Watterson, Bill "Calvin & Hobbes"

Watterson, Bill "Calvin & Hobbes" - 1985-95

My sons absolutely loved Calvin when they were younger. I believe they still do. But they were part of their lives and hence the life or our whole family for so long. Wherever I went, there was a "Calvin & Hobbes" book somewhere in the house.

This is a picture of the first book about little Calvin and his stuffed pet Hobbes. Everyone thinks, Hobbes is just a toy tiger but for Calvin, he is real and they talk all the time. That is definitely part of the charm of this series. But that's not all. Calvin is precocious and cheeky. In German I would call him a "neunmalkluger Dreikäsehoch" (word by word: nine times smart - three cheese high guy). But he is so cute, he makes fun of everyone, his parents, his teachers but also of himself. My favourite stories are when he builds all kind of snowmen. They make me laugh every time. Well, all his stories do.

Unfortunately, the cartoonist seems to be a very private person, didn't just forbid any merchandizing of his characters but stopped drawing them altoghether after ten years. What a shame. But, at least we have the 18 books he produced during his productive years. They can all be found in "The Complete Calvin and Hobbes" from 2005 (see below).

From the back cover:

"This is the first collection of the popular comic strip that features Calvin, a rambunctious 6-year-old boy, and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes charmingly to life."

Rey, H.A. "Curious George"

Rey, H.A. "Curious George" - 1941-1966 (series)

I don't know whether he is still as popular as during the time my sons were little but they absolutely loved the cheeky little monkey and his adventures. Whether he lost all his papers as a newspaper boy, tries to ride a bike, fly a kite or do whatever little children do, as well, you can always be sure of a laugh.

As with many old series, the covers have changed quite a bit over the years, as you can see in the collage above.

These are the original titles:
Curious George - 1941
Curious George Takes a Job - 1947
Curious George Rides a Bike - 1952
Curious George Gets a Medal - 1957
Curious George Flies a Kite - 1958
Curious George Learns the Alphabet - 1963
Curious George Goes to the Hospital - 1966

Apparently, there are new adventures written by others in his style. And there's even a website with his history and some games the kids can play on the computer: Curious George.

Funny thing, I never even knew he was German before I wrote this blogpost about him.

Synopsis:

"The first adventure in this highly popular series tells how the little monkey Curious George, caught in the jungle and brought back to the city by a man in a yellow hat, can't help being interested in all the new things around him. Though well meaning, George's curiosity always gets him into trouble. Young readers can easily relate, and Rey's cheerful illustrations celebrate Curious George's innocence."

Leaf, Munro "The Story of Ferdinand"

Leaf, Munro "The Story of Ferdinand" - 1936

The first time I heard of Ferdinand, the bull, was in a small little German book. Pixi books are 10x10 cm (3.94 inches) and always consist of 24 pages. They have always been cheap and were lovely little presents for kids. My boys loved them. They would have many classic stories but also some just written for that purpose.

Well, one of the stories they published was "The Story of Ferdinand" about Ferdinand, the bull, who was peaceful and rather sat in his pasture smelling flowers than going to a bullfight. It is a sweet story for children about peace.

I was reminded of this when I watched "The Blind Side", a wonderful story based on real life about a homeless boy who is taken in by a family and becomes a big sports star. They read the book and compare this boy to Ferdinand the Bull because he also wants peace. So cute.

In any case, it's a wonderful story for children, they all love it.

From the back cover:

"Ferdinand, the peaceful bull who loves to sit and smell flowers, is mistakenly carted off to a bullfight in Madrid, where he is believed to be the fiercest bull around. Ferdinand trots into the ring, only to sit and smell the flowers in the ladies' hair. No matter what the frustrated matador and his helpers do, they cannot get Ferdinand to fight. Lawson's memorable black-and-white pictures speak volumes in this childhood classic."

de Brunhoff, Jean "The Story of Babar"

de Brunhoff, Jean "The Story of Babar" (French: Histoire de Babar le petit éléphant) - 1934

I remember my little brother watching Babar the Elephant on TV. And since he's over 50 by now, that is a long, long time ago. My sons also loved Barbar, Céleste and their family both on TV and in their books.

I noticed that I never wrote about Babar even though my most favourite animal is an elephant. But since we do "Paris in July", this is the perfect opportunity to introduce him to those who haven't heard of him, though I doubt there are that many.

Well, Babar is an elephant. His mother is killed in the jungle and this is how he ends up in town. Jean de Brunhoff's wife Cécile had told their children these stories about an elephant in a city.

As happens with so many other books (especially children's books), the cover has changed a lot over the time (see the collage at the top) but the drawings have always changed the same.

Unfortunately, the author died of tuberculosis when he was only 37 years old. So, he didn't get to write all the many books about "his" elephant. Here is the list:

The Story of Babar (Histoire de Babar) - 1934
The Travels of Babar (Le Voyage de Babar) - 1934
Babar the King (Babar the King) - 1935
A.B.C. of Babar (L'ABC de Babar) - 1936
Zephir's Holidays and Babar's Friend Zephir (Les vacances de Zéphir) - 1937
Babar and His Children (Babar en famille) - 1938
Babar and Father Christmas (Babar et le père Noël) - 1940

However, his son Laurent carried on the stories, he learned to draw the elephant just the same way his father had and so Babar and his family could experience many more adventures. That way, one can hardly tell which one is by the father and which by the son:

Babar's Cousin: That Rascal Arthur (Babar et ce coquin d'Arthur) - 1946
Babar's Picnic (Pique-nique chez Babar) - 1949
Babar's Visit to Bird Island (Babar dans l'île aux oiseaux) - 1952
Babar and the Circus (Babar au cirque)
Babar's Fair (La fête de Célesteville) - 1954
Babar and the Professor (Babar et le professeur Grifaton) - 1956
Babar's Castle (Le Château de Babar) - 1961
Babar's English Lessons (Je parle anglais avec Babar) - 1963
Babar Comes to America (Babar en Amérique) - 1965
Bonhomme (Babar à New York) - 1966
Babar's German Lessons (Je parle allemand avec Babar) - 1966
Babar's Spanish Lessons (Je parle espagnole avec Babar) - 1966
Babar's Birthday Surprise (L'anniversaire de Babar) - 1972
Babar visits a planet (Babar sur la planète mole) - 1974
Babar and the Wully-Wully (Babar et le Wouly-Wouly) - 1977
Babar's Mystery (Babar et les quatre voleurs) - 1979
Babar and the Ghost (Babar et le fantôme) - 1981
Babar and his Little Girl (Babar et sa fille Isabelle) - 1988
Babar's Battle (La victoire de Babar) - 1992
Babar's Rescue (Babar et la cité perdue) - 1995
Babar and the Succotash Bird (Babar et l'oiseau magicien) - 2000
Babar's Yoga for Elephants (Babar: le yoga des éléphants) - 2002
Babar's Museum of Art (Le musée de Babar) - 2003
Babar's World Tour (Le tour du monde de Babar) - 2005
Babar's Celesteville Games (Coup de foudre aux Jeux de Célesteville) - 2011
Babar's Guide to Paris (Babar à Paris) - 2017

I have found some other English titles that I could not relate to any French originals. I would assume they exist but the pages are not always great with different kind of translations and even Goodreads doesn't have them all.
A tue-tete - 1957
Serafina the Giraffe - 1961
Serafina's Lucky Find - 1962
Captain Serafina - 1963
Anatole and His Donkey - 1963
Babar's French Lessons - 1963
Babar Learns to Cook - 1967
Babar Loses His Crown - 1967
Babar's Games - 1968
Babar Goes Skiing -
Babar's Moon Trip - 1969
Babar's Trunk - 1969
Gregory and the Lady Turtle in the Valley of the Music Trees - 1971
Babar's Other Trunk - 1971
Babar Visits Another Planet - 1972
Meet Babar and His Family -1973
Babar's Bookmobile - 1974
Bonhomme and the Huge Beast - 1974
Babar Saves the Day - 1976
The One Pig with Horns - 1979
Babar the Magician - 1980
Babar's Little Library - 1980
Babar's Anniversary Album - 1981
Babar's A.B.C - 1983
Babar's Book of Colour - 1984
Babar's Counting Book - 1986
Christmas with Babar & Baby Isabelle - 1987
Babar's Adventures, Calendar for 1988- 1988
Babar's Little Circus Star - 1988
Babar in Hollywood, Calendar for 1990 - 1989
Babar's Busy Year - 1989
Babar in History, Calendar for 1991 - 1990
Isabelle's New Friend - 1990
Babar Goes to School - 2003
Babar's USA - 2008
Babar and His Family (An adaptation of Meet Babar and His Family. 1973) - 2012
B Is for Babar: An Alphabet Book (An adaptation of Babar's A.B.C. 1983) - 2012
Babar and the New Baby (An adaptation of Babar's Little Girl. 1987) - 2013
L'île du Paradis - 2014

Have fun with the elephant family.

From the back cover:

"The first of the tales starring the most famous elephant in the literary world.

In this classic that has delighted three generations of readers, Babar escapes from the hunter who killed his mother and comes to town. Here, with the help of an old friend, he will learn a lot of new things and one day, once returned to the great forest, he will be acclaimed King of the elephants!

A story beautifully told accompanied by fascinating and hilarious illustrations!
A must read for kids of any age!"

Brown, Marc "Arthur's Nose"

Brown, Marc "Arthur's Nose" - 1976

It's about time I wrote about one of my younger son's favourite series when he was little. He even dressed up as his favourite aardvark at one of the school's book parades.

We have always enjoyed reading those books together. Some of them are easier than others which makes them ideal for beginning readers.

This book about Arthur's nose was the first one in a long series about children that are different from others and it is still as relevant as in 1976. You can see from the two different covers, how much the drawings have changed but the message is still the same. No matter who you are, it doesn't matter what you look like. It's always the inside that counts.

Conclusion of the book: "There is a lot more about Arthur than his nose."

From the back cover:

"Arthur doesn't like his nose so he went to get a new one. Which did he choose? This is a fine lesson for young ones to learn that differences are nice and that we should be happy with ourselves just the way we are."

List of all the other books about Arthur and his friends:

1976 - Arthur's Nose
1979 - Arthur's Eyes
1980 - Arthur's Valentine
1981 - The True Francine
1982 - Arthur Goes to Camp
1982 - Arthur's Halloween
1983 - Arthur's April Fool
1983 - Arthur's Thanksgiving
1984 - Arthur's Christmas
1985 - Arthur's Tooth
1986 - Arthur's Teacher Trouble
1987 - Arthur's Baby
1988 - D.W. All Wet
1989 - Arthur's Birthday
1990 - Arthur's Pet Business
1991 - Arthur Meets the President (Early Moments)
1992 - Arthur Babysits
1993 - D.W. Thinks Big
1993 - D.W. Rides Again
1993 - Arthur's Family Vacation
1993 - Arthur's New Puppy
1994 - Arthur's First Sleepover
1994 - Arthur's Chicken Pox
1995 - Arthur's TV Trouble
1995 - D.W., the Picky Eater
1995 - Arthur Goes to School
1996 - Arthur Writes a Story
1996 - Arthur's Reading Race
1996 - Glasses for D.W.
1996 - Arthur's Neighborhood
1996 - Arthur and the True Francine
1997 - Arthur's Computer Disaster
1997 - Say the Magic Word
1997 - D.W.'s Lost Blankie
1997 - Arthur's Really Helpful Word Book
1997 - Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy
1998 - Arthur Lost and Found
1998 - Arthur's Really Helpful Bedtime Stories
1998 - Arthur Decks the Hall
1999 - Arthur's Underwear
2000 - Arthur's Teacher Moves In
2000 - Arthur's Perfect Christmas
2002 - Arthur, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
2006 - Arthur Jumps into Fall

2011 - Arthur Turns Green

 

Apparently, in one of the newer books, there is a gay wedding by one of his teachers. I think that shows how relevant this series still is.

Eric Carle †

Rest in Peace, Eric Carle.

Eric Carle was one of my sons's favourite authors when he was in 1^st grade. They used to do a lot of pictures in the way he had created his books. It was a great exercise for a little boy who didn't like to draw.

He passed away May 23^rd at the age of 91.

Eric Carle has written and illustrated more than seventy books, his most famous of all "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" which, I think, every child born after 1969 must have read. Here is a very tiny, small selection.

Eric Carle, you have given so many kids (and their parents) so much joy. Sorry that it's time to say goodbye.

10 Little Rubber Ducks
A House for Hermit Crab 
Does A Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?
From Head to Toe
Hello, Red Fox!
I See a Song
Pancakes! Pancakes!
Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me
The Tiny Seed

Obama, Barack "Of Thee I Sing"

Obama, Barack "Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to my Daughters" - 2010

This is one of the cutest picture books I have seen. Every page adds a new example of a person who is an ideal for as all. There is Martin Luther King jr., Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, but also Helen Keller, Billie Holiday and many, many fabulous people who do their bit in order to make this world a better one.

Barack Obama wrote this for his daughters when they were little. It shows how much he loves not just his own children but people in general. He shows the compassionate president he would become (the book was written before he was elected). The world needs more people like him and those he quotes in this book.

The illustrations are also wonderful. On the first page you see Malia and Sasha with their Portuguese water dog, Bo, then, on every page they add another character who is the famous person he introduces as a child, they are smart, creative and inspriring, part of a family, never give up … And they then join in the group of children who watch the next person. Beautiful.

Loren Long, the illustrator, has also written some books of his own and they are just as beautifully illustrated as this one.

I think this is a great book, especially if you have young children and want to guide them on the right path. You can tell from the family Obama how important love is and how it can be given and what it does to the children.

It shows the kids how one person can change the world if they just pursue their ideas.

Definitely one of my favourite books of the year.

From the back cover:

"In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, former President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped his nation. From the artistry of Georgia O'Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington, Barack Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children and within all children.

Evocative illustrations by the award-winning artist Loren Long at once capture the personalities and achievements of these great Americans, and the innocence and promise of childhood.

This book celebrates the potential within all of us to pursue our dreams and forge our own paths."

Barack Obama received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2009 "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.".

I contribute to this page: Read the Nobels and you can find all my blogs about Nobel Prize winning authors and their books here.

Jansson, Tove "Moominsummer Madness"

Jansson, Tove "Moominsummer Madness" (Finnish: Vaarallinen juhannus) - 1954

I hadn't read anything about the "Moomins" but I'd heard about them and seen their pictures everywhere. They're cute. I can only explain my ignorance of the books by the fact that we spent most of our sons' childhoods in England where they were not as popular as elsewhere.

So, I never read the "Moomins" as a child nor did I read them while my children were little. I suppose my perspective would have been a little different.

I read it with my online book club, all of us grown-ups, some of us with little kids, others with no kids or grown-up kids, like me. And a large number of Finnish members which is why this book was chosen, I guess. I quite liked it though I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read it with a child. Or maybe if I'd read the first book first. This was number 5 and the author assumed we know who is who and, even more important, what is what. So, the Moomins belong to the trolls, then there are mymbles, hemuls, fillyjonks, and a rat.

The Moomins live in a house in Moomin valley. When a volcano erupts, the valley is flooded and the Moomins have to seek shelter elsewhere. They find a theatre that they don't recognize as such since they've never seen or heard of one before but in the end they even present a play, even if somewhat haphazardly.

There is plenty of depth in the story, though, to be enjoyed by adults, as well. The characters may be eccentric but they seem to be just as "normal" as us human beings. Good writing and good psychology. The story is easy to follow yet not boring.

This was our international online book club read in March 2021.

Some thoughts by the members:

• I felt the book really uplifted my spirit, while we are living isolated from travel and much wild adventures.
• Some of the author's special ideals and characteristics came out well in the story, too, I think. 
• And the ending was hilarious with the totally ruined theatre.
• I found it very philosophical, positive, and quirky. 
  

From the back cover:

"When a flood sweeps through the valley, the Moomins must find a new house. And with typical Moomin good luck, one just happens to be floating by. It looks normal enough, but there are curtains where one wall should be, strange rows of lights, and other odd amenities. Then Moomintroll and the Snork Maiden disappear, and the family realize that the house may hold the answers to more than they ever dreamed."

Dodd, Lynley "Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy"

Dodd, Lynley "Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy" - 1983

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. Already the title makes you want to dive into the book and the illustration is very inviting, as well. All the kids used to love him. The rhymes are just too cute. The animals are so funny, starting with their names, Schnitzel von Krumm or Muffin McClay, for example, not to forget Hercules Morse.

If you have a little one and haven't read this to them, yet, Apparently, there are twenty books about all his friends now. And the author is from New Zealand, something I didn't know when I shared this book with my children.

From the back cover:

"Hairy Maclary goes off for a walk in town, followed by a few friends. All is uneventful until they meet Scarface Claw, the toughest tom in town, and run for home. The story is told by a brilliant, cumulative rhyming text and terrific pictures."

Carle, Eric "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"

Carle, Eric "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" - 1969

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is a lovely picture book that every child should have. It is such a lovely story but it is so beautifully illustrated and the children can "work" their way through the story.

My son's teacher did an art project with the kids, they had to do their very own Eric Carle picture, the children really enjoyed doing this and it was great for those kids that believe they "can't do art".

Besides enjoying a cute story, kids can learn a lot from this book, for example that eating too much can make you sick. But also the circle of life, a caterpillar doesn't stay a caterpillar all his life but has to eat and grow in order to become a beautiful butterfly.

All in all, a very educational book with a charming little story.

From the back cover:

"One sunny Sunday, the little caterpillar was hatched out of a tiny egg. He was very hungry. On Monday, he ate through one apple; on Tuesday, he ate through two pears; on Wednesday, he ate through three plums--and he was still hungry. Strikingly bold, colorful pictures and a simple text in large, clear type tell the story of the hungry little caterpillar's progress through an amazing variety and quantity of foods. Full at last, he made a cocoon around around himself and went to sleep, to wake up a few weeks later wonderfully transformed into a butterfly!

Brilliantly innovative designer and artist Eric Carle has dramatized the story of one of Nature's commonest yet loveliest marvels, the metamorphosis of the butterfly, in a picture book to delight as well as instruct the very youngest reader or listener."

According to Wikipedia, "in a 2012 survey of School Library Journal readers, 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' was voted the number two children's picture book behind 'Where the Wild Things Are'."

LeSieg, Theo (=Dr. Seuss) "The Cat in the Hat"

LeSieg, Theo (=Dr. Seuss) "The Cat in the Hat" - 1957

An absolute classic. A children's book that is just as much enjoyed by the adult reading it to them as to the first reader who manages their way through the pages. It is not surprising that it still belongs to every kid's library after more than half a century. We can tell that nothing has changed, children still like to hear of mischief but love to learn from it to. An early "stranger danger" story but with a lot of fun.

So, whether you have little children or not, this is a cute book for the hidden child in all of us.

From the back cover:

"Join the Cat in the Hat as he makes learning to read a joy! It’s a rainy day and Dick and Sally can’t find anything to do . . . until the Cat in the Hat unexpectedly appears and turns their dreary afternoon into a fun-filled extravaganza! This beloved Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss, which also features timeless Dr. Seuss characters such as Fish and Thing 1 and Thing 2, is fun to read aloud and easy to read alone. Written using 236 different words that any first or second grader can read, it’s a fixture in home and school libraries and a favorite among parents, beginning readers, teachers, and librarians.
Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning."

Theo LeSieg received the Pulitzer Prize for all his works in 1984.

Donaldson, Julia "The Gruffalo"

Donaldson, Julia "The Gruffalo" - 1999

A happy book. A funny book. A book about an animal that doesn't exist and therefore might have terrible claws and terrible jaws but can't scare you because after all ... it does not exist.

This was a huge favourite in our house when the boys were little. It reminds you of a fairy tale but is a modern storybook. Lots of beautiful illustrations, a funny but simple story, not as short as some other board books, already a "big kid" book but equally enjoyed by kids of any age. It rhymes, you can almost sing along to the rhythm, but you can definitely growl and hoot along, imitate all the animal sounds from the forest.

Charming.

From the back cover:

"A mouse is taking a stroll through the deep, dark wood when along comes a hungry fox, then an owl, and then a snake. The mouse is good enough to eat but smart enough to know this, so he invents . . . the gruffalo! As Mouse explains, the gruffalo is a creature with terrible claws, and terrible tusks in its terrible jaws, and knobbly knees and turned-out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of its nose. But Mouse has no worry to show. After all, there’s no such thing as a gruffalo. . ."

I saw it's also available in a Scottish edition. That should be fun.

McBratney, Sam "Guess How Much I Love You"

McBratney, Sam "Guess How Much I Love You" - 1994

Another beautiful book to share with the little ones that is as beautiful for them as for us. A beautiful bedtime story where the child can interact, can pretend to be Little Nutbrown Hare who loves Big Nutbrown Hare to the moon and back.

And we can love this book to the moon and beyond. The illustrations are beautiful, the language is simple but catching. Perfect.

From the back cover:

"'Guess how much I love you,' says Little Nutbrown Hare. Little Nutbrown Hare shows his daddy how much he loves him: as wide as he can reach and as far as he can hop. But Big Nutbrown Hare, who can reach farther and hop higher, loves him back just as much. Well then Little Nutbrown Hare loves him right up to the moon, but that's just halfway to Big Nutbrown Hare's love for him."

Numeroff, Laura "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"

Numeroff, Laura "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" - 1985

This is one of the many books that you read to your children, that they then read to themselves even though it is "only" a picture book and that you thoroughly enjoy because it reminds you so much of your own life. The mouse is like the little child that wants this and that and then something else. It teaches them about consequences.

Hilarious. Beautiful illustrations.

A happy book that I'm glad I found for my kids when they were little. A timeless classic.

From the back cover:

"If a hungry little traveler shows up at your house, you might want to give him a cookie. If you give him a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. He'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache, and then he'll ask for a pair of scissors to give himself a trim....

The consequences of giving a cookie to this energetic mouse run the young host ragged, but young readers will come away smiling at the antics that tumble like dominoes through the pages of this delightful picture book."

Munsch, Robert "Love You Forever"

Munsch, Robert "Love You Forever" - 1986

I remember reading this book to my children when they were little and they really loved it. Such a beautiful story. It almost reads like a song.

And even though my boys are in their twenties, I keep telling me that they will always be my babies. If your kids are grown up and you want to feel a little nostalgic for their baby years - as if anyone would need a book for that! - this is the right one.

A fabulous story for little children and a great gift to young parents.

From the back cover:

"A young woman holds her newborn son
And looks at him lovingly. Softly she sings to him:
"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be."
So begins the story that has touched the hearts of millions worldwide. Since publication in l986, 'Love You Forever' has sold more than 15 million copies in paperback and the regular hardcover edition (as well as hundreds of thousands of copies in Spanish and French)."

Sendak, Maurice "Where The Wild Things Are"

Sendak, Maurice "Where The Wild Things Are" - 1963

I think everyone born after the year 1960 must have had this book read to them when they were little. At least those in the English speaking world. Even though it has been translated into several languages in the meantime, I don't think it was around when I was little.

Anyway, the story reminds me a lot of the fairy tales we used to listen to and read when we were little. I loved them all but never became a fantasy fan. But this story is different, it IS a fairy tale, even though it wasn't written at the times of the Brothers Grimm.

Definitely a classic that is still worth picking up.

According to Wikipedia, "in a 2012 survey of School Library Journal readers, it was voted the number one picture book - and not for the first time."

From the back cover:

"One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest begins to grow in Max's room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king, and then the wild rumpus begins. But when Max has sent the monsters to bed, and everything is quiet, he starts to feel lonely and realises it is time to sail home to the place where someone loves him best of all."

Potter, Beatrix "The Tale of Peter Rabbit"

Potter, Beatrix "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" - 1902

I absolutely love the Beatrix Potter Stories. "Peter Rabbit" is probably the best known one but there are also many many other animals we get to know through this talented artist.

Her stories are delightful, her pictures bright and beautiful, the most lovely illustrations throughout the whole book. Throughout all of the books. You can tell she studied animals, loved nature. You just have to love the drawings as well as the cute names she gives her creations, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, just too cute.

The story itself has a message to always listen to your parents, something we can find in many children's books, especially of that time.

The stories make us feel at home, make us remember cozy winter nights in front of a fireplace, sitting on mum's or dad's lap and listening to a story. Although I am sure this didn't happen to me in childhood, not growing up with English as my mother tongue, I only learned about Beatrix Potter in later life, more or less through my own children. But I still seem to "recall" those moments just when looking into those books. Beautifully made.

From the back cover:

"The quintessential cautionary tale, Peter Rabbit warns naughty children about the grave consequences of misbehaving. When Mrs. Rabbit beseeches her four furry children not to go into Mr. McGregor's garden, the impish Peter naturally takes this as an open invitation to create mischief. He quickly gets in over his head, when he is spotted by farmer McGregor himself. Any child with a spark of sass will find Peter's adventures remarkably familiar. And they'll see in Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail that bane of their existence: the 'good' sibling who always does the right thing. One earns bread and milk and blackberries for supper, while the obstinate folly of the other warrants medicine and an early bedtime."

Photo ABC

I am a member of a photo group where we get a prompt for every day and have to take an appropriate picture. Because we had the alphabet one month, I decided to do a book theme.

I always added either the link to my blog or to the books. I have decided to post a picture every week so my booky friends can enjoy them, as well.

K is for ... Kids. From all over the world.

Barbara Kindersley "Children just like me" DK

All the children's books I reviewed can be found here.

Hoffmann, Heinrich "Struwwelpeter"

Hoffmann, Heinrich "Struwwelpeter" (or Shockheaded/Slovenly Peter) (German: Der Struwwelpeter) - 1845

Not necessarily my most favourite children's book but it's a classic German one that I know from my childhood and that is still around. The author was a doctor and nowadays people think that everything in this book is too cruel. But thousands and thousands of children grew up with them and I don't remember suffering from them - same as with fairy tales that are supposed to be too cruel now and need to be sugarcoated. In general, children have a good sense of justice and even think that the characters deserve the punishment.

In the book itself, children are punished for their "deeds". Some of them don't sound too bad but some really are not very nice but the punishments are all pretty harsh. For example, there is the boy who won't eat his soup but then there is also one who terrorizes animals.

The author wrote and illustrated this book for his own three-year old son.

The book has been so popular in the past that there are a lot of adaptations/new versions of it, the most popular one probably "Struwwelliese", the female version. It has also been translated into many different languages.

Some of the stories have been taken over into the German language, if we talk about a "Zappelphillipp", for example, we talk about a child who cannot sit still. Nowadays, in German we talk about the "Zappelphillipp-Syndrom" when talking about ADHD A lot of the problems the kids have in the book are also taken into account in psychology, Dr. Hoffmann certainly was ahead of his time.

From the back cover:

"Pauline knew not to play with matches, Philip's parents told him not to fidget, and Conrad was duly warned about the tailor who snips off thumbsuckers' thumbs - a morbidly hilarious, much-loved classic volume of cautionary verses 

In December 1844, Dr. Heinrich Hoffmann, a German doctor, couldn't find a suitable book to give his three-year-old son as a Christmas present. Instead he bought a blank book and set out to write and draw what was to become his world-famous picture book. Hoffmann filled his book with dazzling and gruesome stories and pictures that he had invented to try to put his frightened young patients at their ease. After its publication in 1845, the book's popularity continued to grow and it has been published in thousands of editions throughout the world.

Now just over 150 years old, Struwwelpeter (Slovenly Peter) is an unforgettable and morbid collection of stories that show children the horrific outcomes of naughty behavior. Other characters in this classic collection of cautionary tales include Simple Hans, Phoebe Ann, the proud girl and Jimmy Sliderlegs."

Busch, Wilhelm "Max and Moritz"

Busch, Wilhelm "Max and Moritz" (German: Max und Moritz) - 1865

"Ah, how oft we read or hear of
Boys we almost stand in fear of!
For example, take these stories
of two youths, named Max and Moritz,
Who, instead of early turning
Their young minds to useful learning,
Often leered with horrid features
At their lessons and their teachers."

This is the English translation of the first lines of this story that was and is so well known to German children. I found an online version in English here at Children's Books Online.

The stories are probably considered too harsh today to be read to children but I think only people who wouldn't read fairy tales to children, either, would think that. Children love fairy tales and this is almost like a fairy tale, however, without magic and without a happy ending.

Still, if you like to get to know some classical children's books, "Max and Moritz" definitely belong to them. They are very mischievous, anything young boys would like to do they do. But in the end they get punished hardly. So, maybe parents thought that might be a lesson for children that they don't do anything bad. I doubt that has ever stopped on but I loved the stories of Max and Moritz as a child and still appreciate the rhymes the melody of which has been well transposed into English.

See more comments on my ThrowbackThursday post in 2025.

From the back cover:

"A new translation by Andy Gaus of these classic popular satirical Wilhelm Busch cartoons, with original illustrations, in black and white, throughout. This volume includes Max & Moritz a Bad-Boy Story in Seven Tricks; Ice Peter, A Funny Picture Story; Diogenes and the Bad Boys of Corinth; four poems from Critique of the Heart; and a biographical note on Wilhelm Busch."