered from tuberculosis. In this fictive biography he confesses his remedy against the disease to his stepson, the narrator: try to imagine a journey that one wants to make at all costs. In fact Stevenson did succeed in drawing out the deadly course of his illness until his 44th year through many changes of climate and location. In this biography Hetmann combines fictitious passages with original texts by Stevenson, including those from the lesser known homo politicus. The reader experiences the birth of the novel "Treasure Island" as a joint idea of Stevenson and his stepson. Both enjoyed combining their fantasies of adventure and observations of unusual contemporaries into a story which the adult writes while the youth spurs it onwards when it begins to slacken. Precise biographical research and detailed portrayals of Stevenson's places of residence endow the book with a convincing atmosphere. (10+) ☆ Germany (German) - 1995 - 82 Kordon, Klaus Die Zeit ist kaputt. Die Lebensgeschichte des Erich Kästner (Time out of order. The life story of Erich Kästner) Weinheim: Beliz & Gelberg, 1994. 224 p. ISBN 3-407-80729-5 Kästner, Erich/Biography Thirty-seven years after the appearance of Kästner's famous autobiography "When I was a little boy" (German ed. 1957) Klaus Kordon puts the life of this writer into its cultural-historical context. He reflects on Kästner's writings using the current knowledge of personality psychology and doesn't stop short of chipping away a little at the Kästner monument. The political events of the first part of this century, which by now are thoroughly documented, are referred to in statements by those alive then and in photographs of Kästner's encounters with them. In a generally more rational tone than is usually expected of Kästner admirerers, Kordon makes a vehement case for a rediscovery of his socially critical works, which especially in Germany have been seriously neglected in favor of his children's books. Kästner is still highly regarded as an author of political texts in other countries. (14+) ☆ Germany (German) - 1995 - 83 Pressler, Mirjam Wenn das Glück kommt, muß man ihm einen Stuhl hinstellen (When happiness arrives, one should offer it a chair) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1994. 178 p. ISBN 3-407-79648-X Children's home/Everyday life - Diary - Feelings Halinka comes from Poland. Her aunt Lou would be glad to adopt her, but isn't allowed to as long as she is unmarried. Halinka lives with her thoughts and dreams more outside than inside the children's home where it finds everything and everyone antagonistic. In her loneliness, she takes emotional comfort from writing in her secret book of thoughts (but no feelings, in case a stranger were to find it), where important sentences such as that of the title of this book. There are many little tricks used for survival in the everyday life of the children's home, including the art of not falling for the mean tricks of the other girls. But still there are positive moments, even with some adults, such as when a teacher silently ignores Halinka's misdeeds. Mirjam Pressler succeeds in letting the reader experience the child narrator's desperation, anger and maliciousness, her joy and happiness. (8+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1995 - 84 Schami, Rafik (text) Eribruch, Wolf (illus.) Das ist kein Papagei! München: Hanser, 1994. 32 p. ISBN 3-446-17748-5 Parrot - Family fight - Feminism Let's get it right from the start: The parrot that Lina's parents thought was a he-bird is a she-bird. And she-birds never repeat what they are told to say. They fall asleep while you are talking. One could even consider them dumb or untalented. But not Lina. She got the picture right from the very beginning, but for all their fighting, her parents didn't hear her for a long time. After being unmasked and giving proof of her diligence - she claims to speak thirteen language fluently and understand twenty others - the she-bird is allowed to stay in the family. The text and illustrations of this lovely, caricatural story of a secret matriarchy fit together in ideal harmony. The illustrator fulfills all the subversive visual desires of the beholder. (5+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1995 - 85 Schins, Maric-Thérèse Wagner, Stefan Budweg, Peter Vergitterte Jugend. Innenansichten aus dem Jugendknast (Youth behind bars. Inside a juvenile detention center) Recklinghausen: Bitter, 1994. 173 p. ISBN 3-7903-0515-4 Youth/Criminal behavior - Prison/Youth - Writing The author, translator, teacher and journalist Marie-Thérèse Schins and two students got involved with the inmates of a juvenile detention center in the hopes of furthering reading and writing skills. With this program she hoped to give even the functional illiterates there a sphere in which young criminals would be able to name and deal with their own difficulties. Some of those interviewed were even prepared to participate in the newly founded reading club in the center. Some, such as the co- author Wagner, a young gypsy, recognized writing as an opportunity to develop a feeling of inner freedom even in a non-free situation. In general the work with the inmates took place on a friendly level. The author contributes her own texts in this volume; the inmates began to interest themselves for their own life only after they had begun to write about their feelings and thoughts. (12+) ☆ Germany (German) - 1995 - 86 Schubiger, Jörg (text) Berner, Rotraut Susanne (illus.) Als die Welt noch jung war (When the world was still young) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1995. 173 p. ISBN 3-407-79653-6 Paradox - Humor Absurd, mostly very short stories are contained in this extraordinary volume. Extraordinary both for their often sly, and even sassy content, and equally so for their eccentric illustrations which are scattered throughout the book either on full-sized pages in strong, but not glaring colors, or inserted as vignettes at the beginning of the chapter, or in black-white-and-ochre tones as a preface to some texts. The overall design (paper quality, typeface, binding, and dustjacket) is pleasing in its harmony. The 43 stories invite the reader to this or that discovery: beginning with Adam and Eva's paradise, ending with alternative life- styles of outsiders such as the "little giant" or the "slow one," and in between in chapters dedicated to things, animals, names, puzzles and magic. (8+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1995 - 87 Tschinag, Galsan Der blaue Himmel (The blue heavens) Frakfurt a. M.: Surkamp, 1994. 177 p. With glossary ISBN 3-51840596-9 Tuva Autonomous Region - Nomads/Mongolia - Everyday life/Mongolia - Dog - Family life A Tuvinian child - the Tuvinians are a Mongolian tribe - learns how to behave without actually being raised. At least that is how it used to be. The word "education" is not part of the Tuvinian language. Children learn the rules of behavior for specific situations as part of a group; everything else is learned by listening, observing, imitating and helping. The most important beings in the life and surroundings of the young narrator are his "grandmother," an unknown older woman who came once upon a time into the tent village. Ail, and stayed on because the child "chose" her and they no longer wanted to part, and the dog Arsylang, leader of the pack and their faithful companion, "my brother-instead-of- a-brother" as the author calls him. The climax and end of this narrator's childhood is a long hard winter which the little family barely manages to survive along with a very few of their herd. For the dog Arsylang the new period, with its technical possibilities, brings a fateful danger when he eats the poison that the father sets out for the maraurading predators. The boy threatens to succumb to his despair over his dog’s death and in a dramatic protest he turns to the highest Tuvanian healer, the Gük Deeri, the "blue heavens", who gives the book is double-meaninged title. The enormous force of the text lies in its long "inner wind," which challenges the imagination and con- veys the rhythm of tension and restfulness in the life of the Ail. The author of this autobiographical memoir, Galsan Tschinag, was born into a Tuvinian family of nomadic animal-herders in the Mongolian People's Repubulic in 1944. He studied German in East Germany between 1962 and 1968, and wrote this novel in German. In 1992 he was awarded the Adalbert von Chamisso Prize in Munich. (10+) ☆ ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1995 - 88 Tuckermann, Anja Muscha (<Proper name>) München: Klopp, 1994. 218 p. ISBN 3-7817-2080-2 Germany/History 20th century - Sinti (Gypsy) - Racial persecution When he entered school in 1938 Josef, called Muscha, was confronted with the Nazi contempt for human life and racial hysteria. Betrayed by his physical appearance, he is beaten up, teased, and finally taken away and sterilized by doctors. His parents are able to save him just before deportation and hide him for many long months in a lonely garden house. Only at the end of the war does he learn that he was a child of gypsies and had been taken in by a foster family. Muscha's story is told from the perspective of another school boy and the reader, as Muscha himself, is kept in the dark about the real grounds for his suffering until the end of the novel. Only in an epilogue does it become clear that the story of Muscha is absolutely authentic. (B.S.) (10+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1995 - 89 Waluszck, Christian (text) Michl, Reinhard (illus.) Die Reise zu den Brumm-Bell-Bergen (The journey to the Growl-Bark Mountains) München: Ellermann, 1994. 131 p. ISBN 3-7707-3013-5 Freedom - Dancing bear - Dop - Cockaigne Mischa the bear and Zapek the dog want to find the animals' Cockaigne, the land of milk and honey. They are hindered only by the chains which bind them to Happy Juran's caravan wagon. Though Zadek feels chained up, Mischa has forgotten what freedom is. Only as a bear cub could he run over meadows and rob beehives of honey, before Juran made him into a dancing bear. The two runaways make their dreams come true; now and then one sees them roaming happily through the woods. The text is pleasing on the one hand for its unsenti- mental portrayal of the sad lot of captive animals and still it offers the most splendid situational comedies which arise from man and animal trying to live together but having only a limited amount of mutual tolerance. Full-sized black-and-white pictures by Reinhard Michi contribute to this reading pleasure. (8+) ☼ Switzerland (German) - 1995 - 90 Ebet-Schifferer, Sybille (ed.) Thorbecke, Jan Peter et al. (text) Fünf stumme Zeugen betrachten ein Tonschwein: 7192 Jahre Begegnung im Museum. (Five silent witnesses study a clay pig: 7192 years of encouters in the museum) Bern: Benteli, 1993. 79 p. ISBN 3-7165-0873 Art museum This exceptional information book doesn't intend to be a museum guide but rather a stimulus for the reader to discover art. To this end the book is designed using a series of graphic techniques such as pieces of art in various sizes or excerpts and in unexpec- ted places on the page. In the descriptive texts, in the comparisons between different epochs using individual works as examples, as well as in the fold-out chronological tables an instructive survey is created with- out any recognizable pedagogical impetus. At the same time various possibilities and techniques of artistic book design are shown in the layout of the catalog itself. In all these aspects the curiosity and pleasure in discovery in both children and adults are offered. The guide is an exemplary escort. It includes illustrations of pieces held in the Hessian State Museum in Darmstadt. (8+) Switzerland (German) - 1995 - 91 Hauff, Wilhelm (text) Čapek, Jindra (illus.) Die Geschichte von Kalif Storch (The story of Caliph Stork) Zürich: bohem press, 1994. [36] p. ISBN 3-85581-271-3 Metamorphosis - Stork - Love - Modern fairy tale Fairy tales involving metamorphosis are traditionally loved by children. In the tale of Caliph of Bagdad and his Great Vizir present themselves her in a new form. The illustrator gives them the unmistakable features of storks and men; he does the same for the magicians who give the impetus for the whole plot and are punished for their evilness in the end. Full-page illustrations reflect the splendor of the Orient and the expanse of its landscape. The generous type-setting is pleasing to the eye, delicate initial vignettes grace the beginning of each chapter. The large-sized book represents, without being designed at an unusual expense. Not only in content but also in its imagery, an imaginable Oriental world which is by tradition dedicated to leisure and pleasure. The splendor of the pictures upholds the childlike joy of reading and telling stories. The traditional figura- tiveness of the Orient appears at times cari- catural, surpassing the textual content of the story. In this way the frames obtain their own authenticity, which at once interprets and depicts the Hauff tale. (6+) ☆ Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1995 - 92 Johansen, Hanna (text/illus.) Ein Maulwurf kommt immer allein (A mole is always a loner) Zürich: Nagel & Kimche, 1994. 118 p. ISBN 3-312-00778-x Mole - Individualism - Family The mole is a typical loner and only feels really happy when he is left alone. Hanna Johansen has made use of this fact to create a poetic case for the individualists of this world, wherever they may be hiding. Mother Mole loves her little children, her "closest to her heart little silk worms" as much as any other concerned mother. The little moles get along together, fight and battle with one another, become independent. They dig their own tunnels. The little girl mole, much to her own surprise, even tolerates a guest in her wing of the tunnel once. And soon she builds a nest of her own and has her own little "closes to her heart silk worms" to take care of, at least for a while. But the story in this book is not quite so thin. There are the most marvelous odors in the mole tunnels, they are crawling with little bugs and insects, "friends" of the moles. That is how the life of a mole is - friends are those you can eat, enemies are those who can eat you. The art of storytelling needs few words, just the right ones. Hanna Johansen uses this art to create new worlds which provide adults and children unexpected, funny and ironical insights into their own world. (6+) ☼ Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1995 - 93 Schindler, Regine (text) Jucker, Sita (illus.) Mia, was ist ein Trip? (Mia, What is a trip?) Zürich: bohem press, 1994. [32] p. ISBN 3-85581-261-6 Drug abuse - Friendship - Family Sometimes Matthias meets Mia and Puek, the dog, on his way home from school. Mia is a junkie and one day she cannot conceal it from Matthias any longer. His parents forbid him to see her any longer. When he meets her, her condition is already incura- ble. The boy takes on a big project: some- day he will work with drug addicts. Al- though it is quite clearly a problem-centered (picture) book, conceived in cooperation with the Swiss Central Agency for Addic- tion Prevention, the text and illustrations convey an atmosphere of security in Mat- thias's home as well as the vulnerability of: homeless drug addict. This book provides an opportunity for discussion and lets even younger children know how dangerous drugs are, but also that in certain cases addicts can be cured. (8+) ☼ Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1995 - 94 Tolstoi, Leo (text) Abesinova, Elena (illus.) Maja, Geise (German text) Wieviel Erde braucht der Mensch? Zürich: Speer, 1994. [36] p. ISBN 3-85916163-6 Farmer - Greed - Death Pachom, the farmer, tries to think of way if purchase more land. He learns about a region where one can acquire as much land one is able to mark off by walking from sun-up to sundown. He decides to take up this good bargain but overtaxes himself with his march around his future land and dies. The German version of this Russian has been shortened and adapted for children. The illustrations contain the traditional Russian folk art motifs in richly detailed and yet grandly playful, humorous and brightly colored variations. Interspersed with ironic jabs at the religious practices and everyday life in grand old Russia, there is a new picture world of men, women, angels and animals on each page. Countryside and cities are boxed inside of one another, make-believe maps with cyrillic writing draw attention to themselves. The illustrator Elena Abesinova lives and works today in Kiev. (6+) ☼ (See also Nr. 25 and 26 (Romania)) Austria (German) - 1996 - 67 Frischmuth, Barbara (text) Kállay, Dušan (illus.) Gutenachtgeschichte für Maria Carolina (Good-night Story for Mary Caroline) Wien: Jugend & Volk, 1994. [26] p. ISBN 3-224-11051-1 Sleep - Dream - Toad - Fantasy - Orderliness While taking an adventurous journey, Mary Caroline and the dreamtime toad meet the Sudel (a German term for sloven), little friendly creatures whose disconcern for orderliness - especially at the table - immediately wins the full sympathy of the child. But while the Sudel are able to simply shake off their messes, all of Caroline's messes are still to be seen on her clothing the next day. And yet it is clear - dreams can help. Particulary essential to this story are the bizarre-fantastic pictures of Dusan Kállay, whose sophisticated use of coloring gives the eye a visual adventure. (6+) Austria (German) - 1996 - 68 Goller, Anja (text) Brinx, Thomas (text) Plöger, Juliane (illus.) Koch Eduard träumt (Eduard the Cook Dreams) Wien: Esslinger im Österreichischen Bundesverlag, 1995. [28] p. ISBN 3-215-11856-4 Fish - Cook - Dream - Love - Promise A lonely fish cook dreams even at night of the pleasures of fishing. Suddenly he realizes that as a professional cook he must kill the fish. But when the queen of the fish promises to marry him, he changes his cuisine from fish specialities to sweet dishes. The illustrations are on the one hand notably reminiscent of the old masters. A touch of children's painting, on the other hand, may be seen in the fish and their surroundings. The resulting tension matches that between dream and real-life. (8+) Austria (German) - 1996 - 69 Janisch, Heinz (text) Kernke, Gabriele (illus.) Benni und die sieben Löwen (Benni and the Seven Lions) Wien: Betz, 1995. [28] p. ISBN 3-219-10601-3 Fear - Fantasy - Self-confidence Benni has lots of courage. In the course of one day he conquers seven threatening lions. They cross his path while he was defending himself against the other children. At home in the evening he tells all about it and it becomes clear that he can fight crocodiles, too (they are sitting at the dinner table with him). It needn't only be lions. This is an eyewinking book of encouragement that children will immediately respond to. (6+) Austria (German) - 1996 - 70 Jooß, Erich (text) Boratyński, Antoni (illus.) Der Sohn des Häuptlings (The Chief's Son) Mödling: St. Gabriel, 1995. [32] p. ISBN 3-85264-474-4 Indians/Legend - The Flood <motif> - Creation The son of the tribe's chief refuses to become a warrior. He encounters the great Mother Earth who has tried to heal the wounds to the earth which men have caused. Finally she announces the Great Flood and the chief 's son survives in the Ark. When the flood recedes, the earth begins to bloom again. A dolphin becomes a young woman and she stays with him. This Indian legend unites Christian biblical and naturalist myths. The topic of war and peace is expanded upon by the illustrator by focussing on Nature and the idea of creation. (8+) Austria (German) - 1996 - 71 Nöstlinger, Christine (text) Sidibé, Frank Abu (text) Waldschütz, Barbara (illus.) Madisou (<Proper name>) Wien: Dachs, 1995. [36] p. ISBN 3-85191-026-5 Africa/Fairy tale - Cinderella <motif> The great village celebration is about to take place, but one girl, the step-daughter of an African mother, is not allowed to decorate herself. A lion comes to her rescue and the black king's son chooses the lovely Cinderella to be his wife. Thereupon the stepmother and her daughters, filled with jealousy and anger, turn into large and angry buzzing flies. Ever since then all large flies buzz. This variation of the widely known fairy tale motif, in which a lion turns into a braid-making hairdresser for the African Cinderella, gives the story a fully new touch. The pictures are based on African art. (10+) Austria (German) - 1996 - 72 Pelz, Monika Der Talker (The Talker) Wien: Jungbrunnen, 1995. 142 p. ISBN 3-7026-5678-2 Cyberspace - Future - Media - Crime - Detective In the year 2004 it may be possible for a (virtual) talkmaster to have eternal youth, while his human original is dying of boredom in a retirement home. private detective Lilly Lobster (17) solves the case with the help of her few but trusty friends. The reader will find himself confronted with baffling new forms of cohabitation, interpersonal communication and justice. Using the current usage of electronic media as a starting point, the author takes it virtually (and pleasurably ironically) a step further. (10+) Austria (German) - 1996 - 73 Slupetzky, Stefan (text/illus.) Nurmi, der Bär (Nurmi the Bear) Wien: Picus, 1995. [28] p. ISBN 3-85452-089-1 Bear - Runaway - Mischief - Return home Nurmi is the most curious, most hungry, most sassy, most brave but also the loneliest and saddest bear around. As long as he enjoys his roaming, he plays one trick after the other on people. But when winter comes, he withdraws into the family cave. And now he is the most-in-love bear of all. This light-hearted story presents interesting possibilities of how (bear) children can really pester, though not without some risk, the adults. But a happy ending is possible anyway. (6+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 74 Chidolue, Dagmar No Bahamas (No Bahamas) Hamburg: Dressler, 1995. 205 p. ISBN 3-7915-0388-X School holiday - Family - First love - Siblings The thirteen-year-old twin sisters Annabel and Linda are both in love with Finn Rückert. But the whole touchy matter only gets off the ground when the Moll family takes their holiday at home. The neighbors are not supposed to notice that they haven't gone away (»no Bahamas«!) and playing hide-and-seek involves no little difficulty. This is a cheerful and slightly ironic story about the apparently so very taken-for-granted living conditions and expectations of people in West Europe. (12+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 75 Drude, Lothar (text) Wittkamp, Franz (illus.) Mauerblümchen und Schattenmonster (Wallflower and Shadow-monsters) Recklinghausen: Bitter, 1995. 64 p. Argument - Neighbor - Wall - Reconciliation It is the wish of the combative shadow-monsters, Morgler and Abenil, to let the wall of the soul between Ferdinand and Fridolin and the stone wall between their gardens grow higher and higher. When the hobo, Wall-flower, decides to take a nap on the little wall, he is able to take the role of a nonpartisan mediator. With the support of Wittkamp's illustrations, the author successfully portrays the wrongs of a groundless enmity and the satisfying reconciliation of the opposing parties. (6+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 76 Erlbruch, Wolf (text/illus.) Frau Meier, die Amsel (Mrs. Meier, the Blackbird) Wuppertal: Hammer, 1995. [32] p. ISBN 3-87294-644-7 Blackbird - Pet - Flying - Learning Mr. and Mrs. Meier live a quiet and fairly uncomplicated life - until a blind baby blackbird lands in their pumpkin patch. Mrs. Meier raises it, feeding it worms and flies all day and night. The crowning moment of her efforts comes when the little bird learns to fly. Mrs. Meier must herself take to flight before the blackbird dares to try. Mr. Meier has never seen his wife so happy. Since Erlbruch's stories are not necessarily limited to earthly matters, the theme, tone and pictures of this book fit together exquisitely. (5+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 77 Erlbruch, Wolf (text/illus.) Zehn grüne Heringe (Ten Green Herrings) München: Hanser, 1995. [24] p. ISBN 3-446-18278-0 Herring - Children's poetry In an unconventional and boisterous style Erlbruch re-writes and re-illustrates the poem »Ten Little Indians« as a totally nonsensical story about ten green herrings. In this version everything is possible and in the end they are ten again. This small-sized book, designed to be carried about anywhere by children and adults, to be told and looked at again and again, is pleasing in both word and picture. (4+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 78 Friedrichson, Sabine (text/illus.) Der Glasball (The Glass Ball) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1995. [32] p. ISBN 3-407-79155-0 England/Fairy tale - Fox - Girl Loss and betrayal, lies and faithlessness with an uncertain ending are the stuff fairy tales are made of. Here a girl tries to get her glass ball back out of the fox's yard. Only by breaking a number of rules can she find her ball again. When she flees, the animals whom she meets during her flight promise not to betray her, but do so anyway as soon as the fox makes inquiries about her. The fox, the girl and the glass ball were never seen again. The repetitive style of this fairy-tale plot finds its visual counterpart in the regular spatial design of the pages. Thus the dynamics of the plot and the statics of the symbolism balance each other out. (6+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 79 Giordano, Mario (text) Spohr, Heinz (illus.) Drei vom Zirkus - I tre del circo (Three from the Circus) Reinbek: Rowohlt, 1995. 135 p. ISBN 3-499-20786-9 Circus - Animal Trainer - Escape - Survival - Bilingual text Thle Circus Malinka is in desparate straits. The animals are being tormented, their food is running out. The she-wolf, Aischa, the little pig, Ludwig, and the raven Kolja succeed in breaking out of their cages and finding a way to the mountains. Tonio, the son of the animal trainer, successfully pursues them in order to save them from being killed. The author describes the ordeal of the captive animals and their longing for freedom with considerable sympathy. (8+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 80 Grimm, Brothers (text) Heidelbach, Nikolaus (illus.) Märchen (Fairy Tales) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1995. 383 p. ISBN 3-407-79684-6 Germany/Fairy tales/Anthology This edition presents the works of Nikolaus Heidelbach. The satirical manner of the artist, as he supplements and interprets the content of the tales, occasionally offers new ways of looking at familar tales. Numerous full-paged illustration plates give this attractively designed, voluminous edition the character of a home treasury, ever ready to be leafed through, looked at and read aloud. (6+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 81 Härtling, Peter Jette (<Proper name>) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1995. 129 p. ISBN 3-407-79683-8 Sexual abuse/Suspicion - Friendship - Single mother Jette is often left to her own devices. Thus she is pleased to have the friendship of two older gentlemen in the bookstore across the street who in turn encourage her love for literature. When the suspi- cion is raised that Jette is being sexually molested there, her magical (fairy tale) world is destroyed. She feels humiliated by suspicious adults who think they know everything. Full of insight, but avoiding sensationalism, the author writes about this volatile issue from an unusual point of view. (12+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 82 Heidenreich, Elke (text) Buchholz, Quint (illus.) Nero Corleone (<Proper name>) München: Hanser, 1995. 87 p. ISBN 3-446-18344-2 Italy - Germany - Cat - Psychology - Leadership Tomcat Nero, six weeks old, is the self-appointed boss of an Italian farmyard thanks to his lion-like bravery which verges on brazenness. He manages to travel to Germany with a family of animal-loving German tourists, to a cat's paradise, and even brings his little naive, blue-eyed, cross-eyed sister Rosa along, too. There he helps to populate his new neighborhood in Cologne with his favorite female friend »Little Kleist.« And at the end of his days he feels drawn again back to his farmyard. With unsentimental, laconic humor the author writes this glorious story of the macho-mafioso Nero the Lionhearted for all cat fans, young and old alike. (8+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 83 Hentschel, Henky Ramóns Bruder (Ramón's Brother) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1995. 193 p. ISBN 3-407-80827-5 Carribean - Everyday life - Outsider - Brother - Color of skin The inhabitants of the Carribean took the proud traditions of their peoples seriously as long as their own daily life was intact. For instance, evil spirits were made responsible for the light complexion of a baby's skin when an albino was born. This was the case for Ramón's brother, who must come to terms with his fate as an outsider. The reader discovers in an entertaining but stirring way through one Carribean family many essential facts about this people, whose values have not been able to survive within the Western civilization. (10+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 84 Herfurtner, Rudolf Muschelkind (Clam Child) Hamburg: Oetinger, 1995. 189 p. ISBN 3-7891-3704-9 Ecology - Water - Mussels - Pearls - Folktale A folktale, the ecological problems of today's world and the story of one girl's growing up are united in this novel by a fascinating plot. Margarete feels especially drawn toward the brook and its meadowlands. When the waste water of the new factory cause disease among the clams in the brook, she risks her life to prevent an ecological disaster. The author succeeds in portraying contemporary issues in their social and historical context in conjunction with the developments in the life of a young protagonist. (10+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 85 Hohler, Franz (text) Loosli, Arthur (illus.) Tschipo in der Steinzeit (Chipo in the Stone Age) Ravensburg: Ravensburger Buchverlag, 1995. 190 p. ISBN 3-473-34283-1 Dream - Reality - Time travel - Stone Age - Language Chipo dreams that he lives in the Stone Age. Patiently and with much fantasy he tries to get to know the stone age men's a way of life, though it is very strange to him. In particular their language is incompatible with his own rich, modern-day vocabulary. Hence he turns to creating words by using (somewhat linguistic) techniques of onomatopieia to explain the advantages of cooking and the possibilities of modern technology to the cave men. This is a charming story full of wit and subtle connotations told in an easy-going, unconventional narrative style. (10+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 86 Brum, Alexa (ed.) Heuberger, Rachel et al. (ed.) Ignatz, Bubis (preface) Ich bin, was ich bin, ein Jude. Jüdische Kinder in Deutschland erzählen (I am what I am, a Jew. Told by Jewish Children in Germany ) Köln: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1995. 123 p. ISBN 3-462-02430-2 Germany/Everyday life - Jew/Child - Children's writing These short texts by Jewish children demonstrate that the current generation of six to eighteen-yearolds are very much aware of the problems of present-day situation and often reflect on them with ambivalent feelings. But their approach to life is marked above all by the wish to live an absolutely normal life within German society. Books of this type can be the beginning of a necessary opening of the general interest in Jewish matters. In an appendix further information about Jewish culture and history are included. (10+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 87 Janosch (text/illus.) Wie der Tiger zählen lernt (How Tiger Learns to Count) München: Mosaik, 1995. [40] p. ISBN 3-576-10488-7 Counting - Humor - Irony One of Janosch's black humor maxims about living is »whoever can count will never fail in life.« Hence little Tiger finds it necessary to learn to count. He counts his friends, but not his enemies (for it is an honor to be included in Tiger's count), and everything that creeps and flees. The reader can practice too, in memory of the nice days of counting with little Tiger. This is a heart-warming book whose best feature is the total absence of any pedagogical methodicism or »little steps.« (6+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 88 Johansen, Hanna (text) Berner, Rotraut Susanne (illus.) Der Füsch (The Fysh) München: Hanser, 1995. [32] p. ISBN 3-446-17868-7 Fish - Secret - Imagination A fysh is a fysh is a fysh (in »adultspeak«: fish). This is probably what Dodo thinks, after her birthday wish for such a fish was fulfilled. It can turn red and blue and multi-colors (when it wants to). It can run around the table with Dodo and Dodo can swim with it in the aquarium. They want to find out which is better, running or swimming. Naturally they do all this only in private, without any family audience. The text and illustrations hit the bull's-eye of the secret world of children and fyshes, just as one would expect from this author-illustrator team. (6+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 89 Kant, Uwe (text) Deneke, Gesa (illus.) Wer hat den Bären gesehen? (Who Has Seen the Bear?) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1995. 69 p. ISBN 3-407-79669-2 Bear - Zoo - Escape The bear has escaped from the zoo because the visitors claimed that bears belong in the forest. So he looks for the forest while his keeper looks for him. In general it is merely known that the bear possesses the ability to stand on his hands and on his head and to wiggle his ears. However, the author admits that he made up this bear. Uwe Kant gives younger children a funny story and quite incidentally a first introduction into the method and purpose of literary story-telling. (7+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 90 Kasparavičius, Kaspar (text/illus.) Ostereier (Easter-Eggs) Esslingen: Schreiber, 1995. [28] p. ISBN 3-215-11907-2 Easter Egg - Nonsense This unusual picture book is an incentive for an entertaining egg hunt and riddle solving at Eastertime and anytime, where ever eggs can be searched for and found: in the woods, on the catwalk, and even in egg paradise. The painter from Lithuania, who did this book especially for the German publisher, lets richly detailed, brilliantly colored pages tell his story. (4+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 91 Ludwig, Christa Links neben Cori (To the left of Cori) Weinheim: Anrich, 1995. 156 p. ISBN 3-89106-231-1 Sudden-Death-Syndrome - Bereavement - Twin - Friendship - Yugoslavia/Germany Corinna, a German girl, and Seada, a Bosnian girl, have become friends. Each of them has had to deal with death. Seada's brother and her father died in the Yugoslavian civil war. Corinna's twin sister died as a baby. The author succeeds in vividly portraying the considerable differences in experience between the two children. Minor features of everyday life become important due to the different associations each makes. The reader learns how the two girls together succeed in getting over the catastrophic experiences of their childhoods. (10+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 92 Merten, C.S. Gestehen Sie, Dr. Thoma! (Confess, Dr. Thoma!) Berlin: Elefanten Press, 1994. 102 p. ISBN 3-88520-506-8 Television - Cyberspace - School - Friendship - Doll The introverted Robert and his very outgoing classmate Hürlimann fall in love at the same time with Mary, the new exchange student from the United States. But soon they make an unexpected discovery while trying to help an indisposed Mary and find themselves on the trail of a crime. With much humor, the author pokes fun at television reality, where virtual and genuine reality can hardly be distinguished from one another anymore. (8+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 93 Obrecht, Bettina (text) Meyer, Kerstin (illus.) Jonas läßt sich scheiden (Jonas Gets Divorced) Hamburg: Oetinger, 1995. 64 p. ISBN 3-7891-0505-8 House-sharing - Family - Friendship - Role-switch Jonas has two moms, two dads, five grannys and three grandpas, as well as several half-brothers and half-sisters because his parents are divorced and remarried. His friend Pablo and his mother, who is also separated from her husband, shares a flat with others. Jonas and Pablo decide to switch families on a trial basis, but this doesn't work out. Jonas comes to the realization that to get a divorce one must be an adult. A delightful reminiscence on the days of the student revolution generation, which only partly succeeded in finding new forms of family-style living. (8+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 94 Pausewang, Gudrun Die Verräterin (The Traitor) Ravensburg: Ravensburger Buchverlag, 1995. 190 p. ISBN 3-473-35147-4 Germany/History 1939-1945 - Russian prisoner-of-war - Hiding - Betrayal Anna aids a young Russian prisoner-of-war who has hidden on her parents farm. Yet she had given her word of honor to her brother that she would not do so. When the Russian army approaches, the soldiers take revenge for all the injustice suffered at the hands of Germans by randomly shooting down most of the village inhabitants. The young Russian is not there to save Anna's family. He had already been shot by her fanatic brother. The author succeeds in rendering an extreme situation in a impressive literary form. (12+) Germany (German) - 1996 - 95 Rathenow, Lutz (text) Bauer, Peter (illus.) Floh Dickbauch (Flea Fatgut) Leipzig: LeiV, 1995. [48] p. ISBN 3-928885-48-0 Usefulness - Animals - Fleas - Pigs The flea Fatgut considers his existence meaningless and would like to turn into a useful animal. He tries to be a pig: puffs himself up, wallows in pink paint and puts on a cardboard snout. But when he discovers that the usefulness of a pig is calculated in pounds, he prefers to find a more intellectual occupation. He pricks anyone who picks on other people. To everyone's joy, these bad-tempered people become ready and willing to improve themselves. This is a parable about the role of material and spiritual values in life. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1996 - 96 Schär, Brigitte (text) Gleich, Jacky (illus.) Das geht doch nicht! (That Won't Work!) München: Hanser, 1995. [24] p. ISBN 3-446-18279-7 Christmas - Present - Secret - Terror - Education The beloved youngest child of the family is making Christmas presents. No one can or wants to try to stop her, but they grow more and more amazed. It appears to be something gigantic. The family is already celebrating under the Christmas tree in the kitchen (there is not enough room anywhere else) when the beloved child finally reveals the secret. The family is given a ship, big enough for them all to fit into, and they immediately go off to the sea, even though the necessary demolition of the apartment house in order to get the ship to water is rather disturbing to some of them. This affectionate-ironical story about the situation of the youngest children, who are both gifted and pampered, and whose wishes are hard to refuse. The illustrations supplement the events of the plot in a very successful, chaotic manner. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1996 - 97 Schami, Rafik Reise zwischen Nacht und Morgen (Journey Between Night and Morning) München: Hanser, 1995. 350p ISBN 3-446-17864-3 Circus - Friendship - Love - Travel - Death The great adventure for Circus Sarmani begins with an unexpected trip to the Orient. The director is trying to track down his family roots. He and his oriental friend become younger and younger the longer the journey lasts. This is a fantastic, but worldly novel written as a series of episodes from the mysterious world of the circus. (10+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1996 - 98 Schneider, Karla Die Reise in den Norden (Journey to the North) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1995. 396 p. ISBN 3-407-76671-4 Skandinavia/1730 - Exploration - Androgyny Isak Zettervall embarks on a botanical research journey in the 18th century to the still unexplored northern areas of Scandinavia, also entrusted with a secret political mission for the king. The progress of his journey is burdened by the unexpected arrival of an at first unwelcome young female accompaniment. Surprisingly it turns out that the success of the entire undertaking would be questionable without her assistance. The author gives a captivating account of the peoples and landscape of the far North. (10+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1996 - 99 Tollmien, Cordula Fürstin der Wissenschaft. Die Lebensgeschichte der Sofia Kowalewskaja (Countess of Science. The Life of Sofia Kowalewskaja) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1995. 190 p. ISBN 3-407-80735-X Russia/History 1850-1900 - Women/University - Mathematics Sofia Kowalewskaja was one of the first women to become an university graduate. This information book describes her development from a protected childhood within the Russia haute bourgeoisie - which she herself described in her highly successful literary »Childhood Memories«- to her political activism and to her appointment as a mathematician at the University of Stockholm. With this example of the fate of an unusual woman, the reader is presented with a vivid segment of the history of political upheavals and the beginnings of women's liberation in Central Europe. (10+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1996 - 100 Vahle, Frederik Federico oder das Leben ist kein Hühnerspiel (Federico or Life is No Chicken-game) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1995. 110 p. ISBN 3-407-79690-0 Federico García Lorca/Biography - Outsider The happy, sheltered childhood of the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca was a source of his poetry. Even younger children will be able to understand how literature and life influence one another with this short biography. As a young boy Lorca lived amidst the other children in his surroundings as a dreamy outsider. Up to his early death in the Spanish Civil War, writing poetry was an existential necessity in his life, which the author cautiously tracked down. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1996 - 101 Waluszek, Christian Wilfried (<Proper name>) Stuttgart: Thienemann, 1995. 283 p. ISBN 3-522-16893-3 Intelligence - Mentally handicapped - Circus Exhibitor - Murder - Psychiatry Winifred is looking for his uncle. But his uncle has been murdered (to mention only the beginnings of this pleasureably told satire-detective story). Uncle Ludwig's well-preserved corpse is hidden in the horror house where Wilfried works. (Detectives will enjoy the wordplay »Toter Mann« standing for the corpse and the figure in the horror house). The story is settled to everyone's satisfaction and the bad guys get their just reward. With a black but not bitter humor, the author sketches the dark and lighter sides of humanity, much to the pleasure of the reader. (12+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1996 - 102 Zweig, Stefanie Nirgendwo in Afrika (Nowhere in Africa) München: Langen Müller, 1995. 383 p. ISBN 3-7844-2560-7 Africa/Childhood - Cultural comparison - Jew/Persecution A Jewish family flees from Germany to Africa in 1938. While the parents cannot adjust to life in a strange culture or to their status as »enemy refugees«, the preschool child Regina grows up to womanhood under circumstances full of sacrifices, but also full of love toward fellow man, for the landscape and the culture of Africa. At the end of the war the family returns to Germany, but now it is Regina who loses her beloved African home. This literary and extremely captivating text gives an authentic portrait of a child growing up in a foreign culture. (16+) Switzerland (German) - 1996 - 103 Johansen, Hanna (text) Bhend, Käthi (illus.) Die Hexe zieht den Schlafsack enger (The Witch Pulls the Sleeping Bag Tighter) Zürich: Nagel & Kimche, 1995. [76] p. ISBN 3-312-00787-9 Calendar - Poetry Subversive and rebellious in content, conventional in rhyme and meter, these verses come from the whole year long. Without the aid of a continuous storyline, one still learns much about the joys, sorrows and everyday life of a little girl, about her family problems and celebrations. Käthe Bhend's well-received, bizarre illustrations are the ideal accompaniment to this volume. (8+) Switzerland (German) - 1996 - 104 Limmacher, Roland Juliluft (The Winds of July) Zürich: Diogenes, 1995. 136 p. ISBN 3-257-06034-3 Self-identity - Friendship - Homeless man Julius, nicknamed Schüül, makes friends with two men who are putting together a Cadillac from the wrecks in a car scrap yard, where one of them, Most, even lives. When the two men get into trouble with the police, they run away, taking Schüül - against his will - with them. He must find his way home all alone: the way from childhood to adulthood. He sees old Most just one more time, when the police have extradicted him from a southern country and placed him in a mental hospital. (14+) Switzerland (German) - 1996 - 105 Pacovská, Kveta (text/illus.) Türme (Towers) Gossau: Neugebauer, 1995. [44] p. ISBN 3-85195-368-1 Tower - Dream - Play - Sunset - Flying A new artist's picture book that both challenges and quickens the narrative imagination. Where can »towers« be better imagined than in Bologna, Italy? They have much to whisper to one another in the magical hour between daytime and dreamtime - about flying, story-telling and celebrations. With this impressing large-sized format, with folds and flaps to look at and read - the artist has truly made this an uplifting book. (6+) Switzerland (German) - 1996 - 106 Schami, Rafik (text) Cools, Ed (illus.) Streich, Oliver (illus.) Der Schnabelsteher (Maker of Beak-stands) Zürich: Nord-Süd-Verl., 1995. [28] p. ISBN 3-314-00715-9 Single mother - Outsider - Courage - Vanity - Game The little raven is still too young to fly - but no other raven child can stand on their beak like he can. Hence, it cannot understand why the pheasant is called the king of the birds, since he has those beautiful feathers through no effort of his own and he does nothing else all day but show off by faning his tail. The raven's efforts to dethrone the »king« are met with great approval by the other animals. So ever since then a beak-standing raven is regarded more highly than a peacock fanning his tail. This is a story of encouragement for young outsiders. (6+) Switzerland (German) - 1996 - 107 Schneider, Jürg E. (text) Siegfried, Anita (text) Müller, Jörg (illus.) Auf der Gasse und hinter dem Ofen. Eine Stadt im Spätmittelalter (In the Alley and Behind the Chimney. A Town in the Late Middle Ages) Aarau: Sauerländer, 1995. 47 p. + 4 posters ISBN 3-7941-3906-2 Germany/1309-1349 - City/Everyday life - Plague Four persons of different age groups and social backgrounds lead the reader into a foreign world, a city in the middle of the 14th century. A boy, a girl, a young woman and a monk go through a typical day, fulfilling different tasks and duties. In preparing the painstakingly elaborate frieze-style illustrations as supplements to the text, Jörg Müller used true-to-original models of towns. The extremely difficult plan to bring the historical context and traditions to life appears to be successful in this large-format portfolio of text and illustration. Factual materials are also included, so that the necessary imaginative processes can take place on the basis of solid facts. (8+) Switzerland (German) - 1996 - 108 Traxler, Hans (text/illus) Wenn Kühe Propeller hätten (If Cows Had Propellers) Zürich: Diogenes, 1995. 54 p. ISBN 3-257-00823-6 Nonsense - Logic The caricaturist Hans Traxler gives himself and his readers this gift of a book filled with relaxing double-entendre and so-called non-sense. In series of »if-then« sentences he creates the most absurd causal relations. The purpose behind this activity may lay in pointing out the irony of adult logic which in general usage and as forced upon children is often not easily understandable. Having a laugh over unexpected (word) imagery is a liberating experience. Especially when laughing together. (8+) Switzerland (German) - 1996 - 109 Weninger, Brigitte (text) Marks, Alan (illus.) Auf Wiedersehen, Papa (Goodbye, Papa) Gossau: Neugebauer, 1995. [28] p. ISBN 3-85195-563-6 Marital separation - Everyday life - Anger Only his Teddy can explain to Tom why he does not need to be angry with his absent father. When his mother and father (bear) no longer get along peaceably in their cramped cave, it is better for everyone when he meets the father outside to play and romp about. And soon he comes back again. This picture book does not make use of intellectual explanations to show young children how to make the best of an unsatisfying situation. (6+) Germany (German) - 1997 - 79 Abraham, Peter Piepheini (Squeaky Henry) München: Ellermann, 1996. 157 p. ISBN 3-7707-3040-2 Second World War - Berlin/History 1945 - Evacuation - Pomerania - Escape - Death Heinrich (Henry) is often teased by his classmates as »squeaky Henry«. When, in the winter of 1945, he makes a remark about listening to enemy radio stations, there seems to be such danger for the family that the father goes underground and Heinrich is sent away to Pomerania. He is still there when the war ends and they must flee from the Red Army across the ice of Frisches Haff on the Gulf of Danzig. Bombs are dropped on the refugees and terrible things happen. Though Heinrich survives and finds his father again, their family is destroyed; Heinrich grows up in an orphanage. Based on his own biography, the author vividly recalls the war and post-war years of fifty years ago. (10+) Germany (German) - 1997 - 80 Ahl, Sigi (text/illus.) Papepipopu (<Nonsense word>) Hamburg: Carlsen, 1996. [24] p. ISBN 3-551-51475 Speech - Word play - Toilet training »Papa«, calls little sister, »pepe« and points with horror at her little brother, who is standing up on the swing and making wee-wee. His bottom side is also in action? Papa has nothing better to do than stare in amazement. But his amazement is all the greater when little sister runs to Mama and is suddenly able to say, »Pepe knows how to swing properly!«. The witty words and illustrations describe this elementary family situation. (5+) Germany (German) - 1997 - 81 Askenazy, Ludvik (text) Wiesmüller, Dieter (illus.) Das Wunderei (The magical egg) Hamburg: Carlsen, 1996. [24] p. ISBN 3-551-51528-X Imagination - Egg - Miniature world - Game - Magic On a highway bridge Robert finds an egg, »so blue that it takes your breath away«, which contains a little miniature world that opens up when one knocks on the shell. He succeeds in getting the miniature girl, Ninette, to come out of the egg into his world, but loses her again when the magical egg finally breaks. The beholder of this picture book is swept away into a world of nighttime spaces in which anything seems possible. (6+) Germany (German) - 1997 - 82 Berner, Rotraut Susanne (text/illus.) Das Abenteuer (The adventure) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1996. [32] p. ISBN 3-407-79172-0 Cat - Dog - Fear - Play - Friendship - Adventure A pleasurable, though entirely accidental encounter help to correct the long-standing misunderstanding between two neighbors. While at play the ball rolls from the cat house to the dog mansion and the attempt to get it back leads for the first time to an understanding between the two parties. And there is a chance for more. Together with her text, Berner's colorful pictures make for thoroughly entertaining reading. (5+) Germany (German) - 1997 - 83 Boddin, Heidrun (text/illus.) Verflixte Fliegen! (Those darn flies!) München: Middelhauve, 1996. [36] p. ISBN 3-7876-9384-X Flies The joys and sorrows of being a fly are portrayed here for young children in short lyrics along with charming illustrations. Printed on brown packing paper, the bold colors of the fly family members achieve their fullest expression. (4+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 84 Dayre, Valérie (text) Erlbruch, Wolf (illus.) Honke, Gudrun (transl.) Graeff, Max Christian (transl.) Die Menschenfresserin (The lady cannibal) Wuppertal: Hammer, 1996. [32] p. ISBN 3-87294-715-X (French ed.: L' Ogresse en Pleurs. Toulouse: Éditions Milan, 1996) Mother/Son - Cannibalism - Depth psychology - Love - Regret As the crowning moment of her evil life, a woman plans to eat a child. Afterwards, she is shattered by her own deed, for she has eaten her own child. The »devouring mother« has surely never been depicted to such horrible extremity and with such aesthetic souvereignity before this picture book. The excellent German translation of the impressive, laconic text is both expounded upon and extended by Erlbruch's pictures, which leave wide berth for interpretation. Decorative elements such as the ever recurring, surrealistically strewn philodendra leaves or the child's sailor's suit allow an analysis, or perhaps a persiflage, of middleclass life. Just as the frontispiece of the book shows a young girl playing the German playground game »Heaven and Hell« (hopscotch), the story takes the reader down the long path of often unconscious human behavior. (14+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 85 Grote, Wilfrid (text) Ballhaus, Verena (illus.) Adios, Emilio. Viel Glück, Emil Lück! (Bye, Emilio. Good luck, Emil Luck!) München: Kerle, 1996. 81 p. ISBN 3-85303-129-3 Argentina/History 1920s/1930s - Emigration - Father - Homecoming In the 1920s and 1930s the massive unemployment forces a brave family father to seek work overseas, in the oil fields of Argentina. From there he is able to provide his family at home in Gronau-an-der- Leine with the basic minimum needs. This fastpaced narrative revolves around his adventures and his often sly methods of getting by in a foreign land. Inventive, ironic illustrations round out this attractive little book, which will appeal to a wide age-range. (7+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 86 Heller, Eva (text) Sowa, Michael (illus.) Das unerwartete Geschenk vom Weihnachtsmann und von Frau Glück und Herrn Liebe (The unexpected gift from Santa Claus, Lady Luck and Monsieur L'Amour) Oldenburg: Lappan, 1996. [32] p. ISBN 3-89082-154-5 Christmas - Gift-giving - Surprise - Happiness Good luck knows neither the time nor the day, that is the Christmas message of this cheerful story. In prosaic pictures, which give an ironic view of cosy, middle-class homelife, we witness how Santa Claus, Lady Luck and Monsieur L'Amour go to great extremes to pass along their surplus stock of dolls to little boys and girls. Then the computer notices that this present has been placed ten years too early in the sack, because of a technical error. Thus Antonia gets her doll Simonetta already now, unexpectedly und unplanned. Three cheers for the picture book computer. (7+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 87 Hensgen, Andrea Dich habe ich in die Mitte der Welt gestellt (I have placed you at the middle of the world) München: Bertelsmann, 1996. 286 p. ISBN 3-570-12389-8 Rite of passage - Identity - First love - Intellectual history The members of a graduating class who participate in a project week on the theme of »the history of European thought« experience at the same time a chance to clarify their own ideas of themselves and their relationships with one another. Although the author takes this aspect very seriously, she also weaves into the narrative a considerable wealth of information about culture and important thinkers in central Europe. Yet throughout the novel, the protagonists remain vivid and interesting figures at the core of the narrative. (14+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 88 Holub, Josef (text) Bonifaz und der Räuber Knapp (Boniface and the Robber Knapp) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1996. 241 p. ISBN 3-407-70696-X Germany/History 1867 - Orphan - Adoption - Thief - Discrimination - Friendship - Village life - Emigration The orphan Boniface is sent to live with his uncle, the village mayor, in the Wurttemberg village of Graab. Nearly killed along the way, he later learns that he had been rescued by Knapp, who is known in the village as a robber. Boniface is soon fast friends with Knapp's son Christian, but when the family is forced by the neighborhood gossips to emigrate overseas, they are separated. In a natural, sympathetic manner the author transports the reader into the world of the young protagonist. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 89 Jandl, Ernst (text) Junge, Norman (illus.) Immer höher (Higher and higher) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1996. [28] p. ISBN 3-407-79178-X Austria/Poetry This (relatively) large book with a (relatively) short text moves effortlessly from the microcosmos of the protagonist to the macrocosmos of the universe. But nothing is given an explanation, even when objects are imbued with animation. In a quite matter-of-fact manner the poet and illustrator expand to the maximum the horizons of experience using a minimum of means. Each page contains only those objects described in the line of text. Changes are shown in night-time blue, new situations in clear daylight. The continuity in the course of events shown in the sequence of illus-trations corresponds perfectly to the rhythm of the text. (5+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 90 Kahlert, Elke (text) Glienke, Amelie (illus.) Das Kinderkarussell (The children's merry-go-round) Reinbek: Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, 1997. 123 p. (rororo rotfuchs; 808) ISBN 3-499-20808-3 Merry-go-round - Crime - Forgery - Detective story Sophie and Fabian are concerned about their old merry-go-round because the dappled-grey horse is missing. So they scatter a little ash and decide to play detective. At last they get to the root of things, but not without taking some dangerous risks. A gang of forgers had been using the horse's body as a hiding place. With humour and subtle finesse the author shows what fun children have keeping little and big secrets - and how inventive they can be in trying to fool the adults. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 91 Kishon, Ephraim (text) Kishon, Renana (illus.) Ein Schnuller mit dem Namen Zezi (A pacifier named Zezi) München: Lentz, 1996. [28] p. ISBN 3-88010-412-3 Baby - Pacifier - Conflict - Trickery In this book for both young and old, a subversive little baby learns how to keep its family and babysitters in non-stop action by hiding its one and only beloved pacifier and throwing a tantrum until it gets it. The pictures, with lift-up flaps for all sorts of po- tential hiding places, will delight playful youngsters. They are done by the »former baby«, now adult daughter of of the well-known adult author Kishon. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 92 Koch, Marianne (text) Janssen, Susanne (illus.) Die Abenteuer der kleinen Wolke (The adventure of the little cloud) München: Hanser, 1996. [32] p. ISBN 3-446-18485-6 Cloud - Flight - Adventure - Help The little cloud makes its first long journey and finds lots to tell about the joys and dangers it has experienced. Although the pictures clearly reveal the influence of her master teacher, the alternative, more feminine style of this young illustrator give cause to follow her future development. (4+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 93 Krenzer, Rolf (text) Mirtschin, Jutta (illus.) Die Babuschka, Sascha und das Huhn Natascha (The Babushka, Sasha and Natasha, the chicken) Lahr: Kaufmann, 1996. [32] p. ISBN 3-7806-2375-7 Grandmother/Grandchild - Russia/Easter - Poverty - Charity/Giving In this story about the joys of sharing and giving, Babuschka arranges for her grandchild Sascha to enjoy Easter by sharing their own Easter banquet meal with children even poorer than themselves. The festivities of a Russian Easter night are portrayed in this quiet, reflective and optimistic book. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 94 Kulot-Fritsch, Daniela (text/illus.) Nasebohren ist schön (Nose-picking is fun) Stuttgart: Thienemann, 1996. 32 p. ISBN 3-522-43227-4 Child-rearing - Social convention - Threat - Lies The children of the elephant, mouse and frog families love to pick their noses. That's forbidden! cry the parents. Why? the children want to know. Disease! their elders tell them. But look there - the grandparents, who have almost nothing to do with child-rearing, do not feel obliged to act as role models - and pick their noses, too. This merry and colorful picture book extolls the passionate pleasures of pursuing one's needs and of forming subversive alliances between old and young against dry conventions. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 95 Lawitzky, Gerd Kasper, König, Räuber (Punch, King, Robber) Berlin: Elefantenpress, 1996. 111 p. ISBN 3-88520-594-7 Clothing - Role exchange - Confusion - Duty For the most part, Punch, King and Robber are quite satisfied with their lives, though they find their jobs distasteful at times. One day each gets so angry that he casts off his official dress - joker cap, crown and pistol. Now, without their proper owners, these three objects cause the greatest amount of confusion when they land in the wrong hands and on the wrong heads. But in the end they all come to the conclusion that things work best when done by professionals. This is a humorously told parable about real life clothed in figures familiar to smaller children. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 96 Maar, Paul (text) Bofinger, Manfred (illus.) Der Buchstaben-Fresser (The letter eater) Hamburg: Oetinger, 1996. 63 p. ISBN 3-7891-0509-0 Letter - Reading - Name - Imagination - Wordplay What makes »Tanne« turn into »Wanne«, or »Reis« turn into cold »Eis«? Naturally it is the work of the letter-eater, also known as letter-switcher. All this is fairly upsetting in the everyday life of Claudia and her parents, until they manage to trick him back into his (R)Ei(S) and carry it off to a deserted forest. Ever since then the woods have been filled with »Kuchen« (cakes) instead of »Buchen « (beech trees), which are eaten by »Elchen« (elks) instead of »Eichen« (oak trees). Only the way that objects change into words is not treated in this text. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 97 Maar, Paul (text) Kasparavičius, Kestutis (illus.) Lisas Reise (Lisa's journey) Esslingen: Schreiber, 1996. [28] p. ISBN 3-215-13020-3 Reality - Conformity - Constraint - Freedom - Dream In her sleep, Lisa passes through a nightmare of strange and even antagonistic worlds filled with balls, corners, colors and headstands, until she finally reaches the land of feathers (her own bed), where she doesn't have to be round, or cornery, colorful or stand on her head. At the abstract level, even smaller beholders of this picture book will find sufficient imagery and text to understand the concept of (involuntary) conformity in a predefined situation and see ways of extracting themselves from unjustified constraint. (5+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 98 Michels, Tilde (text) Bhend, Käthi (illus.) Kleine Hasen werden groß (Little rabbits grow up) Würzburg: Arena, 1996. 92 p. ISBN 3-401-07181-5 Rabbit - Hare - Family - Growing-up - Social differences With amazement and a little displeasure, the children of the field rabbit family and the wild hare family discover certain differences between their kinfolk. They begin to have doubts about the customs and attributes of their families. Are big ears perhaps better than small ones? Isn't a cave more comfortable than a burrow in the ground? In the course of time all these questions seem to get answered themselves. And in the end the youngest generation moves on to start their own families. Accompanied and enhanced by naturalistic, richly detailed but imaginative pictrues, this book gives young readers not only a glimpse into the life of rabbits, but also guidance in finding one's way through different living conditions. (5+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 99 Mitgutsch, Ali (text/illus.) Rudelius, Wolfgang (cover) Zwiggel, der Zwerg (Zwiggel, the dwarf) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1996. 112 p. ISBN 3-407-79687-0 Dwarf - Adventure - Wordplay Zwiggel, a dwarf child only 200 or 300 years old, takes a stroll through the world of human beings, where he discovers square little »living boxes«, that sometimes have shining holes, »adventure boxes«, where people experience adventures just by watching, »moving tin boxes« or »learning boxes« for the little people. Other things such as »Gembooi« (Gameboy) or »Woogmen« (Walkmen) seem to be inexplicable. But Evi, his little human girlfriend, gives him just the answers he needs. Leisurely, like any Zwiggel, he slowly sets out to experience this new environment - leaving plenty of time for the read-along beholder to sink into the story and see familiar things from a new, but not obviously adult point of view. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 100 Rudelius, Wolfgang In einer anderen Welt (In another world) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1996. 145 p. ISBN 3-407-79736-2 Mental illness - Outsider - Friend - Garden - Violence Uli, a latch-key child, becomes friends with the fascinating young man, Walder, who lives in the garden colony and tells stories that just cannot be true or makes up things with which he can communicate or conspire. He telephones with a cordless telephone, supposedly with his father in Africa. But he gets on the nerves of »normal« people, and when they won't let him put up a peace sculpture at Christmas, he goes crazy. His house and garden are destroyed and he disappears from Uli's life. This books gives an impressive view of the world of an mentally instable outsider, showing the differences in the way in which an unprejudiced adolescent and the stick-in-the-mud, philistine middle-class perceive him. (10+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 101 Schlüter, Andreas Die Rollschuhräuber (The roller-skate thieves) Berlin: Altberliner Verlag, 1996. 182 p. ISBN 3-357-00790-8 Courier - Roller-skates - Crime - Gang - Talisman The courier service »Rat's teeth« zips around Berlin on roller-skates or rollerblades in order to fulfill otherwise unaffordable wishes. The misunderstandings and difficulties set in when a gang of handbag-snatchers who look very much like the courier kids appear on the scene. With tricks and tempo the »good guys« set themselves off from the »bad guys« and lead to their downfall. With its first volume, this sprightly detective series is off to a good start. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 102 Siege, Nasrin Shirin (<Proper name>) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1996. 147 p. ISBN 3-407-79698-6 Germany - Foreigner - Muslim - Outsider - School - Friendship When Shirin and her family move to Germany, she is one of the first Iranian children who has to adjust to a new life in a foreign land. She and her sisters experience all the difficulties of this situation - within the family, at school and in their free time. Her fellow pupils make her life so difficult, that she herself arranges to be enrolled in a different school. Things are further complicated by the fact that she is a Muslim, and her father very strictly religious. But finally she succeeds in feeling comfortable in her German surroundings, at the price, however, of no longer having a real homeland. This fascinating narrative is based on authentic experiences, written by an Iranian woman who has lived in Germany since her childhood and writes today in German. (8+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 103 Stiemert, Elisabeth (text) Kehr, Karoline (illus.) Kinder, Krach und große Ohren (Children, noise and big ears) Hildesheim: Gerstenberg, 1996. [32] p. ISBN 3-8067-4175-1 Noise - Neighbors - Conflict Family Upstairs and Mrs. Downstairs are at odds with each other because the Upstairs children make too much noise. But when the noise stops one day after so many complaints, Mrs. Downstairs falls ill with a case of »listening hypertrophy«, where her ears begin to grow boundlessly, always listening for the slightest sound from the floor above. Medical advice is now quite simply to hear noise from upstairs again. Her ears begin to shrink back to normal and things are peaceful again. Aside from this imaginative story, the book stands out for its lively, skilfully drawn and witty pictures. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 104 Wiencirz, Gerlinde (text) Röckener, Andreas (illus.) Eine Schlacht? Die könnt ihr haben! (A battle! You're in for it!) München: Bertelsmann, 1996. [28] p. ISBN 3-570-12371-5 King - War - Dictatorship - Peace - Work - Friendship The lion, a bored despot, decides to make war with his neighbors. The soldiers are called up, but since the apple harvest is in full swing, the war games will have to wait. But waiting is boring, picking apples together is more fun. So a truce is reached and the lion is left all alone. Brilliant tones emphasize the optimistic tenor of the story. (4+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1997 - 105 Wolfsgruber, Linda (text/illus.) Wolf oder Schaf - böse oder brav? (Wolf or sheep - evil or good) München: Kerle, 1996. [28] p. ISBN 3-85303-118-8 Disguise - Wolf - Sheep - Good/Evil »Take care whom you trust« is the message of this visually and textually complex picture book for older children. One must learn to look very closely, listen very closely before deciding who to get involved with (sheep in wolf's clothing or wolf in sheep's clothing), and also to discover the hidden evil and the hidden goodness in other living creatures. When read in the company of an adult, children can learn important lessons about the ways of the world. (8+) Austria (German) - 1998 - 68 Blazejovsky, Maria (text/illus.) Emma Pippifilippi (<Proper name>) Wien: Jungbrunnen, 1997. [28] p. ISBN 3-7026-5687-1 Seagull - Name - Outsider - Identity - Adventure - Homecoming The moon, the wind, the rain drops, a monkey, and a raven become friends with the strong-willed seagull Pippifilippi during her journey around the world which she is taking because she doesn't want to be named just Emma, like all the other seagulls. She insists on having her own name and leading her own life. The result is that ever since then each seagull picks out a second, secret name that fits no one else. This is a book which encourages independence within the social group. (5+) ☼ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 1998 - 69 Herfurtner, Rudolf (text) Boratyński, Antoni (illus.) Waldkinder (Forest children) Mödling: St. Gabriel, 1997. [32] p. ISBN 3-85264-544-1 Garden - Captivity - Escape - Cultural contact - Community One day a sheltered child finds, quite literally, a »hole in the wall« of his untouched world. Outside the wall he finds children who have had completely different experiences. Yet they find a common language. Now they all return to the well-tended garden, but are no longer in captivity. This is a book about growing up and becoming independent which makes use of an unusual visual language. Until unity is created, it is monstrous shapes that encounter each other. Once they have formed a community the little gnomes become elves. (8+) ☼ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 1998 - 70 Janisch, Heinz (text) Oberdieck, Bernhard (illus.) Sarah und der Wundervogel (Sarah and the magic bird) Wien: Betz, 1996. [28] p. ISBN 3-219-10644-7 Bird - Miracle - Captivity - Help - Rescue The splendid magic bird has lost its colors and its magic powers during captivity. A little girl brings life back to him through her questions. It tells her all about freedom. With each tale one of the ropes that is holding it falls away and one day he has disappeared from its cage. Tired, earthy colors depict its captivity, light colors stand for life and freedom. The reader may be reminded of the Andersen tale of the Emperor's Nightingale, but fortunately this story ends happily. (6+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 1998 - 71 Reinl, Edda (text/illus.) Adam der Gaukler (Adam the juggler) Innsbruck: Tyrolia, 1997. [32] p. ISBN 3-7022-2079-8 Juggler - Monastery - Music - Dance - Prayer The Adam from the legend »The juggler and the good Lord« performs his colorful stunts for little children until the snow comes and he finds shelter in a monastery. All the colors there are in the monotone brown of the monks' habit, until one night Adam cannot stand it any longer. He stands at the chapel altar and plays his violin for the good Lord. All the monks come running and are amazed at the intensity with which he plays. It is not known whether the dear Lord ever punished Adam for this caper. (6+) ☼ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 1998 - 72 Treiber, Jutta (text) Blazejovsky, Maria (illus.) O, sagt der Ohrwurm. Ein Anti-Lärm-Bilderbuch (Oh, said the noisy-worm. An anti-noise book) Wien: Betz, 1997. [36] p. ISBN 3-219-10669-2 City life - Noise - Responsibility The noisy-worm comes out of the radio and makes itself at home in a the human ear. It lives from noise. The fatter he has gotten, the louder things are, until noise is ready to explode. Now everyone is called upon to take responsiblity. People must learn again to be still. Then the noisy dragon-worm becomes smaller and quite humble. And it is easier to take care of him. This more and more urgent problem is taken up in an easy and understandable manner. The illustrations change from earthy, still colors to bombastic, loud tones, emphasizing the message of the text. (6+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 1998 - 73 Walbrecker, Dirk (text) Poppel, Hans (illus.) Bennys Hut (Benny's hat) Wien: Betz, 1997. [28] p. ISBN 3-219-10668-4 Hat - Loneliness - Metamorphosis - Play Papa's hat and papa's little boy have one thing in common - loneliness. With a little fantasy, this becomes a wonderful day. The hat transforms itself into a football, a drinking cup, a magical machine and much more. Until the little boy lays down his head in the evening and falls asleep. At first the overtaxed hat resists such impertinence, but then after all Papa can get himself a new headpiece. The pictures of peacefulness and dynamic movement alternate according to the game and the hat's function. (5+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1998 - 74 Auer, Martin (text) Luetke, Joachim (illus.) Der dreckige Prinz (The filthy prince) Stuttgart: Thienemann, 1997. [28] p. ISBN 3-522-43232-1 Cleanliness - Education - Identity - Personality change - Surveillance - Perfection The Queen always insists that her son stay always immaculately clean. When the prince becomes king, he only dares to wallow in filth at night in his dreams. But during the day he proclaims that the entire kingdom is to be kept clean, and he enforces it strictly. This is a cautionary tale directed against perfectionism, in which children's dreams collide with the exaggerated demands of adults. The illustrations contain a wide range of techniques of style that manage to overrule one another, just as, analogously, children's desires are constantly being overruled by the forces surrounding them. (8+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1998 - 75 Bärsch, Thomas (text) Ticha, Hans (illus.) Der Streik der Buchstaben (The alphabet goes on strike) Leipzig: Faber & Faber, 1996. 62 p. (Die Sisyphosse) ISBN 3-928660-68-3 Letter <alphabet> - Strike - Orthography The letters of the alphabet feel abused and make plans for a total strike. Suddenly there is not an E, G, T or P to be found anywhere. Not even in the minds of the people, who can no longer read or write anything. Chaos takes over. New auxiliary rules of spelling are established. But more and more letters disappear, and nothing works any longer.This is largely a humorous persiflage of the current wrangling over the introduction of new orthography rules in German-speaking countries. Black-and-white vignettes of letters try to give a proper picture. The book is one of the series »Die Sisyphosse« with a compact format and attractive book design. (8+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1998 - 76 Berner, Rotraut Susanne (text/illus.) Hase Hase! Freundschaft auf acht Pfoten (Hare Hare! Friendship on eight paws) Reinbek: Rowohlt, 1997. 75 p. (rororo Rotfuchs; 20866) ISBN 3-499-20866-0 Family - Enemy - Play - Danger - Reconciliation - Friendship Hare Hare and Hugo Dog are not allowed to play with one another. So they secretly participate in a running contest with all the other village (animal) children, but get caught in a sudden downpour and lose their way completely. Then when they save Marie Pig from the flood, they become the joint winners of the first prize - a pair of roller skates (for two). Now all their problems are solved - how and why to be friends. Simple, stunning colored pencil drawings in which yellow, blue and green dominate, printed on coarse paper, arouse the readers' interest in looking and turning one page after the other. (4+) Germany (German) - 1998 - 77 Boie, Kirsten (text) Bauer, Jutta (illus.) Man darf mit dem Glück nicht drängelig sein (One must not be too pushy with one's luck) Hamburg: Oetinger, 1997. 173 p. ISBN 3-7891-3114-8 Divorce - School holidays - Travel - Step-children - Family During their family vacation in Sweden, Linnea, the youngest of three children doesn't call her divorced father »Papa« but »Mr. Schulze«; after all, his presence on this vacation trip is not exactly voluntary. And then Friedrich, the son of his new girlfriend, also appears on the scene. On top of that they are about to get a half-sister or half-brother, although they think Papa already has enough children. But the positive side of all that chaos finally helps to win the day. This highly enjoyable book works against the neurotic tendencies in the children's coping with their current problems by use of much humor and wit. The graphic design exudes with a high-spirited holiday mood. (8+) Germany (German) - 1998 - 78 Dische, Irene Zwischen zwei Scheiben Glück (Between two slices of happiness) München: Hanser, 1997. 82 p. ISBN 3-446-19080-5 Germany/History 1938-1945 - Persecution of the Jews - Hungary Peter has spent the greater part of his childhood in Hungary with his grandfather, a strict elderly gentlemen, who is just the opposite of Laszlo, Peter's father, a diplomat on service in war-time Berlin. Only later does Peter discover that the letters he got regularly from his father were written by his grandfather, in order to conceal the death of his father. This enchanting book gives much space to joyful moments and to sad moments. It shows a child's attempts to look upon world events so as to make them fit into his own life. The author handles very complicated subjects seemingly without effort, often humorously, and tragic moments with a dash of gentle irony. (8+) ☆ ☼ Germany (German) - 1998 - 79 Enzensberger, Hans Magnus (text) Berner, Rotraut Susanne (illus.) Der Zahlenteufel. Ein Kopfkissenbuch für alle, die Angst vor Mathematik haben (The number devil. A pillow book for everyone who is afraid of mathematics) München: Hanser, 1997. 263 p. ISBN 3-446-18900-9 Dream - Mathemathics - Magic - Fun One of Robert's mostly unpleasant dreams deals simply with numbers and the devil that goes with them. The reader will become increasingly engrossed in Robert's nightly adventures with numbers, especially on account of the elaborate color scheme used to liven up the rows of examples, the illustrations and resourcefulness of both Robert and the Number Devil. The first chapters will even be of interest to second graders; progress can continue then gradually, with the support of an interested adult. (8+) Germany (German) - 1998 - 80 Fried, Amelie (text) Gleich, Jacky (illus.) Hat Opa einen Anzug an? (Does Grandpa have a suit on?) München: Hanser, 1997. [32] p. ISBN 3-446-19076-7 Grandfather - Death - Bereavement - Language A young boy experiences the death of his grandfather and his own emotions. The narrative focuses on the typical verbal responses of adults and the difficulties this causes for a young child. From the point of view of both aesthetics and content an impressive book, it nonetheless leaves some questions open. It is difficult to know whether the illustrations match the text from a child's point of view, and whether both text and pictures give an adequate representation of the feelings and experiences of a child taking leave of a deceased loved one. Will a child identify with this portrayal? The actual target readership may well be older than the three or four-year old protagonist. (12+) Germany (German) - 1998 - 81 Geve, Thomas [pseudonym] (text) Es gibt hier keine Kinder (There are no children here) Göttingen: Wallstein, 1997. 151 p. ISBN 3-89244-220-7 Drawing - Auschwitz - Childhood memories Thomas Geve was sent to Auschwitz at the age of thirteen and during the liberation of the camp by the U.S. Army in 1945 he prepared documentary sketches of everyday life at the concentration camp. Published here for the first time, these drawings give substance to the horrors and the desolateness in which the boy had been living for two endless years of captivity. The accompanying text in German, English and Hebrew should appeal to a wide audience and deserves the attention of anyone interested in human rights issues. (14+) Germany (German) - 1998 - 82 Hacks, Peter (text) Häntsch, Uwe (illus.) Prinz Telemach und sein Lehrer Mentor (Prince Telemachus and his teacher Mentor) Berlin: Eulenspiegel Verlag, 1997. 124 p. ISBN 3-359-00885-5 Homer - Odyssey - Telemachus - Didactics Peter Hacks retells Homer's Odyssey for children. The pert young prince Telemachus seeks out a teacher who can teach him how to find his father, in order to bring Odysseus back to his rightful kingdom, now overrun with upstarts, and to his family. The masked goddess Minerva (gods are almighty, teachers are all-powerful, therefore teachers are gods?) takes up his offer and in the form of a very unconventional pedagogue by the name of Mentor she leads the prince to success and his father back home. With expertise and irony, in relative clauses and allusions, the Greek legend of gods and heroes is given a new meaning. With a brilliant, easy flowing style, and an irreverence toward the crusty old (humanistic) teachers and teaching methods, each sentence and chapter of this text makes for a true reading pleasure. (10+) Germany (German) - 1998 - 83 Hänel, Wolfram Giftiges Gold oder Großvaters Esel (Poison gold or Grandfather's donkey) Weinheim: Anrich, 1997. 160 p. ISBN 3-80106-319-9 Ireland - Gold - Mining - Ecology - Tourism Gold is discovered on a small island off the coast of Ireland. The island's inhabitants are able to prevent the exploitation of the mine, which would have led to the pollution of the sea with environmental poisons. The children of the island, who fear for the future of their home, play an important role. With trickery and the help of Grandfather's donkey, they succeed in averting the danger. With humor and a sense of place, the author describes how an unspoiled landscape is saved from being destroyed by profit-seekers. (8+) Germany (German) - 1998 - 84 Heidelbach, Nikolaus (text/illus.) Ein Buch für Bruno (A book for Bruno) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1997. [32] p. ISBN 3-407-79194-1 Book - Adventure - Trickery - Reading - Friendship Ulla Herz, an enthusiastic fan of books, falls in love with Bruno Würfel, a book-hater. Though he prefers things that go crack-bang-slam, one day she is cunning enough to get him to experience a book as an »event« in its own right. And he wants more. How the two of them start with the parental library and swing (wordlessly) on a bookmark from adventure to adventure, page after page, is another piece of Heidelbach creativity. Here he takes a stand on reading for fun, but one thoroughly devoid of pedagogical undertones. (6+) ☆ ☼ Germany (German) - 1998 - 85 Holub, Josef Lausige Zeiten (Lousy times) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1997. 244 p. ISBN 3-407-79743-5 Bohemia - Germany/History 1938-1945 - School - Discipline - Humanity A teenager in Bohemia during World War Two, Josef is sent to a teacher training institute whose basic tenents are unconditional obedience and discipline. The conflicts and skurmishes the young man experiences in this misanthropic institute, but also the positive encounters and experiences of those years make up the atmosphere of this weighty book. It bears witness to one man's mental resistance against active violence and structural force; a convincing testimony not only in a literary sense but by means of its wisdom and humanity. (10+) Germany (German) - 1998 - 86 Jandl, Ernst (text) Junge, Norman (illus.) Fünfter sein (To be fifth) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1997. [36] p. ISBN 3-407-79105-X Doctor - Waiting room - Children's poetry The doctor's waiting room is filled with all kinds of busted characters: Penguin, Duck, Teddy and Tin Frog. The fifth patient, a little Pinocchio, is suffering from a broken nose. The door has to open and close four times before it is the last one's turn, along with Ernst Jandl, to say »morning doctor.« During the long wait, the injured reveal only minimal mimical changes in each of the nearly identical pictures - a perfect interpretation of the anxiety of each (small) patient in a doctor's waiting room. An artful, well-composed book designed for very close listening and looking. (4+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1998 - 87 Lewin, Waltraut Jenseits des Meeres die Freiheit (Beyond the sea of freedom) Ravensburg: Ravensburger Buchverlag, 1997. 221 p. (Ravensburger junge Reihe) ISBN 3-473-35177-6 Spain/History 1492 - Persecution of the Jews - Escape - Seafaring - Christopher Columbus In the aftermath of the pogroms against the Sephardhic Jews in Spain, the young Jewish girl, Esther, signs up incognito as a ship's boy with Christopher Columbus in 1492. Risking the double dangers of being discovered a Jew and a woman, Esther hopes to gain freedom in the New World as Columbus' page boy. But the terror and horrifying images of the pogrom continue to haunt her. The author relates the fascinating story of life in the cramped spaces of a sailing ship, the coarse camaraderie of the men, and the absolute hierarchical chain of power and command. (12+) ☆ Germany (German) - 1998 - 88 Lind, Hera (text) Marcks, Marie (illus.) Der Tag, an dem ich Papa war (The day I was Papa) Frankfurt (Main): Fischer Taschenbuchverlag, 1997. 131 p. (Fischer-Schatzinsel) ISBN 3-596-85020-7 Father/Son - Role reversal Fridolin and Papa change places for one day and manage to steer their respective worlds pretty far off course. Fridolin, in the shape of Papa, takes business partners to the playground and to McDonald's, while Papa, with Fridolin's appearance, goes to a café instead of to school. But the magic only lasts one day. Unconcerned with logic or realism, the author allows the reader to take subversive pleasure in the improbable father-and-son conspiracy. (8+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1998 - 89 Maar, Paul (text) Ballhaus, Verena (illus.) Lesezauber. Eine Fibel mit Reimen und Geschichten (Reading magic. A reader with rhymes and stories) Berlin: Volk und Wissen, 1997. 115 p. ISBN 3-06-100191-3 Alphabet - First reader - Children's poetry - Play In a compendium of pictures, letters and first words, short poems, and longer texts the beginning reader is gradually introduced to the written word and reading matter in this most pleasurable beginning reader. Breaks for play are worked into the text. Using lots of humor and graphics, the authors also provide a basic stock of knowledge about everyday life in Germany and elsewhere. Visual citations from widely known picture books and children's books (including those of the author) produce a larger (literary) context for the young reader. All in all this is a »school book« for happy learning. (5+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1998 - 90 Meißner-Johannknecht, Doris (text) Plöger, Juliane (illus.) Die Geschichte vom Hasen (The story of Hare) Düsseldorf: Patmos, 1997. [28] p. ISBN 3-491-37360-3 Hare - Everyday life - Stress - Relaxation - Identity A hare who always feels unnerved, terrified and on the run from dangers takes stock of his life: he doesn't want to run, to flee and be constantly on guard any more, just to save his own fur. He stretches out all four legs and simply lies down in the warm sun for a nap. And in his head he hears the echos of the hunters' steps and the buzzing of their machines; and the warnings of his brothers and sisters. But there is one sound he had never heard before - the beating of his own heart. That is why he sticks to his decision - no more hectic. The search for identity is captured here in opulent, spacious summer colors. They find no clear limitations either through the edge of the page or one another, thus documenting Hare's totally new sense of life. (4+) Germany (German) - 1998 - 91 Muggenthaler, Eva (text/illus.) Der Schäfer Raul (The shepherd Raul) Wuppertal: Hammer, 1997. [32] p. ISBN 3-87294-754-0 Shepherd - Identity - Country life - City life - Love The shepherd Raul is vain. When he sets off for the city to get prettied up, his herd of sheep take offence and follow him. They create a nuisance in the city and become, so to speak, criminals. And they interfere with the shepherd's newly found happiness. Finally he flees with them back to the country - and finds that fortune has not deserted him. An endearing story in which both man and sheep win, is well told with picturesque illustrations and excellent typography. (6+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1998 - 92 Oeser, Wiebke (text/illus.) Bertas Boote (Berta's boats) Wuppertal: Hammer, 1997. [32] p. ISBN 3-87294-755-9 Play - Imagination - Drawing - Reality - Loneliness A school girl experiences very lonely afternoons, seemingly alone in the world. She folds her drawings into paper boats and a big fish gobbles one up. When she catches it, the fish throws up all the junk it has found in the ocean. Then Berta sits at the computer until she falls in the hammock, dead tired. Finally she makes a painting of all the things she has experienced and sends it off in the bottle. The style of the drawings reflect the situation of a lonely child - filled with chaos and desolation. The pictures are done in sensitive lines, mostly wiggly, set against and on flat, colored backgrounds. The pages with text in even-sized block letters in one typeface on unicolor pages serve as an order-giving contrast. The tension thus created produces a harmonious whole. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1998 - 93 Partsch, Susanna Haus der Kunst. Ein Gang durch die Kunstgeschichte von der Höhlenmalerei bis zum Graffiti (The Art Gallery. A stroll through the history of art from cave paintings to graffiti) München: Hanser, 1997. 367 p. With many illus. ISBN 3-446-18885-1 Art history This art book for children is based on the idea of filling up a ficticious museum with exponents from every epoch. This provides the young reader with a chronological overview, through arranged in different »rooms«, of the most important periods and their contexts. The author avoids the use of intimidating insider-jargon and speaks to the reader, without being ingratiating, at an immediate level, which encourages page-turning inspite of the wealth of material being covered. Historical and aesthetic background information is elucidated with the help of maps and explanatory notes. All art forms are covered here, thus giving this work a good chance of becoming a standard work for children interested in art. (10+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1998 - 94 Pressler, Mirjam (text) Krömer, Astrid (illus.) Nora ist mal so, mal so (Nora is sometimes so, and sometimes so) Frankfurt (Main): Alibaba, 1996. [36] p. ISBN 3-860-42-167-0 Sexual abuse - Secret - Friendship The other children in her kindergarten group cannot understand why Nora reacts so very erratically. Often she sets herself apart from others without any recognizable reason. The problem behind this behavior is only hinted at in the text. With laudable caution the delicate topic of sexual abuse is approached here in text and pictures. Instead of overprotection as a guard against such threats, the book suggests childlike solidarity between the friends. In this manner, new direct dependency upon adults can be prevented. (5+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1998 - 95 Raith, Werner Verräterkind (Traitor's child) Berlin: Elefantenpress, 1997. 142 p. ISBN 3-88520-625-0 Sicily - Mafia - Witness - Family - Escape - Identity A Sicilian boy mistakenly believes that his disappeared father has been murdered by the Mafia. But instead his father has turned witness for the state. The lives of all the family members are now in danger and they must take on a new identity. The older brother still believes firmly on the laws and honor code of the Mafia and betrays his father; then he is nearly killed himself. The state prosecutor they have trusted becomes incriminated and commits suicide. This is an impressive treatment of a topic which has been largely ignored in children's literature up to now. (10+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1998 - 96 Schami, Rafik Märchen aus Malula (Tales from Malula) München: Hanser, 1997. 237 p. ISBN 3-446-18954-8 Malula - Fairy tales In a traditional Oriental manner, Rafik Schami weaves the traditional tales from his home village in Syria into a carpet of captivating incidents. He discovered an old edition of tales written in Aramic at the Heidelberg University Library - an unexpected stroke of luck. Many of the figures he found described there were known to him as old people in his village. The text acquires a particular intensity through this personal point of view. (12+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1998 - 97 Schmidauer, Elisabeth (text) Knappe, Joachim (illus.) Als die Tiere den Zoo verließen (When the animals left the zoo) Esslingen: Esslinger, 1997. [28] p. (Esslinger Atelier) ISBN 3-480-20048-6 Zoo animals - Homeland - Freedom - Paradise The old elephant came to the zoo very young, but its longing for its home has never gone away. In the night of a shooting star that makes dreams come true, the chains fall from its legs and the bar doors open of their own accord. The animals of the zoo follow the elephant into freedom. The next morning all the cages are empty. Only two children have observed the animals leaving the town, but no one believes them. Everyone is convinced there has been a crime. Nighttime colors enhance this poetic story. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1998 - 98 Schubiger, Jürg (text) Berner, Rotraut Susanne (illus.) Mutter, Vater, ich und sie (Mother, Father, me and her) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1997. 106 p. ISBN 3-407-79748-6 Siblings - Family - Language - Everyday life This is the tale of a boy who tries to come to terms with his life in his family and especially his relationship with his younger sister with the help of words. For him, language always has a literal, direct meaning. Thus he makes quite surprising discoveries about the world, such as: »The weather today has more than one R - weatherr, weatherrrr. It is raining from every direction.« This is not a matter of spelling, but an example of precise observation. This makes for a gripping reading experience, given most delightful variation by Berner's pictures and vignettes. (8+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1998 - 99 Weiss, Ruth (text) Janssen, Susanne (illus.) Sascha und die neun alten Männer. Das Fest der Lichter. Zwei Erzählungen (Sascha and the nine old men. The festival of lights. Two tales) Wuppertal: Hammer, 1997. 120 p. (Gecko) ISBN 3-87294-744-3 Russia - Jews - Prayer - Religious holiday - Christ The old men of Yevka, near Odessa, are no longer able to celebrate Minyan, the Jewish worship service with all the sacred rites, because they lack the necessary tenth believer. Little Sascha, a future detective who is curious about all the secrets surrounding him, leads his father's British business partner into the synagoge. As he is also Jewish, the congregation finds its tenth man. In an impressive narrative, the author, herself Jewish, depicts the old atmosphere of an East European shtetl from the naive perspective of a modern non-Jewish child. (8+) ☆ ☼ Switzerland (German) - 1998 - 100 Fuchs, Gerd Fuffy und Max (<Proper names>) Zürich: Nagel & Kimche, 1997. 117 p. ISBN 3-312-00805-0 Runaway - Drug scene Quite unintentionally and trustingly, Max finds himself in the company, and soon dependent upon the drug-users scene in Hamburg. This and his father's remarriage lead him into a heavy emotional crisis. Fuffy, a girl at his school, helps him to get over it. This lively, realistic novel works without any noticeable didactic overtones. (10+) Switzerland (German) - 1998 - 101 Hoffmann, E[rnst] T[heodor] A[madeus] (text) Innocenti, Roberto (illus.) Nußknacker und Mausekönig (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King) Aarau: Sauerländer, 1997. 135 p. ISBN 3-7941-4148-2 Dream - Nutcracker - House mouse An opulent text calls for the same quality of pictures and design. With Roberto Innocenti it finds its master and the publisher offers another example of excellent production. The illustrator's pictorial space make use of both the real and dream levels of the story. Exquisite detail ensures additional compositional fantasy. Innocenti lends his unmistakable perspective to this classic children's tale. (8+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1998 - 102 Janisch, Heinz (text) Zwerger, Lisbeth (illus.) Die Arche Noah (Noah's Ark) Gossau: Neugebauer, 1997. [32] p. ISBN 3-85195-572-2 Noah's Ark The centaur and the unicorn have been extinct ever since - if one is to believe this wonderful picture book - and on account of Noah, because they found no place on the Ark. A skilful narrative and inimitable pictures lead the reader through two levels of the story. On the one hand, in the obvious one as it has been handed down - with imaginative artistic enhancements - and on the other hand, strewn in perhaps as a reminder of the earnestness of God's intention to preserve one pair of each species, leaves reminiscent of old natural science books portraying the types and classes of animals. And also something usually not remembered - the sole beneficiaries of the great water were the fishes and creatures of the sea, who could now play in the cave-like windows of the flooded houses. The book radiates the contemplative clarity and serenity which often accompanies the inevitable. (6+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1998 - 103 Maar, Anne (text) Ballhaus, Verena (illus.) Der Käfer Fred (Fred the Beetle) Zürich: Pro Juventute, 1997. [31] p. (Atlantis-Kinderbuch) ISBN 3-7152-0378-1 Dung beetle - Stag-beetle - Costume - Competition - Victory - Identity Fred the dung beetle is considered dirty and has few friends. And yet he wins first prize in the costume competition at the party of the arrogant stag-beetles. But when the rumor that a proletarian dung beetle is among them horrifies the noble group, Fred takes his leave of them with a defamatory song and gladly returns to his old - and clean - life as a dung beetle. Gentle insets, at times reminiscent of Ernst Kreidolf's creations, populate the pages of this book; the occasionally garish tones allude to the plot's image of a precarious social fabric. (8+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1998 - 104 Reider, Katja (text) Roehl, Angela von (illus.) Vom Glück ein dickes Schwein zu sein ... Eine Geschichte (How lucky to be a fat pig... A story) Gossau: Nord-Süd, 1997. [28] p. (Ein Nord-Süd-Bilderbuch) ISBN 3-314-00758-2 Animals - Individuality - Insult - Apology - Joy of life »To each his own« is the wish behind the text and pictures of this life-affirming book. Before a snail can imagine what it is like to be a pig, or a spider to be a goose, each of them insults the other out of pure ignorance. The initial lack of understanding is followed by thoughtful reflection and a round of mutual apologizing, thus assuring the individual joy of each protagonist. The paths of the animals shown here are paved with dramatic action and movement, earthy colors characterize the complacency of the individual realms, each with their own special pleasures. (5+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1998 - 105 Steiner, Jörg (text) Müller, Jörg (illus.) Was wollt ihr machen, wenn der Schwarze Mann kommt? (What will you do when the Black Man comes?) Aarau: Sauerländer, 1998. [32] p. ISBN 3-7941-4305-1 Rumor - Play - Threat - Mischief - Everyday life The »Black Man« is both a children's game and a form of parental threat for misbehaving children. But one day the children make believe what it would be like if he really came. Suddenly there are black footsteps around town, for instance, though no one is able to see him. Security measures are implemented, people lock themselves inside. This goes on for a while, and then things return to normal. What really happened is never quite clear, but the fear of strangers and the security precautions remain. In one especially memorable full-size illustration scary nightmares are depicted in which black shapes creep out from the cracks in the wall, windows and even the pavement. This book can also be read as a bitter persiflage on today's craving for security. (8+) ☼ Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1998 - 106 Ungerer, Tomi (text/illus.) Cramer-Klett, Anna von (transl.) Flix (<Proper name>) Zürich: Diogenes, 1997. 30 p. ISBN 3-257-00842-2 Cat - Dog - Offspring - Outsider - Fraternity A lovely child is born to cat parents. It is a little dog. (Wasn't there a pug dog in the family...?) The fact is that (parental) love alone is not enough for a child's well-being. So young Flix is an outsider in Cat City, until fate leads him to rescue a little cat child (fame in Cat City!) and a young poodle lady (love in Dog City!). They get married and have a baby. It's a little girl and its first cry is »Meow!« The story could continue this way forever. Just as in real life. With Ungerer's pictures it wouldn't be boring either. (8+) ☆ ☼ Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1998 - 107 Waechter, Friedrich Karl (text/illus.) Da bin ich (Here I am) Zürich: Diogenes, 1997. [40] p. ISBN 3-257-00843-0 Cat - Offspring - Drowning - Rescue - Irony A young cat gives an account of its path of destiny in a brief text and expressive illustrations. The large litter is drowned by the fisher or eaten by sharks - all except one. In a reversal of roles the little cat kills the shark, eats from him to grow big and strong before returning to shore. As if a human being, it travels for a time by train all about Germany and then rings the bell at the right door and announces: »Here I am!« Full of irony, the text and the cat's facial expressions reduce all of our sentimental love for animals and mankind to absurdity and life itself to the law of »survival of the fittest.« In one sense, this message could even be called fatalistic. (9+) Austria (German) - 1999 - 70 Blazejovsky, Maria (text/illus.) Das Königsspiel (The game of kings) Wien: Jungbrunnen, 1998. [24] p. ISBN 3-7025-5697-9 Boy/Girl - Friendship - Jealousy - Argument - Reconciliation Tim and Tina are the best friends in the world. Until one day while playing the game of »King« each tries to seize the king's crown (and its power). An enormous argument ensues! That night Tim dreams of being lonely. The next day Tina is bored playing all alone. And so, at the sandbox, they surreptiously move closer and closer - and we know that neither of them will want to be »King« today. In the fullpage pictures in flat earthy tones there is a sense of wholesomeness, while the chaotic movements of the figures convey an endangerment to the world of play. (5+) Austria (German) - 1999 - 71 Holler, Christiane Esel oder Pferd? Geschichten vom Herrn Cerny (Donkey or horse? Mr. Cerny stories) Wien: Dachs, 1998. 109 p. ISBN 3-85191-11-3 Pony - Donkey Mr. Cerny's father was a donkey and his mother a pony. Thus he was born a dwarf mule and after living for a short time in animal shelter, he was given a home on at a riding farm together with several other important figures in the horse world. Mr. Cerny is a serious challenge to both man and animal at the farm because he had received no proper upbringing at the animal shelter and inspite of his stenorious voice he is umbelievably timid. But they make the best of things and in the end the animals once again have the training of their people back under control again. An adorable book told with humor from the perspective of souvereign pets. (6+) ☼ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 1999 - 72 Janisch, Heinz (text) Kállay, Dušan (illus.) Die kleine Marie und der große Bär (Little Marie and the big bear) Wien: Betz, 1997. [24] p. ISBN 3-219-10693-5 Bicycle - Accident - Unconsciousness - Fabled animal Marie has had an accident while riding her bike, but the reader learns this only at the end of the text. At first she dreams, while still unconscious, that her big Teddybear wants to dance with her. As she twirls and dances she sees many other familiar and unfamiliar fabled animals and even herself, though much older and wearing glasses. At least she becomes dizzy and falls into a deep sleep. When she awakens, she is surprised to find her parents standing at her bedside next to people in white overcoats. In these dream and phantasy scenes Dušan Kállay has taken a theme that no other artist could capture better. Earthy tones, bizarre shapes and figures, in all sizes and crowded together, take the reader-viewer along to a world of fantasy. (6+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 1999 - 73 Klement, Robert Sieben Tage im Februar (Seven days in February) Wien: Jungbrunnen, 1998. 141 p. ISBN 3-7026-5698-7 Burgenland (Austria) - Bomb attack - Father/Death - Roma - Ostracism - Racism In the Austrian province Burgenland four men from the Roma settlement at the edge of town are killed in a bomb attack. Josef's father is one of them. Why? A well-respected, inconspicuous elderly gentleman considers this settlement a thorn in the side. All of his negative emotions intensify into an obsession. He wants to destroy these idle vagabonds. He manages to build a bomb without anyone taking notice. The plot of this story is based on an actual occurence which received media coverage. The author succeeds in depicting the gulf that can develop between people which cannot be bridged by even the best of intentions and good will. (14+) ☆ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 1999 - 74 Konsek, Dieter (text/illus.) Vincent und das Farbenwunder (Vincent and the miracle of color) Wien: Picus, 1998. [28] p. ISBN 3-85452-816-7 Magician - Colors - Music Long ago, when the world was still grey and colorless and music had not yet been invented, the magicians held a gala party once a year. Each presented what he could do best. Only little Vincent had nothing to show off. Then one day he noticed that when he blew into his reed pipe, the world was bathed in a rainbow of colors. Soon he convinced the singing birds to help him with his presentation. And hence he discovered the most valuable magic trick of all. The artist renders his story in archaic shapes and earthy tones. (5+) Germany (German) - 1999 - 75 Auer, Martin (text) Kulot-Frisch, Daniela (illus.) Die Erbsenprinzessin. Die Geschichte von der Prinzessin auf der Erbse nach Hans Christian Andersen ganz frei nacherzählt, aufs Zehnfache aufgeblasen und mit vielen Versen versehen, dazu um die Geschichte des treuen Dieners Truffaldino bereichert (The Princess and the Pea) Stuttgart: Thienemann, 1998. 121 p. (Thienemanns fliegender Teppich) ISBN 3-522-17187-X Princess - Servant - Social inequality Accompanied by his faithful servant, an eligible bachelor prince goes off in search of a bride. But as he is not all too clever, the servant Truffaldino must amend many royal blunders (not all girls are princesses!). Thus they return home without a fiancée. But soon she is standing, unsummoned, at the door - pitch wet and cranky. And just as in Hans Christian Andersen's original tale, she notices the pea under the mattress, and the wedding follows. Yet there is nothing even slightly proper or royal to this version, as uncouth as a Punch and Judy show, making it all the more enchanting. (6+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1999 - 76 Bauer, Jutta (text/illus.) Königin der Farben (Queen of colors) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1998. 64 p. ISBN 3-407-79221-2 Colors - Argument - Reconciliation The queen of colors is the ruler of red, blue and yellow, but she cannot prevent them from getting into fights with one another. When this happens, the world doesn't become more colorful, but rather all too brown and grey. The queen is so upset and troubled that she begins to cry colored tears, until red, blue and yellow re-emerge from the grey of the world. The artist's colored pencil technique and sensitive stroke give this small-sized book an air of vivaciousness and optimism. (4+) Germany (German) - 1999 - 77 Boie, Kirsten Krisensommer mit Ur-Otto (Summer of crisis with great-Otto) Hamburg: Oetinger, 1998. 129 p. ISBN 3-7891-3122-9 Youth group - School holiday - Old age - Inheritance Hanna and her brother and her girl-friend Carina are having a boring summer holiday until »Ur-Otto«, Mother's great-grandfather, takes up residence with them after a stay at the hospital. Ur-Otto is a master at the art of living and brings lots of excitement into the life of the whole family with his sayings and songs. Even the media get involved. And Mother's natural foods store begins to do great business on his account. But when all the enthusiasm begins to wane, Ur-Otto has still another surprise up his sleeve. A thoroughly enjoyable book about a hale and hearty (outwardly) old man who nevertheless can change the »don't care« attitude of the teenage generation. (10+) Germany (German) - 1999 - 78 Büchner, Barbara (text) Boratyński, Antoni (illus.) Die sieben Vogelscheuchen (The seven scarecrows) Düsseldorf: Patmos, 1998. [30] p. ISBN 3-491-37398-0 Scarecrow - Deterrence - Friendliness - Compromise - Ecological balance A farmer rises up in arms because the birds have lost all respect for the old scarecrow. So he gives it a steel helmet and skull and bones. The bird deterrence is a complete success - but the caterpillars eat the whole field bare. There is no bird in sight to prevent them. The farmer must call a retreat and grant his feathered companions their share of the harvest grain. Boratyński presents the friendly scarecrow and the drastic horror figures in convincing opulence. (6+) ☆ Germany (German) - 1999 - 79 Dierks, Martina Tilla von Mont Klamott (Tilla of Mount Klamott) Berlin: Altberliner Verlag, 1998. 320 p. ISBN 3-357-00830-0 Berlin/History 1950-1990 - Growing up/Girl In post-war East Berlin a young girl is being brought up by her grandparents. (Later her parents, who work in West Berlin, will leave East Germany illegally with their daughter). Although lacking in chocolate bars, chewing gum and similar miracles, this is a healthy childhood embedded in an emotionally and socially sound framework of relationships. The important things are the lesser and greater events of everyday life, the friends, grandparents, while the state authorities play only a marginal role. This is a story with no ideological bone to pick but full of local color. It is an intensive and literary childhood memoir which even seems to enjoy holding up a mirror to today's satiated world. (14+) Germany (German) - 1999 - 80 Dörrie, Doris (text) Kaergel, Julia (illus.) Lotte will Prinzessin sein (Lotte would like to be a princess) Ravensburg: Ravensburger, 1998. [32] p. ISBN 3-473-33936-9 Clothing - Everyday life - Party One morning Lotte doesn't want to do what Mother wants - despite her threatened temper tantrum. And Lotte doesn't want to put on the blue skirt and red pullover, she wants to wear the yellow princess dress. And Mother should dress up as a princess, too (a red evening dress with jewels - to go to work?). Lotte wins: soon both the little and the big princess leave the house in haste, but not without their crowns. And it isn't even carnival season. »Cool dress,« says Mother's girlfriend at the office. Both text and illustrations of this first children's book by the wellknown German filmmaker attack the drab monotony of mothers' and daughters' daily routines. (4+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1999 - 81 Ensikat, Peter (text) Ensikat, Klaus (illus.) Das A steht vorn im Alphabet (A is at the beginning of the alphabet) Leipzig: LeiV, 1998. [32] p. ISBN 3-89603-024-8 Alphabet - Poetry/German This ABC picture book offers both young and old a not easily won, but lasting pleasure for the eye and the mind. In fact, in this case the alphabet is only a pretext to create a lovely book, not a didactic tool for younger children. In partly encoded and riddle-like verses the author takes aim at the secret (orthographic) life of each letter, as well as elaborate highflown pedantry. The wealth of illustrative matter expands and illuminates in a charmingly encoded manner the linguistic and world view of the illustrator Klaus Ensikat. (10+) Germany (German) - 1999 - 82 Enzensberger, Hans Magnus Wo warst du, Robert? (Where have you been, Robert?) München: Hanser, 1998. 276 p. ISBN 3-446-19447-9 Picture - Time travel - History Robert can disappear into a certain picture just by staring at it. In this way he unexpectedly sets off on a journey backwards through several hundred years of the world's history, starting in Russia in the year 1956, then back to the Thirty Years War and finally to an artist's studio in Amsterdam in the 17th century. As the artist's apprentice he discovers the possiblity of painting himself back to his own time. Curiously, no one at home even noticed his absence. Hans Magnus Enzensberger's depiction of the boy's experiences is a plea for critical reflection on contemporary and historical times. (12+) ☆ Germany (German) - 1999 - 83 Fährmann, Willi Unter der Asche die Glut (Fire under the ashes) Würzburg: Arena, 1997. 629 p. ISBN 3-401-04776-0 Germany/History 1933 - Emigration Christian Fink has big plans for his life - he wants to become a master tilemaker. But Germany is in a period of upheaval. Things begin to happen in his life in a quite ordinary, unspectacular way that later occur on an enormous scale in social and political life. More and more of his friends run to join the Hitler Youth, whose slogans and activities Christian finds revolting. And so he decides to emigrate and begin his life all over again. The author depicts a detailed picture of German history between the two world wars. (12+) ☆ Germany (German) - 1999 - 84 Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (text) Erlbruch, Wolf (illus.) Das Hexeneinmaleins (The witch's one-time-one) München: Hanser, 1998. [34] p. ISBN 3-446-18863-0 Numbers - Paradox - Poetry For all his Faustian hunger for knowledge, man reveals himself here as a weak and easily confused being - aping and yellow-bellied, money-hungry and violent. Fleeing foolishly from the Grim Reaper, he clambers about on the roller coaster of life. That is the essence and the visualized result of the Goethe-Erlbruchian calculation in this picture book. Erlbruch renders here a free interpretation of the absurd and playful text. He paints, cuts and pastes collages in free association, offering both young and old a firework of vivid and profound fantasy. (10+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1999 - 85 Hagemann, Bernhard (text) Gleich, Jacky (illus.) Charlie, du Blindekuh! (Charlie, you blindman's buff!) Ravensburg: Ravensburger, 1998. 42 p. (Der blaue Rabe: Allererster Lesespaß) ISBN 3-473-34090-1 Birthday party - Hide-and-seek - Getting lost - Humor The game of Blindman's Bluff is part of every birthday party. Now it is Charlie's turn to be the blindman. When all the other children are settled down for the birthday cake, the poor child is still searching for someone to take over from him. Without realizing it, he wanders off down the street and gets completely lost, until the little dog of one of the other party guests brings him back. Charlie kept on searching patiently and never learns what a roundabout way he has travelled. This simple, yet striking story is told with much humor in text and slightly caricaturist pictures. (4+) Germany (German) - 1999 - 86 Heidenreich, Elke (text) Buchholz, Quint (illus.) Am Südpol, denkt man, ist es heiß (It is hot, one expects, at the South Pole) München: Hanser, 1998. 63 p. ISBN 3-446-19443-6 Antarctic - Penguin - Opera performance - Satire The penguins of the South Pole, who wear tuxedos by nature, are predestined to experience a gala performance. For lack of any other audiences, the famous Three Tenors have set out on an Antarctic Tour and present the enthusiastic birds Verdi's »La Traviata« - with Luciano Pavarotti in the leading female role. This absurd story is told »with a pokerface « by Elke Heidenreich in fabulous verse form. In his calm, yet profound illustrations Quint Buchholz does not conceal that the prima donna has, for a change, a beard. Yet the penguins find the performance just as enchanting as the readers of the entire book. (8+) ☼ Germany (German) - 1999 - 87 Hensgen, Andrea Das blaue Sofa. Von der Kunst, erwachsen zu werden (The blue sofa. The art of growing up) München: Bertelsmann, 1998. 346 p. ISBN 3-570-12336-7 Growing up - Role model - Old/Young Modelled on Goethe's novel »Wilhelm Meister«, the author describes how a sixteen-year old boy grows into a man. When his grandparents' wealth becomes scattered after their death, he finds himself able to talk with the old man who lives in the house across the way, whom he learns to call his master, about existential questions. This is a grippingly told story that takes its time and builds up atmosphere, portraying the doubts and conflicts of youth without any all too quick and easy solutions. (14+) Germany (German) - 1999 - 88 Heuck, Sigrid (text) Kunstreich, Pieter (illus.) Wo geht's nach Dublin? (Will you show me the way to Dublin?) Hamburg: Dressler, 1998. 135 p. ISBN 3-7915-0837-7 Ireland - Vagabonds - Domesticity - Freedom - Animals Ireland' government wants to see the last vagabonds settle down. But the O'Connells love their life in a covered wagon and the children don't want to give up the big pony Pinky and the little black-and-white dog for a pitful existence in the crowded social settlements of Dublin. So the two oldest children run away one night with their animals. And what a surprise! Inspite of the intervention of police and social worker, the story ends happily on the farm of old Tim Malloy. The law is satisfied and everyone has something to gain. The joys and trials of the vagabonds and their drive for independence, both inward and outward, is told with much affection and humor. (8+) Germany (German) - 1999 - 89 Hirsch, Ludwig (text) Hoffmann, Carl (illus.) Der Turm (The tower) Würzburg: Echter, 1998. [40] p. ISBN 3-429-02000-X Punishment - Loneliness - Tower - Understanding A young boy is locked up in a dark room as punishment for misbehaving. He takes flight by dreaming that he could live together with all the children of the world in a tower. When his confinement is over the boy tells all his friends, including a young girl named Hildi, about his dream. As a result each of them plans to learn a different profession: architect, clay shingles, draftsman, and stone mason. Together they make plans to build the tower. Large illustrations show many lonely children who have vivid hopes for mutual understanding and a common future. (8+) ☆ Germany (German) - 1999 - 90 Holub, Josef Juksch Jonas und der Sommer in Holundria (Juksch Jonas and the summer in Holundria) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1998. 221 p. ISBN 3-407-79784-2 Moving house - Weekend house - School holiday - First love Jakob (nicknamed Juksch) Jonas narrates the results of one year in his life - beginning with the move to a new, unknown city where he tries unsuccessfully to find friends. Soon his father rents a weekend house that needs to undergo complete renovation - as a joint project for the whole family. It has no electricity, water only from a well, and all around nothing but nature. They spend Christmas at the cottage, completely snowed in and cut off from the outside world until their neighbors shovel them out. Jakob finds a friend, a boy named Uli who later turns out to be a girl. These childhood memories are related with feeling, understanding and much imagination. (8+) Germany (German) - 1999 - 91 Janssen, Susanne (text/illus.) Madame Butterflys Klavierstunde (Madame Butterfly's piano lesson) München: Hanser, 1998. [28] p. ISBN 3-446-19158-5 Teacher - Piano lessons - Imagination - Childhood memories Madame Butterfly is a most unusual piano teacher. In every room, in every corner of the house she has a piano and one often hears quite different music coming from all the rooms at the same time. Her pupils enjoy the atmosphere but especially their teacher, in her plum colored housecoat, who teachs them with charisma and patience, even when they have not practiced enough. Once a year they all travel together to Paris on a concert tour. In large-sized illustrations with unusual perspectives this picture book sings praises of the unconventional, music-filled life of a beloved, unforgotten teacher. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 92 Johansen, Hanna (text) Berner, Rotraut Susanne (illus.) Bist du schon wach? (Are you awake?) München: Hanser, 1998. 23, [9] p. ISBN 3-446-19323-5 Waking up - Grandmother - Questions - Reading aloud Dodo is the first in her family to wake up. It's Sunday. She doesn't know what to do first. Quietly she goes to her parents and asks each of them »Are you awake?« No, they answer softly. Too bad. But Grandmother says, »Yes. I never sleep.« She reads Dodo a story about a little girl who wakes up early one morning. In this story it is the mother who asks »Are you still sleeping?« »Yes,« answers Dodo. »Why do you ask? I know! Because you like to ask questions. « This is a game with language and talking, bound up in a story that imaginatively interweaves the worlds of experience and of telling, thus offering many subjects for further questions. As in a doll house, the attentive reader sees all the protagonists talking and interacting with one another at the same time. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 93 Könnecke, Ole (text/illus.) Elvis und der Mann mit dem roten Mantel (Elvis and the man in the red coat) Hamburg: Carlsen, 1998. [32] p. ISBN 3551-55158-8 Santa Claus - Accident - Gift-giving Santa Claus has an accident with his reindeer-drawn sleigh on Christmas Day. He has to seek help from crazy Elvis in order to »get to work«, as he mysteriously says. His request is fulfilled, but Elvis has no idea whom he has helped. In all his hurrying around, he neither looked nor listened to the sleigh-driver. Only Elvis's grandfather vaguely remembers, who the man in the red suit must be, but he forgets again right away. The irony and humor of this story create a very special Christmas spirit, in good part with the help of the comic-like characters in the illustrations. (6+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 94 Köster, Magdalena (ed.) Härtel, Susanne (ed.) Sei mutig und hab Spaß dabei. Acht Künstlerinnen und ihre Lebensgeschichte (Be courageous and have fun. Eight women artists and their biographies) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1998. 307 p. ISBN 3-407-80849-6 Artist - Biography - Anthology Eight women artists are presented here in short but well-founded and thoroughly researched biographies. Their professions range from acting, dance, painting and architecture to fashion design, literature and photography. The appearance of an anthology only of women's biographies implies that the achievements of women in male-dominated professions still need to be accorded special attention in order to gain wider acquaintance among the general public. And this is done in a concentrated and vigorous style. (12+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 95 Mebs, Gudrun (text) Marcks, Marie (illus.) Ohne Suse ist das nix! Geschichten von Opa Hans und Suse (It's no fun without Suzy! Stories about Grandpa Hans and Suzy) Hamburg: Carlsen, 1998. 83 p. (Inhauser) ISBN 3-551-59801-0 Young girl/Old man - Assistance - Everyday life Suzy doesn't have a grandfather and her mother is away from home all day. So she adopts Hans, a man in her neighborhood, as her grandfather. First they have to clean up his apartment, and then they can start fooling around. Suzy is happy, and so is Grandpa Hans. Often a not-so-good day turns out to be quite a nice one with Suzy's help. The author convincingly depicts the pleasures of a relationship between young and old made possible by mutual affection. The caricaturist Marcks does a superb job of showing this visually. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 96 Meißner-Johannknecht, Doris (text) Ellermann, Heike (illus.) Die Puppe Bella oder bloß keine Schwester! (Bella the Doll, or anything is better than a sister!) Oldenburg: Lappan, 1997. [32] p. ISBN 3-89082-183-9 Jealousy - Siblings Perhaps there is a way to get rid of Baby Inga? Perhaps one could ruin her pleasure in the new doll? But perhaps she gets lots one day in the woods and everyone is afraid she is lost forever? And surely one can protect her one day from big bullies. The author understands how to depict the agonies of sisterly jealousy until in the end an opportunity for surprising affection opens up. The pictures adopt different styles and perspectives to represent the continuing stages of development from hated baby to accepted little sister. (7+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 97 Orlev, Uri (text) Gleich, Jacky (illus.) Pressler, Mirjam (transl.) Der haarige Dienstag (Hairy Tuesday) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1998. [32] p. ISBN 3-407-79213-6 Hair care - Resistance - Hair cut - Compromise Tuesday is hair-washing day, the cause of deepest agony for three-year old Michael. His loud protests move the whole family to pity - even Mother. Michael's sister, Daniela, finds a solution: no hair - no hair washing. Michael only needs to get rid of his hair. With a shock he imagines his future hairlessness and comes to a decision. He chooses the lesser of two evils: crying rather than being shorn bald. A thoroughly realistic story about the helpless desperation of a young, patronized minority told with wit and irony, illustrated from the perspective of childlike chaos. (4+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 98 Prinz, Alois Beruf Philosophin oder die Liebe zur Welt. Die Lebensgeschichte der Hannah Arendt (Profession : philosopher or: For love of the world. The life of Hannah Arendt) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1998. 326 p., [8] p. ISBN 3-407-80853-4 Arendt, Hannah/Biography Hannah Arendt earned her doctorate in 1928 under Karl Jaspers but had to flee Nazi Germany in 1933, emigrating first to Paris and then to the U.S.A. Thus she experienced her greatest achievements as a university lecturer and scholarly writer there. She also played an active role in the post-war discussions over the Holocaust, climaxing in an analysis of the role and personality of Adolf Eichmann. She also returned to teach at German universities. The author portrays his subject as a person, a woman and philosopher, all three in active unity. The reader experiences the indivisibility of life and profession. (14+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 99 Richter, Jutta (text) Janssen, Susanne (illus.) Der Hund mit dem gelben Herzen oder die Geschichte vom Gegenteil (The dog with the yellow heart or the story of the opposite) München: Hanser, 1998. 110 p. ISBN 3-446-19258-1 Dog - Talking animal - Creation - Home Dog, homeless, knows how to talk and tells (invents) the story of his life for Lotta and her brother. He tells how he has been to see the inventor G. Ott and admire his pictures, which showed the entire world. And how he then has gone in search of G. Ott's best friend, who had been banished from the garden of paradise. That the garden door is closed when they try to return to G. Ott. In return for his story Dog is given a home with the children and Grandfather Schulte, who strangely enough bears much resemblance to G. Ott. There is considerable meaning to be found in this enjoyable, but quite serious interpretation of the creation story. (8+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 100 Schulz, Hermann (text) Erlbruch, Wolf (illus.) Auf dem Strom (On the river) Hamburg: Carlsen, 1998. 136 p. ISBN 3-551-58035-9 Tanzania - Father/Daughter - Boat trip - Healing A German missionary in Tanzania believes that he can only save the life of his daughter with the help of the white doctor's medicine. And so he undertakes a dangerous journey by boat. Out of necessity, but against his Western-Christian beliefs, he learns to trust the black healers' help. His relationship with and love for his daughter takes on a new shape when she is healed through the help of the Africans. This literary, compelling story is based on a true incident. The author writes about Africa on the basis of his own experiences there, full of respect for the customs and values of the black inhabitants. (12+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 101 Seidemann, Maria Big city rap Würzburg: Arena, 1998. 160 p. (Arena-Taschenbuch ; 2591 : Arena life) ISBN 3-401-02591-0 Big City - Youth gang - Foreigner - Violence - Social inequality Alexander Abel lives with his mother in a high-rise section of a major German city. There is a high potential for social conflict in their neighborhood. With this material the author composes an intricate story and captivates the reader with a narrative style that does not curry to teenage slang. The story does not have the appearance of a »problem book«, but takes instead the genuine perspective of the young first-person narrator. The problems being described can be understood at the experiential level, without resorting to black-and-white descriptions or an evaluative authorial voice. (14+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 102 Steinhöfel, Andreas Die Mitte der Welt (The middle of the world) Hamburg: Carlsen, 1998. 459 p. ISBN 3-551-58029-4 Twins - Father/Search - Single parent - Promiscuity - Homosexuality - Death The twins Phil and Dianne live alone with their mother on the margin of society in a small city in Europe. They know nothing about their father and experience the promiscuous life of their young, attractive mother with mixed feelings. Phil is gay; Dianne is lesbian and the great love in her life has been lying in a coma for years after a traffic accident. The author describes their roles in their social situation with great understanding. In this modern »Bildungsroman« all the values of the (petty) bourgeois society are put to question. In the end Phil has come of age. He sets out for America in search of his father. (16+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 1999 - 103 Zimen, Erik (text) Lausche, Katharina (illus.) Mein Esel. Ein Rotfuchs-Sachbuch (My donkey. A Rotfuchs information book) Reinbek: Rowohlt, 1998. 93 p. (rororo Rotfuchs ; 20899) ISBN 3-499-20899-7 Donkey - Animals - Pets In this fascinating mixture of inventive donkey-lore and real experiences with two of his own Sardinian dwarf donkeys, the animal expert Zimen arouses the reader's interest in this ancient breed of pets. The very exact anatomically and psychologically accurate illustrations by Katharina Lausche are ideally suited for a book which will expand the enthusiastic fan group of this loveable grey animal. (8+) Switzerland (German) - 1999 - 104 Gerber-Hess, Maja Zoë und Rea Luzern: Rex-Verl., 1998. 176 p. ISBN 3-7252-0677-5 Friendship - Social inequality - Outsider - Juvenile delinquency - Conflict resolution Zoë looks like a strange bird, she has family problems and she is new in the class. Rea, from an upper-middle class family, attaches herself trustingly to Zoë inspite of the considerable differences in character, but to no good. The two girls begin a series of thefts. Rea's family, who have warmly welcomed Zoë into their fold, know nothing of these adventures. Zoë falls in love with Rea's brother. But in the end Zoë steals even from her guest family. She is banned from the house and the friendship is broken off. An unusual book about social conflict and its effect on an adolescent. (14+) Switzerland (German) - 1999 - 105 Gmehling, Will (text) Ronnefeldt, Caroline (illus.) Tiertaxi Wolf & Co. (Animal taxi Wolf & Co.) Aarau: Sauerländer, 1998. 56 p. ISBN 3-7941-4423-6 Wolf - Talking animals - Taxi The wolf lives in a large city and has two friends - Leila, the dog, and the fox, who he had once freed from a trap. The wolf loves taxis and so, with the help of the little Chinese girl, Fa Ya Wang, who repairs junk cars, they establish a taxi company for animals and enjoy great success. One day they all set off on a tour around the world. In China the great mountain tiger is planning his wedding and Fu Ya Wang is invited. With merry nonchalance man and beast encounter each other all over this book, getting along with each other on the whole. Highly detailed, gentle pictures give an adequate depiction of the sly humor in the text. (6+) Switzerland (German) - 1999 - 106 Grasso, Mario (text/illus.) Venedig - anders gesehen. Venedig - eine einzige und dauernde Metamorphose (Venice - with different eyes. Venice - a permanent metamorphosis) Basel: F. Reinhardt, 1997. 139 p. ISBN 3-7245-0961-8 Venice/Tour guide »Venice - a single and constant metamorphosis,« is the subtitle of this unusual city tour guide. The changeability and alterations of the city over the course of centuries are depicted through the illustrator's unique artistic view of the world-famous squares and of the historical events which he distorts and populates with a great variety of figures. The necessary explanations accompany each of the fullpaged spreads. The artist's presentation of a city is refreshingly irreverent and not in the least antiquated. (12+) Switzerland (German) - 1999 - 107 Johansen, Hanna (text) Bhend, Käthi (illus.) Vom Hühnchen, das goldene Eier legen wollte (The chicken who wanted to lay golden eggs) Zürich/Frauenfeld: Nagel & Kimche, 1998. [68] p. ISBN 3-312-00819-0 Chicken - Wish - Persistence - Flight - Freedom The little chicken wants to learn to sing, to swim and to fly, as well as lay golden eggs, but none of the 3333 battery chickens takes it seriously. But with much persistence it succeeds in pecking a hole in the wall. At last it is out-of-doors and has room to try out all its ideas. But the other hens also find their way out through the hold, begin to grow real feathers again and don't even cough any more. They are recaptured, but escape again and again. One day they are allowed to remain outside. Black-and-white graphics describe the life in a chicken coop and in the meadow, as well as the success brought on by persistence by only one individual and his crazy idea. (6+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1999 - 108 Mühlenweg, Fritz (text) Berner, Rotraut Susanne (illus.) Nuni (<Proper name>) Lengwil: Libelle, 1997. 142 p. ISBN 3-909081-83-5 Journey - Homecoming - Imagination - Constellation - Animals Nuni is kidnapped from her parent's yard. She has to transverse imaginary worlds with names like »Desert Dull« and the dangerous »Forest Evergreen.« She makes exciting new friendships when the animals in the zodiac help her find her way home and the calendar man mixes up the course of time. Naturally Nuni is filled with fear. But in the end she finds her way home. The author packages little rules of life, which are hardly recognizable to children, into the fascinating plot, which takes its course, so to speak, between heaven and earth and essentially represents the maturation of a childlike consciousness. Moreover, the dynamic pictures and lovely layout are a delightful enhancement of this new edition of the classic Nuni story, which was first published in a different format in 1953. (6+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1999 - 109 Schendel, Andreas (text) Renn, Lola (illus.) Die Geschichte von Gina und Herrn Seeger (The story of Gina and Mr. Seeger) Zürich: Palazzo, 1998. 53 p. ISBN 3-907588-04-5 Old/Young - Friendship - Play - Death - Comfort Gina is seven years old and Mr. Seeger's best friend. Mr Seeger is retired and lives with his wife live on the groundfloor of the same house. They love to tumble about together, playing makebelieve lion mother and lion baby. Then one day Mr. Seeger is no longer there. Gina dreams often of their afternoon walks and how she had to rescue him from his musty old books. An unsentimental story about friendship and leaving-taking. (7+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 1999 - 110 Waechter, Friedrich Karl Der rote Wolf (The red wolf) Zürich: Diogenes, 1998. 58 p. ISBN 3-257-00848-1 Wolf - Dog - Learning - Death A young dog is brought up by wolves and learns to hunt and catch his prey just like any wolf. When he is wounded by wolf-hunters, he finds a new home with a young girl. She promises to take him back to the wolves' den, to his friends, when it is time for him to die. But if that were the whole story, it wouldn't be by Waechter. It so happens that this animal's fate takes place at the end of World War Two, when man and animal are on the run, some to the West, others - the wolves - to the East. In moving, lyrical images and text an unusual dog's life passes before the reader's eyes. (8+) Austria (German) - 2000 - 73 Auer, Martin (text) Wolfsgruber, Linda (illus.) Warum der Hase lange Ohren hat (Why hares have long ears) Wien: Gabriel, 1999. [28] p. ISBN 3-7072-6600-1 Hare - Baby animal - Upbringing - Punishment The baby hare cannot escape paternal punishments no matter what it does or how it behaves. Father is bound to pull his ears. Later when it is an adult and has long ears of its own, it will be time for the little hare of the next generation. That is why there are only hares with long ears in this world. Actually this story takes a rather fatalistic turn, but the child(-hare) doesn't seem to take it too hard. The colorful pictures do not engender any uproar, but simply illustrate the apparently inevitable course of things. (6+) ☼ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2000 - 74 Domenego, Hans (idea/coord.) Baumann, Hans [et al.] (text) Werwiewas. Das Lexikon für Kinder (Who, how, what. The children's encyclopedia) Wien: Jugend & Volk, 1998. 352 p. ISBN 3-7100-0214-1 Encyclopedia »An encyclopedia for children between eight and twelve years of age and a bit above and below.« This claim is well-met in this considerably improved and expanded edition of an encyclopedia which has grown with the times. The number of terms has been highly increased, the content remains concise, length and layout are accessible, and it includes excellent visual materials and understandable references. A pleasant atmosphere is achieved with little side features such as quotes from school essays or short poems and word-plays in specially marked boxes. Short excerpts from books by children's book authors create a bridge to children's literature. This attractively designed and sturdy-bound book is guaranteed a long and useful life. Both young and old will profit from dipping into this mighty compendium of knowledge. (7+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2000 - 75 Grosche, Erwin (text) Junge, Norman (illus.) Der Schlafbewacher (The sleepwatcher) Wien: Gabriel, 2000. 32 p. ISBN 3-7072-6614-1 Sleep - Guard duty - Fear - Daydream Tobias has nasty dreams - only the sleepwatcher can help. Grandma Gersdorfer can't fall asleep - and he helps her, too. And he can give warning not to fall asleep - at school, as soon as a teacher approaches a sleepy-head. Norman Junge's spaciously pictures of the bizarre figure of the sleepwatcher correspond to the dream of a benevolent helper for everyone who, unfortunately often at the wrong time, wants to sleep or cannot sleep. (6+) ☼ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2000 - 76 Jung, Reinhardt Das geheime Wissen der Pinguine; 4 (The secret knowledge of penguins; 4) Wien: Jungbrunnen, 1999. 150 p. ISBN 3-7026-5712-6 Question - Paradox - Penguin Penguins are probably so intelligent because they live on the South Pole - where things stand on their heads and follow their own laws. So, consequently, there can be no question that is too complicated for penguins (some would say none »too dumb«). They just turn the questions in and out and turn it on its head and are then sure to find a solution. Their spokesman is Mr. Humboldt Penguin, who is also prepared to travel around the world to get an answer. No paradox is too illogical for him, no slip of the tongue too ill-timed. This is the way to put together a thick compendium of (penguin's) know-ledge, and the reader must spin out the riddles to discover more about it. (10+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2000 - 77 Jung, Reinhardt (text) Sönnichsen, Imke (illus.) Das kleine Nein! (That little No!) Wien: Jungbrunnen, 1999. [28] p. ISBN 3-7026-5707-x Stubbornness - Curiosity - Search for identity That little No! is actually already quite big and can do everything by itself. But there is one thing it cannot do, namely say Yes! Even the good Nanunana has to explain and ask questions for a long time until there is no little No! left and finally a Yes! comes from its mouth. This humorous book is for all inquisitive children, big and little, who are not satisfied with quick explanations from adults. (4+) ☼ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2000 - 78 Nöstlinger, Christine ABC für Großmütter (An ABC for Grandmas) Wien: Dachs-Verl., 1999. 125 p. (Edition Christine Nöstlinger) ISBN 3-85191-165-2 Dictionary/German - Grandmother Grandmothers are very, very different, claims Christine Nöstlinger quite correctly. Thus, with a twinkle in her eye, she offers this dictionary of some of the episodes in her own grandmotherly existence that is open for further contributions. For example, take the chapter K - for »Klamotten« (clothing) - with grandmotherly duels in an »in« shop, and her subsequent commentary: »Heavens, Heavens, I won't say another word about that pretty grave-diggers cloak that I bought him… «. An entertaining compilation of risky habits found among grandmothers - and their children's children - and strategies for getting along with each other. (12+) Germany (German) - 2000 - 79 Behrens, Katja Zorro. Im Jahr des Pferdes (Zorro. In the year of the horse) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1999. 140 p. ISBN 3-407-79802-4 Mother/Son - Handicap - Horseback riding - Therapy - Horse raising By caring for and riding horses Kai gradually begins to overcome his fears and gain confidence in himself, his surroundings and the world at large. But this idyllic situation is in danger because the upkeep of horses is expensive. There are plans to sell trusty bay Zorro, Kai's horse, for horsemeat. Lea, a woman who is recuperating at the horse farm after her divorce and her mother's death, and still searching for her own identity, buys Zorro back for Kai. But this is not the whole plot. Between the lines the story tells about what happens around und within the protagonists, the ups and downs of living - with and without horses. A casual tone of voice, absorbing cast of characters and an unsentimental perspective toward fateful connections are the hallmarks of this exceptional (horse) book. (10+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2000 - 80 Boie, Kirsten Nicht Chicago. Nicht hier (Not Chicago. Not here) Hamburg: Oetinger, 1999. 120 p. ISBN 3-7891-3131-8 Friendship - Lie - Crime Kirsten Boie describes here a case of »everyday crime« among school pupils. She deals openly with the main characters' conflict of choice between committing an offence and maintaining friendship by leaving the ending open and by not making use of authorial omniscience. Hence this novel is an example of a new trend in German children's and youth literature, in which authors for some time now have been writing novels that are less didactic and more literary and realityoriented. Thus, this genre oversteps more and more often the still generally accepted upon boundaries of children's literature, such as the provision of a positive ending. (14+) Germany (German) - 2000 - 81 Damm, Dörte Der Wolf ist tot (The wolf is dead) München: tabu- Verl., 1998. 151 p. (Tabuphil) ISBN 3-89692-142-8 Single father - Daughter - Sexual abuse - Murder Cordula lives with her father in a new residential area of a small city. She often behaves jumpy and unpredictable. Her teachers and fellow pupils cannot know that she is being sexually abused by her father - who everyone considers to be »very nice.« But they do wonder why Cordula is never allowed to bring friends home. One day, as one of her girl friends drops around and finds only the father at home, a tragedy follows. The man tries to force himself upon the other girl. Cordula returns and kills him in the heat of the moment. This is a substantial novel, reserved in tone, and avoiding any straining for effect. (14+) Germany (German) - 2000 - 82 Erlbruch, Wolf (text/illus.) Nachts (In the night) Wuppertal: Hammer, 1999. 23 p. ISBN 3-87294-834-2 Night - Imagination - Father/Son This is a small book with a grand subject - the night as a dream world that is open only to children and readers. Fons doesn't want to go to sleep, he wants to take a nighttime stroll with Papa. As if deaf and blind, the stressed father stumbles through the streets with his son and doesn't notice Alice and the White Rabbit, King Kong, the tulip on rollerskates, the polar bear and many more strange and wonderous things that could possibly fit into his adult mind. A dream of a book by Wolf Erlbruch - who pulls all the stops of his artistic powers. (5+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2000 - 83 Frommlet, Wolfram (text) Wagenbreth, Henning (illus.) Mond und Morgenstern. Eine Geschichte aus Afrika (Moon and Morning Star. A tale from Africa) Wuppertal: Hammer, 1999. 44 p. ISBN 3-87294-784-2 Africa - Creation story God created Moon and gave him Morning Star to be his wife. She gave birth to the plant kingdom. After two years she returned to the heavens and Moon was given Evening Star as his mate. And she gave birth to the animals and mankind. Then Moon hurt Evening Star and she gave birth to the animals of prey. Moon declared himself the king of the world, and his subjects removed him from his throne. Moon rose into the heavens and even today is still looking for Morning Star, his first beloved. This is an impressive picture book depicting an African creation myth. Large, brilliantly colored illustrations on earth-tone paper with linoleum cuts that are illustrated by the forms and shapes of African art. (10+) ☆ ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 84 Fühmann, Franz (text) Herfurth, Egbert (illus.) Der glückliche Ritter von Trinitat oder wie wird man Oberdiskutierer? Ein Puppenspiel in 4 Akten für Joachims sechs Puppen (The happy knight of Trinitat or how to become the chief discusser. A puppet play in 4 acts for Joachim's six puppets) Rostock: Hinstorff, 1999. 68 p. ISBN 3-356-00807-2 Ideology - Knight - Dragon - Sultan - Ignorance - Happiness - Misuse of power This short masterpiece for puppet theater is intended as a persiflage of all ideologies. In it Franz Fühmann criticizes the abuse of power, ignorance and narrow-mindedness. The cast include the Magician and the Dragon - as fairy tale elements; the Fat Woman - as slave and wife of the dragon; the knight - as the army; a Slave - as the worker; the Sultan - as the ruler of Trinitat. The watchword - as placard-style ideology. In short, the tale goes as follows: »What's this mean - to have a discus- sion?« asks the Dragon. The Knight answers »We state our opinions and I'm right.« The Slave hopes that the Dragon will eat the Sultan, so he can be freed. Instead, the Dragon becomes the Sultan's chief fire-spewing discusser on account of his obedience. The Sultan establishes as a watchword that the people are happy. (Who begs to differ, loses his head). In the end we learn that »this goes to show that it always turns out as it turns out because it turns out as it turns out. We call it history.« Egbert Herfurth's figurines form the suitably ironical staffage for this quite realistic material. But that is not meant to lead the reader into fatalism, but just its opposite. Nothing is in fact necessarily the way it is. (8+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 85 Grote, Wilfried (text) Ballhaus, Verena (illus.) Kleine Sprünge (Little jumps) Ravensburg: Ravensburger Buchverl., 1999. 111 p. ISBN 3-473-34367-6 Father/Son - Unemployment - Solidarity - Consumer behavior Oscar's father suddenly finds himself out of a job. Hence, Oscar can't have the mountain bike, but his father now has more time for him. All the family members agree to limit their desires. And so the bicycle is bought at a flea market and is not to be scorned, even though it is of course not »in« in the eyes of the other children. Suddenly Oscar's piano practice bothers the neighbors. The family moves to a less expensive apartment and the father makes the change from bus driver to taxi chauffeur while Oscar makes friends with a new girl. The burning issue of unemployment, the positive aspects of family solidarity and having a happy childhood even with less money is treated here in an unspectacular manner. The boxed pictures at the beginning of each chapter contribute to the overall cheerful atmosphere of this children's novel. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 86 Heidenreich, Elke (text) Pfarr, Bernd (illus.) Sonst noch was (Will that be all?) München: Hanser, 1999. 44 p. ISBN 3-146-19742-7 Stubbornness - Country life - Animal talk City-girl Katharina wants to visit her uncle's farm to cure her chronic cough, but even more because of the animals. Her mother, Gertrud, gives her standard reply, »Will that be all?« But Katharina gets to go after all and already during the train ride she realizes that she can understand animal talk. This has a great effect at Uncle Hans's place and her stay is a great success. In a witty, worldlywise manner the author expresses her view of children's wishes and adult thoughts. Her text is supported by not quite realistically drawn protagonists in pastel colored, richly shaded pictures. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 87 Heine, Helme (text/illus.) Diabollo (<Proper name>) München: Middelhauve, 1999. [34] p. (Middelhauve-Bilderbuch) ISBN 3-7876-9604-0 Devil - Joke - Disguise - Life-saving The little devil Diabollo lives all alone in Hell's heating cellar, guarding the fire. Whenever he gets bored, he sets out to tease other people. But there is no recognition for his work. People only like the boring angels in white gowns who sing »Hallelujah« all day long. So he disguises himself (with wings and a white gown), but to no effect. They recognize him. Angry, he throws his pitchfork on the roof of a house and immediately starts a fire. Now is his great chance: for once he is not the devil but the fire-man. He is given a medal for his deed. And popular (though not as a devil). Helme Heine finds the appropriate visual background for the funny situational comedy of his story. (5+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 88 Hensgen, Andrea Melusine. Die Welt muß romantisch werden (Melusine. The world needs to become romantic) Weinheim: Beltz & Gelberg, 1999. 166 p. ISBN 3-407-80859-3 Loneliness - Love - Failure A young man moves to a new city and meets a fascinating, mysterious girl. They embark on a platonic friendship, and she does not allow him to get any closer to her. After some time they have no more contact, and neither of them knows of the other's yearning. And so it happens that he does not recognize her when they meet again. This is an imaginative parable about the impossibility of finding fulfilling love in real life. (16+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 89 Jacoby, Edmund (comp.) Berner, Rotraut S. (illus.) Dunkel war's, der Mond schien helle. Verse, Reime und Gedichte (Light Moonshine in the darkest night. Verses and poems) Hildesheim: Gerstenberg, 1999. 152 p. ISBN 3-8067-4285-5 Poetry/German Although poetry - even that for children - as everyone knows, is nearly impossible to translate, this book deserves mention in this international selection at least due to the exquisite aesthetics of its design and layout as well as the charm of the poems selected. None of the greatest, most humorous, most serious or most original German language poets have been left out of this anthology. The boundary between children's and »grownup « poetry becomes fluid here. Rotraut Susanne Berner is an artist whose small figures and forms contribute a visual as well as a substantial pendant to the poems. (3+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 90 Lebert, Benjamin Crazy Köln: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1999. 174 p. (KiWi ; 537) ISBN 3-462-02818-9 School - Failure - Physical handicap - Autobiography A 16-year old boy enters boarding school to improve his grades. He has minor physical handicaps that make his life there difficult. Events of everyday life, his relations with the others, his first sexual encounters and the accompanying insecurity and embarrassment are told by the first-person narrator in a very direct, but rather reserved and nonetheless cultivated youthful tone. The narrative voice is shaped by the mixture of youthful curiosity and the desparation of an intelligent adolescent in the throes of puberty - written by a youth of the same age - on the rocky path to adulthood. (14+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 91 Lehnhof, Uli Schluss gemacht (Ending it) Freiburg i. Br.: Kerle, 1999. 126 p. ISBN 3-541-70306-8 School pupil - Suicide - Investigation - Youth crime The leader of a school gang has broken away from the others after a series of petty crimes in order to avoid prosecution. The rest of the gang begins to blackmail and persecute his younger brother. But he refuses to betray the older brother, and instead commits suicide one day. Because these circumstances are clearly not to become public knowledge, the persistent interest and efforts of his fellow pupils are necessary before the guilty instigators of the suicide can be found. Step-by-step the author leads the reader through the investigation of an editor of the school paper to the true facts. In the reactions of those involved he shows how people, who should have known better and could have acted better, vehemently deny their guilt. (14+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 92 Maar, Paul (text) Ballhaus, Verena (illus.) In einem tiefen, dunklen Wald... (In a deep, dark forest...) Hamburg: Oetinger, 1999. 143 p. ISBN 3-7891-4221-2 Princess - Abduction - Monster - Rescue - Reward A proud princess is absolutely set upon finding the bravest husband far and wide. So she stages an abduction by a monster without realizing that the monster itself is an enchanted prince. Unfortunately she is much too impatient to even listen carefully to the mumbling monster. In the course of events the creature is released from the spell but does not marry the princess because she is not only conceited, but also just plain dumb. Everyone else receives their just rewards for their heroic deeds. All in all a thoroughly happy picture story. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 93 Mann, Erika (text) Hallgarten, Richard (illus.) Heißerer, Dirk (ed.) Stoffel fliegt übers Meer (Stoffel flies over the ocean) München: Kirchheim, 1999. 128 p. ISBN 3-87410-087-1 (Orig. ed. 1932 by Levy & Müller, Stuttgart) Air ship - Stowaway - Family - Everyday life Christoph (»Stoffel«) is only ten years old, but certainly not dumb. When his father and mother find themselves in an economic crisis and see no way to making ends meet, their son flies off in the school vacation as a stowaway on an airship bound for New York to visit his rich uncle and tell him of their financial disaster. Along the way he has the chance to save the passengers from a major catastrophe and soon his fame in the international press knows no limits. Erika Mann, Thomas Mann's oldest daughter, wrote this delightful story for her younger brothers and sisters. Her children's book were long - quite wrongly - overshadowed by her literary works for adults and cabaret revues. This story of the courageous little Stoffel and the details of his adventurous life and world still offer literary and entertainment value today. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 94 Pacovská, Květa (text/illus.) Rotrothorn (Redredhorn) Ravensburg: Ravensburger Buchverl., 1999. [24] p. ISBN 3-473-33771-4 Language - Arts and crafts - Playing - Fabled animal In this intricately detailed paint-and-play crafts book the »Kritzelmännchen« (little scribbler) shapes, cuts out and paints a different fabled animal every day of the week - the redredhorn and checkered rhino, the dotdotdoter and the holeholeholer, and many other creatures. The viewer sees their origins in pages with stamped out shapes and pop-ups. In the end the child (and the parents) are called upon to play and to invent whatever they can with the materials available. Published in a ring-binder on stable cardboard, this is a lively first art book that encourages play, imagination and lively involvement. (5+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 95 Pawel, Henning (text) Schulmeyer, Heribert (illus.) Heiligabend im Himmel (Christmas Eve in heaven) Stuttgart: Thienemann, 1998. 62 p. ISBN 3-522-17143-8 Christmas - Heaven - Angel - Animal love - Present In the inner realms of heaven animals are forbidden. Even the Holy Father can only wish in vain for a little dog as house pet. But when a talking jackdaw loses his way and strays into the inner realm, God resorts to a trick and hides the invader near him. He finds an accomplice in the little rascal- angel Moische Birnbaum. In the end the two of them manage to have this unhappy rule revoked, ex cathedra so to speak. So the Holy Father gets his little doggie for Christmas. This is an engaging, ironical story about eternal laws in heaven and on earth. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 96 Schulz, Hermann Iskender (<Proper name>) Hamburg: Carlsen, 1999. 229 p. ISBN 3-551-58054-5 Germany - Turkish child - Orphanage - Kidnap The young illegitimate son of a Turkish worker and a German waitress has lived in an orphanage since his mother died. There he is found by his father, when he searches for his former girlfriend. He abducts the severely retarded boy to Turkey, to his home village, where the boy begins to flourish in the loving care of his grandparents and the rural surroundings. But the German bureaucracy demands to have the boy returned to Germany because there is no clear proof of paternity. Only through the decisive initiative of a young woman can the extradition be avoided. Based on an authentic case, this literary rendering depicts a wealth of ordinary difficulties that Turkish workers have in and with Germany and the disastrous situation of those who do not have enough influence to maintain their own rights. (14+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 97 Tiedemann, Markus Prinzessin Metaphysika. Eine fantastische Reise durch die Philosophie (Princess Metaphysica: a fantasy journey through philosophy) Hildesheim: Olms-Presse, 1999. 308 p. ISBN 3-487-08412-0 Philosophy - Adventure Although there have been a number of fictional works with philosophical and religion-based backgrounds published in the aftermath of J. Gaarder's »Sophie's World«, this work is exceptionally interesting. First of all, because it is witty, and furthermore, because it contains not only facts, but also riddles. The names of well-known philosophers and other geniuses have been clearly altered and their works paraphrased, accurately and humorfully. The three main protagonists - two young men and Princess Metaphysica - go searching for answers to existential questions in the land of Philosophica. Their paths separate and come together again, and, hence, the answers they have found differ in part. An absorbing book for young adults who take pleasure in using their minds. (16+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 98 Waluszek, Christian (text) Matthies, Don-Oliver (illus.) Die Insel des vollkommenen Glücks (The island of perfect happiness) Würzburg: Arena, 1999. 462 p. ISBN 3-401-04950-x Island - Happiness - Ocean travel - Love The theme of this novel is the perversion of man's pursuit of happiness. It is set in the 19th century in an exclusive society dedicated to fun and leisure. A young English girl, Joana, sets off, disguised as a shipboy, on a sailing ship to search for her lover Tom, who had been taken away from her by force. Since then he has lived on a widely unknown island called »Isla Perfelicita« from which escape is impossible. It is governed by the uppermost commandment that everyone is to have »fun.« Joana and Tom manage to escape by swimming until they are picked up by an unknown sailing ship. The delightful interweaving of fates from today and the past keep the reader in suspense in this 400-page long story-within-a-story. (12+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 99 Wenzel, Angela Henri Rousseau: Die schlafende Zigeunerin (Henri Rousseau: The sleeping gypsy) Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verl., 1999. 125 p. (rororo Rotfuchs ; 20975 : Rotfuchs- Kunstsachbuch : Mein Bild) ISBN 3-499-20975-6 Rousseau, Henri - Naïve painting The most famous representative of the naïve school of painting is surely the Frenchman Henri Rousseau. For older children and adolescents his clear, though not simplistic works could offer an easy access point to the world of fine arts. Solid, comprehensive research of the biographical and contemporary historical facts, illuminative visual documentation, and an attractive book design are the hallmarks of this series, that is a boon to the informational book market. This volume is just one representative title for many others in this excellent paperback series of art appreciation works. (12+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 100 Westphalen, Joseph von (text) Devrome, Johan (illus.) Wie man seine Eltern erzieht (How to educate parents) München: Hanser, 1999. 181 p. ISBN 3-446-19641-2 Parents - Son - Upbringing - Role reversal In this dictionary the adolescent offspring (who normally do not have parental rights of guardianship) will find a series of pragmatically defined concepts that will help him or her with parental upbringing. (Of course there may be some parents who do not need to be re-educated - they are already »cool«. Such readers won't be able to make use of the tips in this dictionary unless they make an effort to find other parents!) There are helpful entries for shy or over-adjusted readers and humorous entries for dealing with the hopefully »cool« parents and both kinds offer a welcome seasoning for the daily homelife. (10+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2000 - 101 Wiesner, Henning (text) Mattei, Günter (illus.) Im Garten der Tiere (In the animal garden) München: Heyne, 1998. 127 p. (Collection Rolf Heyne) ISBN 3-453-13771-x Zoo Fifty opulent panels of illustrations and texts provide an overview of the kinds of animals that are frequently found in zoos and provide a survey of the history of their biological development and their way of life in nature. Extensive references and the presentation of the overall scope of the fundamental ideas of zoos are also an effort to legitimate the work of zoo, whose work is considered in the widest sense of the word to be animal protection, for the coming millennium. This book can be consulted and enjoyed over and over again by parents and children, not only before visiting the zoo. (8+) Switzerland (German) - 2000 - 102 Chudožilov, Petr (text) Čapek, Jindra (illus.) Das Wunder von Jasina. Eine Weihnachtsgeschichte (The miracle of Jasina. A Christmas story) Aarau: Sauerländer, 1999. 53 p. ISBN 3-7941-4540-2 Ukraine - Nativity - Miracle - Christmas - Holy Family - Shelter It is Christmas in a small, snowbound village in the Ukrainian mountains. A young stranger finds no one - neither rich nor poor - to take her in and let her warm up; no place to give birth to her child. Only old Giuseppe with the wooden leg is, like she, still out wandering through the cold dark night. He recognizes her situation and helps her. Then a Christmas miracle takes place. Giuseppe - Joseph - has his leg restored to health and the whole world passes by to honor the Christ child. This story is imbued with worldly wisdom and a love of mankind. The text and pictures acquaint young children with the miracle of Christmas in an unspectacular manner. (5+) ☆ ☼ Switzerland (German) - 2000 - 103 Hegewisch, Helga Lauf, Lilly, lauf! (Run, Lilly, run!) Zürich: Atrium-Verl., 1999. 319 p. ISBN 3-85535-92-6 Germany - World War II - Friendship - Growing up In the final year of the Second World War Lilly moves with her family away from the dangers of Hamburg to Mecklenburg in northeast Germany until the war comes to an end. She befriends Isa, a girl the same age, who lives in the local castle. The author vividly describes the day-to-day confusion of war-times, family conflicts, and the solitary actions of the girls when it is necessary to help a deserter. The protagonists just barely manage to survive the end of the war. And they have grown up. (12+) Switzerland (German) - 2000 - 104 Kinskofer, Lotte (text) Ballhaus, Verena (illus.) Der Klavierling (The piano elf) Zürich: Palazzo-Verl., 1999. 134 p. ISBN 3-907-588-11-8 Elf - Piano - Lost/Found - Trickery Piano elves are quite indispensable to piano players, both young and old. Because of their miniature size they can live in a piano, feed off the music itself and prevent wrong notes. One day, as fate will have it, young Crescendo becomes separated from the rest of the clan. He is in desperate need of human assistance in order to find his own kind again. The search for a good ending is taken up by the piano student Daniela and her friends. The author gives her clan of piano elves the measured language of their times, 18th century, because one of her ancestors had served the great Johann Sebastian Bach. When used alongside the lingo of contemporary kids, the result is a splendid mixture of form and content. (8+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2000 - 105 Pausewang, Gudrun (text) Ballhaus, Verena (illus.) Barfuß durch die große Stadt (Barefoot through the big city) Zürich: Nagel & Kimche, 1999. 153 p. ISBN 3-312-00839-5 Moving house - Confusion - Dog - Death - Runaway - Returning home David and his mother have moved house and he is alone in their new home. When he runs out of the flat in fright, the door slams behind him and he has to go off barefoot in search of his mother's workplace. On the way he has a long chain of experiences as he is sent on from one place to another. A strange dog joins him along the way. Due to David's carelessness, the dog is run over. At last he finds his mother again - but she will never be able to know about the wonderful dogfriend that he has lost. Realistic and unsentimenal, Gudrun Pausewang tells a lyrical tale for younger children. (7+) ☼ Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2000 - 106 Procházková, Iva Carolina. Ein knapper Lebenslauf (Carolina. A short biography) Aarau: Sauerländer, 1999. 175 p. ISBN 3-7941-4496-1 Prague - Theater - First love - Separation Carolina writes down her own autobiography and a sketch of her family history for her teacher. This gives the reader, quite incidentally, an insight into the effects of historical and political events on the lives of the citizens of Prague. The reader also accompanies Carolina through the ups and downs of her first great love affair while she and her boyfriend are involved in a school theater group. In this novel the author easily finds the right register to arouse sympathy for Carolina. With this hero she creates an interesting figure that young readers will be able to identify with. (14+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2000 - 107 Schroeder, Binette (text/illus.) Laura (<Proper name>) Gossau, Zürich: Nord-Süd-Verl., 1999. [28] p. (Ein Nord-Süd-Bilderbuch) ISBN 3-314-01002-8 Play - Night - Storm - Fear - Egg - Bird - Bad luck/Misfortune - Surprise In the woods Laura finds a real Humpty Dumpty to play with. One stormy night she goes out to protect him. In the morning she finds only his broken shell, but next to it, unexpectedly, there is a lovely bird of paradise. Delicate, pastel-colored pictures show the theme of a unshapely thing being transformed into a beautiful creature. Mysterious dark tones emphasize the fairy tale-like nature of the events. (4+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2000 - 108 Siegfried, Anita (text) Binder, Hannes (illus.) Kleine Schwester der Nacht (Little sister of the night) Zürich: Nagel & Kimche, 1999. 123 p. ISBN 3-312-00877-8 Friendship - Older man - Night - Imagination Lynn is curious about what goes on at nighttime but at the same time she fears its multitude of noises and eerie secrets. Nighttime is her common bond with Josef, who tends the roses by day and tinkers around on his motorcycle at night. He offers to take Lynn for a nighttime ride. This is a special compensation for Lynn, who struggles daily with her jealousy of Olga, the pretty, friendly Olga who owns incredibly beautiful red sandals - and everyone finds loveable. In the slow sequence of pictures and events this book tells of the child-like conflicts and yearnings of the early teenage years and offers a good solution for some of them. (10+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2000 - 109 Wolfsgruber, Linda (text/illus.) Kuckuck! Kuckuck! (Cuckoo! Cuckoo!) Zürich: Bohem-Press, 1999. [26] p. ISBN 3-85581-310-8 Child - Search for identity For a change, a cuckoo egg is pushed out of the nest by the owner and the little thing must go off in search of its true identity. It tries crowing, meowing, bleating and more, but nothing is really fitting. Its search goes on for all its childhood. Finally the little one scratches its little beard and discovers that it only needs to swim in its egg shell toward land to find the right family at last. Bizarre pictures for a bizarre journey through life. (6+) ☼ Austria (German) - 2001 - 65 Dahimène, Adelheid (text) Stöllinger, Heide (illus.) Voller Mond und leerer Bär (Full moon and empty bear) Wien : Verl. Jungbrunnen, 2000. [32] p. 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+) Austria (German) - 2001 - 66 Gutenbergmuseum Mainz (ed.) Von Gutenberg zum World Wide Web (From Gutenberg to the world wide web) Wien : Dachs, 2000. 117 p. 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+) Austria (German) - 2001 - 67 Kaufmann, Angelika (text/illus.) Cäcilie (<Proper name>) Weitra : Publ. No. 1, Bibl. Der Provinz, [2000]. [32] p. 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 - Austria (German) - 2001 - 68 Kooij, Rachel van (text) Wechdorn, Susanne (illus.) Jonas, die Gans (Jonas, the gander) Wien: Verl. Jungbrunnern, 2000. 114 p. 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+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2001 - 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. [40] p. 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 reallife 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+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2001 - 70 Sklenitzka, Franz Sales (text/illus.) Die Bibliothek : ein interaktives Leseabenteuer (The library : an interactive reading-adventure) St. Pölten : NP-Buchverl., 2000. [180] p. 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+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2001 - 71 Treskatis, Barbara (text/illus.) Wenn ich eine Katze hätte (If I had a cat) Wien : Dachs, 2000. [28] p. 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+) Germany (German) - 2001 - 72 Baginski, Antonia (text) Röder, Annette (illus.) Anton mit dem roten Schal (Anton with the red scarf) München : Prestel, 2000. [28] p. 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+) Germany (German) - 2001 - 73 Bauer, Jutta (text/illus.) Schreimutter (Screaming Mom) Weinheim : Beltz & Gelberg, 2000. [36] p. 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+) Germany (German) - 2001 - 74 Bolliger, Max (text) Ensikat, Klaus (illus.) Kleines Glück & Wilde Welt (Small Happiness & Wild World) Berlin : Aufbau, 2000. 38 p. 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+) Germany (German) - 2001 - 75 Brussig, Thomas Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenalle (At the shorter end of Sonnenallee <street name>) Berlin : Verl. Volk & Welt, 1999. 156 p. 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+) ☆ Germany (German) - 2001 - 76 Chidolue, Dagmar Nicht alle Engel sind aus Stein (Not all angels are made of stone) Hamburg : Dressler, 2000. 175 p. 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+) Germany (German) - 2001 - 77 Dörrie, Doris (text) Kaergel, Julia (illus.) Lotte und die Monster (Lotte and the monsters) Ravensburg : Ravensburger Buchverl., 2000. [32] p. Includes a puzzle ISBN 3-473-33960-1 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+) Germany (German) - 2001 - 78 Drvenkar, Zoran Der Winter der Kinder oder Alissas Traum (The children's winter or Alissa's dream) Hamburg : Oetinger, 2000. 194 p. 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+) Germany (German) - 2001 - 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. 141 p. 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+) ☆ Germany (German) - 2001 - 80 Gernhardt, Robert (text) Waechter, Philip (illus.) Die Reise nach Amerika (The voyage to America) Hamburg : Ellermann, 2000. [44] p. 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+) Germany (German) - 2001 - 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. 145 p. 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 - Germany (German) - 2001 - 82 Hohler, Franz (text) Berner, Rotraut Susanne (illus.) Wenn ich mir etwas wünschen könnte (If I had three wishes) München : Hanser, 2000. 30 p. 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+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 83 Joop, Florentine (text/illus.) Bonifacio oder das Geheimnis der Faultiere (Bonifacio or the secret of the sloth family) Hamburg : Ed. Riesenrad, 2000. [30] p. 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+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 84 Klippel, Christian (text) Riese, Anna de (illus.) Schiff in der Wüste (Ship in the desert) Berlin : Altberliner Verl., 2000. 206 p. 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+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 85 Lebert, Benjamin (text) 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. [32] p. (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 unspectacular, humorous manner. (4+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 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. 28 p. (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+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 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. [28] p. 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 completely 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+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 88 Moritz, Karl Philipp (text) Erlbruch, Wolf (illus.) Neues ABC-Buch (New ABC-book) München : Kunstmann, 2000. [64] p. ISBN 3-88897-235-3 Alphabet What characterises this very unusual, almost bibliophile 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+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 89 Pausewang, Gudrun Du darfst nicht schreien (You must not cry) Ravensburg : Ravensburger Buchverl., 2000. 252 p. (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+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 90 Procházková, Iva (text) Tessmer, Silke (illus.) Vinzenz fährt nach Afrika (Vinzenz goes to Africa) Hamburg : Ellermann, 2000. 128 p. 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+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 91 Richter, Jutta Der Tag, als ich lernte, die Spinnen zu zähmen (The day I learned to tame spiders) München : Hanser, 2000. 87 p. 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+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 92 Schnurre, Wolfdietrich (text) Berner, Rotraut Susanne (illus.) Die Prinzessin kommt um vier (The princess comes at four) Berlin : Aufbau-Verl., 2000. [32] p. 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+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 93 Schulz, Hermann Sonnennebel (Sun-Fog) Hamburg : Carlsen, 2000. 285 p. 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+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 94 Schwitters, Kurt (text) Märtin, Carsten (illus.) Die Geschichte vom Hasen (The story of the hare) Oldenburg : Lappan, 2001. [32] p. 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 attributes, 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+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 95 Steinhöfel, Andreas (text) Schulmeyer, Heribert (illus.) Wo bist du nur? (Where could you be?) Hamburg : Carlsen, 2000. [32] p. 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+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 96 Stuhr, Michael Der Ruf der Steppe (Call of the prairies) Stuttgart : Thienemann, 2000. 365 p. 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+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 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. 251 p. 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+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 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. [24] p. 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+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 99 Wohmann, Gabriele Das Hallenbad (The indoor swimming pool) München : Piper, 2000. 190 p. 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+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2001 - 100 Zwerger, Lisbeth (illus.) Die Bibel : ausgewählte Texte (The Bible : selected texts) Stuttgart : Dt. Bibelges. ; Stuttgart : Verl. Kath. Bibelwerk, 2000. 159 p. 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+) ☼ Romania (German) - 2001 - 101 Hübner-Barth, Erika (text) Negoţiu, Călin (illus.) Knopf Knöpfchen (Little Button Button) Hermannstadt/Sibiu : Hora, 1999. 39 p. ISBN 973-98681-8-5 Button - Wanderlust - Adventure - Home This humorous story tells of the longing for faraway countries and adventures; it shares the suspicion of many children that the grass is always greener on the other side. Little Button, one of six Button-brothers on a boy's Sunday-coat, is terribly bored in the dark wardrobe and decides to discover the great big world. He explores the world with the help of a dog, a mouse, a crow and fish, travelling on and under the earth, under water or up in the sky. Back home, the mother sews him back on where he belongs. And if he has not come off, he will continue to »tell his story happily ever after«. The story would lend itself to an animated cartoon. The sparse illustrations complement the text quite well. Erika Hübner-Barth is a Rumano-German writer. (5+) Switzerland (German) - 2001 - 102 Hartmann, Lukas (text) Kaergel, Julia (illus.) Leo Schmetterling (Leo Butterfly) Zürich : Nagel & Kimche, 2000. 62 p. ISBN 3-312-00888-3 Boy - Awkwardness - Wish - Fulfillment - Imagination - Identity It is Leo's greatest wish to be a butterfly. One day, his parents even have to disentagle him from an artificial cocoon fabricated from woolen strings. Fortunately, the little birthday man is wise: he sets Jonas a few trials to solve and then, finally, he fulfills his dream: Or did the other children only dream of seeing a beautiful blue butterfly? Be that as it may, Leo's life has changed: He now knows what it feels like to float, even without a butterfly's wings. With the help of this story young outsiders will understand that it is possible to solve one's problems and to accept oneself with a bit of luck and courage. (8+) Switzerland (German) - 2001 - 103 Hegewisch, Helga Lilly und Engelchen (Lilly and little Angel) Zürich : Atrium-Verl., 2000. 319 p. ISBN 3-85535-937-7 World War II - Post war time - Young woman - Orphan - Adoption - Survival Fleeing from the Red Army in 1945, Lilly saved an abandoned infant. Later, in Hamburg she registered the baby as her sister Angelika. Her family manages to survive in the post war period thanks to a good dose of ingenuity and good connections to the market. Neighbourhood assistance is part of everyday existence – also towards a Jewish couple – survivors of the Holocaust. But one day, the young Jewish woman claims Angelika as her own foster child. Lilly has to make a decision. The book explores the lives of men and women confronted with seemingly insoluble conflicts, (excessive) love of life and desperation at chaotic times at a high level of linguistic and literary sophistication. (14+) Switzerland (German) - 2001 - 104 Krauß, Irma Rabentochter (Ungrateful daughter) Aarau : Aare, 2000. 192 p. ISBN 3-7941-4713-8 Adoptive child - Family conflict - Unwanted pregnancy Corinna, now 16, was put up for adoption at the age of three and found parents and a brother who wanted to provide her with an affectionate home. But Corinna knows nothing of her mother, whom she adored as a little child and who, all of a sudden, walked out of her young life. This uncertainty gnaws at her: she commits minor thefts, runs away from home and counters her family's love with coldness. An unwanted pregnancy makes things worse – but it seems as though life was taking a turn for the better. The author draws an arresting and nuanced portrait of the inner strifes and outer living conditions of young adults, fully aware of the contrasts and the variety of conflicts they have to face. (14+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2001 - 105 Limacher, Roland Meines Vaters Haus (My father's house) Zürich : Diogenes, 2000. 138 p. ISBN 3-257-06229-x Boy - Family - Rural life - Natural disaster - Death A small family moves into an abandoned house by the forest. The house used to be an orphanage: 40 children lived there, now there are only four people. But things soon change: the grandmother, Hanna, a geologist, Oregano, a homeless man, and finally some of the former inhabitants – by now grown up – all come to celebrate Christmas there. But the wonderful times in the house by the forest come to a sudden and terrible end: the river overflows and washes people to their death. This sad story is told from the perspective of the only survivor. However, listening to him as he relates his memories to his children, the reader will wonder at the overwhelming impression of comfort, happiness and love of life one is left with. (14+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2001 - 106 Maar, Anne (text) Mölck-Tassel, Bernd (illus.) Pozor (<Proper name>) Zürich : Bajazzo-Verl., 2000. [28] p. ISBN 3-907588-16-9 Dog - Boy - Stature - Looking for a home - Training - Friendship Pozor, the dog, is looking for a home with friendly people. But as he is so very big, people are afraid of him. Luck turns his way when he meets tiny Lukas, who wants to join the circus one day and trains guinea pigs in the meanwhile. When he gives a performance with Pozor, the »ferocious animal«, and even puts his head between the dog's jaws, everything is won: a home for Pozor, a strong friend for Lukas and a housekeeper for Lukas's Mom. Because Pozor certainly is qualified: he can wash the dishes, do the ironing, pass the vacuum cleaner. Life can be so beautiful! The pictures and the graphic design of the book lead the way to a happy, somewhat quaint and quirky imaginary world. (5+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2001 - 107 Pausewang, Gudrun Roller und Rosenkranz (Motor scooter and rosary) Aarau : Sauerländer, 2000. 219 p. ISBN 3-7941-4611-5 Granddaughter - Grandmother - Loneliness - Community - Creativity - Death - Love Mimi has lost her parents in a car accident and goes to find her grandmother who knows nothing of her existence. The strictly religious old lady lives in a little house and owns a small, run-down shop of devotional objects. Mimi moves in, modernises the house with youthful enthusiasm and great success, falls in love and seeks comfort, love and security. When her grandmother dies after a fulfilled time spent together, Mimi has found her own way. With great empathy, Gudrun Pausewang describes an unusual, unconventional young woman who does not capitulate to difficult personal situations on her quest for her origins and her future. Maybe, this could be a way to reach across the generation gap. (16+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2001 - 108 Tielmann, Christian (text) Knappe, Joachim (illus.) Wie Gutenberg die Welt bewegt : von der Kunst, Bücher zu machen (How Gutenberg moves the the world : on the ar) Aarau : kbv Luzern, 2000. 32 p. ISBN 3-276-00218-3 Gutenberg, Johannes - Book printing - Development - Spread This attractively illustrated and well designed reference picture book extensively and clearly informs the reader with words and pictures about the development of book printing. Even though the possibilities of modern media are mentioned, the author expressively focusses on the good, old book: it never crashes, it doesn't need electricity or access to the net. A remarkable and knowledgeable contribution to the 600th birthday of Johannes Gutenberg. (8+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2001 - 109 Waechter, Friedrich Karl (text/illus.) Die Geschichte vom albernen Hans (The story of foolish John) Zürich : Diogenes-Verl., 2000. 92 p. ISBN 3-257-06232-x Girl - Cat - Metamorphosis - Fool - Love - Trial - Rescue A witch turns the entire court into cats. In a dream, the princess finds a way to lift the spell: Foolish John, the youngest of three brothers, can help. Classical fairy tale elements are put to use: the foolish, youngest brother who ends up marrying the princess, trials, which seem unsolvable, but are overcome with the help of loyalty and perseverance, the tower, emprisoning the princess, and, last but not least, many a great temptation along the way. The author repeatedly confronts the reader with reversals and encodings of these motifs, making this inventive story in the rare genre of a non-rhyming verse narrative an amusing and entertaining read. (16+) Austria (German) - 2002 - 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+) ☼ Austria (German) - 2002 - 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 - Austria (German) - 2002 - 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 mixedmedia 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+) ☼ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2002 - 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+) ☼ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2002 - 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+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2002 - 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+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2002 - 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+) Germany (German) - 2002 - 72 Bauer, Jutta (text/illus.) Opas Engel (Grandfather's angel) Hamburg : Carlsen, 2001. [46] p. ISBN 3-551-51543-3 Grandfather – Grandson – Guardian angel Grandfather tells his grandson about his life, not knowing that he also talks about his guardian angel: whenever he was in danger, the guardian angel was on the spot and often received a bop on the nose due to grandfather's mishaps. At the end of the book, the old man dies, leaving his angelic protector to the boy. The special appeal of this picture book lies in the tension between text and pictures. While the words only describe the surface of the old man's life, which seems fairly straightforward, the coloured pen-and-ink drawings dive to a deeper level and show the essential contribution of the angel – depicted as a light-blue airy creature – to several dicey situations. A lot of humour is evident in this book, as well as a view of reality which leaves readers room enough to think and fantasize. (4+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2002 - 73 Berner, Rotraut Susanne (coll./illus.) Apfel, Nuss und Schneeballschlacht : das große Winter-Weihnachtsbuch ; Geschichten, Lieder und Gedichte (Apple, nut, and snowball fight : the big winterchristmas- book ; stories, songs, and poems) Hildesheim : Gerstenberg, 2001. 144 p. ISBN 3-8067-4956-6 Christmas – Winter season – Song – Poetry – Stories This is a book for the whole family to read, sing, and look at. In secular and Christian texts about Christmas and wintertime, in old and in new poems, text and illustration perfectly complement each other to fulfil their task: They make people contemplate and anticipate this special time of year. The illustrations always vary according to the selected texts and the artist's imagination: The reader will find any variation imaginable from fullpage episodes to playful vignettes. The doors are open for young and old alike to enjoy themselves, play or even spin a yarn. (4+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2002 - 74 Blaich, Ute (text) Litty, Julie (illus.) Der Stern (The star) Gossau [et al.] : Neugebauer, 2001. [28] p. ISBN 3-85195-639-7 Winter – Christmas – Forest animals It's Christmas Eve. The animals in the forest are hungry and cold because of the snow and ice, but – wasn't there some noise? The tawny owl overlooks a small mouse and instead starts telling them about The White Ravens 2002 - © Internationale Jugendbibliothek the birth of Jesus and about that new thing his birth brought to the world: love. Humans are sly, violent, and hungry for power; and the animals know that. But this night a man and his little daughter bring a load of things to eat to the forest animals. And the next day? Everything will be back to normal again, of course. Yet, for the last 2000 years the star has kept shining for those who wanted to see it. Particularly appealing in this quiet picture book are the tender watercolour paintings perfectly drawn in a naturalistic style. (5+) Germany (German) - 2002 - 75 Blume, Bruno (text) Gleich, Jacky (illus.) Ein richtig schöner Tag (A really nice day) Hamburg : Carlsen, 2001. [40] p. ISBN 3-551-51554-9 Family – Daily routine – Planning – Day trip – Obstacles The family want to have a lovely day in their garden on the outskirts of the city. But in the morning daddy rather sleeps a little longer, baby needs yet another clean nappy, the washing machine suddenly stops working, and the chatty neighbours cause further delays. Therefore, it is almost dark when the family, a little out of breath, finally arrive at their garden. Still everybody keeps hoping that the next time they will all stick to the timetable without a problem. They are not even angry with each other although nothing went right today. Tomorrow everything will surely be different. The lively and humorous illustrations do show the parents stressed out and in a hurry; but on the other hand, they also point out that children get fun out of every situation, if only you let them. (7+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2002 - 76 Boie, Kirsten (text) Göbel, Dorothea (illus.) Der durch den Spiegel kommt (The person who comes through the mirror) Hamburg : Oetinger, 2001. 236 p. ISBN 3-7891-3145-8 Girl – Mirror – Other World – Rabbit – The Evil – Rescue – Adventure A small, average girl – as she considers herself – is given the task of saving the Land-on-the-Other- Side from »Evil«, with her own courage as the only weapon. The first-person narrator travels into a parallel universe through a mysterious mirror and encounters several adventures that nobody at home understands, let alone believes in. It seems that the talking rabbit, her companion, has simply chosen the wrong person – instead of her, someone else should have been selected as the »Brave Fighter«. Nevertheless, she completes her task successfully. This clever mirror-tale, inspired by »Alice's Adventures in Wonderland«, does not remain on the fantasy level; it also invites readers to summon up courage for the challenges of their own daily lives. (10+) Germany (German) - 2002 - 77 Dijk, Lutz van (text) Schlicht, Renate (illus.) Die Geschichte der Juden (The history of the Jews) Frankfurt [et al.] : Campus-Verl., 2001. 206 p. ISBN 3-593-36703-3 Jews/History Since 1948, when Palestine was partly settled by Jews without the inhabitants' consent, each generation grows up in an atmosphere of mutual hostility towards their neighbours. Even observers from outside often lack the necessary information to fully understand the events going on. Taking »personal stories« of people from different times and countries as an example, the author tries to contribute to the understanding of recent and historical problems: In the face of present conflicts, he provides information instead of ideologies. Without too much simplification, this book offers a comprehensible overview of the Jewish history. Numerous colour illustrations liven up the difficult topic. (12+) ☆ Germany (German) - 2002 - 78 Dörrie, Doris (text) Kaergel, Julia (illus.) Wo ist Lotte? (Where is Lotte?) Ravensburg : Ravensburger Buchverl., 2001. [30] p. ISBN 3-473-33967-9 Imagination – Invisibility Lotte is forced to eat some brawn, at least a tiny little bit, even if she doesn't like it. Finally, she manages to swallow some but afterwards she definitely needs a rest on the red sofa. When she wakes up again she can hear everything her mother and aunt are saying – but she herself has turned invisible. Could that be because of the brawn? In the following days, whenever Lotte closes her eyes she „melts into“ her surroundings – the lawn, the curtains, the wallpaper. The adults, however, who really don't know anything, refuse to believe her, even though they keep searching for her everywhere. Despite all this, mother and daughter do not quarrel because the mother simply plays along. And that's how it should be according to this light-hearted book and its unconventional colourful pictures which sometimes display a distorted perspective. (5+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2002 - 79 Egli, Werner J. Blues für Lilly (Blues for Lilly) München : Bertelsmann, 2001. 218 p. ISBN 3-570-12559-9 Texas – Young man – Grandparents – Segregation – Teenage love – Reunion – Death When Brad's grandmother dies, he is by her side. It is clear to him that her last glance at him once again tells of the love of her life: J.B. Swift. The most famous Blues musician of his time, he was beaten up because of Brad's grandmother, his white girlfriend, by other whites; in the heat of the moment, Swift shot one of the attackers and had to spend the following fifty years in prison. The teenage boy follows his beloved grandmother's stories and reunites the two elderly people for a short time. In an utterly convincing narration, the author demonstrates how the extraordinary life of an old person provides the young protagonist with values that he also needs for his own life. (12+) Germany (German) - 2002 - 80 Gottschalk, Maren Der geschärfte Blick : sieben Journalistinnen und ihre Lebensgeschichte (A keen eye : seven women journalists and their life-stories) Weinheim : Beltz & Gelberg, 2001. 352 p. ISBN 3-407-80881-x Women journalists – Biography These are the biographies of famous female journalists of the twentieth century: two Americans, a Czech, an Italian, and three Germans, who followed their professional dream, often suffering personal loss of wealth, security, and their private life. In her description, the author, who is a journalist herself, includes information about the respective time and displays a profound knowledge of and sympathy for the women and their work. She presents these women as role models, even for beginning journalists today. Nowadays, the overwhelming abundance of ways to gather information often makes orientation difficult. Therefore, it is essential to read about important forerunners and their values and way of thinking. (16+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 81 Hacke, Axel (text) Sowa, Michael (illus.) Ein Bär namens Sonntag (A bear called Sunday) München : Kunstmann, 2001. 29 p. ISBN 3-88897-281-7 Boy – Teddybear – Dream – Change of roles – Empathy – Understanding The first-person narrator remembers: when he was a small boy he owned a quiet little teddybear he had named Sunday. They did everything together, although the teddybear just kept silently staring straight ahead – how boring. One day, the boy wanted to know for sure: he fed him milk and honey – but the bear still stared in silence, and the boy's mother put him into the washing machine. Since he didn't have his teddy with him when he went to bed, the sad boy dreamed that he, a little human boy, travelled to bear country where he became the new toy for the bear children. Nobody heard or understood him; and his new owner, a small bear, just wanted to do everything together with him; but at least for the (toy-)boy this did not work well. A biting story told in a harmless way with apparently naïve pictures, which nevertheless show the futile attempts at communication and convey the disaster of not being understood. Text, pictures, and overall design certainly make this book a favourite. (4+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 82 Haucke, Gert (text) Treskatis, Barbara (illus.) Mein allerbester Freund (My very best friend) Berlin : Aufbau-Verl., 2001. [36] p. ISBN 3-351-04018-0 Dog – Playmate – Human being – Communication Schoko [i.e. »Chocolate«] has a family of humans (Lisa prepares his food and Paul throws sticks for him) and four very best dog-friends, each of them with an individual personality: Maxi is the smallest of them. Sometimes Schoko has to let him win a game because otherwise he wouldn't want to play anymore. Together with Tarzan, Schoko loves to tug at the ball on the rope. Karlemann, the biggest of his friends, cannot run very fast, and Püppi, the white female pitbull, is afraid of everything. She needs someone to protect her. And then there is Lena, the human puppy – but, to be honest, Schoko could easily do without her. All in all, for someone like Schoko, he leads a perfect life. Large naturalistic colour-chalk drawings and a concise text clearly prove the author's detailed knowledge of and sympathy for a dog's soul. (4+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 83 Holub, Josef Die Schmuggler von Rotzkalitz (The smugglers of Rotzkalitz) Hamburg : Oetinger, 2001. 148 p. ISBN 3-7891-3707-3 Boy – Outsider – Smuggler – Holidays – Detective – Adventure In order to cure his bronchitis, Bautz Beranek spent most of his holidays during the past few years in Rotzkalitz visiting his uncle, the head of the border guards. Unfortunately, however, he is so different from all the local children, that he doesn't have a single friend there. One day, a foreigner and his teenage son arrive at the border village – and this starts off a story of friendship, full of rapid events, with the secret and successful hunt for smugglers at its core. Bautz Beranek has a splendid time. But now this time is long past and the good old times of smuggeling are over. This amusing novel for young readers contains a lot of picaresque humour and wisdom. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 84 Johansen, Hanna (text) Gleich, Jacky (illus.) Sei doch mal still (Please be quiet now) München [et al.] : Hanser, 2001. [32] p. ISBN 3-446-19970-5 Listening – Noise – Silence Two children discover silence and its different sounds – the fly at the window, the rain at the window pane, the bird in the tree. The boy is the noisy one while the girl urges him to be quiet and listen. Exact repetitions of their respective lines lend rhythm and structure to the text and increase the excitement that slowly but surely also catches the young boy's attention. The pictures are full of life and speed; yet, due to their earth-like colours, they still emanate a sense of calm matching the new and surprisingly quiet sounds children can experience within their immediate surroundings without major preparations or stress. (4+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 85 Joop, Florentine (text/illus.) Don Igitti und die Bellkartoffel (Don Igitti and the barking potato) Hamburg : Ed. Riesenrad, 2001. [30] p. ISBN 3-933697-23-9 Man – Love – Dog – Anthropomorphism – Circus Mr. Schulz, alias Don Igitti (i.e. »Don Yucky« – because he puts too much gel in his hair) is in love with vain Ms. Keller but his love is unrequited. He intends to win her over with the help of his small dog Holger whom he has inherited from his rich aunt Casimira. Yet, everything turns out differently: the plump dog is unaware of being a dog; he knows how to cook spaghetti and how to play with a hulahoop. So fate takes its course: at a visit to the circus Holger becomes the star of the arena and, as a result, Don Igitti takes poodle trainer Donna Infernella for his wife instead of Ms. Keller. The large-format pictures show a cheerful mixture of realistic scenes and vivacious caricature-like absurdities. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 86 Lewin, Waldtraut Der Fluch (The curse) [Ravensburg] : Ravensburger Buchverl., 2001. 314 p. (Ravensburger junge Reihe) ISBN 3-473-35212-8 Jerusalem – Frederic II <Emperor>/1229-1230 – Crowning – Knight – Attempt at assassination – Prevention – Masquerade – Bedouin In 1230, Frederic II, King of Sicily, is crowned German emperor in Jerusalem, the fiercely disputed holy city of Christians and Muslims. A young Frankonian knight, whose mother was Arabic, is instructed to protect the emperor from an attempted assassination. He can only carry out this order with the help of a young Bedouin's knowledge and fighting sksills. When he discovers that this Bedouin guard is in fact a woman, he is quite shocked at first. Yet soon he realizes that they are both fighting for the same side. They manage to save Frederic. The young people's love, however, will not last. This historical novel, with its topical problems, is a fascinating read. It shows people of different cultures that are entangled in a completely futile religious fight. (12+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 87 Moost, Nele (text) Bücker, Jutta (illus.) Der Mondhund (The moondog) Stuttgart [et al.] : Thienemann, 2000. [26] p. ISBN 3-522-43323-8 Dog – Anthropomorphism – Friendship – Faithlessness – Loneliness – Reconciliation – Imagination – Growing up This is one of the world's oldest stories: one with a happy end. Big Dog and Small Dog are two friends who perfectly complement each other: Big Dog can do more things than Small Dog but in return Small Dog always tells Big Dog stories about the mysterious Moondog. One day, however, a third dog appears and suddenly Small Dog feels very lonely. But now is the time for Moondog to take action. Even though his former friend indeed needs Small Dog again very soon, Moondog is there for him whenever he calls him. This is a comforting book and one that encourages the readers to recall the power of imagination. Full-page illustrations express the protagonists' inner feelings through the dogs' gestures and facial expressions and show the infinite realm of the fantasy world, without getting lost in details. (4+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 88 Pressler, Mirjam Malka Mai (<Proper name>) Weinheim : Beltz & Gelberg, 2001. 324 p. ISBN 3-407-80879-8 World War II/1943-1944 – Poland – Hungary – Persecution of the Jews – Deportation – Mother – Daughter – Search From 1943 to 1944 Hanna Mai, a doctor, flees with her two daughters from East Poland across the Hungarian border to escape deportation by the Germans. On the way, Malka, the younger of the two girls, falls ill and has to stay behind at some well-meaning farmers'. But soon Malka's own odyssee starts. She comes into various ghettos and hospitals and develops unexpected strategies for survival. With the help of many ordinary people, her mother eventually manages to find Malka again. The girl's disturbing and unforgettable experiences form the novel's central theme. The author writes in a clear, informative, almost distant style. The positive outcome of the odyssee at least provides a happy end to all the horrors. (12+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 89 Richter, Jutta Hinter dem Bahnhof liegt das Meer (Behind the station lies the sea) München [et al.] : Hanser, 2001. 92 p. ISBN 3-446-20042-8 Homeless – Child – Guardian angel – Business sense A shy nine-year-old boy, who has to fend for himself, befriends a homeless man. They both dream of living by the seaside. For the time being, however, they have to scrounge their basic needs. On their way, they meet a benefactor who requests some kind of payment in return for her offerings. Thus, the boy ends up selling his guardian angel – and immediately the problems start: He falls ill and loses all his optimism. But again the »good fairy« comes to his rescue and, in the end, everybody gets what they are longing for. Although conceived as a realistic story, the book also contains fairy-tale elements which soften the cruelty of fate and offer some hope. With only a few stylistic devices and a lot of sympathy for her protagonists, the author draws vivacious characters. Her upbeat humour and non-linear narration easily capture the reader's imagination. (10+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 90 Schröder-Köpf, Doris (ed.) Brodersen, Inge (ed.) Blau, Aljoscha (illus.) Der Kanzler wohnt im Swimmingpool oder Wie Politik gemacht wird (The Chancellor lives in the swimming pool. Or: How to make politics) Frankfurt [et al.] : Campus-Verl., 2001. 220 p. ISBN 3-593-36802-1 Germany – Political System – Anthology This highly interesting book deals with 26 different topics in short but informative chapters. The authors take children's helplessness with political expressions and their meanings into account and ask questions like: What are parliamentary allowances? What is a cabinet? What makes a person a European citizen? Readers will learn something about the characteristics of different constitutions as well as about virtual finance ministers. Famous people from film, radio, and television, from arts, sciences, and politics have put their pen to paper and created an amazing book: The easygoing texts, interspersed with witty comments and underlined with important facts, are a pleasure to read. Imaginative and unconventional full-page illustrations accompany the texts and increase the reader's delight. (10+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 91 Schuh, Bernd Das visuelle Lexikon der Umwelt (The visual encyclopaedia of the environment) Hildesheim : Gerstenberg, 2001. 447 p. (Gerstenbergs visuelle Enzyklopädie) ISBN 3-8067-4500-5 Environment – Ecology This encyclopaedia contains a rich variety of pictures and elaborate texts, written in a comprehensible style. The objective presentation of the topics, which is nevertheless differentiated and committed, enables readers to look at the information provided with a critical mind. The chapters are connected with each other through an excellent system of references and cross-references. They deal with the (development and structure of the) »Earth«, »Life« (and living space), »Food«, »Everyday Life«, and, of course, »Energy«, »Industry«, and »Traffic«, while the final chapter is entitled »Prevention and Aftercare«. Thanks to this extensive conception, this encyclopaedia will be a clear, reliable, longlasting reference work in the area of ecology and environmental sciences. (10+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 92 Spanier, Ariane (text/illus.) Der schlaue Kuckucksvater (Clever Father Cuckoo) [Leipzig] : Leipziger Kinderbuchverlag, 2001. [20] p. ISBN 3-89603-084-1 Father – Daughter – Power – Laziness – Exploitation – Escape Both symbolically and from a human viewpoint, cuckoos in general do not have a particularly good reputation in the animal world. In this book it is even worse than usual: A cuckoo father employs his twelve daughters as housemaids while he himself doesn't lift a finger. Suddenly, one day, all of the girls leave their home – except the most lethargic one. From now on, the father, whether he likes it or not, has to do all the work himself and, moreover, also wait on the only child left with him. This serves him right, the readers might say. This is a funny book in small format with clay-coloured pastel- paintings and angrily frowning cuckoo daughters. (4+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 93 Stiekel, Bettina (ed.) Kinder fragen, Nobelpreisträger antworten (Children ask questions, Nobel Prize winners answer) München : Heyne, 2001. 198 p. ISBN 3-453-19702-x Life – Existence Children have many essential questions on their minds. Famous contemporary Nobel Prize winners – who were awarded the prize in physics, chemistry, economics, literature, or medicine, as well as alternative thinking and commitment for world peace – answer them. Questions start with: Why do we have to go to school?, Why can't I live exclusively on French Fries?, Why are boys different from girls? and finally lead to the one question these people should really know how to answer: How do I win the Nobel Prize? As shown here, complicated issues can be explained to children without distorting the facts through oversimplification. The more than twenty contributions to this commendable book make a worthwhile and humorous read and provide a cheerful introduction to sciences in general. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 94 Strittmatter, Erwin (text) Ensikat, Klaus (illus.) Der Weihnachtsmann in der Lumpenkiste (Father Christmas in the box of rags) Berlin : Aufbau-Verl., 2001. 31 p. ISBN 3-351-04020-2 Christmas – Father Christmas – Village – Traditions – Trick In former times, Knecht Ruprecht (a helper to St. Nicholas well-known and feared by German children) was quite an unruly fellow. Thus, to diminish her children's fears during Advent, the mother of this story's narrator invents the kind and diligent Father Christmas working away in the attic. The children are allowed to leave some food for him there every day. Yet, when the fellow doesn't even reject dead mice, it becomes fairly obvious that it is rather the family cat who's up in the attic. Eventually, the polite protagonist informs his mother that Father Christmas has given birth to some kittens. Klaus Ensikat shows the illogical events, the secrets and the embarrassing moments during the Advent Season. Details of a village life and its old traditions come to life in his subtle and ironical pictures. (8+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 95 Wagner, Klaudia (text) Stoebe, Susann (illus.) Ein Hund für Oma Malwina (A dog for Granny Malwina) Oldenburg : Lappan, 2001. [28] p. ISBN 3-8303-1017-x Old age – Loneliness – Coping – Shortsightedness – Animal home – Dog – Lion Since Granny Malwina feels lonely, she gets herself a dog from the animal home. Because of her shortsightedness, however, she doesn't notice that she has accidentally taken a lion, who retired from the circus. True, this fellow is not dangerous anymore, but still he causes quite a riot when strolling through the town on his own. Luckily enough, Granny Malwina and a crowd of children manage to save him from being »exiled«. Listening to the text and watching the turbulent pictures, readers will easily recognise the old lady's great sense of humour and her cleverness in dealing with everything. (4+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 96 Wenzel, Angela (text/select. of illus.) Die Kunst der Illusion : ich sehe was, was du nicht siehst! (The art of illusion : I see something that you don't see) München [et al.] : Prestel, 2001. 29 p. (Abenteuer Kunst) ISBN 3-7913-2477-2 Optical illusion – Painting – Arts The play with optical illusion has a longstanding tradition among artists: Painters and graphic artists from the seventeenth century to this day have dealt with this topic in endless variation. Whether the focus is on the two-dimensional representation of three-dimensional objects, on optical illusions created in inlays, or on central perspective and its alienation and distortion; whether the artists paint simple pictures with hidden objects to search for, or surrealist interpretations of the visible world: The observer is always encouraged to use his or her imagination to solve the puzzles and to find ways of identifying the (supposedly) portrayed objects inside the pictures. This book, which shows the joys of optical games in a historical overview, is already suitable for small children. (6+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2002 - 97 Wunderlich, Gert (text) Herfurth, Egbert (illus.) Von Affe bis Zebra : das andere Tieralphabet (From Ape to Zebra : the different Animal-Alphabet) München [et al.] : Prestel, 2001. 29 p. ISBN 3-7913-2473-x Animals – Typography In this ABC-book the world of animals as well as – on a symbolic level – the human world are presented in a slightly ironic way: The monkeys are staring at the cages just as curiously and foolishly as humans at the zoo, the donkey dresses up as a schoolteacher, the greedy wolverine's cuttlery consists of a double fork and a double spoon on the same handle. On a white background clearly outlined animals, often exaggerated in a caricaturelike manner, correspond to a variety of types and letters and their appearance in print. For older readers the development and characteristics of those letters and typefaces are explained in an appendix. Thus, despite its simplicity, the book offers a serious introduction to the world of reading and the great diversity of typography. (5+) Switzerland (German) - 2002 - 98 Alioth, Gabrielle Das magische Licht (The magic light) Zürich : Nagel & Kimche, 2001. 181 p. ISBN 3-312-00916-2 Initiation – Self-affirmation – Other World – Dream Gabriele and Set, a boy from an imaginary time, meet in the »Mirror-World«, the legendary world of Erinn (today called Ireland). Set was sent to Erinn by his people to stand his first major test; Gabriele, who has a poster of Erinn on her bedroom wall, was confined to bed by an illness not long ago. Both children meet their second self, a mirror image expressing the children's mind and soul. They undergo ritual tests and have to prove themselves against characters from the Irish world of fairies and legends. For both children the exciting action comes to an end in their respective times. The story is narrated in an unspectacular but thoughtful manner. (10+) Switzerland (German) - 2002 - 99 Eggermann, Vera (text) Huwyler, Max (illus.) Dackel und Dogge (Dachshund and Great Dane) Gümligen : Zytglogge-Verl. Bern, 2001. [24] p. ISBN 3-7296-0618-2 Dog – Breed of dog – Height – Appearance – Prejudice – Tolerance At a dog show, the Great Dane thinks »That can't be a dog!« when seeing the dachshund; »That isn't a dog« the dachshund thinks of the Great Dane. Nevertheless, both of them win a prize: for the most beautiful dachshund and the most beautiful Great Dane respectively. Others win prizes for the most beautiful poodle, St. Bernard, etc. … When they sniff each other they realize: hmm, they all smell like dogs. They go »Whoof!« and »Yap!« and then the show is over and they all pull their masters and mistresses homewards. Without explicitly talking about it, this book promotes the mutual understanding warning the readers not to give in to prejudice based on external appearances. Coloured pencil drawings illustrate the message of this profound story. (5+) ☼ Switzerland (German) - 2002 - 100 Gmehling, Will (text) Grolik, Markus (illus.) Der Yeti in Berlin (The Yeti in Berlin) Aarau [et al.] : Sauerländer, 2001. 145 p. ISBN 3-7941-4709-x The Himalayas – Berlin – Snowman – Humans – Cultural conflict – Identity crisis – Magic The world's only Yeti loves his life in the Himalayas and enjoys every single day. One day, however, he learns that the humans in the big cities claim he doesn't exist. He goes on a long journey to dispel this silly rumour. When he comes to Berlin, he sees a lot, experiences ways of life completely foreign to him, meets friendly people – but still no one believes in the Yeti's existence. After a while, even he himself doesn't understand his former life anymore. Only when he tells a blind boy about the Yeti – pretending it is merely a dream – he recovers his old self again and finds his way back to the Himalayas. This is an extremely interesting story with several thought-provoking twists from both the humans' and the Yeti's point of view. (8+) Switzerland (German) - 2002 - 101 Kilaka, John (text/illus.) Ulrich, Anna Katharina (adapt.) Hatz, Christine (trad.) Frische Fische (Fresh fish) Zürich : Atlantis Verl. Pro Juventute, 2001. 28 p. (Baobab) ISBN 3-7152-0451-6 Animals – Community – Dog – Petty theft – Punishment – Reconciliation DOG is the villain who tries to steal food from the animal family, even though everybody had allowed him to eat to his heart's content. But now, he is caught and punished – and this is what makes the story particularly interesting for non-African readers: After DOG has served his punishment (he had to plant a huge field), the animals forgive him. They do not insist on treating him as their enemy any longer. The large-format pictures, painted by a new artist from Tanzania, are also quite unusual: Despite the cartoon-like style, the pictures clearly express the artist's profound knowledge of naïve African art and indigenous animals. Brilliant colours and African patterns on the animals' clothes demonstrate his deep joy of life. This original edition is a translation from Swahili. (4+) Switzerland (German) - 2002 - 102 Kinskofer, Lotte (text) Ballhaus, Verena (illus.) Der Tag, an dem Marie ein Ungeheuer war (The day when Mary was a monster) Zürich : Bajazzo-Verl., 2001. [26] p. ISBN 3-907588-23-1 Girl – Appearance – Perception by others – Self-perception – Language – Self-confidence Today, Marie's day goes completely wrong: In kindergarten, the other children tell her she has huge feet, a fat belly, and a nose like a potato; at home, her brother calls her hands paws, and the boy next door calls her mouth a trap. With all these expressions turning parts of her body into strange and monsterous objects, Marie hardly dares to move anymore and her mother finds her in deep despair. She assures her daughter that she shouldn't take everything literally. With the help of a mirror and a lot of loving motherly care she finally manages to comfort Marie. Simple line-drawings on a background of rich colours show the reader how Marie changes from a girl into a monster and back again. A cut-out sheet for the readers to play with and gain confidence completes this comforting tale. (4+) ☼ Switzerland (German) - 2002 - 103 Kipling, Rudyard (text) Zwerger, Lisbeth (illus.) Harranth, Rolf (transl.) Wie das Kamel zu seinem Höcker kam (How the camel got its hump) Gossau, Zürich [et al.] : Neugebauer, 2001. [34] p. ISBN 3-85195-623-0 Camel – Stubbornness – Laziness – Vanity – Punishment It is a well-known story: In the beginning of time, the camel's prominent characteristics were stubbornness, laziness, and (above all) vanity. The animals' supreme ruler, the Djin in charge of All Deserts, appealed to the camel's conscience – but in vain. »Humph« the camel said, but it said it once too often: A large hump of fat was magically attached to its body. Now that the camel did not need any food for weeks, it was forced to work hard and long. The delicate watercolour paintings lend persuasive power to this new translation of the classic tale: Rarely have readers encountered a camel as arrogant, or a stressed out master who inflicts the necessary punishment to the camel as gracefully. Ornamental vignettes perfectly round off the book's beautiful design. (5+) Switzerland (German) - 2002 - 104 Müller, Jörg (text/illus.) Das Buch im Buch im Buch (The book inside the book inside the book) Aarau [et al.] : Sauerländer, 2001. [32] p. ISBN 3-7941-4860-6 Child – Book – Game – Optical illusion – Fantasy – Reality – Threedimensional picture – Infinity – Magic Full of curiosity, a small girl walks into the mysterious space inside a book by following the vanishing point which perspectively narrows into a shining point of light. At its centre she meets a helpless painter who paints the very same subject over and over again in endless repetition. Using the simple sentence »Infinity stops right here« the girl breaks the vicious circle and liberates the painter. Afterwards, she goes back to reality, picture by picture, with the aid of a pair of 3-D-glasses. The real book also offers these glasses to its readers to show them the way into the book and back out of it. In his large full-page pictures the author plays a fascinating and confusing game with the imagination of his readers. (8+) Switzerland (German) - 2002 - 105 Vettiger, Susanne (text) Marti-Pichard, Audrey (illus.) Das große Glück in der kleinen Schachtel (The great happiness in the little box) Zürich : Verl. Pro Juventute, 2000. 75 p. (Atlantis-Kinderbücher) ISBN 3-7152-0435-4 Raven – Cow – Social inequality – Lovesickness – Separation For evenings like this one, when she can't fall asleep, Carla has thought up something: she keeps stories in small boxes. Tonight, she tells her teddy the love story of Victor, the raven, and Charlotte, the cow. Inevitably – the two unequal lovers cannot live happily ever after. In the end, Charlotte has to relinquish Victor, who marries »within his own class«, a female raven. The plot, however, does not focus on the tragic side of the relationship; it rather dwells on the wonderful and happy time the protagonists enjoyed despite the resistance from society. Large, sometimes full-page illustrations show the unequal lovers in a distorted way, illustrating their happiness and their sadness with a fine sense of humour. (6+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2002 - 106 Waechter, Friedrich Karl (text/illus.) Steinhauers Fuß : ein Märchen (The stonemason's foot : a fairy tale) Zürich : Diogenes, 2001. 57 p. ISBN 3-257-02073-2 Princess – Worker – Social inequality – Love – Test – Self-affirmation This is a fairytale about the fortunate love between a princess and a simple stonemason who defeats Death to win her over. Both the king, who had planned to sacrifice the young man, and Death, who only gets the challenger's foot, feel they have been deceived. Yet, even military force cannot separate the two lovers again. The cut-off foot thoroughly kicks and tramples the soldiers and then voluntarily grows back unto its owner's leg. Life triumphs over death. Linocuts, in the style of Art Nouveau and Art Déco, demonstrate the dramatical events with a lot of artistic verve. Short and powerful sentences and dialogues correspond to the rhythm of the pictures. The overall design – heavy chamoix-coloured paper, almost full-page illustrations with units of text harmoniously placed on the pages – will have a great impact on the reader. (10+) Austria (German) - 2003 - 65 Böck, Margit [et al.] (ed.) Abenteuer Journalismus (The adventure of journalism) Wien : Dachs-Verl., 2002. 190 p. ISBN 3-85191-276-4 Journalism – Media The endpapers of this book already hint at its basic intention: It wants to inform its readers. Various tables and diagrams offer an overview of many journalistic facts worth knowing about. The text covers the history of journalism, introduces famous representatives, talks about outstanding events, as well as the role of journalism in modern media, includes a glossary – and many more aspects. Not least for novice journalists and young people interested in the topic, this book gives a basic introduction to the subject. The clear layout of the book visually rounds off the writing of this attractive and excellent book. (12+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2003 - 66 Dahimène, Adelheid (text) Stöllinger, Heide (illus.) Esel (Donkeys) St. Pölten [et al.] : NP-Buchverl., 2002. [34] p. ISBN 3-85326-252-x Donkey – Partnership – Silver wedding anniversary – Forgetfulness – Argument – Stubbornness – Reconciliation The old donkey and his wife behave like all typical donkeys – that is they stubbornly stop in the middle of the road each time they have to cross a street. Because they love each other so dearly and embrace often, each of them has developed a special bodily feature: He has a bump on his neck while her neck is dented. Yet, despite all this, when the donkey-husband forgets their silver wedding anniversary, the donkey-wife feels really hurt and runs off – and he lets her go. In their stubbornness, both are certain that they will easily find another partner with an equally comfortable bump / dent. But, of course, there is no other partner for either of them within the whole animal realm. How happy both of them are, when they finally get together again – in the desert – where the camels lovingly intertwine their humps; only one camel remains alone and therefore has to cuddle up in the (humped) dunes. This is a cheerful book about quarrels, stubbornness, and reconciliation, and about the reliability of belonging together. The donkeys, presented by the illustrator not quite true to life, certainly carry some human characteristics. (6+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2003 - 67 Janisch, Heinz (text) Jung, Barbara (illus.) Wenn Anna Angst hat (When Anna is afraid) Wien [et al.] : Jungbrunnen, 2002. [28] p. ISBN 3-7026-5737-1 Falling asleep – Fear – Coping with fear – Imagination Anna is a clever young girl. She is absolutely sure that the great giant, for example, never sleeps – and him she calls whenever she is afraid. She has quite a few of such mighty friends: the 33 knights of the nutshells, the green spinning-dragon, the flying feather, the magnetic mountain, and – last but not least – herself. After all, she can always tell herself »Anna is not afraid at all«. And then she falls asleep. (But the great giant doesn’t sleep, because he guards her.) Full-page pictures and clear, rich colours invite readers to dive into the world of these fantastic creatures, who want to support small girls like Anna. (3+) ☼ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2003 - 68 Männer, Wolfgang (text/illus.) Almhofer, Edith (ed.) Ap & Daun <nonsense pun> Gumpoldskirchen [et al.] : Dea-Verl., 2001. [24] p. (Panoptikum) ISBN 3-901867-07-4 Nonsense – Children’s verse You can – and you should – turn this funny book around and around. The encyclopaedic descriptions below the illustrations always refer to the same picture, but seen from two different sides: The detective with his hat becomes a man with a cigar, the admiral suddenly looks like a wide-grinning mouth, the number 9 is turned into 6. Extracts from the German dictionary Duden in typewritten letters are used as explanations for the pictures. In addition, there is a rhyming couplet for the different versions of each picture. This is a book for children who love to fiddle about. Together with their parents they will enjoy the fun hidden in the book’s language and picture puzzles. (8+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2003 - 69 Schreiber-Wicke, Edith (text) Habinger, Renate (illus.) Sauberzahntiger (Cleantoothtiger) St. Pölten [et al.] : Niederösterr. Pressehaus, 2002. 45 p. ISBN 3-85326-257-0 Dental hygiene – Humour It is extremely difficult to persuade the young protagonist of this amusing lesson in dental hygiene that her mother is right. From her own experience she knows, after all, that not EVERYBODY clean their teeth! Even if the whole world – people, animals, and fictional creatures alike – may be interested in it, her friends Egon and Helene are definitely not. No more discussion. That is why the fast dialogue between mother and daughter leads to nothing. Yet, believe it or not: It is her two small friends who, of all people, finally manage to pave the way for the strawberry taste toothpaste with their wide-mouthed carious grin. Witty ideas in text and pictures help to ease the tensions regarding this delicate topic. (4+) Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2003 - 70 Sulzenbacher, Gudrun (text) Ochsenreiter, Augustin (photogr.) Altes Handwerk und ländliches Leben (Traditional trades and rural life) Wien [et al.] : Folio-Verl., 2002. 64 p. ISBN 3-85256-208-2 Trade – Rural life This highly informative photo documentary, with its excellent text and design, shows scenes from working- and everyday-life untouched by the speed of modern-day electronics. Quite a few of the old skilled trades have survived up to this day because they are still needed and practised in rural areas. Other trades, such as burning oil, treating flax, cheese-making, and quill embroidery sound unfamiliar to us today. Not least, these traditional skills are part of the history of European cultures and of our general education. In words and pictures, the final chapter called »How to cure suffering« humorously completes our ideas about how barbers and surgeons used to cure diseases in former times. Luckily enough, these instruments and tinctures are not in keeping with the times anymore. (8+) ☆ Special Mention - Austria (German) - 2003 - 71 Thoma, Helga Gegen den Strom : Zivilcourage und Widerstand im Dritten Reich (Against the current : courage and resistance in Nazi Germany) Wien : Ueberreuter, 2002. 175 p. ISBN 3-8000-3886-2 Germany – Austria – National Socialism – Persecution of the Jews – Resistance – Courage This young adult book about the extermination of the Jews under the rule of the National Socialists is the first not to focus exclusively on people in Germany. In Austria, too, courageous outsiders offered resistance to the terror-regime. The book honours those, who have not yet been in the limelight of public attention. Many of these lesser-known heroes have paid with their lives for showing a humane attitude. Yet, even the lives of those who were able to save themselves, were continuously threatened. After 1945, some of the survivors reported the past events as contemporary witnesses. Moreover, the author critically examines the position of the respective states after the end of the war towards these courageous people. A bibliography rounds off the informative documentary volume. (14+) ☆ Germany (German) - 2003 - 72 Baltscheit, Martin (text/illus.) Hokus Pokus, Sala Bim und die Zauberprüfung (Hokus Pokus (Abracadabra), Sala Bim (Hey Presto) and the wizards’ exam) Frankfurt am Main : Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verl., 2002. 74 p. (Fischer Schatzinsel) ISBN 3-596-85118-1 Hare – Duck – Friendship – Magic – Failure – Zest for Life Young hare Hokus Pokus and duckling Sala Bim form quite an unusual friendship for life and even decide to do without the (secretly adored) girls. If needs be, they will magically conjure up a hareduck- girl in their magic school. There, however, they share the fate of many other pupils before them: The head-sorcerer needs to intervene to prevent a disaster. Now, both of them know that a real sorcerer feels bewitched by reality but does not himself try to bewitch reality. They have found a new friend, the enchanting dragonfly Sim, and they can tell a great story about their adventure. All this is almost magic in itself. Comic-like figures in earthen colours accompany the story, which is told with an amused little wink. (5+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 73 Bittner, Wolfgang (text) Kirchberg, Ursula (illus.) Der Kaiser und das Känguru (The emperor and the kangaroo) Oldenburg : Lappan, 2002. [28] p. ISBN 3-8303-1032-3 Kangaroo – Emperor – Wish – Fulfilment One day, the emperor feels like visiting the memorial of one of his great victorious ancestors. In its direct surroundings, however, lives the kangaroo with his loved ones. With curiosity, the head of the family watches the strange mixed crowd approaching. Within a second, the kangaroo appears before the emperor, who – in his affable way – considers him to be the gardener. The animal, not at a loss for words, immediately sees his chance and asks for a telephone box and a connection to the main water supply. A courtier’s objection is overruled – this audience was quite a success for the kangaroo family. Large wax-crayon pictures on brown paper humorously and ironically show how stupid and self-satisfied the great ones are, compared to the clever joie-de-vivre of the other creatures. (6+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 74 Blume, Bruno (text) Gleich, Jacky (illus.) Mitten in der Nacht (In the middle of the night) Frankfurt am Main : Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verl., 2002. [32] p. (Schatzinsel) ISBN 3-596-85115-7 Night – Nightmare – Fall asleep – Fear – Courage When a small boy’s fear of the evil night creatures grows bigger than the creatures themselves – then the danger is warded off: The giants looming in the dark are suddenly faced with this fear, an immensely powerful opponent, and quickly run away. The small boy can go back to sleep and dream of beautiful things. In a humorous way and with few linguistic devices, the nightly fears of children are demystified in this book. Their irrationality becomes graspable – even if the children have to endure them first before the sweet dreams can finally get through. The dreadfulness of the fierce night creatures is clearly visible in the pictures – as well as their complete disappearance. This comforting book helps children to fall asleep happily. (4+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 75 Boie, Kirsten (text) Waechter, Philip (illus.) Josef Schaf will auch einen Menschen (Joseph Sheep wants to have a human pet, too) Hamburg : Oetinger, 2002. [28] p. ISBN 3-7891-6339-2 Man – Keeping of pets – Topsy-turvy world The world turned topsy-turvy: Animals keep human pets. Not everybody is in favour of this, though. Father and Mother Sheep for example are not, even if their little son Joseph faithfully promises to clean the cage and play with the tiny human. Nevertheless, Joseph’s birthday is near and so the Sheep-parents relent. But what a chaos, when Purzel, the small person, escapes from his cage one day. All the animals call him, search for him, and eventually find him. Before small Purzel goes to sleep, Joseph Sheep gives him a treat, of course, and cuddles him fondly – that’s the way an animal should treat his human pet. Many (seemingly) naïve pictures complement the sarcastic-ironic text. (8+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2003 - 76 Budde, Nadia (text/illus.) Kurz nach sechs kommt die Echs (Just after six the lizard comes) [nonsense rhyme) Wuppertal : Hammer, 2002. [32] p. ISBN 3-87294-902-0 Lizard – Daily routine – Dream – Wish – Wishfulfilment – Children’s poetry Just like all the other working animals around him, the small lizard has a fixed daily routine and a secure income. And yet, at night, he dreams of a red convertible, a faithful small pet, blonde wavy hair, and some other extraordinary things. The next morning, he only just manages to catch his bus to work, but – what a surprise... Is it real or is it a dream? He himself sits behind the steering wheel and takes all the other passengers to the land where the wishes come from. The comic-like, caricaturelike pictures of the animal working routine and the tedious city life finally lead into the lizards’ paradise: Nature, wildlife, and millions of flies and insects to feed on. The courage to dream is obviously all you need. (5+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2003 - 77 Dahimène, Adelheid (text) Stöllinger, Heide (illus.) Der Schatten vom Hans (Hans’ shadow) Hamburg : Carlsen, 2002. [36] p. ISBN 3-551-51553-0 Shadow – Loss – Finding again – Game Shadows, too, have a history: In the beginning, when there was still a lot of space, it was easy for the shadows. Today, however, they need to live in a world packed with loads of competitors: Humans, animals, houses, trees, cars, ... they all cast shadows. Thus, it is not unusual if one of the shadows wants to break free from its »caster« and discover the world on its own – Hans’ shadow for example. Yet, Shadow-Hans doesn’t know that as a mere shadow he is completely lost; he is going to shrink and disappear. Eventually, he regrets his decision and returns. And the »real« Hans can once again project shadow-plays onto the wall – because afterwards he sleeps much better. In this book, a traditional literary topic is presented to children in witty language and pictures. (6+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 78 Damm, Antje (text/illus.) Frag mich! : 108 Fragen an Kinder, um miteinander ins Gespräch zu kommen (Ask me! : 108 questions to children in order to start a conversation) Frankfurt am Main : Moritz-Verl., 2002. 220 p. ISBN 3-89565-141-9 Child – Everyday life – Question The subtitle to this imaginative picture book reads: »108 questions to children in order to start a conversation «. Let’s have a look at the pages »Is there something to eat that you don’t like?« – On the right side, there is a picture of a mother and her daughter sitting in front of a bowl of spinach and sausages. Or the pages entitled: »Whom did you teach something?« – The photograph shows a small child ardently drawing pictures on a slate, while a big teddy bear is watching. Thus, using various illustrative techniques and forms of questions, a universe of different topics is touched on, offering an inexhaustible amount of material for telling stories. This book for children and parents is full of possibilities undreamt of. (3+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2003 - 79 Fühmann, Franz (text) Gleich, Jacky (illus.) Anna genannt Humpelhexe (Anna, called Limping Witch) Rostock : Hinstorff, 2002. 39 p. ISBN 3-356-00938-9 Witch – Disability – Identity – Competition – Winner – Topsy-turvy world Small witch Anna’s legs are not the same length. Since she is angry about being teased by the other witch children, she turns her disability into a special gift: with her longer leg, she runs faster than everybody else, with the short one she walks slower. When she learns to walk on her hands, too, she creates an upside-down world where the weak are able to defeat the strong. Franz Fühmann’s fable was originally published in 1981 in his book Märchen auf Bestellung (»Custom-made folktales «). Using literature as a protective cloak, the author managed to (covertly) criticise his time and the society in the German Democratic Republic without exposing himself to danger. Jacky Gleich has now created new illustrations – large, bizarre pictures – for this story. (6+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 80 Geißler, Peter (text) Kunert, Almud (illus.) Ich kenn mich schon gut aus! (I know quite a lot already!) München [et al.] : Hanser, 2002. [26] p. ISBN 3-446-20113-0 Toddler – Imagination – Reality – Self-confidence – Perception When the hero of this book lists all the things he knows, one is reminded of somebody whistling in a dark wood: He knows about »things«, the mirror, sticks, trousers, paths, and so on... And he also knows Mummy, of course. Excessive, full-page pictures comment on his story: everything is chaotic. Mythical creatures dominate the scene, the small child himself looks fairly bizarre and wanders around with a dragon that resembles a bathtub. There is a lot to discover in these pictures – and probably a lot to tell, too. The short, yet effective text written in verse invites readers to play (language) games. A book for children and their parents. (5+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 81 Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (text) Kindermann, Barbara (retelling) Ensikat, Klaus (illus.) Faust Berlin : Kindermann, 2002. [36] p. (Weltliteratur für Kinder ; 10) ISBN 3-934029-10-8 Magic – Love – Youth – Old age – Death – Good/Evil – God/Devil Doctor Heinrich Faust, the most archetypal German brooder – fastidious, disgruntled, disputed – is dragged out of his corner of classic literature, which today is unfortunately considered very oldfashioned. Quotations of verses from the most famous parts of Goethe’s text are highlighted between dense prose passages. It is quite a challenge to make such a highly complex artistic literary and philosophic work come alive for children on just a few pages. The effort is supported and substantiated by Klaus Ensikat’s elaborate pictures. The story’s protagonists walk around the medieval town scenery dressed in historical clothes – yet, at the table inside the cellar of Auerbach in the town of Leipzig, a modern punk with green hair is seated as well. This illustrated journey through the centuries hints at the timelessness of classic literature. (8+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2003 - 82 Hashemi, Kazem Fundamentalismus : Absage an die Moderne (Fundamentalism : Modernity rejected) München : Elefanten Press, 2002. 127 p. (Edition »Ich klage an!«) ISBN 3-570-14638-3 Fundamentalism – Internationality – Religion – Science – Politics With a successful combination of fictional stories and profound non-fictional information, the author of this book, who has been living in Germany since 1976, shows the meaning of fundamentalist thinking and its effects on religion, science, politics, and the everyday life of people. Israel, Palestine, and Iran are the focus of interest for the events retold here. The main priority of this book, however, is to explain the basic meaning of the term »fundamentalism «. It aims at analysing the various different meanings of the word and its narrow use in, mostly journalistic, reports. The fate of specific people, told here as fictitious stories, yet true in a historic context, make readers aware of how explosive this topic is. (14+) ☆ Germany (German) - 2003 - 83 Heidelbach, Nikolaus (text/illus.) Die dreizehnte Fee (The thirteenth fairy) Weinheim : Beltz & Gelberg, 2002. [34] p. ISBN 3-407-79289-1 School – Reading – Fairytale – Dream – Imagination After the children have listened to the fairytale of Sleeping Beauty at school and learned about the revenge of the thirteenth fairy, they all have frightening dreams of curses and magic that night. Only one boy dreams a pleasant dream – about his teacher. The next day, by coincidence, his fantastic tale is the thirteenth, so the teacher would be the thirteenth fairy – and a very nice one. »Teacher’s pet!« all the other children shout. Is this book a general demonstration of sympathy for teachers? After all, in the middle of these dreamt-up horrormagicians, the teacher seems to be really trustworthy and ordinary in a comfortable way. »A fairy tale for teachers«, that’s what Nikolaus Heidelbach calls his imaginative and unconventional picture book. (7+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2003 - 84 Heine, Helme (text/illus.) Der Club (The club) München : Middelhauve, 2001. [26] p. (Middelhauve-Bilderbuch) ISBN 3-7876-9734-9 Body/Soul – Guardian angel Professor Head, Rosi Heart, and Dick Belly are the members of »the club«. Their job is to make sure that people feel fine from womb to tomb. The professor notes down thoughts, Rosi takes care of matters of the heart, and Dick is responsible for physical health. Whenever they start quarrelling with each other, things become a little topsy-turvy; but, luckily enough, they get along most of the time and fulfil their respective duties. Helme Heine imagines a convincing model to describe how the human body and soul work, and creates just the perfect pictures to go with it, humorously explaining all the details. (5+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 85 Kamm, Katja (illus.) [Un]sichtbar ([In]visible) Wuppertal : Hammer, 2002. [32] p. ISBN 3-87294-913-6 Perception – Seeing – Colour – Disappearing Colours and perception are the topic of this textless story, that confronts the protagonists – and maybe some smaller kids, too – with a number of puzzling situations: Who can see me when my clothes blend into the background? How can I become visible again? Whom or what do I myself fail to see because of optical illusions? What kind of dangers are caused by inaccurate perceptions? In a pitchblack night, a black cyclist crashes into a black tree – only his colourful bike is visible. The faces of a group of nuns in purple dresses hover on a purple background until they reach the »safe« red surroundings. This game of pictures and colours offers a lot of new insights. (4+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 86 Karau, Martin (text) Wehner, Katja (illus.) Ellis Biest (Elli’s beast) Berlin : Aufbau-Verl., 2002. [32] p. ISBN 3-351-04030-x Girl – Princess – Idol – Monster – Imaginary journey – Return home Elli loves princesses of any kind; she draws and paints them with dedication. Yet, one day, a completely different creature turns up on her paper: ugly, horrible, and rebellious. Together, Elli and the Beast fly to faraway countries and get up to such mischievous deeds that the sultan puts them in the dungeon. Back from her (imaginary) journey, Elli lets herself be pampered by her unsuspecting mother. This is the story of a fairly lonely child – but one who is very imaginative and not too wellbehaved. The text uses the stylistic figure of understatement. The pictures of this unlikely pair, drawn with clear outlines, are set against a light-coloured background in an unspectacular way. (6+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2003 - 87 Könneke, Ole (text/illus.) Der große böse Bill (Big bad Bill) München [et al.] : Hanser, 2002. [16] Bl. ISBN 3-446-20182-3 Malice – Strength – Abuse of power – Trick – Change of awareness Bill – big, bad, and very strong – really frightens the whole city. That is why the people endure his bad jokes and ignore all his pranks. Accidentally however, the children discover that Bill only tries to fight the superiority of his parents with his malicious behaviour – their pictures hang above his bed. Now, the children come up with an idea: Walking on stilts and disguised with masks they make »the parents« appear before Bill in a threatening and warning demeanour; at the same time, the children themselves, whom Bill usually loves to torment, come to his assistance. Peace is declared and, from now on, Bill is very nice – but only to the children. Ole Könneke’s comic-like illustrations and the laconic-ironic text are hilarious. (6+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 88 Kriegel, Volker (text/illus.) Erwin mit der Tröte (Erwin and his trumpet) Frankfurt am Main : Eichborn, 2002. 59 p. ISBN 3-8218-3740-3 Jungle – Coati – Music band – Star worship »Unlike other small bears, coati (nasua nasua) are extremely sociable animals who try to keep contact with the members of their group by continuous whistling and warbling.« (read more at: www.zoo.ch) Erwin is no exception. With his snout, he loves playing all kinds of music, whether it is serious or easy-listening music, assisted by the wonderful band called »The Jungle Kings«. Back at Sansibar after a completely unexpected and brilliant, yet nerve-wrecking, success as a solo superstar at La Scala in Milan, Erwin and his band go on a concert tour as »Erwin & the Magic Music Circus«. In this book, Volker Kriegel – author, illustrator, and musician – combines the artistic worlds familiar to him in pictures and text: Musically well-informed and instructive, and ironic in a sympathetic way. Sequels welcome! (6+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 89 Krockow, Christian von Eine Frage der Ehre : Stauffenberg und das Hitler-Attentat vom 20. Juli 1944 (A question of honour : Stauffenberg and the attempt on Hitler’s life on July 20, 1944) Berlin : Rowohlt, 2002. 199 p. (Bücher für die nächste Generation) ISBN 3-87134-441-9 Germany/1933-1945 – Schenk von Stauffenberg, Claus – Resistance movement The childhood and youth of Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg reveals a lot: He had a broad artistic education, belonged to the circle around the poet Stefan George, and his enthusiasm for aristocratic values in the best traditional sense influenced the life and thoughts of this young man. In later years, his active resistance against Hitler can be seen as the grown-up’s desperate attempt to prevent Germany’s political, intellectual, and physical destruction. The author does not present himself to the readers as an omniscient narrator but rather as a well-informed and concerned contemporary witness who is also searching for answers. This adds convincing authenticity to the book and inspires further reflection. (14+) ☆ Germany (German) - 2003 - 90 Lembcke, Marjaleena (text) Opel-Götz, Susann (illus.) Die Geschichte von Tapani, vom Fernfahrer Frisch und der roten Ente (The story of Tapani, lorry-driver Frisch, and the red duck) Düsseldorf : Sauerländer, 2002. 61 p. ISBN 3-7941-4949-1 Wooden toy – Lucky charm – Wish – Fulfilment More than anything in the world, Tapani wants to join the football team; but Jukka, the captain, striker, and top scorer, just doesn’t like him. Therefore, Tapani resorts to a trick: He invents a rich, kidnapped man and plans to rescue him in return for a huge reward. A small red wooden duck, washed up on the sea shore, carried this message around its neck. In reality, the duck has experienced quite a different fate: A lorry-driver had sent it off in the midst of a life crisis. Nevertheless, Tapani’s life changes for the better. Soon, he is one of the team-members; and the duck-carver becomes happy, too. This story of small matters and big effects is as simple as it is convincing, and encourages readers to believe in the improbable. (8+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 91 Rieckhoff, Sibylle (text/illus.) Rieckhoff, Jürgen (text/illus.) Roberta und ich (Roberta and I) Hildesheim : Gerstenberg, 2002. [28] p. ISBN 3-8067-4979-5 Love of animals – Keeping of pets – Sheep Roberta is a sheep that the young narrator of this unusual animal story adopts as her cuddly pet. Even if a real sheep in the flat does cause a couple of problems, everything in this small domestic world revolves around the child’s well-being – at least until sheep Roberta starts feeling homesick for her flock. She is allowed to return to the green meadow and Robert takes her place in the house. He is made of fabric and can be cleaned in the washing machine. Still, one day – there is no doubt about this – the child will sit on the grass again and look longingly at a real cow... The authors present this original and amusing story with a lot of wit, delicate strokes and pastel colours. (5+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 92 Schulz, Hermann Flucht durch den Winter (Escaping through the winter) Hamburg : Carlsen, 2002. 198 p. ISBN 3-551-58096-0 Germany/1944-1945 – Forced labourer – Escape During the last months of World War II, 14-yearold Ännchen Schwalbe lives with farmers in North Germany. The forced labourers who had been brought to Germany from countries occupied by the Germans are to be transported to a death camp soon. The girl takes pity on Sergej, a young Russian, and decides to escape with him. During their odyssey, the young people witness the terrible end of the war and its ravages. They even kill in order not to be killed. In April 1945, they are both rescued by the Allied Forces. This gripping realistic novel, which is based on authentic tales of people involved, convinces through the absence of sentimentality and pathos. Still, the readers can experience the horrible events very closely. (14+) ☆ Germany (German) - 2003 - 93 Tetzner, Lisa (text) Ten Doornkaat, Hans (adapt.) Binder, Hannes (illus.) Die Schwarzen Brüder : Roman in Bildern (The black brothers : a novel-cum-comic-strip) Düsseldorf : Sauerländer, 2002. 142 p. ISBN 3-7941-4900-9 Italy/19century – Poverty – Children trade – Child labour – Chimney sweep – Exploitation The married writers Kurt Kläber (a.k.a. Kurt Held) and Lisa Tetzner, renowned for their social criticism, were inspired to write this modern classic by a story in an old newspaper clipping about the (sufferings of the) »spazzacamini« in Milan at the turn of the century. The text tells how poor farmers from Ticino (Switzerland) sold their young sons into Italy as chimney sweeps, in order to save their families. Only few of them ever returned. This new edition illustrated in mezzotint technique offers a mixture of picture-story and condensed version of the original novel. Some parts of the plot, which had originally been told in minute details, are presented exclusively through series of black-andwhite pictures with only a few words of text. This is a fascinating new form of novel-cum-comicstrip. (12+) Germany (German) - 2003 - 94 Waberer, Keto von Schwester (Sister) Berlin : Berlin-Verl., 2002. 167 p. ISBN 3-8270-0485-3 Sister – Family – Social role – Childhood memories The older sister has already been dead for five years, when her younger sister starts remembering their childhood, the closeness between them, and how they were separated in their youth. She tells of many happy moments, but also of small, frightening emotional tragedies that plunge each family member into loneliness and give them a feeling of being misunderstood as they are not able to help each other. The author creates a picture full of the inevitable influences affecting each person within the family bonds, caused more or less accidentally or by fate. This is an extremely unsentimental, lucid, and gripping literary text based on an autobiographic background. (16+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2003 - 95 Weiss, Ruth Meine Schwester Sara (My sister Sara) Augsburg : Maro-Verl., 2002. 257 p. ISBN 3-87512-260-7 South Africa – Apartheid – German Girl – Jews – Adoption – Antisemitism – Outsider A Jewish girl is born in a concentration camp in Germany and loses her parents there. After 1945, she is adopted by a South African Boer family. At that time, there is widespread antisemitism in South Africa, and a naïve believe that the political situation and actions in Germany were legitimate. This makes the girl a blameless outsider within the family community, without her being able to understand the reasons because she has been kept in the dark about her background. A few years later, the South African policy of apartheid drives the young student to join a political underground organisation. She is killed in the Soweto Rebellion of 1976. As a journalist, the author – who herself emigrated to South Africa in 1936 – is familiar with the political development in her adopted home country. Following many authentic fates, she tells this family history in a differentiating, gripping, and unsentimental way, against the historical backdrop of decisive political events of the 20th century. (14+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2003 - 96 Welsh, Renate Dieda oder das fremde Kind (That girl, or: the strange child) Hamburg : Oetinger, 2002. 158 p. ISBN 3-7891-5112-2 Austria/1945 – Village – Motherless child – Stepmother – Stepsister A village in Austria at the end of the Second World War: A seven-year-old girl lives with the family of her stepmother but stubbornly rebels against this new situation. Her real mother died of a brain tumour and, all too frequently, the girl blames herself for it. Her feeling of not being welcome is so strong that she calls herself »that girl« and does not respond to her real name anymore. Eventually, her stepsister is born – and this new, innocent member of the family finally reaches through the numbness of the lonely child. Using only a few hints, Renate Welsh perfectly manages to evoke a historically authentic atmosphere, in the turmoil of which a child has to try and cope with her own great sorrow. (8+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2003 - 97 Wittkamp, Frantz (text) Wittkamp, Julia (illus.) Wo ist Mama? (Where is mum?) Hamburg : Ellermann, 2002. [20] p. ISBN 3-7707-6448-x Getting lost – Longing for the mother – Searching – Finding again Simple, clear pictures and verses: Little Bear has lost his way while in town and is now searching for Mother Bear. She could be anywhere – at the baker’s, the butcher’s, the ice-cream man’s, the flower shop, or simply talking to a couple of friends. The small bear is desperate ... but wait... there she comes walking down the street with her big hat and the shopping bag. »The sun is shining. The air is warm. And mother takes him in her arm(s).« At the beginning of the book, the word »scheint« (shining) had gloomily rhymed with »weint« (crying)! This square little book is as handy as it is comforting for anxious little children. (4+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2003 - 98 Würmli, Marcus (text) Ring, Werner (illus.) Der Kinder-Brockhaus – Tiere (The Brockhaus Children’s Encyclopaedia – Animals) Mannheim [et al.] : Brockhaus, 2003. 300 p. ISBN 3-7653-3011-6 Animals A clear structure plus the reliable preparation of data are characteristic for the texts and pictures in this comprehensive animal encyclopaedia. Starting with the local fauna of the various habitats – house, garden, meadow, forest, etc. – the reports cover more and more distant regions and parts of the world. Through this method, the readers learn about the similarities and differences between familiar animals living close by and exotic ones far away. Every animal is described in a kind of »wanted« poster-form; special information boxes give some additional facts, and quiz questions make the reading more fun. This is a weighty introduction to the universe of zoology, a book to devour and consult for reference purposes. (7+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2003 - 99 Zitelmann, Arnulf »Jedes Sandkorn ist ein Buchstabe« : die Lebensgeschichte des Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (»Each grain of sand is a letter« : The life of Georg Christoph Lichtenberg) Weinheim [et al.] : Beltz & Gelberg, 2002. 338 p. ISBN 3-407-80883-6 Lichtenberg, Georg Christoph Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 – 1799), a pastor’s son who later became a scientist, was far ahead of the linear way of thinking of his time. Much earlier than others, he discovered new and unexpected connections between physical and chemical processes. At the age of only twenty-five, he was offered a post as professor for Mathematics at the University of Göttingen. Being quite unconventional in his life and ideas, he attached himself twice to women who were a lot younger than him. With the help of his »Sudelbücher« (Scribble books), the most famous collection of German aphorisms, Arnulf Zitelmann presents Lichtenberg as private person, philosopher, sceptic, and mocker. This biography, based on Lichtenberg’s letters and other writings, meticulously analyses his life and works. (16+) Switzerland (German) - 2003 - 100 Dörrie, Doris (text) Kaergel, Julia (illus.) Mimi (<Proper name>) Zürich : Diogenes, 2002. [32] p. ISBN 3-257-00893-7 Girl – Disguise – Cunning plan – Identity – Mischief – Confession Just for today, Mimi is not Mimi Mueller, but Anna Anders (i.e. Anna Different). With a good disguise, this is easy to pretend – provided that her parents join in the game. And they do! The reason for all this is that Mimi – in her role as Anna – needs to confess that she has been up to some mischief: She has painted a large picture on the bed sheet … and the Muellers promise not to let on to Mimi that Anna has told on her. Anna leaves and returns as Mimi Mueller, obviously relieved, into the loving arms of her parents. In slightly surreal, large-format pictures, a white rabbit (could it be Harvey?) accompanies the girl’s disguises and mental experiments – and the reader certainly wishes, that such clever parents, who are willing to play this kind of game, really existed. (6+) Switzerland (German) - 2003 - 101 Elschner, Géraldine (text) Schwarz, Lieselotte (illus.) Sternenkind (Star Child) Gossau, Zürich [et al.] : Neugebauer, 2002. [30] p. ISBN 3-85195-690-7 Star – Starfish – Departure – Return From the sky, a small star looks into space. How beautiful everything looks out there! Every night, the moon tells him about the earth, the ocean,… One day, the star is allowed to come down from the sky. Turned into a starfish, he meets wonderful plants and animals, and goes on a long journey following the sea current. Months and years go by, until the starfish eventually feels the urge to return home. Only his prickly shell remains on a rock near the sea. A child picks it up. This is a story of departure and return – events which also shape the life of a (human) child. Round, clearly defined forms in rich watercolours create a lively yet quiet atmosphere for the pictures. (4+) Switzerland (German) - 2003 - 102 Garcia López, Brigitta (text/illus.) Streuli, Felix (photogr.) Flieg, Flengel flieg! (Fly, Flangel fly!) Zürich : Verl. Pro Juventute, 2002. [36] p. (Atlantis) ISBN 3-7152-0468-0 Guardian angel – Eating – Invisibility Every child has his or her own guardian angel called Flangel. In general, they are invisible – yet, when they become visible they also succumb to earthly temptations and addictions. Thomas’ flangel, for example, can’t resist chocolate. As he gains more and more weight, flying around soon becomes too exhausting for him. That is why flangels rather stay invisible, because then they can remain flawless. A new creative technique which is popular and familiar to the readers from animated films – using photographs of figures made from wax or modelling clay – adds a refreshing optical impression to this light-hearted (dream-)book. (5+) Switzerland (German) - 2003 - 103 Hächler, Bruno (text) Müller, Birte (illus.) Der Schneerabe (The snow-raven) Gossau, Zürich [et al.] : Neugebauer, 2002. [28] p. ISBN 3-85195-699-0 Raven – Child – Winter – Angel – Bad temper – Zest for life In a large tree, two bad-tempered ravens loudly complain about the cold winter. Below, children play »snow-angel«: They let themselves fall backwards into the snow and spread their arms like angels’ wings. A third raven tries to copy them after the children have left. A delicate snow-wing-print remains. The following day, the children are astonished – and high up in the tree, they see a white snow-covered »raven-angel« cawing happily. This unspectacular, touching tale shows how the individual perspective on life can change everything: Either you regard the snow as a cold enemy or you turn it into an angel. Bright creamy colours in a glittering snowy landscape confirm this cheerful aspect of the cold season. (5+) Switzerland (German) - 2003 - 104 Jaekel, Helmut (text) Koppers, Theresia (illus.) Hinter dem Berg (Behind the mountain) Zürich : Bajazzo-Verl., 2002. [28] p. ISBN 3-907588-34-7 Village – Enemy – Lie – Prejudice Two remote villages in the mountains: On winter evenings the inhabitants tell many a tale, mostly about the strange (in-)human creatures on the other side. And the people over there do exactly the same. Things would remain this way forever, if it wasn’t for the children: Pius and Emilia here and Pia and Emil over there. One day, they decide to work their way through the mountains (of prejudice). After an initial shock when the four of them unexpectedly meet each other, everything turns out well. Finally, people can tell each other the true stories, the ones that make them happy and bring them together. Slightly distorted adult figures, carrying some features of allegorical monsters, are cured by the children’s courage and naivety. (6+) Switzerland (German) - 2003 - 105 Junaković, Svjetlan (text/illus.) Heufemann, Danielle (transl.) Zirkus! Zirkus! (Circus! Circus!) Zürich : Bohem-Press, 2002. [16] p. ISBN 3-85581-385-x Circus – Animals – Circus performing – Help – Zest for life A circus where the animals themselves organise the whole performance is something special indeed. An atmosphere of independence, zest for life, and sheer pleasure can be felt in the colourful pictures with their many flaps to lift. Each of them hides a surprise: The artistic performance depicted is continued differently than might be expected at first glance. The elephant seems to dance weightlessly on the tightrope – but only because his stablemates keep him in the air with a large belt. The rhinoceros seems to fall off the trapeze – but no, he is safely caught. This lift-the-flap picture book enables children to feel as if they were in the arena themselves, among all the courageous and cheerful animals. (4+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2003 - 106 Waechter, F. K. (text/illus.) Die Schöpfung (The Creation) Zürich : Diogenes, 2002. [56] p. ISBN 3-257-02076-7 Creation – Man – Creativity This marvellous large-format book with its fulland double-page pictures is certainly appropriate for the great idea which it is about. The brief text gives all the basic information: A small male creature (who wears a top hat as a sign of his dignity but looks fairly ruffled otherwise) experiences the creation of the world as his own personal accomplishment. His way of going about is quite unconventional and certainly nothing to boast about; but in the end, there is a small female creature beside him, and the whole (old and new) world with plants and animals – where do they all come from? In a whisper, the girl explains the »where« and »why« to him. Waechter shows in his pictures – mainly delicately coloured drawings projected onto a number of very different backgrounds – that every little boy imagines himself as the Creator. But only with a strengthening refreshment, handed to him by the girl, is the male world-creator fit, or – as Waechter’s version rather implies – forced, to perform great deeds. Both a subversive and a loving-ironic-realistic view. (6+) ☼ Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2003 - 107 Weninger, Brigitte (text) Ballhaus, Verena (illus.) Tobi und der Zankapfel (obi and the bone [here: apple] of contentio) Zürich : Verl. Pro Juventute, 2002. [28] p. (Atlantis-Thema) ISBN 3-7152-0460-5 Parents – Child – Quarrel – Victim – Talk – Game Without the nice apple-pie-baking neighbour, Tobi would certainly despair because of his ever-quarrelling parents. But Mrs. Puntigam knows that when there is an argument, both parties usually want to be right, at least partly, and somehow they are – just as an apple may have two different sides, a green one and a red one. In between there is the core, just as Tobi between his parents. He will have to explain it to Mum and Dad. The puzzle-like pictures, with their ever-changing imaginative dispersion of graphic and printed parts, clearly show the chaotic state of mind of the family members. Apart from that, the topic of »quarrelling« is analysed in an extra folder from various points of view and can be experienced by children and adults together through various games which are suggested there. (6+) Austria (German) - 2004 - 65 Anger-Schmidt, Gerda (text) Habinger, Renate (illus.) Neun nackte Nilpferddamen : aller Unsinn macht Spaß (Nine naked hippo ladies : nonsense is fun) St. Pölten [et al.] : NP, 2003. 128 p. ISBN 3-85326-272-4 Alphabet – Poetry – Riddle – Nonsense This ABC-book promises many diverse discoveries – and it really keeps them. With the letters from A to Z on the right-hand margin, it looks like an address book. The pages offer a multitude of verses, pictures, riddles, puns, and sayings for each and every reader to think, smile, or laugh about. Since it might prove a little too difficult for beginning readers on their own, adults should jump at this opportunity and join in the puzzle-solving-fun with their children. In this entertaining compendium, the whole world between heaven and earth is spread out before the reader. (5+) ☼ Austria (German) - 2004 - 66 Damm, Dörte Daphne Wildermuth : die Tochter des Jakobiners (Daphne Wildermuth : the Jacobin’s daughter) Wien : Ueberreuter, 2003. 275 p. ISBN 3-8000-2083-1 Girl – Actress – Choice of career – Wish – Germany/1793 Daphne’s mother has died, her father sympathises with the French Jacobins and the heart’s desire of the selfconfident girl is to become an actress. Her mother’s relatives take her away from the liberal-minded, pro- French Palatinate and bring her to the courtly city of Weimar. In a painful process, Daphne experiences the narrowness of the Saxonian provincial town and its inhabitants’ attitude towards life, which is characterised by conformism and hierarchical thinking. To follow her dream, the girl escapes and joins a group of travelling actors. Although the group breaks up, Daphne is lucky: Her father enables her to start an apprenticeship as an actress in Weimar. This informative story of an early female emancipation is set up against an authentic historical background. (12+) Austria (German) - 2004 - 67 Poznanski, Ursula (text) Rassmus, Jens (illus.) Buchstaben-Dschungel (Jungle of letters) Wien : Dachs, 2003. [36] p. ISBN 3-85191-308-6 Alphabet – Animals – Puzzle A tornado in the jungle whirls around the animals: Almost every one of them loses a letter from its name which hangs high up in the trees now. Luckily enough, little monkey and ara get together and start looking for the owners of the respective letters: the NU (now) turns back into a GNU (gnu), the LANGE (long one) into a SCHLANGE (snake), the LEDERMAUS (leather mouse) into a FLEDERMAUS (bat). Even two completely different personalities like AL and AL, i.e. AAL (eel) and WAL (whale), can calmly swim away now free of worries. This cheerful letterpuzzle- book with pastel-coloured pictures scattered throughout the text, tells a logical and exciting story for pre-school children. (4+) Austria (German) - 2004 - 68 Vogel, Sibylle (text/illus.) Hugo allein daheim (Hugo home alone) Wien : Picus-Verl., 2003. [32] p. ISBN 3-85452-865-5 Family – Dog – Keeping a pet – Loneliness – Mischief Even the most devoted of dogs is confused when the family drives away and leaves him alone at home. Well, he says to himself, then it is probably my duty to guard the house. On the other hand, he is now free to do everything he pleases: raid the fridge, invite friends, chase the chicken, tease the cat, etc. Unfortunately, however, all of this becomes boring very quickly when no one gets angry about the mischief or fills up the fridge again. Eventually, the postman delivers the relieving message: The family is coming back home. This is a colourful and amusing book about an extremely sensible and cooperative guard dog. (4+) Austria (German) - 2004 - 69 Zauleck, Franz (text/illus.) Olga mit dem Gummipropeller : eine Geschichte mit Bildern (Olga with the rubber propeller : a story with pictures) Wien [et al.] : Verl. Jungbrunnen, 2002. [34] p. ISBN 3-7026-5746-0 Literary fairy tale – Cow – Colour – Identity – Outsider – Community – Wish – Differentness A white cow gives birth to a black calf. This would not have been a problem, had not all the cows in this country been white. Therefore, the little calf wants to be white, too. It goes on a journey and a fairy grants its wish – yet suddenly it comes to a country where all the cows are black. Now, little calf wants to return home, but when it travels through another region it meets a purple cow – a poor outsider. Only one wish will help: All cows shall have different patterns – and that’s the way it still is (almost) everywhere until today. The artist depicts the calf’s adventurous journey to itself in mixed-media illustrations. By dressing the cows in differently coloured clothes, he takes the topic of identity and otherness to another (human) level. (5+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 70 Abmeier, Armin [et al.] (ed.) Müller, Thomas M. (illus.) Lebens-Mittel : was Kinder brauchen (Food / Means of life ‹pun›) : 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+) ☆ ☼ Germany (German) - 2004 - 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 Letter This 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+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 75 Janßen, Ulrich (text) 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+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 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) Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) ☼ Germany (German) - 2004 - 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 - Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) ☆ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) ☼ Special Mention - Germany (German) - 2004 - 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+) Switzerland (German) - 2004 - 91 Bolliger, Max (text) Conno, Gianni de (illus.) Der Weihnachtsnarr : eine Weihnachtsgeschichte (The Christmas Fool : a Christmas tale) Zürich : Bohem Press, 2003. [28] p. ISBN 3-85581-404-x Christmas – Fool – Search – Wisdom – Gift – Humanity Max Bolliger tells a parable-like story about the search for wisdom and places it within the context of the Christmas story. The protagonist, a young fool who lived in the Orient 2000 years ago, strives to become a wise man. One night, he discovers the bright star of Bethlehem. Since he wants to serve the newborn Lord, he follows the star and takes everything he owns: his glockenspiel, a flower, and his fool’s cap. Along the way, however, he meets some poor children who need these items more desperately than anyone else. So he arrives in Bethlehem empty-handed. Still, Mary lays her son into his arms and the smiling child grants him the wisdom he desired. Static pictures with broad spaces of colour impressively represent the various episodes of the narration. (6+) Switzerland (German) - 2004 - 92 Eggermann, Vera (adapt./illus.) Au weia (Oh my!) Zürich : Bajazzo-Verl., 2003. [26] p. ISBN 3-907588-39-8 Girl – Mischief – Obedience – Disobedience »Don’t pull the cat’s tail!« and »Don’t drink the ink!« says Auntie to Lena when she leaves the house. But she didn’t mention anything about not cutting the napkins or the tablecloth. Lena sets to work. Splitting the table with an axe wasn’t on Auntie’s list of forbidden things either. But for lack of strength, the child fails to carry out this plan – and suddenly feels really small. Luckily enough, with only a few »Oh my!«, aunt and niece manage to sew together the cut up pieces – and are reconciled. Next time she goes to town, however, Auntie will probably take Lena with her. The beginning of the funny story, based on a text by Danijl Charms, strongly reminds readers of Hoffmann’s Slovenly Peter. The end, though, is influenced by the 21century ideals of cooperative education. Large illustrations in a naive style accompany the text. (5+) ☼ Switzerland (German) - 2004 - 93 Hoffmann, E. T. A. (text) Koppe, Susanne (adapt.) Zwerger, Lisbeth (illus.) Nussknacker (Nutcracker) Gossau, Zürich : Neugebauer, 2003. [28] p. + 1 CD ISBN 3-85195-728-8. - 3-85195-292-8 Literary fairy tale – Christmas – Toy – Dream – Good/Evil – Fight – Help – Reward This well-known literary fairy tale, originally published in 1816, is presented here in a condensed text version and with new congenial illustrations. Little Marie dreams a Christmas dream: Toys are coming alive and a fight flares up between the evil mice army and the good tin soldiers. With Marie’s help, one of the tin soldiers ends the fight and eventually takes the girl with him to his marzipan castle. And they lived happily.... Detailed, witty scenes presented in fullpage pictures capture pivotal moments from the plot. Lisbeth Zwerger follows the narration without psychoanalysing it. Delicate vignettes create connections to the large illustrations. An audio-CD with music and excerpts from the tale are enclosed with the book. (8+) Switzerland (German) - 2004 - 94 Irving, John (text) Hauptmann, Tatjana (illus.) Rumler, Irene (transl.) Ein Geräusch, wie wenn einer versucht, kein Geräusch zu machen : eine Geschichte (A sound like somebody trying to make no noise : a story) Zürich : Diogenes, 2003. 32 p. ISBN 3-257-01102-4 Brothers – Night – Fear – Noise – Falling asleep Tom wakes up: An unfamiliar, low sound frightens him. A monster? He calls for his father, who makes a little inquiry. Dad finally realises that the wet, furry monster with no arms or legs crawling through the house, is nothing but a tiny mouse behind the wall. Meanwhile, little brother Tim is awake, too, and because he is longing to see the mouse, he is the only who can’t go back to sleep. The text of this book was taken from John Irving’s adult novel Widow for a Year (1998) and presents itself as a children’s picture book for the first time. Stairwell and garden are night-blue and the small hero in pyjamas wanders through threatening moonlight shadows. The illustrations marvellously capture the mysterious mood of the story and the children’s emotions. (4+) Switzerland (German) - 2004 - 95 Kamm, Katja (illus.) Das runde Rot (The round red) Zürich : Bajazzo, 2003. [36] p. ISBN 3-907588-44-4 Colour – Shape – Game – Imagination A girl’s two arms reach out for something round and red - a balloon, a ball, an apple? Yet, before the child can sink her teeth into the forbidden (?) fruit, a priest dressed in black grabs it and the round red thing turns into a spare wheel for a broken car, into a flat round record, into a lolly, and into a yo-yo, that finally flies away and finds its way back into the girl’s arms. This at once humorous and profound little book doesn’t need text. You can invent and tell your own stories, come up with tales and examples for other colours and shapes. This book offers a skilful and unpretentious introduction to abstract thinking and figurative representation for children. (5+) Switzerland (German) - 2004 - 96 Müller, Birte (text/illus.) Auf Wiedersehen, Oma (Good-bye, Granny) Gossau, Zürich : Neugebauer, 2003. [32] p. ISBN 3-85195-957-4 Latin America – Village – All Saints’ Day – Celebration – Death – Tradition – Girl – Grandmother In Latin American countries, it is common to organise a cheerful party on the Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints’ Day) and remember the family members who have passed away. Little Felipa, who lives in a village in the Andes, learns that her late grandmother’s soul will be very close to her on this day. Slowly she comes to understand that she cannot see people's souls and does not have to go searching for them - not among the animals, nor in the snow-covered mountains - but that she will still not remain lonely after their death. The author created this book from impressions gathered during a study trip through Mexico and Bolivia. Its pictures open up broad earthen-coloured spaces that offer room for imagination and contemplation. (4+) ☆ Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2004 - 97 Walser, Robert (text) Bhend, Käthi (illus.) Einer, der nichts merkte (Someone who didn’t notice anything) Zürich : Atlantis, 2003. [32] p. ISBN 3-7152-0467-2 Man – Perception – Lack of interest The short text, taken from Robert Walser’s book Der Spaziergang (The walk), originally published in 1917, seems like an omen of people’s isolation and lack of interest in the large or small things of the world. Naively and stubbornly, a man disregards everything that shapes his life: wife, children, possessions, environment. He knows nothing and feels nothing, loses everything, even – suddenly taken into a surreal setting – his head. Now he is indeed blind, deaf, and dumb. Luckily enough, an easy solution is at hand in the picture: Wife and children sew his head back onto his body. Nevertheless, this rescue is only shown in the picture and not confirmed by the text. Colourful panels in original planograph technique illustrate this profound tale and hint at its comical side. The text’s apparent simplicity and the sophisticated style of the illustrations make this book an exemplary story. (5+) ☼ Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2004 - 98 Wehrli, Ursus (illus.) Olenhusen, Albrecht Götz von (preface) Kunst aufräumen (Tidying up art) Zürich : Kein und Aber, 2002. 47 p. ISBN 3-0369-5200-4 Art – Adaptation – Order – Aesthetics – Perception Based on philosophical research on art, corroborated by Swiss patent law, this book strives to introduce child and adult readers to a new way of looking at art. Selected works from the canon of figurative art are reduced to their basic components of shape and space, taken to pieces and arranged in a new way, so that the separate elements of form can be recognised. The two versions – the original work of art and the »tidied up« one – are sitting next to each other and inspire meticulous observation. Moreover, they prove once more that a work of art is much more than its single parts put together. Last but not least, this method includes a humorous aspect because it takes an ironic look at both aesthetics and the overly (un-?)intelligent art ‘expert’. (14+) Special Mention - Switzerland (German) - 2004 - 99 Weigelt, Udo (text) Heusser, Sibylle (illus.) Sandmännchens Mondfahrt : eine Geschichte zur guten Nacht (Little sandman’s trip to the moon : a bedtime story) Gossau, Zürich : Nord-Süd-Verl., 2003. [28] p. (Ein Nord-Süd-Bilderbuch) ISBN 3-314-00986-0 Sandman – Friend – Search – Falling asleep – Night – Moon Little sandman’s fate is a sad one. He feels utterly lonely because – due to his peculiar profession – he cannot find a friend. No matter where he appears, all the children and other people immediately fall asleep. Not even police officers or burglars are immune to his soporific influence. And neither are all the nocturnal animals on land, in the water or the air. Thus, there is only one solution for little sandman: the man in the moon; and he is already waiting for him. This imaginative bedtime story is accompanied by largeformat pictures painted in smooth colours. (4+) </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>