Question to KermittheFrau or anyone who might be able to compare English and German children's books...

[emkana]

... do you think that there is a far wider range of really well written picture books in English? Whenever I go into a German bookshop they seem to be really into the factual lift-the-flap type books. Or am I missing something?

Yes. Absolutely. I think there is much better writing for small children around in English than in German. I find the German ones either, as you said, very factual or terribly bland and saccharine (occasionally both at once). IMO German children's writing comes more into its own in the older children category.

Hello, lovely to "see" you! How are your boys?

On the topic itself, it's such a shame, because I would really like to read lots of German stuff to them, but I haven't found anything that is as much fun to read out loud as say Julia Donaldson.

I love Petterson and Findus and Mama Muh though, but they are not German in the strict sense.

The boys are wonderful, em ds1 has just had his first-ever really really grotty cold/cough thing, ds2 shrugging it off. How are you and yours?

There is a German translation of the Gruffalo, in case you hadn't seen it - Der Grüffelo

Just been to ds1's bookshelves. It's 90% English stuff, and the few German books he has are of the factual or bland variety What dh often does is look at an English book with ds1, providing an improvised, loose German translation. Great fun to listen to and I suppose to do as well.

All well here I'm glad to say

The dd's won't accept German impromptu translations anymore since they are old enough to know now which book was written in English or German.

Another speciality of dh's is to 'improve' on the stories of particularly anodyne books (be they English or German)...

This is intriguing me now - am going to head off in search of good German writing for small children.

Glad things are good, em

Was in the Rheinland recently. Maybe one of these days our paths will cross!

That would be lovely!

And I'd be very interested if you find good books to read out loud!

Wait till they are a little older though, and you can introduce them to the wonderful Cornelia Funke.

Rosa - aren't you the one with the huge book surplus? Have you posted a list of duplicates?

I know many German people adore Janosch, but my girls aren't that keen.

How old are they? Cornelia Funke books are written in German, and some of her books for younger children have recently been published in English. Ghost hunters or something? But were published in German first. They're not picture books, but not scary, scary. I would certainly say fine for age 7 or so, younger if not too sensitive.

the first one in English

and in German

Emil was fantastic! I loved all of Erich Kaestner. Wait til they're older, they can enjoy the German then.

Not to forget Ottfied Preussler (Die kleine Hexe, Der Raeuber Hotzenplotz, Das kleine Gespenst), Elke Loewe (Piggeldy und Frederick) and I believe Astrid Lindgren's books are more widely available in German than in English (although I have seen Pipi Longstocking has appeared now)

I agree emkana - at lot of the really good younger children's books we have in German are translations of English books - Mog, the tiger who came to tea etc.
Mine have never been interested in Janosch books, even though his books were considered to be the pinnacle of preschool literature in my day
I do think that the German selection for older children is much better than in the UK though. And I much prefer German bookshops - they're a decent size, not just a tiny book department tucked into a corner of WHSmith.

I've just introduced my dsssses to Cornelia Funke as I'm desperate for them to read more German.
Hexe Lilli was v popular at primary school with girls, and Conni Macht ...(everything imaginable and annoyingly well)

Second Preussler.

Mil brings the children books often and I noticed that 19/20 are German translations of English books

Oetinger translate a lot of English books to German. You could look at their list.

Hi,

I had the same impression. We were always inundated by grandparents with (v. good, just too many) lift the flap fact books, similar impression in German bookshops.

In my hometown I visited a library and the selection was a lot better than the bookshops - try it if/when you get to Germany. You could still then order the books you like.

Some suggestions

Mira Lobe (Zwei Elefanten)
James Krüss (Henriette Bimmelbahn)
Paul Maar (Nun schlaf auch gut) (for age 2 approx)

ok not originally German but not available in English I think:
Gunilla Bergström (Willy Wiberg books) and 70s style - but my children love(d) them (good for age 3-5 approx)

And nothing stopped us reading Julia Donaldson in German. The translations are good and my children enjoyed both versions. At least Axel Scheffler, the illustrator, is German

dd liked various Briefe von Felix books, scroll down to see the others:

www.amazon.de/Abenteuerliche-kleiner-erforscht-Planeten-Bilderb%C3%BCcher/dp/3815714001

She doesn't mind whether books are translated from Engish generally. When she was a beginning reader, she quite liked Nick Nase (easy-reader detective stories).

www.amazon.de/b?ie=UTF8&node=347120011

I'm not sure what level you are looking for though. She's reading a lot of the Shelti the Shetland Pony books at the moment, translated from English. She tends to discover some series and read the whole lot.

I see a lot of horse/pony books which are not translated from English. See this one and the dvd for it around a lot but we haven't read it:

www.amazon.de/H%C3%A4nde-weg-von-Mississippi-Ab/dp/3791504533

There's the equivalent of the Roman mysteries too, not translated, but that might still be too difficult for your dd.