books

the 

world 

through 

picture 

books 

Librarians’ favourite 

books from their country 

Edited by 

Annie Everall OBE and Viviana Quiñones 

Expanded 

2 nd edition 

500 books 

in 37 languages

the 

world 

through 

picture 


Librarians’ favourite books 

from their country 

Expanded 2 nd edition 

Edited by 

Annie Everall OBE and Viviana Quiñones 

A programme of Section Libraries for Children and Young Adults, 

IFLA – International Federation of Library Associations and 

Institutions – in collaboration with IFLA Section Literacy and Reading 

and IBBY – International Board on Books for Young People. 

Programme co-ordination: 

Annie Everall, in collaboration with Viviana Quiñones

About the editors 

Annie Everall is a Director of ‘Authors Aloud UK’ and a children’s books, 

libraries and reading consultant. During her career she has developed 

and managed a range of award winning innovative library services 

and reading initiatives in the UK including the Derbyshire Big Book Bash 

for Children in Care, Derbyshire Book Pushers programme of teenage 

reading advocates, the Birmingham Centre for the Child, The Young 

Readers UK children’s literature festival and the Stories from the Web 

online reader development initiative. She is a children’s book reviewer, 

serves on the CILIP School Libraries Group committee and the Journal 

of Librarianship and Information Science editorial board. She has been Chair 

of the CILIP Youth Libraries Group and the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway 

Awards. She has been the UK representative on the Libraries for Children 

and Young Adults section committee of IFLA and is currently Chair 

of the Literacy & Reading Section. In 2001 she was awarded the OBE 

(Order of the British Empire) for services to children’s books and libraries. 

Viviana Quiñones, from Argentina and France, has worked since 1985 

at the French National Centre for Children’s Literature – formerly known 

as La Joie par les livres – which became part of the Bibliothèque nationale 

de France in 2008. At its International Department, she has cooperated 

with African librarians and publishers since 1987. She has developed the 

collection of African books for young people and promoted them through 

exhibitions. She was a founder of the journal for children’s librarians 

Takam Tikou in 1989 and has been its editor and contributor since then. 

She has managed an African network for children’s reading and taught 

many training sessions in different countries. She edited the best-selling 

handbook Faire vivre une bibliothèque jeunesse : Guide de l’animateur (2005) 

and has published numerous articles and papers. She is a standing 

committee member of IFLA section Libraries for Children and Young 

Adults since 2007; she initiated its Sister Library programme in 2009 

and is currently Chair of the section. 

http://www.ifla.org/en/node/6718 

Illustrations by David Pintor, www.davidpintor.com 

Design by Ursula Held, ursula@helddesign.com 

The World through Picture Books / Edited by Annie Everall and Viviana Quiñones 

The Hague, IFLA Headquarters, 2015 – 218 p. 30 cm. (IFLA Professional Reports: 136) 

ISSN 0168-1931 

Annie Everall and Viviana Quiñones, 2015. 

This work (except book covers and other images) is licensed under the Creative 

Commons Attribution 3.0 (Unported) license. To view a copy of this license, visit: 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

the 

world 

through 

picture 


Contents 

5 Foreword 

7 The World through 

Picture Books 

7 Aims of the Programme 

7 Criteria for Book Selection 

7 Information required for each title 

8 Country Participation 

8 Information on the Selections 

8 Book Exhibitions 

8 Presentations at IFLA Conferences 

8 Impact of the Programme 

9 Ideas for using The World through 

Picture Books 

11 Book Purchase 

11 What next? 

13 Algeria 

16 Argentina 

20 Australia 

24 Benin 

28 Brazil 

33 Cameroon 

36 Colombia 

39 Croatia 

44 Denmark 

48 Estonia 

52 Finland 

55 France 

58 Germany 

61 Greenland 

64 Guadeloupe (France) 

68 Guyane (France) 

72 Haiti 

76 Hungary 

80 India 

83 Italy 

89 Ivory Coast 

93 Japan 

97 Korea (Republic of) 

101 Lebanon 

104 Madagascar 

108 Mali 

111 Martinique (France) 

114 Mauritius 

117 Netherlands 

120 New Zealand 

123 Nigeria 

126 Norway 

130 Philippines 

133 Poland 

139 Qatar 

143 Quebec (Canada) 

147 Reunion Island (France) 

153 Romania 

157 Russian Federation 

161 Senegal 

164 Serbia 

167 Singapore 

170 Slovenia 

181 South Africa 

184 Spain 

189 Sweden 

192 Switzerland 

198 Togo 

202 Turkey 

208 United Arab Emirates 

212 United Kingdom 

216 USA

the 

world 

through 

picture 


Foreword 

By Viviana Quiñones 

Chair, IFLA Section Libraries 

for Children and Young Adults 

viviana.quinones@bnf.fr 

We are very happy to publish the second edition of The World through Picture Books, enriched 

with sixteen new annotated lists. This new edition proves even more the very enthusiastic, 

skilled participation of librarians and the great success of this international programme. 

The programme deals with something we children’s librarians must never lose sight 

of, even if we are so busy with new technologies, budget restrictions, everyday work…: 

read children’s books and choose the best ones for our readers. And what does “best” mean? 

One thing it surely means is very good books from the readers’ own country and from as many 

other countries as possible… This is why, inspired by Kazuko Yoda’s request to our Committee 

for advice on the” top ten” picture books in Committee members’ countries, we launched 

“The World through Picture Books” programme in 2011. 

Librarians from fifty-two countries (or parts of countries) have made their choices which we 

publish here, with book presentations in the thirty-seven languages of publication, together 

with the English translation. Papers on picture books in several countries were presented 

at IFLA conferences in Helsinki, Singapore and Lyon and are on-line. Thanks to publishers’ 

generosity, two sets of touring book exhibitions were made, that have been shown in Finland, 

Japan, Korea, Italy, France, Reunion Island and Serbia. These collections are based in the 

National Libraries of France and Japan and are available to be booked by any country wishing 

to exhibit them. 

We wish to warmly thank all country co-ordinators and all children’s librarians in all the 

countries that have worked for this programme: it is their participation that makes it valuable. 

We also wish to thank Annie Everall for the hard co-ordination work she has done and finally, 

our thanks to all publishers, who made the exhibitions possible. 

The programme has allowed for librarians in each country to work together, to reflect on their 

own book creation and to share it with the world and on the other hand, to discover other 

cultures through the infinite richness of picture book publishing. The World through Picture 

Books celebrates bibliodiversity and language diversity. Children’s literature is a treasure for 

young and not so young people. Some countries’ best books are very well known, but those 

from most countries are not… We hope these lists of favourites from all continents will allow 

for many happy new readings all over the world. 

the world through picture books • foreword • 5

The World 

through 

Picture Books 

the 

world 

through 

picture 


By Annie Everall OBE 

annie@alannie.demon.co.uk 

with Viviana Quiñones 


Children’s Librarians all over the world understand how important picture books in both 

traditional and digital formats are for children: for their development, their cultural identity, 

as a springboard into learning to read for themselves; for their visual skills, and because of the 

closeness of sharing them with an adult. It is then very important to promote picture books 

and to ensure access to them. The idea behind the World Through Picture Books is to create 

a selection of picture books from around the world that have been recommended by librarians, 

The programme is led by IFLA Children’s and Young Adults section with support from partners 

IFLA Literacy and Reading section and IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People). 

All Information on the programme can be found on www.ifla.org/node/6718, as well as the 

poster and this catalogue that can be downloaded without charge. 

Aims of the Programme 

To create selections of picture books from around the world that have been recommended 

by librarians and which can then be used: 

– As a way of celebrating and promoting the languages, cultures and quality of children’s 

publishing around the world 

– By countries wishing to purchase books from other countries and looking for ‘favourite’ titles 

– By Sister Libraries as a way of exploring the children’s literature of their ‘Sister Library’ country 

(for IFLA Sister Library Programme, see www.ifla.org/libraries-for-children-and-ya/projects) 

Criteria for Book Selection 

Each country is asked to submit ten picture book titles: 

– Suitable for children aged between 0-11 

– Books that are ‘favourites’, that have lasted or will last the test of time, and are seen 

as classics, representing the best in picture books from that country 

– Must have been published by the country submitting them 

– Are available in the original language 

– Are of a good quality and a high standard of publishing 

– Have text and illustrations that work very well together 

– Reflect a positive message 

– Are excellent for reading aloud and sharing with children 

– Are in print and therefore still available for purchase 

Information required for each title 

Each country is asked to provide the following information for each of the titles included 

in their list: 

– Name of the author 

– Name of the illustrator 

– Title of the book in the original language and its meaning in English 

– Date of publication 

– ISBN 

– A colour image of the front cover 

– A brief review of the book (in English and in the original language of the book) 

the world through picture books • introduction • 7

Country Participation 

Fifty-two selections have been received, from countries or from parts of countries which have 

asked for a separate selection, due to their specific cultural identity and publishing context. 

Each selection of ten titles was organised in the way that worked best for the country. 

In some cases there was collaboration between IFLA members, IBBY, Library Associations 

and a range of national youth library organisations. A variety of methods were used from online 

surveys and national nominations and country wide voting to small groups of librarians 

discussing and determining their list. The introductions to the country lists explain how the 

choices were made and sometimes, give information on the country’s book publishing for 

children. For additional Information, country co-ordinators’ names and email addresses are 

given at the beginning of each selection. 

Information on the Selections 

The books within each list are arranged in the order that the country sent them to us. Some are 

alphabetical and some have been arranged in order of votes received or priority given to them. 

The reviews are published in English and the original language of the book. The English spellings 

of words have also been left as they would be in each individual country. For more information 

or comments about a particular list, the contact person for each country is mentioned on 

its pages. If your country has not yet chosen its list of ‘favourite’ books but you would like to 

become involved, please contact Annie Everall – email annie@alannie.demon.co.uk 

Book Exhibitions 

Two touring exhibition collections of the books were created, thanks to donations by the 

publishers. These were exhibited in Finland (Joensuu and Helsinki) and France (Lyon) as part 

of IFLA 2012 and 2014 conferences, and also in Japan, Korea, Reunion Island and Serbia. Articles 

on these exhibitions were published In IFLA section Libraries for Children and Young Adults’ 

Newsletter in its issues of June 2013, January and June 2014 and January 2015, and can be read on 

line on http://www.ifla.org/publications/51 Some exhibitors translated the book presentations 

into their own language; a complete edition of the catalogue was published in Serbian. 

The exhibition sets are based in the National Libraries of Japan and France and are available 

for loan to libraries in any country wishing to exhibit them – each country will be responsible 

for costs of transportation, insurance and security. All practical information on the exhibition 

loan can be found on www.ifla.org/node/6718 

Presentations at IFLA Conferences 

Papers were presented at IFLA conferences, enabling participants to learn more about 

the project and focusing on picture books in different countries. These illustrated 

presentations can be found on the IFLA site, on these pages: http://conference.ifla.org/pastwlic/2012/2012-08-13.htm 

and http://library.ifla.org/1057 

Impact of the Programme 

This has been a wonderful project to be involved with and its impact continues to grow. 

Those librarians who have been involved have very much enjoyed organising the list for their 

country and feel that they have learned a great deal. The programme has provided a valuable 

opportunity to celebrate children’s books and the particular richness of children’s picture book 

publishing around the world, as well as strengthening the partnership between librarians, 

publishers and authors. The publishers and authors feel honoured and proud to be featured 

in these lists, especially as they have been nominated by librarians. Perhaps the most positive 

impact is that children are being enabled to share stories and pictures for all parts of the world. 

“It was so much fun to read books from various countries!”, “It was a great opportunity to find a library with so 

many picture books from all over the world!” 

Comments from visitors to the exhibition at the International Library of Children’s Literature in Tokyo 


“We always talk about picture books bringing the whole world to both kids and grown-ups. Here, we have picture 

books from all around the world! The exhibition is such an amazing idea. It beats everything I’ve seen about 

cultural exchange for kids.” 

Amira A. Abed, Children’s Editorial Advisor and School Libraries Specialist, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing 

“In fact this exhibition was a way to discover otherness, customs and behaviours of different countries, through 

the stories and the pictures. On the other hand, children were also most happy to find that some of their heroes 

were shared by other children from other countries – like in Where the Wild Things Are, The Very Hungry 

Caterpillar, Good Night Moon… They found out that even though they came from different cultures, they 

enjoyed the same books as other children living elsewhere in the world. Adults were interested and curious, and 

thought about the exhibitiion as a window on the wide world. Because it was children’s books, it was very easy 

to get into it and quite agreeable to look at. We were sorry that the exhibition could not stay with us for a longer 

time: in fact, this could be a permanent exhibition, because there are many ways to discover it.” 

Librarians of the Municipal Library of Saint-Pierre, Reunion Island 

“The children were delighted with the books and illustrations; they were very engaged and asked many interesting 

questions. Educators and teachers who accompanied them believed that the exhibition was a great way for 

children to learn about other cultures, customs, myths, legends, alphabets… In a way, it was an opportunity for 

these children to travel around the world.” 

Jelena Dragojlović, Kreativni centar, co-organiser of the exhibition at Belgrade City Library 

“It is astonishing enough for me that British librarians chose to include Dear Zoo in this prestigious top ten for the 

IFLA project, but the knowledge that the book will then be part of an international exhibition as well is extremely 

humbling. I am quite overcome by this huge accolade, and can only thank those librarians nationwide who felt 

Dear Zoo deserved to be on the list.” 

Rod Campbell, author and illustrator of Dear Zoo 

Ideas for using The World through Picture Books 

There are many ways for a library or school to benefit from the programme, whether by using 

this catalogue alone, or with the books you already have or you will purchase, or with the whole 

exhibition if you are able to loan it. Colleagues from around the world have shared with us 

the ways in which they have already used the lists, the books, and/or the exhibition as well as 

the ideas they have for new ways to use them. If you also have new ideas, please let us know. 

For librarians 

– If you are unable to have the main exhibition 

collection in your library, then exhibit the 

ten books from your country list and use it 

as an opportunity to get children and their 

parents to look at them. You can also exhibit 

the translations into your language of books 

from other countries. 

– Use your own country list to generate publicity 

for the picture book publishing in your country. 

– Build your own knowledge of books 

from other countries. 

– Via the country co-ordinators, build and 

maintain contact with librarians who made 

the selections. 

– Use the information in the catalogue to build 

your international collection: select books 

to buy, both in the same language as yours and 

in other languages which are relevant to your 

readers - the languages they learn at school, 

those spoken in their families’ country of 

origin… Programme activities with those books. 

– Set up regular meetings with other librarians 

in your area to talk about the books, discuss 

about possible book purchases and book 

exchanges amongst you. 

– Introduce the catalogue to teachers of foreign 

languages and to language communities 

in your area, find ways of working together 

around the books in their language. 

– Seek funding to bring an author / illustrator 

or speaker from one of the other countries 

to visit your library to talk to children. You can 

also invite a person from one of the other 

countries living in your area, or a member 

of an association of residents. 

– Use the books that may interest them more 

with adult literacy groups or young adults. 

– Connect with a Sister Library from one of the 

countries (see the List of participating libraries 

on http://www.ifla.org/node/1752) and 

organise activities around that country books 

with children. 

– If you or your colleagues have good IT skills, 

you can develop an app for the catalogue 

to bring the collection to life in your country. 


With children 

– Choose a country; explore all the books on 

the list of that country. You can find out more 

about the authors and illustrators from that 

country and more about the country itself, and 

then create your own book about that country. 

– Choose a country. Each child or group 

of children can work on one picture book 

and make a poster with: cover, title and 

information about the author and illustrator. 

All together, the children can then make a 

poster with a map, pictures and information 

about the country you chose. 

– Use the catalogue with children to encourage 

and inspire them to write and draw their own 

picture books. Show them the titles and brief 

descriptions and then let them create their 

own book. 

– Children can use a translation tool to translate 

a short passage of the text or of the review 

of a book into their own language. Use this 

to explore with them the issues of translating 

books into other languages. 

– Choose a story and get the children 

to dramatize it. 

– Choose a country and get the children you are 

working with to contact the co-ordinator of 

the list of that country to find out more about 

the books from that country. 

– Choose some countries in the catalogue and 

study their pages: what language or languages 

are spoken in that country? 

– Look at a range of covers and see if the 

children can work out which country each 

cover comes from. 

– Create ‘fan fiction’ – using the titles and the 

cover Illustrations get children to create their 

own versions of the stories, particularly those 

in languages that are not their own and see 

what they think the books are about. 

– Create a poll and get children voting on their 

favourite book cover. 

– Get children creating their own list of favourite 

books from their country and then compare it 

with the list that the librarians chose. 

– Get children to choose the book they like most 

from a country or their own country. Get them 

to explore the publisher – what else have 

they published etc. 

– There are lots of common themes in the books 

across all the countries e.g. fairy tales, food, 

fears, school, colour etc. Pick a theme to work 

on more closely with a selection of books. 

– A lot of the books have information based 

themes e.g. natural world, animals, health, 

emotions. Use them to explore the information 

books in the library. Link to topics in the school 

curriculum. 

– Take a common theme like food and explore 

this in the stories and then link to cooking 

and food health and create recipes and menus. 

– Use the folk and fairy tale books and 

get children writing alternative ending 

to the stories. 

– Work with a local dance group, take a story 

and create a dance programme based on it. 

– Work with a local multi-cultural organisation 

to explore diversity and cultural themes using 

the books. 

– Create a sound track for a book based on 

the setting e.g. street, market, beach, school. 

– Develop animated storyboards based on one 

of the books. 

– Get the children to choose their favourite 

colour and then see if they can find five 

books with their favourite colour on the 

cover. Get them to discuss the similarity and 

difference between the colours and the covers 

and then look at the books together. 

– Work with your Sister Library on activities 

linked to the lists of your countries: video 

children in your library reading books off your 

list aloud and get your Sister Library to do the 

same and then share the videos; explore the 

same story that has been published in your 

country and the country of your Sister Library. 

– In addition and complementary to the 

catalogue, explore the International Children’s 

Digital Library (http://en.childrenslibrary.org). 

Here there are thousands of picture books 

from all over the world to explore and it 

includes the full text versions (these digitised 

books were donated by publishers). 

– When you are exhibiting the collection in your 

country, there are many ways in which you can 

encourage children and adults to visit it and to 

actively get involved with it: organise a range 

of school class visits to see the exhibition, 

organise authors and illustrators to come and 

visit the exhibition and to talk to children about 

the process of creating a picture book, Invite 

authors / illustrators / ambassadors or speakers 

from other countries to visit the exhibition. 

– Use the exhibition in several libraries – organise 

a festival, authors’ readings, talks about the 

countries, food discovery. 

– Encourage visiting school groups to use the list 

of participating countries to create a “picture 

book map” back in their class room and then 

work on finding out more about the featured 

countries. 


– Encourage visiting schools to become 

Sister Libraries with a library in one of the 

picture book countries (see www.ifla.org/ 

libraries-for-children-and-ya/projects). 

– Combine a tour of the exhibition with the 

school curriculum – geography, literature, 

visual arts, languages etc. 

– Choose a country; find out more about the 

authors and illustrators who are featured in the 

list, which ones are still actively creating picture 

books. Decide on the picture book you are 

most interested in and read it. Discuss which 

questions you would like to ask the author 

/ illustrator and then write a letter to her / him. 

– Use the pictures in the books from other 

countries to get children saying or writing 

what they think the story is about. Afterwards, 

you can compare their stories to the actual 

book reviews in the catalogue. 

– Develop interactive readings from different 

books. Librarians read the books in the original 

languages and then create a PowerPoint 

translation of it with pictures. Use this to 

help children learn new words, find out about 

the authors / illustrators, other books, the 

tales, interests and passions of readers from 

other countries. 

– Make small posters of your favourite picture 

books using the front for the book cover and 

the back for information about the author / 

illustration and an annotation. Hang the posters 

like laundry on a line in your library or classroom. 

– Use drama, puppetry and mime to interpret 

a story. 

– Choose one of the picture books you 

are interested in, read it and then invent 

your own cover for it. 

– Use the picture books in languages unknown 

to the children, to get children writing their 

own stories using the pictures. Then, compare 

with the story as it is told in the book review 

in the catalogue. 

– Choose some books and ask a group of 

children to guess where each book comes 

from, and to explain how they guessed. 

– Use the books to explore empathy with 

children – look at expressions, eyes and faces 

in book in a language the children don’t 

understand. Talk about the what the children 

think the characters might be feeling etc. 

– Create a 3D art display based on a book 

(or an online version). 

– Lots of the books have music or sound 

elements in them – use them to create 

a musical version of the story. 

– Get the children to see if they can find five 

books with a dog/cat/animal/ house on 

the cover. Look at them and discuss the 

similarities/differences. Look in the books 

together and then sing songs / draw pictures 

about whatever you have been looking at. 

– Develop regular correspondence with one 

or more authors from the list. 

– Use the collection to deliver training on 

visual literacy and develop visual literacy 

activities for children. Prepare online notes 

and resources to support this. 

– Design a Treasure Hunt based on the collection 

e.g. find a book about the sea, find a book with 

a place name in the title, how many books 

have boxes or tables in them, etc. 

Book Purchase 

The featured books are favourites and therefore they are likely to remain available for 

purchasing. Most publishers’ contacts can be found on the Internet. When this is not the 

case, the best thing would be to write to the country coordinators – their names and email 

addresses are given on the first page of every country list. 

NB For books in French published in Africa, the Caribbean and Reunion Island, publishers’ 

addresses can be found in the “Carnet d’adresses” on http://takamtikou.bnf.fr 

What Next? 

Enjoy reading this catalogue, have fun using the activity ideas with children and remember 

to share any new ideas with us, borrow the exhibition if it is possible for you to do so. If your 

country list is not yet included then please organise it so that it can be Included in digital 

format in the online version of the catalogue. If you want more information contact Annie 

Everall (in English), email annie@alannie.demon.co.uk or Viviana Quiñones (in French or 

Spanish), email viviana.quinones@bnf.fr). Also remember that all of the information as well 

as the catalogue and the poster are downloadable on http://www.ifla.org/node/6718 


Books from 

Algeria 

Contact: Zahia Mezaoui 

zahia.mezaoui@if-algerie.com 

These Algerian picture books were selected by Zahia Mezaoui, a librarian 

working in the library of the Institut Français d’Alger. Written and illustrated 

by Algerian and French authors, they are published by Algerian publishing 

houses Casbah, Dalimen and Lazhari Labter. They are well illustrated, have 

an educational purpose and are designed to enrich the child’s imagination 

and curiosity. 

1 

Corinne Chevallier • Hocine Mechemache, ill. 

Le Seigneur triste, la jeune fille et les mois de l’année 

[The sad Lord, the girl and the months of the year] 

Casbah, 2009 • ISBN 9961002457 

In a distant land, lived a sad Lord in his dusty 

castle. Not far from the castle, nestled a small 

village where lived a pretty girl. She was so pretty 

that they said of her that she looked like a fairy 

and that she danced under the trees the nights of 

moonlight. Over the seasons, the months of the 

year passed, beginning by September that came 

earlier, before the end of August, so, it decided 

to house in the Lord’s castle. To thank him for his 

hospitality, September promised to take him in 

his house, so that he could smile again… 

Dans un pays lointain, vivait un seigneur triste dans 

son château poussiéreux. Non loin du château, vivait 

une jolie jeune fille dans un petit village. Elle était si 

jolie qu’on disait d’elle, qu’elle ressemblait à une fée 

et qu’elle dansait sous les arbres les nuits de pleine 

lune. Au fil des saisons, les mois de l’année passaient, 

en commençant par Septembre qui est venu plus tôt, 

avant la fin d’Août, et qui a décidé de se loger dans 

le château du Seigneur. Pour le remercier de son 

hospitalité, Septembre lui promet de l’emmener dans 

sa maison afin qu’il puisse retrouver le sourire ... 

2 


Le Lutin curieux qui voulait aller dans la lune 

[The curios elf who wanted to go to the moon] 

Casbah, 2009 • ISBN 9789961648452 

It is the story of an elf who was so in love with 

the moon that he spent his nights contemplating 

it. He had even built a house on a tree to be able 

to approach it. This elf had other particularities, 

he interfered in everything, was curious and 

everyone avoided him because of his stupidity. 

One morning, going to quench his thirst, he met 

an old woman wrapped in black; he approached 

her and asked who she was. The latter replied 

that she was the night, and promised to make 

him see the moon… 

C’est l’histoire d’un elfe qui était tellement amoureux 

de la lune qu’il passait ses nuits à la contempler. 

Il avait même construit une maison sur un arbre pour 

être en mesure de s’en approcher. Mais cet elfe avait 

d’autres particularités, il intervenait dans tout, du 

coup tout le monde l’évitait à cause de sa stupidité. 

Un matin, en allant étancher sa soif, il rencontra une 

vieille femme enveloppée de noir, il s’approcha d’elle 

et lui demanda qui elle était. Celui-ci répondit qu’elle 

était la nuit, et lui promit de lui faire voir la lune ... 

the world through picture books • books from algeria • 13

3 


Touil et la flûte magique [Touil and magic flute] 

Casbah, 2009 • ISBN 9789961648445 

Touil was the nickname of a little man who could 

not grow up (“Touil” means tall in Arabic). Touil 

was poor and did not have a house. As he offered 

his services to everyone, people asked him to live 

with them, in their house. But once his work was 

completed, he resumed his journey, playing his 

magic flute. By dint of walking, he arrived to the 

south, near a castle that housed a rich lord with 

his daughter “Lumière du jour”. A girl that he loved 

more than all. But when she was kidnapped by the 

genius of the oasis, Touil didn’t hesitate to save her... 

Touil était le surnom d’un petit homme qui ne pouvait 

pas grandir (en arabe, « Touil » signifie grand). Touil 

était pauvre et n’avait pas de maison. Comme il offrait 

ses services à tout le monde, les gens lui demandaient 

de vivre avec eux, dans leur maison. Mais une fois son 

travail terminé, il reprenait sa route en jouant de sa flûte 

magique... À force de marcher, Touil arriva au sud, près 

d’un château qui abritait un riche seigneur avec sa fille, 

“Lumière du jour”. Une jeune fille qu’il aimait plus que 

tout. Mais lorsque cette dernière fut enlevée par le génie 

de l’oasis, Touil n’hésita pas à la sauver... 

4 


Zimbel le petit tailleur [Zimbel the little tailor] 

Casbah, 2010 • ISBN 9789961648988 

Zimbel was a little tailor who sewed all day to 

earn money, but it was in vain. People laughed at 

him. One day, while he was walking sadly down 

the street, and thinking of the best clothes that 

he could make if he had the means, he came 

across a rusty pair of scissors. So, he began to cut 

the grass, which turned into green silk! Amazed, 

he carried on with the sky, the stars... and all of 

them changed in one click clack... 

Zimbel était un petit tailleur qui cousait toute la 

journée pour gagner de l’argent, mais en vain. Il faisait 

même l’objet de moquerie de la part des personnes que 

l’entouraient. Un jour, alors qu’il se promenait tristement 

dans la rue, et pensait aux plus beaux habits qu’il pourrait 

confectionner s’il en avait eu les moyens, il tomba sur 

une paire de ciseaux rouillés. Alors, il se mit à couper 

l’herbe, et l’herbe se transforma en soie verte! Stupéfait, 

il continua avec le ciel, les étoiles ... et tout se transforma 

en un clic clac… 

5 


Le Prince et le cheval enchanté [The Prince and the enchanted horse] 

Casbah, 2009 • ISBN 9789961648438 

In a wonderful country, lived a King who had had 

a lot of children whose needs he could not satisfy. 

One evening, he asked his eldest son to go get a 

treasure that belonged to his grandfather, now 

owned by a monster-headed dragon. Right away 

his son took the road on a horse named Gulmar, 

a road filled with obstacles... 

Dans un pays merveilleux, vivait un roi qui avait eu 

beaucoup d’enfants et qui ne pouvait plus satisfaire 

leurs besoins. Un soir, il demanda à son fils aîné d’aller 

trouver un trésor qui appartenait à son grand-père, 

aujourd’hui sous l’emprise d’un dragon monstre. Tout de 

suite, son fils prit la route sur un cheval nommé Gulmar, 

une route semée d’obstacles... 

6 

Yasmine Briki • Nesrine Briki, ill. 

Tom l’Atome et le Big-Bang [Tom the Atom and the Big-Bang] 

Casbah, 2009 • ISBN 9789961648438 

Tom the Atom is a character who at the height 

of an existential crisis, explodes and releases the 

first elementary particles. The basic concepts 

covered in the story are explored in a scientific 

perspective and defined in a very simple way, 

making them accessible to young readers. 

Tom l’atome est un personnage qui, à la hauteur 

d’une crise existentielle, explose et libère les premières 

particules élémentaires. Les concepts de base abordés 

dans l’histoire sont explorés dans une perspective 

scientifique et définis de manière très simple, en les 

rendant accessibles aux jeunes lecteurs. 


7 

Yasmine Briki • Nesrine Briki, ill. 

Malek le petit fennec au marché [Malek the little fennec in the market] 

Casbah, 2011 • ISBN 9789961642795 

Malek the little fennec is happy to go with his 

parents to the market. Merchant after merchant, 

they fill their baskets. And to thank him for 

being kind, his mom decides to prepare him a 

strawberry tart. 

Malek, le fennec, est heureux d’aller au marché avec 

ses parents. D’un marchand à un autre, ils remplissent 

leurs paniers. Et pour le remercier de sa gentillesse, sa 

mère décide de lui préparer une tarte aux fraises. 

8 

Youcef Dris • Rachida Azdaou, ill. 

Les Douces soirées de Malak et Malik [The sweet evenings of Malak et Malik] 

Dalimen, 2006 • ISBN 9961759354 

How wonderful Grandmother’s stories were! 

She told them so well, her voice was so sweet, 

that the children started to dream of heroes. 

They found themselves in a magical world full 

of birds and fish of all colors. They even met a lot 

of Kings, Princes, and Princesses… 

Qu’elles étaient merveilleuses, les histoires de 

grand-mère! Elle les racontait si bien, avec sa voix 

si douce, que les enfants se mettaient à rêver des 

héros. Ils se retrouvaient dans un monde magique 

peuplé d’oiseaux et de poissons de toutes les couleurs. 

Ils ont même rencontré beaucoup de rois, des princes 

et des princesses... 

9 

Souhila Amirat • Rachida Azdaou, ill. 

La princesse Yasmine et la reine bleue 

[The princess Yasmine and the blue queen ] 

Dalimen, 2007 • ISBN 9789961759226 

Princess Yasmine was living in a palace with 

her parents. They were very kind but danger and 

evil were not far. In the other kingdom, reigned 

a wicked witch who desired to become the King’s 

wife and reign over both kingdoms. So, she used 

all the formulas to eradicate the Queen but it 

was without counting with the love felt by his 

son in regards to the Princess Yasmine. 

La princesse Yasmine vivait dans un palais avec ses 

parents. Ils étaient très gentils, mais le danger et le mal 

n’étaient pas trop loin. Dans l’autre royaume, régnait 

une méchante sorcière qui voulait devenir la femme du 

roi pour régner sur les deux royaumes. Ainsi, elle usa 

toutes les formules pour éradiquer la reine, mais c’était 

sans compter sur l’amour ressenti par son fils à l’égard 

de la princesse Yasmine. 

10 

Nadia Roman, Lazhari Labter • Marie Malher, ill. 

Kalimagier 

Lazhari Labter, Éd. du Ricochet, 2010 • ISBN 978-2-35263-030-2 

This pretty little bilingual picture book features 

some hundred words that passed from Arabic 

to French or from French to Arabic, with the 

pronounciation of each original word in both 

languages. A good tool to help young children 

discover linguistic exchanges, whether ancient 

or recent, between these two cultural areas. 

Illustrations are charming and very original. 

Ce très joli petit imagier bilingue présente une centaine 

de mots passés de l’arabe au français ou du français 

à l’arabe, avec la prononciation du mot d’origine 

dans les deux langues. Un bon instrument pour faire 

découvrir aux jeunes enfants les échanges linguistiques 

anciens ou plus récents entre ces deux aires culturelles. 

Les illustrations sont charmantes et très originales. 


Books from 

Argentina 

Contact: Claudia Martínez 

claudiacachila@hotmail.com 

This selection speaks for us at the Biblioteca Popular Cachilo in the city of 

Rosario, as mediators, and for the target group: children. It is based on criteria 

that take into account the book and the reader. The selected books are 

quality materials, in literary terms and in terms of illustration and publishing. 

We have tried to go beyond the aesthetic and to cover political and ethical 

issues, which reflect our vision of promoting reading, and, of course, to pay 

attention to the content of each book. We have thought of the tastes and 

preferences of readers: these books have been well received in the library 

and in workshops. We have looked for books suitable to invite children to read, 

to imagine, to dream and fly... 

1 

María Wernicke 

Uno y otro [One and other] 

Calibroscopio, 2006 • ISBN 987-22204-2-5 

With characters like One, Another and No one 

and with the ability to play with colors and the 

feelings that they convey, this book asks us who 

we are and shows us that we are not always 

the same. In One and other, like in life itself, 

truth is relative, there is no truth in the singular, 

but in the plural, everything depends on who 

is speaking, when and where; it is important to 

have ears and eyes, willing to listen and see them. 

It praises diversity and the right to be different. 

It invites us to fly, but also to stop and look 

in the mirror. 

Con personajes como Uno, Otro y Nadie y con la 

habilidad para jugar con los colores y las sensaciones 

que ellos transmiten, este libro nos pregunta quiénes 

somos y nos muestra que no siempre somos los 

mismos. En Uno y Otro, como en la vida misma, 

la verdad es relativa, no hay una verdad en singular, 

sino verdades en plural, todo depende de quién la 

diga, cuándo y dónde, para lo cual es importante 

tener los oídos –y los ojos– dispuestos a escucharlas 

– y a verlas –. Elogia la diversidad, y el derecho 

a ser distintos. Nos invita a volar, pero también 

a detenernos y mirarnos al espejo. 

2 

Silvina Rocha • Lucía Mancilla Prieto, ill. 

Mateo y su gato rojo [Matthew and his red cat] 

Ediciones del Naranjo, 2010 • ISBN 978-987-1343-24-9 

In Matthew’s book, and inside the head of any 

child, many things happen, surprises, dreams, 

desires, concerns, sorrows; characters appear and 

stories are lived, like one about a cat, a mouse 

and a smile that is lost. With illustrations using 

only white, black and red, with a simple and 

familiar text, we find a book that makes us feel, 

imagine, identify and think about the other and 

what he or she needs in order to be fine. 

Dentro del cuaderno de Mateo, como dentro de la 

cabeza de cualquier niño, suceden muchas cosas, 

sorpresas, sueños, deseos, preocupaciones, tristezas; 

surgen personajes y se viven historias, como la 

de un gato, un ratón y una sonrisa que se pierde. 

Con ilustraciones que utilizan sólo el blanco, el 

negro y el rojo y con un texto sencillo y cercano, 

nos encontramos con un libro que nos hace sentir, 

imaginar, identificarnos y pensar en el otro y en lo 

que éste necesita para estar bien. 

the world through picture books • books from argentina • 16

3 

Claudia Legnazzi 

Tuk es Tuk [Tuk is Tuk] 

Ediciones del Eclipse, 2007 • ISBN 978-987-9011-71-3 

Tuk inhabits a varied world, with its own laws, 

full of strange characters and objects.But who 

is Tuk? Is it a person? Is it an animal? The author 

and illustrator, one of the most recognized artists 

for children in Argentina, provides us with a story 

beyond the formal body of the book, told by her 

through both textual and paratextual elements. 

The words take form and, together with the 

illustration and the book as a whole, show the 

importance and richness of being different, and 

remind us that as Tuk is Tuk, each reader is unique. 

Tuk habita un mundo variado, con leyes propias, lleno 

de personajes y objetos extraños. ¿Pero quién es Tuk? 

¿Una persona? ¿Un animal? La autora e ilustradora 

– una de las más reconocidas artistas para niños 

en Argentina – nos brinda una historia más allá del 

cuerpo formal del libro, nos la cuenta tanto a través 

de lo textual como de lo paratextual. Las palabras 

adoptan formas y, junto con la ilustración y el libro en 

su conjunto, nos muestran la importancia y la riqueza 

de ser diversos, y nos recuerdan que así como Tuk es 

Tuk, cada lector es único e irrepetible. 

4 

Laura Devetach • Juan Lima, ill. 

La hormiga que canta [The ant who sings] 

Ediciones del Eclipse, 2004 • ISBN 987-9011-62-7 

Ants play, sing and leave us a path of verses and 

leaves. Chimichurri, chimichurri, chimichurri... 

slowly and rhythmically, like ants walking, 

the words with which the author composes 

these poems get together. Meanwhile, the 

illustrator plays with black, green and ochre in 

a dance of ants and leaves. In this book, John 

and Laura’s ants sing to us and bring and take 

sheets... and verses. What page, what branch, 

what plan shall set it up? 

Las hormigas juegan, cantan, nos van dejando un 

camino de versos y hojas. Chimichurri, chimichurri, 

chimichurri… despacito y rítmicamente, como el 

caminar de las hormigas, se van juntando las palabras 

con que la autora compone estos poema. Mientras, 

el ilustrador juega con los negros, verdes y ocres en 

una danza de hormigas y hojas. En este libro, las 

hormigas de Juan y Laura nos van cantando mientras 

traen y llevan hojas… y versos, ¿en que hoja, de que 

rama, de que planta, lo armarán? 

5 

Luis Pescetti • O’Kif, ill. 

Caperucita Roja (tal como se la contaron a Jorge) 

[Little Red Riding Hood (as it was told to Carlos)] 

Alfaguara Infantil, 2009 • ISBN 978-987-04-0140-7 

While his mother is not at home, George’s dad 

tells him the story of Little Red Riding Hood 

in the common version. However, the child’s 

imagination makes a very different character 

and a very different story: a self-assured 

girl, a superhero father and so on. The most 

interesting thing is that this dispute of imaginary 

characters is shown through the pictures. It is a 

modern day version of Little Red Riding Hood, 

through the eyes of a child. It’s a classic with 

a twist. We read it as a challenge to devour, 

laugh and serve us on a platter. 

Mientras la mama no está, el papá le cuenta a Jorge 

la historia de Caperucita Roja en una versión muy 

correcta. Sin embargo, la imaginación del niño convierte 

al personaje en otro muy diferente: de una Caperucita 

obediente a una niña segura, que atraviesa el bosque 

sin miedo y un padre superhéroe y mediático que firman 

autógrafos; hasta un niño dispuesto a comerse al lobo. 

Lo interesante es que esta disputa de imaginarios 

se juega en las ilustraciones. Un libro para contar 

Caperucita en nuestros tiempos, con ojos de niño. 

Un clásico con una vuelta de tuerca. Leerlo nos plantea 

un desafío como partícipes privilegiados para devorar, 

reir y servirnos en bandeja. 


6 

Itsvansch 

¿Has visto? [Have you seen?] 

Ediciones del Eclipse, 2006 • ISBN 987-9011-83-X 

When you see a colored sheet, please look 

carefully. Maybe from that surface – even and 

apparently empty – comes up a huge world 

to discover. Have you seen? is a book to look 

at not only with the eyes, to imagine, discover 

the colors, play with them and get lost in 

the landscape. 

Cuando veas una hoja de color, no dudes en mirarla 

atentamente, puede que de esa superficie – pareja 

y en apariencia vacia – salga un mundo inmenso 

a descubrir. ¿Has visto?… Un libro para mirar no solo 

con los ojos, para imaginar, descubrir los colores, jugar 

con ellos y perderse en el paisaje. 

7 

Roberta Iannamico • Bianki, ill. 

Nariz de higo [Fig nose] 

Pequeño Editor, 2005 • ISBN 978-987-22094-1-4 

A poetry book dedicated to a children’s game 

that we keep in our memory, when an uncle, 

grandfather or father used to “pull off our nose” 

with their thumbs. Looking at the nose dancing 

on the edge of things, with playful objects is a 

way to remember the poetry hidden in small 

familiar gestures. The visual display maximizes 

the verbal, the verses dance playfully in a familiar 

world to the beat of leaves, ants, candy paper, 

ice cream spoons, ladybirds and paper cut outs. 

The question that remains is: will the nose return 

to its place between your eyes, or will it remain 

forever in the hands of your uncle? 

Un libro poético dedicado al juego infantil que 

guardamos en la memoria, cuando algún tío, abuelo 

o padre solía “sacar la nariz” con sus dedos pulgares. 

Ver a la nariz bailar por el borde de las cosas, junto 

a objetos juguetones es una forma de recordar 

la poesía escondida en pequeños gestos familiares. 

El despliegue visual potencia lo verbal, los versos 

danzan lúdicamente en un mundo familiar al compás 

de hojitas, hormigas, papeles de caramelo, cucharitas 

de helado, vaquitas de San Antonio y papeles 

recortados. La pregunta que nos queda es: ¿Retornará 

la nariz a su lugar entre tus ojos?, ¿o quedará para 

siempre en poder de tu tío? 

8 

Leticia Gotlibowski, ill. 

La Caperucita Roja [Little Red Riding Hood] 

Ediciones del Eclipse, 2006 • ISBN 987-9011-76-7 

The original text by Perrault is recreated with 

a cutting-edge illustration that “re-writes” the 

story by giving it a surprising twist, through 

allusions to historical figures, paintings and 

landmarks of Paris and a touch of today. An 

ambiguous girl stalked by a multivocal wolf, will 

slip again and again through the trees of a forest 

of symbols. On one hand, the moral of the author 

and on the other, the guillotine of the Revolution. 

Fascinating book that reveals in each reading, 

items not previously seen and with them, it offers 

a new version of the traditional tale. 

Este texto original de Perrault, se recrea con una 

vanguardista ilustración que “rescribe” la historia 

dándole un giro sorprendente, a través de alusiones a 

personajes históricos, cuadros y lugares emblemáticos 

de París y un toque de actualidad. Una ambigua niña, 

acosada por un lobo multívoco, volverá a escurrirse 

una y otra vez por entre los árboles de un verdadero 

bosque de símbolos. Por un lado la moraleja del 

autor y por otro la guillotina de la revolución. Libro 

fascinante, que devela en cada lectura, elementos 

antes no vistos y propone a partir de ellos, una nueva 

versión del cuento tradicional. 


9 

María Teresa Andruetto • Istvansch, ill. 

La durmiente [The sleeper] 

Alfaguara Infantil, 2010 • ISBN 978-987-041-546-6 

This work maintains the essence of the fairy 

tale, but a dilemma is raised with contemporary 

issues (poverty, sorrow, need, the struggle 

of gender) with a deep social conscience. 

The story of the princess who originally is part 

of a political process, is told with a unique and 

poetic rhythm, is expanded to an iconic network 

of photos, paintings, cuttings and drawings. 

Without aesthetic renunciations, this book invites 

the reader to “wake up” to an ethical reflection, 

in order to think ourselves in this world. 

Esta obra mantiene la esencia del cuento de hadas, 

pero plantea un dilema con temáticas contemporáneas 

(la pobreza, el dolor, la necesidad, la lucha de genero) 

con una profunda sensibilidad social. La historia de la 

princesa que participa originalmente de un proceso 

político, narrada con un ritmo singular y poético se 

expande ante un entramado iconográfico de fotos, 

pinturas, recorte y dibujos. Sin renunciamientos 

estéticos plantea “despertar” a una reflexión ética, 

para pensarnos en este mundo. 

10 

María Teresa Andruetto • Liliana Menéndez, ill. 

El árbol de lilas [The lilac tree] 

Comunicarte, 2006 • ISBN 987-602-015-3 

Is it a tale or a poem? It is a story of love, 

searching and waiting in the shade of a faraway 

tree, to touch us closely. A parable of the journey 

in search of what we want. This book is a tale 

with a circular structure that is fragmented into 

silences that can only be filled by the reader. 

The illustrations at times open the game with 

ambiguity and lead to the senses beyond what 

the words say, maintaining a delicate thread 

of connection to the text. An exquisite and 

suggestive book, that talks about warmth and 

serenity, and the discovery of happiness. 

Cuento o poesía? Una historia de amor, de búsqueda 

y espera a la sombra de un árbol que estaba lejos 

para tocarnos cerca. Una parábola del viaje en busca 

de lo que queremos. Un relato de estructura circular, 

que se fragmenta en silencios que sólo pueden ser 

llenados por el lector. Las ilustraciones por momentos 

se abren al juego con la ambigüedad y dan lugar 

a los sentidos más allá de lo que dicen las palabras, 

manteniendo un delicado hilo de conexión con el texto 

Un libro exquisito, sugerente, que habla del abrigo, 

de la serenidad Y del hallazgo de la felicidad. 


Books from 

Australia 

Contact: Claire Stuckey 

claire.stuckey@gosford.nsw.gov.au 

To create the Australian list, an online survey was developed by Claire Stuckey 

and this was promoted using a variety of professional networks, e-lists and 

teacher librarian meetings. A link from the council’s library website also 

encouraged participation and provided a recognised reference point rather 

than just an email address or survey site. After many months of promotion 

two further colleagues met regularly with Claire to examine and discuss the 

suggested titles that had been received. Having to reduce a list of about 25 

top titles determined in the survey using the set criteria was difficult. It was 

easy to select the top five titles as virtually every respondent listed similarly. 

We asked ourselves over and over again, what is the definition of a classic 

picture book? Can a book be a classic title for different reasons? How does this 

read aloud to one child or a group? 

All our wealth of experience did not make the reduction to ten titles easier. 

As librarians we looked at various aspects of the titles including the visual 

quality, how children reacted and engaged with story, and what messages 

the book presented. Each of the team has worked with children of different 

age groups and their parents over a long period of time so our varied 

experience proved to be valuable. Trying to encompass the age range to 

eleven years made the task of selecting harder. Our team discussed the need 

to provide a list of titles that would encompass the entire age range. 

In one year or two years’ time the list may look very different, as an earlier list 

may have contained different titles. Although having reviewed the availability 

of many of the titles some have been in print for over twenty years. Our goal 

was to take the survey responses and the set criteria and to develop a list that 

reflected Australian children’s picture books available in 2013. By taking on 

this project task in a small way, the librarians hoped to promote wonderful 

Australian authors and illustrators. The World through Picture Books Project 

offers each participating country’s librarians to share, explore and celebrate 

children’s literature with other enthusiastic librarians (and their patrons) 

around the world. 

the world through picture book • books from australia • 20

1 

Mem Fox • Julie Vivas, ill. 

Possum Magic 

Scholastic, 1983 • ISBN 9781742990002 

Grandma Poss is able to use her magic to 

make emus shrink, kookaburras pink etc. 

Most importantly she is able to make her 

granddaughter, Hush, invisible. Hush has great 

fun being invisible and, it also protects her from 

snakes. One day Hush tells her grandmother 

she would like to see what she looks like. 

Unfortunately making Hush visible again is not 

so easy. After searching through her books, 

Grandma Poss thinks the answer may lie with 

eating human food. They begin a tour of all the 

Australian capital cities. In each one a typical 

Australian dish is sampled. Gradually in the last 

three cities Hush gradually appears. 

Julie Vivas’s illustrations add that extra dimension 

to this whimsical story. She very ably shows the 

loving relationship between grandmother and 

granddaughter. Her illustrations are a delight. 

2 

Marcia Vaughan • Pamela Lofts, ill. 

Wombat Stew 

Scholastic, 1984 • ISBN 9781743621820 

This work remains one of the most borrowed 

in Australian libraries. A “very clever” dingo 

catches a wombat and decides to make a 

stew. Before he can begin various bush animals 

suggest interesting additions to the stew. These 

ingredients make a very unpalatable stew! Before 

adding the wombat the dingo is encouraged to 

try the stew with predictable results. 

Pamela Lofts’ illustrations and a musical score for 

the refrain add to the sense of a madcap, joyful 

dance. Children take delight in singing the dingo’s 

refrain along with the storyteller and suggesting 

additions to the stew. 

3 

Hazel Edwards, Deborah Niland, ill. 

There’s a Hippopotamus on our roof eating cake 

Penguin, 1980 • ISBN 9780143501367 

This book begins with a little girl telling us her 

roof leaks, and the cause of the hole in the roof 

is caused by a hippopotamus on the roof eating 

cake. We soon learn the hippopotamus can do 

what he likes. Each time we are told about events 

in her life, we see what is also happening in the 

life of the hippopotamus. Although she tells 

others about him, the only time others see him is 

when he is working at the zoo. Deborah Niland’s 

illustrations very simply and directly let us into 

this little girl’s world. This popular story became 

the first of several successful titles featuring the 

hippopotamus eating cake. 

4 

Katrina Germain • Bronwyn Bancroft, ill. 

Big Rain Coming 

Penguin, 2002 • ISBN 9780143500452 

Katrina Germain was a teacher at Minyerri, a 

remote Aboriginal community in the Northern 

Territory. This setting provides the dynamic 

landscape for this highly visual picture book. 

Everyone is waiting for rain! The vivid illustrations 

depict the flora, fauna and the human 

population. We follow the children in their daily 

life waiting each day for the promised rain. 

Simple text combine with amazing illustrations 

effective use of colour and imagery on double 

page spreads provides a wonderful narrative 

that children enjoy. Bronwyn Bancroft weaves 

the Aboriginal Dreamtime Serpent through the 

book emphasising the Aboriginal heritage; a 

strong bond with the land and the environment. 

The book concludes with a celebration of the 

coming of the rain, beautiful imagery of the cycle 

of the seasons. 


5 

Sheena Knowles • Rod Clement, ill. 

Edward the Emu 

Harper Collins, 1998 • ISBN 9780207170515 

Tired of his life as an emu, Edward decides to try 

being something else for a change. He seems to 

enjoy swimming with the seals, lounging with 

the lions and slithering with the snakes. Edward 

discovers that being an emu may be the best 

thing after all. The wonderful witty illustrations 

by Rod Clement compliment the wonderful 

rhyming text that children love. Clear white 

background and animal faces that capture the 

humorous spirit of the text gives this book appeal 

across a range of readers. Discover with Edward 

that just being your self can be rewarding 

enough. 

6 

Pamela Allen 

Who Sank the Boat? 

Penguin, 1988 • ISBN 9780140509403 

One warm sunny morning, a donkey, a cow, 

a pig, a sheep, and a tiny little mouse, decide 

to go for a row in a boat... This book is always 

recognised by children and parents each time it 

is read aloud at story time sessions. The great 

repetitive text question gets children involved, 

and answering! Children love to know that they 

have the knowledge, or do they? With simple 

clear illustrations as each animal enters the boat 

this multi-layered book introduces children to 

the concept of cause and effect. The illustrated 

endpapers establish a clear beginning and end 

to the story. 

7 

Jackie French 

Pete the Sheep 

Harper Collins, 2004 • ISBN 9780207199745 

While other shearers have sheep dogs Sean 

the shearer owns Pete. Pete is a sheep- sheep. 

The other shearers wearing traditional blue 

singlets roust their dogs into action but Sean and 

Pete use different methods. Tempers are raised 

because the shearers hate change. Rejected at 

the farm, Sean and Pete head to town to start 

Sean’s Sheep Saloon. Successful with their sheep 

customers Sean even styles the sheep dogs 

when they too also attracted to town. The other 

shearers seek out and demand their dogs back, 

but Sean needs help with his booming new 

business. Bruce Whatley captures the humour in 

this quirky Australian rural story. The illustrations 

of the sheep and dog hairstyles brilliantly 

parody contemporary fashions and compliment 

the woolly characters created by French. 

8 

Alison Lester 

Magic Beach 

Allen & Unwin, 2004 • ISBN 9781742373126 

What kind of things do you do at your beach? 

Do you ride sea horse waves and find treasure 

on the sand? Can you swim underwater 

with the dolphins and catch sharks off the 

jetty? Well known Australian author and 2013 

Children’s Laureate Alison Lester invites us to 

use our imagination to turn an ordinary day 

at the beach into something extraordinary and 

magical. Alison’s captivating illustrations and 

rhyming text inspire the readers to explore 

beyond what they actually see and create 

a ‘magic’ beach of their own. 


9 

Shaun Tan 

The Lost Thing 

Hodder Children’s, 2010 • ISBN 9780734411389 

A boy befriends a strange looking creature while 

walking along the beach and tries to find out 

just what the creature is and where it comes 

from. His parents can’t help him solve the puzzle 

so he goes into the city to see if he can find the 

creature’s home. Along the way he comes to 

discover something about himself and the way 

others sometimes treat those who are a little 

bit different to themselves. This is a beautifully 

crafted story of belonging and acceptance. 

The book is superbly illustrated with each page 

drawing the reader in with its intricate and 

unusual images. Readers find something new 

each time they turn a page. The story was made 

into a 15 minute animated short film and won 

numerous awards including the 2011 Academy 

Award for Best Animated Short Film. 

10 

Ahn Do and Suzanne Do • Bruce Whatley, ill. 

The Little Refugee 

Allen & Unwin, 2011 • ISBN 9781742378329 

The Little Refugee chronicles Ahn Do’s journey with 

his family from Vietnam to Australia after the 

end of the Vietnam War and is both inspirational 

and heart warming. The family’s escape by boat 

was fraught with dangers and their eventual 

arrival and resettlement in Australia is portrayed 

with humility and gentle humour. This book 

introduces children to social realism including 

political struggle from a child’s perspective. Bruce 

Whatley’s beautiful illustrations support the 

text with intuitive understanding and provide 

a wonderful visual backdrop for this amazing 

true story. 


Books from 

Contact: Viviana Quinones 


Benin 

This is the choice of two librarians working in the children’s section of the 

Médiathèque de l’Institut français de Cotonou, together with Mathilde Gall 

and V. Quiñones. 

1 

Béatrice Lalinon Gbado • François Yemadje, ill. 

Le Rat et le serpent [The Rat and the Snake] 

Ruisseaux d’Afrique, 2007 • ISBN 978-99919-63-21-1 

This modern tale is based on the two meanings 

of the word “good”: the rat understands it as 

man’s kindness, whereas the snake drools over 

man’s delicious taste… François C. Yemadje 

illustrates this story with tapestries made of 

applied dyed cloth, using ancestral techniques 

of the royal court of Dahomey kings. Characters 

and landscapes become thus deeper and more 

symbolic. Other illustrated folktales are published 

in the same collection “Lunes enchanteresses” 

(Enchanting moons). 

Ce conte moderne repose sur l’homonymie du mot 

« bon »: le rat entend la bonté de l’homme, F. C. 

Yemadje quand le serpent salive sur le goût délicieux 

de l’homme illustre cette histoire d’incompréhension 

avec des appliqués sur tissus, savoir-faire ancestral 

de la Cour d’Abomey transmis de père en fils par 

charge royale. Personnages et paysages acquièrent 

ainsi profondeur et force symbolique plus grandes 

encore. On trouve d’autres contes très illustrés dans 

la collection Lunes enchanteresses. 

2 

Béatrice Lalinon Gbado • Roger Boni Yaratchahou, ill. 

Le Roi de la palmeraie [The King of the palm grove] 

Ruisseaux d’Afrique, Eburnie, 2007 • ISBN 978-99919-63-10-5 and 978-28477-01-47-0 

Near Dékan palm grove, there lives a traveller’s 

tree that dreams to reproduce with his palm 

neighbour… Why that is impossible, that is the 

enigma the squirrel must solve. A non-fiction 

picture book on the reproduction of unisexual 

plants, well illustrated with watercolours 

depicting an oasis with poetry and subtlety. Every 

title in this collection “À la découverte de la vie” 

(Discovering life) treats a specific natural sciences 

subject, starting with a fictional story, to enhance 

the pleasure of learning. 

Près de la palmeraie de Dékan vit un arbre du 

voyageur qui rêve de se reproduire avec son voisin 

palmier... Pourquoi est-ce impossible, telle est l’énigme 

que doit résoudre l’écureuil. Un documentaire sur 

la reproduction des plantes unisexuées, bien servi par 

des aquarelles dépeignant une oasis pleine de poésie 

aux couleurs subtiles. Chaque titre de cette collection 

« À la découverte de la vie » aborde un point très 

ciblé de sciences naturelles, en partant d’une fiction 

(conte, récit quotidien…), avec un réel souci du plaisir 

de l’apprentissage. 

the world through picture books • books from benin • 24

3 

Alexandre Gbado • Claude Adjaka, ill. 

Je voudrais redevenir bébé [I’d like to be a baby again] 

Ruisseaux d’Afrique, Eburnie, Kalaama, 2004 • ISBN 978-99919-53-16-7, 978-2-84770-091-6 

and 978-2-915343-15-1 

A baby will be born in the compound where 

little Kouagou lives. The informative side of this 

picture book in the collection “A la découverte 

de la vie” (Discovering life) is discreet here; 

what is important, is the child’s questioning, 

and his concern about his own “past” as a baby. 

Tenderness and a tone that sounds right, in 

delicate harmony with large colour areas with 

the child in the centre. A picture book to read and 

to look at with small children. 

Un bébé va naître dans la concession où vit le petit 

Kouagou. L’aspect “documentaire” de cet album se 

fait très discret au profit d’une approche sensible des 

interrogations de l’enfant, de ses inquiétudes aussi sur 

son “passé” de bébé. C’est une jolie réussite : un ton 

juste et léger, de la tendresse, en délicate harmonie 

avec les grandes plages de couleur avec l’enfant en leur 

centre. A lire et regarder avec les tout petits. 

4 

Michèle Nardi • Hervé Alladayè, ill. 

Coco taillé tête d’œuf [Coco taillé, egg-shaped head] 


But where is “Coco taillé” ? He’s smeared his 

face with corn flour. Then, he’s put sand into the 

drinking water bowl. Then… ah, one has to keep 

an eye on him! This is one of six books featuring 

the youngest child in the compound, with stories 

told by images full of humour and tenderness, 

for very young children (as all titles in collection 

Le Serin). 

Mais où est « Coco taillé »? Il s’est barbouillé de farine 

de maïs. Puis, il a mis du sable dans la cuvette d’eau 

potable. Puis... ah, il faut le tenir à l’œil ! C’est l’un 

de six titres autour de Coco, le plus jeune enfant de la 

concession. À hauteur de tout-petit, des histoires en 

images pleines d’humour et de douceur. D’autres titres 

pour jeunes enfants dans cette collection « Le Serin ». 

5 

Amour Gbovi • Hervé Gigot, ill. 

Boni, l’enfant qui voulait aller à l’école 

[Boni, the child that wanted to go to school] 


Boni, “blessed child” in bariba language, is meant 

to be a farmer and indeed, he does good work 

in the fields. However, he has one thing in mind, 

to go to school and he decided to make his 

dream come true. Page after page the reader 

sees Boni’s life flourish, through the simple 

words of the text and beautiful watercolours, 

full of light. Narration goes fast at the end of the 

book, with Boni as an adult, first a banker, then 

president of Benin (Benin current president’s 

name is, in fact, Yaya Boni), a president much 

concerned about public education. 

Boni, « enfant béni » en langue bariba, est né sous une 

bonne étoile. Destiné à devenir cultivateur, il travaille 

effectivement très bien au champ Mais une seule et 

unique idée occupe son esprit : aller à l’école. Et il 

décide de réaliser son rêve... Le lecteur suit cette petite 

vie s’épanouissant au fil des pages, à travers des mots 

simples et justes et de belles aquarelles lumineuses. 

Le temps de la narration s’accélère brusquement 

à la fin du livre et l’on retrouve Boni, adulte, devenu 

banquier, puis président du Bénin (le président actuel 

du Bénin s’appelle en effet Yayi Boni), un président 

très soucieux de l’instruction publique. 


6 

Askanda Bachabi 

Le Pipi rouge [Red pee-pee] 

Ruisseaux d’Afrique, Eburnie, Kalaama, 2004 • ISBN 978-99919--53-05-2, 978-2-84770-085-5 

and 978-2-915343-47-2 

All children have lots of fun at the village pond, 

until the day when one of them notices his peepee 

is red. It’s bilharzias. One must know more 

about this disease, treat it, not bathe in the 

village pond… One of the titles in the collection 

“Enfant et santé” (Child and Health) : small picture 

books using a story happening in children’s daily 

life, to give information on health issues. 

Au village près du marigot, tous les enfants s’amusent 

comme des fous dans l’eau, jusqu’au jour où l’un d’entre 

eux s’aperçoit qu’il fait un pipi tout rouge. C’est la 

bilharziose. Il faut en savoir plus sur cette maladie, 

se soigner, ne plus se baigner dans le marigot… C’est 

l’un des titres de la collection « Enfant et santé »: 

des petits albums qui apportent, par le biais d’une 

histoire de fiction dans l’univers familier de l’enfant, des 

informations d’alerte et de prévention sur des questions 

touchant à la santé et aux maladies. 

7 

Georges O.J.R. Bada • Hector D. Sonon, ill. 

La Statuette sacrée [The Sacred Statuette] 

Nouvelles Editions Ivoiriennes, 2001 • ISBN 978-2-84487-119-0 

Gbodja and Tété are inseparable twins. But 

Gbodja dies of fever and Tété is now alone. As is 

the custom and to relieve her pain, Tété is given 

a statuette representing her brother. But the 

sacred statuette disappears and the girl finds it at 

an art dealer’s. The text sounds right and touches 

the reader; drawing and colours are tender. 

This picture book evokes death and the loss of a 

dear one and also, on another level, desecration 

and the traffic of artworks in Africa. It certainly 

expresses sadness, but in a cheerful way, full of 

life. On a similar subject, by the same publisher, 

Grand-mère Nanan by Véronique Tadjo. 

Gbodja et Tété sont deux jumeaux inséparables. Un 

jour Gbodja est emporté par une grosse fièvre et Tété 

reste seule. Selon la coutume et pour soulager sa 

douleur, on lui donne une statuette qui représente son 

frère. Mais la statuette sacrée disparaît et la fillette la 

retrouve dans la vitrine d’un marchand d’art. Le texte 

sonne juste ; les illustrations jouent sur des tonalités 

et un graphisme doux. Cet album évoque la mort et 

le deuil d’un être cher et, sur un tout autre registre, la 

désacralisation et le trafic des oeuvres d’art en Afrique. 

Il exprime, certes, la tristesse mais sur un mode de 

gaieté et plein de vie. À noter sur un sujet proche 

et chez le même éditeur, Grand-mère Nanan de 

Véronique Tadjo. 

8 

Messan Agbopletou • Adamah Hanvi, ill. 

Le Caïman sacré [The Sacred Cayman] 

Graines de pensées, Ruisseaux d’Afrique, 2008 • ISBN 978-99919-63-33-4 and 978-2-916101-12-5 

Because King Akuamu is very cruel, the Adan 

people decide to find a new homeland. But their 

march is soon stopped by a gigantic river. The 

crossing will be possible thanks to a miraculous 

bridge made of tree trunks – in fact, caymans, 

to which a cult is born, in acknowledgment for 

their help. These legend of the Adan people living 

in South Ghana, Togo and Benin, is completed 

by some pages of information on the cult of the 

sacred cayman. Other titles in this collection 

Cauris d’or, co-published in Togo and Benin, 

provide interesting fiction with a supplement on 

cultural traditions. 

Parce que le roi Akuamu est très cruel, le peuple Adan 

décide de chercher une nouvelle terre d’accueil. Mais sa 

marche est bien vite arrêtée par un gigantesque fleuve. 

Sa traversée sera rendue possible grâce à un pont 

miraculeux de troncs d’arbres - en réalité des caïmans 

auxquels un culte sera rendu, en remerciement du 

passage. Cette légende du peuple Adan, qui vit au Sud 

du Ghana, du Togo et du Bénin, est complétée par un 

dossier sur le culte du caïman sacré. D’autres titres de 

la collection Cauris d’or, co-édité au Togo et au Bénin, 

proposent des fictions intéressantes complétées de 

dossiers autour de traditions culturelles. 


9 

Gustave Akakpo • Kudzovi B. Norbert Kokoroko, ill. 

G. M. Kwasi Fiaga and S. Y. G. Gableame Gbedemah, transl. 

Titi la fontaine / Titi aÐuÐogo (bilingual French – Ewe) [Titi the Fountain] 

L’Harmattan, 2003 • ISBN 978-2-7475-3240-2 

Titi has wet her bed again… Her mother is not 

happy, the children in her neighbouhood go 

looking for her, find her, tie a rope with three 

frogs around her waist… That night, Bibi Rikiki 

the frog-shaped monster enters Titi’s bedroom 

and tries to put on her the mask that will steal 

her dreams. Titi is so scared that she wets her 

bed and the whole room, and the monster 

disappears in the water. Simple, lively text and 

colourful, expressive illustrations by an author 

and illustrator from Togo. Text in French and 

in Ewe, spoken in Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast and 

Ghana. Dozens of children’s books in different 

African languages in the collection Contes des 

quatre vents (Tales from the four winds). 

Titi a encore mouillé ses draps… Sa mère n’est pas 

contente, les enfants du quartier la poursuivent et 

lui attachent une cordelette avec trois grenouilles… 

La nuit tombée, Bibi Rikiki le monstre-grenouille 

se faufile dans la chambre de Titi et essaie de lui 

mettre le masque qui lui volera ses rêves. Titi a si peur 

que ses draps se mouillent, la chambre se remplit d’eau 

et le monstre disparaît dans l’eau. Un texte simple, 

vivant, et des illustrations colorées et expressives par 

un auteur et un illustrateur togolais. Texte en français 

et en éwé, langue parlée au Bénin, au Togo, en Côted’Ivoire 

et au Ghana. Des dizaines de livres de jeunesse 

dans différentes langues africaines dans la collection 

Contes de quatre vents. 

10 

Cyrille Kakpo 

La Moto de l’oncle Assa [Oncle Assa’s motorbike] 

Ruisseaux d’Afrique, Eburnie, 2004 • ISBN 978-99919--53-01-4 and 978-2-84770-083-1 

What a pleasure it is to ride on Uncle’s 

motorbike… But the fumes it gives off are so bad 

for the environment ! One of the titles in the 

collection “Enfant et santé” (Child and Health): 

small picture books using a story happening 

in children’s daily life, to give information 

on health issues. 

Monter sur la moto de Tonton pour aller en ville, 

quel plaisir, mais la fumée noire qui s’en dégage, quel 

dégât pour l’environnement ! C’est l’un des titres de 

la collection « Enfant et santé » : des petits albums qui 

apportent, par le biais d’une histoire de fiction dans 

l’univers familier de l’enfant, des informations d’alerte 

et de prévention sur des questions touchant à la santé 

et aux maladies. 

All book reviews are adapted from those published in the journal Takam Tikou, 

http://takamtikou.bnf.fr 


Books from 

Brazil 

Contact: Elizabeth Serra 

fnlij@fnlij.org.br 

This selection made by FNLIL, the Brazilian section of IBBY, has attempted 

to express the variety of Brazilian editorial production for that particular 

age group (0 to 11 years), as produced in the past four decades. The choice 

was nearly all based on books that stand out because of text and illustration 

quality, with FNLIJ’s official recognition by means of the FNLIJ Award or the 

FNLIJ Highly Recommendable Label. Each one expresses characteristics that 

are inherent to books considered to be of good quality both here and abroad. 

Finally, we would clarify that, in Brazil, we consider books with many 

illustrations and short texts as a part of the “children” category. For textless 

books, those that contain only illustrations, the category is called “image book”. 

The titles of the books presented in English here do not necessarily correspond 

to the way they were published in that language, and are merely an attempt 

to clarify what it means to prospective readers. 

1 

Marcelo Xavier • Gustavo Campos, phot. 

Asa de papel [Paper wing] 

Formato, 2006 • ISBN 8572080937 

Characters and objects molded in modeling 

plastic assembled in small scenes in a succession 

of good-humored, lyrical, intriguing, surreal 

images, where the very same character, 

always in varied situations, is reading a book. 

It is introduced as a source of pleasure, joy, 

information, wisdom, as company and refuge. 

Without exactly narrating a story, the short, 

precise and poetic text takes the reader on 

a journey of expectation leading to a surprise 

ending to the character with her grand paperwinged 

companion. Winner of the FNLIJ Children 

Award in 1994. 

Personagens e objetos moldados em massa plástica 

foram montados em pequenos cenários numa sucessão 

de imagens bem-humoradas, líricas, intrigantes, 

surrealistas... Nelas, a personagem, sempre a 

mesma em situações variadas, está lendo um livro. 

Este é apresentado como fonte de prazer, de alegria, 

de informação, de sabedoria, como companhia, 

refúgio. O texto - curto, exato, poético - sem narrar 

propriamente uma história, conduz o leitor em um 

passeio cada vez mais repleto de expectativa para 

um final inesperado da personagem com seu grande 

companheiro de asas de papel. Vencedor do prêmio 

FNLIJ Criança em 1994. 

the world through picture books • books from brazil • 28

2 

Bartolomeu Campos de Queirós • Elisabeth Teixeira, ill. 

Até passarinho passa [Even little birds fly away] 

Moderna, 2003 • ISBN 8516036413 

This book was the winner of FNLIJ’s Hors 

Concours Children Award in 2004. The story 

addresses a character recalling his childhood days, 

the cozy home, and the very special relationship 

he shared with nature and birds. He established 

a particularly strong friendship with a certain bird, 

based on silent sunny afternoons, and faces the 

prevailing emptiness after the loss of his friend. 

Having reached a finalist position for the Hans 

Christian Andersen award twice, the author 

relies on a text that inspires bucolic images to 

address death in a light and poetic manner. The 

illustrations corroborate the lightness of the text. 

In 2008, Bartolomeu won the IV Prêmio Iberoamericano 

SM de Literatura Infantil y Juvenil. 

Este livro ganhou o prêmio FNLIJ Criança Hors 

Concours em 2004. A história trata de um 

personagem lembrando seu tempo da infância, da casa 

aconchegante e da relação muito especial que tinha 

com a natureza e com os pássaros. Com um destes 

estabeleceu uma forte amizade pautada nos silêncios 

das tardes ensolaradas, até se deparar com o vazio 

deixado pela perda do amigo. Num texto que inspira 

imagens bucólicas, o autor, já duas vezes finalista 

do prêmio Hans Christian Andersen, trata a morte 

de maneira leve e poética. As ilustrações corroboram 

a leveza do texto. Em 2008, Bartolomeu foi vencedor 

do IV Prêmio Ibero-americano SM de Literatura 

Infantil e Juvenil. 

3 

4 

Eva Furnari 

Bruxinha Zuzu [The little witch Zuzu] 

Moderna, 2010 • ISBN 8516066871 

This work was awarded FNLIJ’s Highly 

Recommendable label for the Image category 

in 2011. Eva Furnari’s illustrations make readers 

smile, as they, along with Zuzu, a clumsy little 

witch, are overwhelmed by the unexpected 

results of the magic tricks. The spells never go 

as she expects, and always take her by surprise. 

Eva pioneered success in Brazil with image 

only books, in the 1980’s, with her little witch 

character. She was awarded a number of FNLIJ 

prizes. In 1996 and 1998, she was included in 

IBBY’s Honor List. 

Ronaldo Simões Coelho 

Macaquinho [Little monkey] 

FTD, 2011 • ISBN 8532276025 

Esta obra recebeu, em 2011, o selo Altamente 

Recomendável pela FNLIJ na categoria Imagem. 

As ilustrações de Eva Furnari causam riso no leitor, 

que junto com Zuzu, uma atrapalhada bruxinha, 

surpreende-se com os resultados inesperados de suas 

magias. Os encantamentos nunca saem como ela 

espera, e sempre a surpreende. O traço cômico e suave 

faz com que o livro arranque risadas e sorrisos dos 

leitores de todas as idades. Eva foi pioneira no Brasil 

a fazer sucesso com livros somente com imagem, 

nos anos 80, com a personagem Bruxinha. Recebeu 

inúmeros prêmios da FNLIJ. Em 1996 e 1988, esteve 

na Lista de Honra do IBBY. 

This is a classical Brazilian album that speaks 

of affection between father and son. Originally 

published in 1985, it still overwhelms readers. The 

books’ format has been changed by the publisher 

but they have retained the original illustrations. 

Every night, the little monkey went to his father’s 

bed and would not let him sleep. Everyday, there 

was a different excuse: it was either because of 

cold, hunger, or fear. And his father was always 

willing to solve the problem. Until one day, when 

the cub tells the real reason why he wanted to go 

to his father’s bed. Father and son grow even closer. 

The illustrations by renowned Eva Furnari clearly 

express the affection contained in the text. This 

book has been translated and distributed for free 

in Mexico and Bolivia. 

Este é um clássico álbum brasileiro que fala do afeto 

entre pai e filho. Publicado originalmente em 1985, 

continua encantado leitores. Embora tenha mudado 

de editora – na primeira chegou a mais xx edições – 

manteve as ilustrações, tendo apenas o seu formato 

modificado. Toda noite o macaquinho ia para a cama 

do pai e não deixava o pai dormir. Cada dia era uma 

desculpa: ou porque estava com frio, ou com fome, 

ou com medo. E o pai sempre resolvia o problema. 

Até que, um dia, o filhote conta a verdadeira razão de 

querer ir para a cama do pai. Pai e filho ficam mais 

juntos do que nunca. As ilustrações da renomada 

Eva Furnari expressam todo o afeto contido no texto. 

A obra foi traduzida e distribuída gratuitamente no 

México e na Bolívia. 


5 

Ziraldo 

Menino Marrom [Brown Boy] 

Melhoramentos, 2001, 28 th edition • ISBN 8506010098 

In this book (FNLIJ Children Award 1987), 

Brazil’s grand artist Ziraldo, author of O menino 

maluquinho, a national classical work of children’s 

literature, speaks about the relationship between 

two children, two friends: the brown boy and the 

pink boy. Along the story, both make discoveries 

about colors and ethnicity, restating that true 

friendship is a value that goes far beyond these 

concepts. Also an illustrator himself, the author 

has been awarded many prizes and has been 

nominated three times for IBBY’s HCA award: 

1988, 1990, and 1992. 

Ziraldo, grande artista brasileiro, autor de O menino 

maluquinho, clássico brasileiro da literatura infantil, 

neste livro conta a relação entre duas crianças, dois 

amigos: o menino marrom e o menino cor-de-rosa. 

Ao longo da história, os dois fazem descobertas sobre 

cores e etnias, reafirmando que a verdadeira amizade 

é um valor que está além desses conceitos. O autor, 

que também é ilustrador, já ganhou diversos prêmios 

e foi três vezes indicado ao prêmio HCA / IBBY: 

em 1988, 1990 e em 1992. 

6 

Ana Maria Machado • Claudius, ill. 

Menina bonita do laço de fita [Pretty girl with ribbon trap] 

Ática, 2001, 7th edition • ISBN 8508066392 

Winner of the Hans Christian Andersen award 

in 2000, Ana Maria Machado tells us the story 

of a white rabbit who finds the ribbon girl’s dark 

skin a most beautiful thing. He likes it so much 

that he tries to find where the color came from 

so his offspring can have their hair as black as 

a panther’s. This book has been translated into 

several languages and is one of the author’s 

classical works, because of the many prizes it has 

been given: Américas, Best Latin Books in the 

USA category in 1997; Colombia’s Fundalectura 

Highly Recommendable, and ALIJA, Buenos 

Aires’s Best Latin American Children’s Book, both 

in 1996; Venezuela’s National Library’s Best of the 

Year in 1995; Honorable Mention in the São Paulo 

Biennial as One of the Five Best works in the 

Biennial. Awarded several FNLIJ prizes for various 

books, the author also won the Tokyo Noma 

Illustration Contest’s Runner-up award in 2000, 

the same year when she was nominated for 

IBBY’s HCA award. 

Ana Maria Machado, ganhadora do prêmio Hans 

Christian Andersen, em 2000, conta aqui a história 

de um coelho branco que acha linda a pele escura 

de uma menininha que usa laço de fita. Ele gosta 

tanto, que tenta descobrir de onde veio essa cor 

para ter filhotes pretos como o pêlo de uma pantera. 

Este livro foi traduzido em várias línguas e é um dos 

clássicos da autora, pois recebeu os prêmios: Américas, 

categoria Melhores livros latinos nos EUA, em 1997; 

Altamente Recomendável, pela Fundalectura, Bogotá, 

Colômbia; e Melhor Livro Infantil Latino-americano, 

ALIJA, Buenos Aires, ambos em 1996; Melhores do Ano, 

pela Biblioteca Nacional da Venezuela, em 1995; e em 

1988, Menção Honrosa – Uma das Cinco Melhores 

obras do Biênio, na Bienal de São Paulo. Pela FNLIJ, 

recebeu diversos prêmios, desde a década de 70. 


7 

Odilon Moraes 

Pedro e lua [Peter and the moon] 

Cosac Naify, 2004 • ISBN 8575033387 

Little Pedro is a boy who happens to be charmed 

by the moon, until he finds out that the pebbles 

he finds are fragments from it. Pedro, which 

means “pebble”, sympathizes with the pebbles, 

as he thinks they might miss home. A turtle 

comes across his path and, given the similarity of 

its shell with the earth’s satellite, the boy names 

her Lua (moon). A strong and beautiful friendship 

arises and is firmly established between the two 

of them. Lua can no longer stay away from Pedro. 

In this book, that speaks of friendship and death, 

Odilon Moraes manages to harmonize text and 

beautiful black and white images, providing 

the work with a delicately poetic tone. In 2005, 

the book was awarded FNLIJ’s Children Award. 

In 2009, it was included in the White Ravens 

catalog of Munich’s International Library. 

O menino Pedro é encantando pela lua, até que 

descobre que as pedras que encontra são fragmentos 

lunares. Pedro, que significa “pedra”, sente pena 

das pedras, achando que elas devem sentir saudades 

de casa. Uma tartaruga atravessa seu caminho 

e pela semelhança de seu casco com o satélite, 

o menino a chama Lua. Uma amizade forte e bonita 

se estabelece entre os dois. Lua não suporta ficar 

longe do Pedro. Neste livro que fala da amizade e 

da morte, Odilon Moraes consegue harmonizar texto 

e belas imagens em preto e branco, proporcionando 

à obra um tom delicadamente poético. Em 2005, este 

livro ganhou o prêmio FNLIJ Criança. Em 2009, a obra 

fez parte do catálogo White Ravens, da Biblioteca 

Internacional de Munique. 

8 

Ruth Rocha • Carlos Brito, ill. 

O que os olhos não vêem [What the eyes don’t see] 

Salamandra, 2003, 2 th edition • ISBN 8516035697 

The people in this kingdom started to suffer after 

the king caught a disease that kept him from 

seeing and hearing small people. The disease 

spread on to the king’s aides in such a way that 

the people were no longer seen or heard by them. 

After all, the subjects were all so very small… One 

day, however, they discover they could be heard 

if they spoke all at once in a very loud tone voice. 

Based on the popular saying “Eyes that don’t 

see, heart that doesn’t feel”, the story challenges 

authoritarianism and reflects upon politics, as it 

shows what happens when rulers fail to work 

with and for the people. Even with these complex 

concepts, Carlos Brito’s illustrations manage to 

express to readers all of the fun that is necessary 

to awaken their imagination. The work is part 

of the renowned cycle of kings, around which the 

author has another three books that reflect upon 

the dominant/dominated issue. In 1982, it was 

awarded FNLIJ’s Children Award. 

Ruth Rocha was one of the authors who started 

the new children and youth literature in Brazil, 

in the late 1960’s. She is a most renowned author 

in the country. The first edition of this book, 

in 1981, was launched in the final moments of 

the dictatorship in this country, which officially 

extended until 1985. In 2002, she was nominated 

by FNLIJ for IBBY’s HCA Award. 

O povo desse reino começou a sofrer depois que o rei 

pegou uma doença a qual o fez parar de ver e ouvir 

pessoas pequenas. A doença foi se espalhando aos 

demais auxiliares do rei de tal modo que o povo não 

era mais visto e nem ouvido por eles. Afinal, os súditos 

eram tão pequenos... Um dia, porém, descobrem que 

poderiam ser ouvidos se juntos formassem um só 

vozeirão. Partindo do ditado popular “O que os olhos 

não veem o coração não sente”, a história questiona 

o autoritarismo e reflete sobre a política ao mostrar 

o que acontece quando os governantes não trabalham 

com e para o povo. Mesmo com esses conceitos 

complexos, as ilustrações de Carlos Brito conseguem 

expressar ao leitor toda a ludicidade necessária para 

despertar o imaginário. A obra faz parte do conhecido 

ciclo dos reis, no qual a autora tem outras três obras 

que refletem sobre a questão dominante / dominado. 

Ganhou, em 1982, o prêmio FNLIJ Criança. 

Ruth Rocha foi uma das autoras que iniciou a nova 

literatura infantil e juvenil no Brasil, no final dos anos 

60. É uma das mais conhecidas no país. A primeira 

edição do livro, em 1981, foi em meio ao período da 

ditadura no Brasil, que durou até 1985. Foi indicada, 

em 2002, pela FNLIJ para o prêmio HCA / IBBY. 


9 

Eliardo França 

O rei de quase-tudo [The King of almost-everything] 

Global Editora, 2004 • ISBN 8589907171 

The King of Almost-Everything had nearly 

everything: land, armies, and a lot of gold. But 

he was dissatisfied with the “nearly”; he wanted 

everything. So, he decided to have more land, 

more armies, more gold. Still dissatisfied, he 

wanted to own the flowers, the fruit, the birds, 

the stars, and even the sun. Having conquered 

all of these things, the King of Nearly-Everything 

eventually understood that there were still many 

more things which would never be his. In this 

prize-winning story—FNLIJ’s Children Award 

in 1975—Eliardo França manages to make young 

readers reflect upon complex concepts such as 

authoritarianism, materialism, inner peace. This is 

a masterpiece from a decade of excellent harvest 

within Brazilian children’s literature. This was 

the first book to be awarded a FNLIJ prize. In that 

same year, it was given another one in the BIB 

(Bratislava Biennial of Illustration), in former 

Czechoslovakia, currently the Czech Republic. 

O Rei de Quase-Tudo tinha quase tudo: terras, 

exércitos e muito ouro. 

Mas, o Rei não estava satisfeito com “quase”, ele 

queria tudo. Resolveu ter mais terras, mais exércitos, 

mais ouro. Ainda insatisfeito, quis ser dono das flores, 

dos frutos, dos pássaros, das estrelas e até do sol. 

Conquistando todas essas coisas, o Rei de quasetudo 

compreendeu que havia ainda muitas coisas que 

nunca seriam dele... Nesta premiada história – prêmio 

FNLIJ Criança de 1975 – Eliardo França consegue fazer 

com que pequenos leitores reflitam sobre conceitos 

complexos como autoritarismo, materialismo, paz 

interior. Uma obra prima de uma década de excelente 

safra da literatura infantil brasileira. Foi o primeiro 

livro premiado pela FNLIJ. No mesmo ano, recebeu um 

prêmio na Bienal de Ilustrações de Bratislava – BIB, 

na então Tchecoeslováquia, atual República Tcheca. 

10 

Graça Lima, Mariana Massarani and Roger Mello 

Vizinho, vizinha [Neighbour boy, neighbour girl] 

Companhia das Letrinhas, 2002 • ISBN 8574061492 

This interesting work by renowned illustrators 

Graça Lima, Mariana Massarani and Roger 

Mello shows a little of the hustle-bustle and, 

at the same time, the solitude of life in a large 

metropolis. The quiet neighbor who plays the 

clarinet, has a rhinoceros pet, collects books 

and old stuff, merely greets her next door 

neighbor, who reads comic books, drinks coffee, 

and builds a paper town. Amidst the manias 

of neighbors who hardly ever see each other, 

there lies a question: What relations have 

we been establishing with people in the past 

few decades? The three authors have received 

many awards by FNLIJ, which gave the book 

the Highly Recommendable label in 2003 

in the Children Category. 

Esta interessante obra dos renomados ilustradores 

Graça Lima, Mariana Massarani e Roger Mello 

mostra um pouco da agitação e ao mesmo tempo 

da solidão que a vida numa metrópole oferece. 

A tranquila vizinha, que toca clarineta, cria um 

rinoceronte, coleciona livros e coisas antigas troca 

apenas cumprimentos com o vizinho do lado, que 

lê quadrinhos, toma café e constroi uma cidade de 

papel. Em meio às manias dos vizinhos que pouco 

se conhecem, fica o questionamento: Qual é a 

relação que estamos estabelecendo com as pessoas 

nas últimas décadas? Os três autores são premiados 

pela FNLIJ, que em 2003 deu ao livro o selo FNLIJ 

de Altamente Recomendável, na categoria Criança. 


Books from 

Cameroon 

Contact: Viviana Quiñones 


This is the choice of six librarians working in children’s libraries in Cameroon 

(three in Yaoundé, one in Douala, one in Bamenda): Delphine Sylvie Balle, 

Institut français, Douala; Charles Kamdem Poeghela, CLAC, Yaoundé; 

Bernadette Maurice, Lucioles, Yaoundé; Joséphine Mbouka, Alliance 

française, Dschang; Olive Njuekou, Alliance française, Bamenda; Edith Noga, 

Centre Culturel François Villon, Yaoundé. The books are listed starting from 

the most voted for. 

N.B. All consulted librarians have selected titles published by Akoma Mba, 

now out of business, which are no longer available and are therefore 

not mentioned on the list : Le Vieux char [The Old Tank], L’Arbre à merveilles 

[The Wonder Tree], Matiké, Bella fait la classe [Bella teaches lessons]… 

1 

Kidi Bebey • Christian Kingue Epanya, ill. 

Pourquoi je ne suis pas sur la photo ? [Why Aren’t I in the Photograph?] 

Edicef, Clé, 1999 • ISBN 2-84129-634-2 

“Where are we when we are not yet born?”, 

Titi wonders, realising that he does not appear 

on every photograph in the family album. He asks 

the question each day of the week to a different 

person, but only his mother’s answer will really 

be satisfying… A simple text that sounds true, 

beautiful illustrations by Christian Epanya, full 

of life and colour. This very accomplished picture 

book delights children. 

« Où est-ce qu’on est quand on n’est pas né ?» 

se demande Titi en réalisant qu’il n’apparaît pas sur 

toutes les photos de l’album familial. Chaque jour de 

la semaine il interrogera quelqu’un de son entourage, 

mais il n’y aura que la réponse de sa maman qui 

le satisfera vraiment... Un texte simple qui sonne 

vrai, de très belles illustrations de Christian Epanya, 

remplies de vie et de couleurs. Un album très réussi 

qui enchante les enfants. 

2 

Ernest Mbanji Bawe 

Nfo : L’enfant qui n’en fait qu’à sa tête [Nfo, the boy that does as he pleases] 

Clé, 1999 • ISBN 978-2-7235-0400-3 

A charming picture book featuring a small boy. 

Fetch water, crush maize with a mill: Nfo would 

like to do what his mother asks but he is in such 

a hurry, he so much wants to amuse himself… 

On the theme of a small boy doing one silly thing 

after the other and suffering the consequences, 

a simple text accompanied by large, lifelike 

illustrations, with singular charm: it is a pleasure 

to discover a West-Cameroon lifestyle. 

Un album attachant mettant avec grâce un petit 

bonhomme au centre du monde. Chercher de l’eau, 

écraser du maïs au moulin : Nfo voudrait bien faire ce 

que sa mère lui demande, mais il est tellement pressé, 

il a tellement envie de s’amuser... Sur le thème du 

petit garçon qui accumule les bêtises et en subit les 

conséquences, un texte simple accompagné de grandes 

illustrations très parlantes, au charme singulier : 

on a plaisir à y découvrir un cadre de vie camerounais. 

the world through picture books • books from cameroon • 33

3 

Christian Kingue Epanya 

La Pipe de Tita Nveng [Tita Nveng’s Pipe] 

Orphie, 2010 • ISBN 978-2-87763-535-6 

The vanishing of a pipe in a small village 

near Ebolowa in Cameroon has remarkable 

consequences: grand-father is so furious to be 

deprived of tobacco that he refuses to harvest 

palm wine, which deprives villagers from their 

daily fix, which exasperates them… Until little 

Engoulou confesses: she is guilty of having 

broken her grand-father’s pipe, ruining her 

holidays at the plantation that she had so much 

looked forward to… Misbehaviour, the weight 

of a secret, reconciliation: a very good story, 

for its themes, its progression and its rhythm. 

It is always a pleasure to plunge into Christian 

Epanya’s illustrations, in shades of red an orange, 

creating, with just some details, a special 

atmosphere and characters that seem real. 

Une histoire de pipe disparue dans un petit village 

du Cameroun, près d’Ebolowa… Cette disparition 

va avoir des conséquences notables : colère du grandpère 

sevré de tabac, qui refuse alors de récolter le 

vin de palme, ce qui prive les villageois de leur ration 

quotidienne, ce qui provoque leur exaspération… Jusqu’à 

ce que la petite Engoulou révèle son forfait : c’est elle 

qui a cassé la pipe de son grand-père, gâchant ainsi 

les vacances à la plantation qu’elle attendait avec 

tant d’impatience… Une bêtise, le poids de son secret, 

la réconciliation : une histoire très bien vue dans ses 

thèmes, sa progression et son rythme. On a toujours 

plaisir à plonger dans les images de Christian Epanya, 

baignées de rouges et d’orangés, qui en quelques détails 

savent planter une atmosphère particulière et camper 

des personnages que l’on aurait déjà rencontrés… 

4 

Christian Kingue Epanya 

Le Petit camion de Garoua [The Little Truck of Garoua] 

Edicef, 2001 • ISBN 978-2-84129-794-2 

Back from Garoua to his village in North 

Cameroon, Konan seems to have something in 

mind: he goes to his mother’s kitchen, then to 

the grocer’s, then to the bike repairer’s, then to 

the basket-maker’s… picking up different objects 

and materials. But what is he up to, this boy?, 

wonder all those who see him and follow him. 

He’s made a truck! A beautiful truck! It’s Uncle 

Amadou’s truck, in Garoua ! Fanta is very proud 

of her little Konan, she hugs him tight in her 

arms. Luminous illustrations, colourful and warm, 

rendering the village life affectionately. 

Revenu de Garoua dans son village du Nord Cameroun, 

Konan semble avoir quelque chose derrière la tête : 

le voilà qui passe dans la cuisine de sa maman, puis 

chez l’épicier, le réparateur de motos et de vélos, les 

femmes qui tressent des paniers... et récolte différents 

objets et matériaux. Mais qu’est-ce qu’il fabrique, 

ce gamin ?, se demandent tous ceux qui le voient 

et qui le suivent. Un camion ! Vraiment beau... c’est 

le camion d’oncle Amadou, à Garoua ! Fanta est très 

fière de son petit Konan. Elle le serre très fort dans ses 

bras. Illustrations lumineuses, colorées, chaleureuses, 

rendant avec affection la vie du village. 

5 

François Kammo Melachi • Katia Castanie 

La Fête de l’arachide [Peanut Feast] 

Tropiques, Cultures Sud, 2010 • ISBN 978-9956-042-2 

A non-fiction picture book on peanut culture 

and its role in Cameroon’s life and economy, 

by means of the story of a boy on holiday with 

his grandparents at the village. Information is 

given through the grandfather’s answers to the 

boy’s questions. The book, the first by the very 

young F. K. Melachi, is the laureate of a contest 

organised by an NGO wishing to give children 

in central Cameroon books depicting their daily 

life. Melachi’s illustrations are informational (on 

the tools, the phases of culture, the houses…) 

and if they seem a bit stiff, character’s faces are 

expressive and landscape, rendered with poetry. 

Un album documentaire pour faire découvrir la culture 

de l’arachide et son rôle dans la vie et l’économie du 

Cameroun, à travers une petite histoire mettant en 

scène un garçon venu au village voir ses grands-parents 

pour les vacances. Par le jeu des questions de l’enfant 

et des réponses du grand-père, on fait le tour du sujet. 

C’est le premier livre du très jeune illustrateur F. K. 

Melachi. Ses images sont informatives (les outils, les 

étapes de la culture, l’habitat…) et si les personnages 

paraissent un peu raides, leurs visages sont expressifs 

et les paysages, rendus avec poésie. Cet album est 

le résultat d’un concours organisé par une association 

afin de donner aux enfants de la région du centre 

du Cameroun des livres parlant de leur quotidien. 


6 

Alain-Serge Dzotap • Philippe De Kemmeter, ill. 

Petit Hippo et son stylo magique [Little Hippo and his magic pen] 

Bayard jeunesse, 2010 • ISBN 978-2-7470-3208-7 

Daddy Hippo gives Little Hippo a red pen for his 

birthday, a pen “full of beautiful things”… Little 

Hippo tries to take those beautiful things out 

of the pen, but cannot, nor can his sister, nor 

the Hen, nor the Giraffe… Finally, Mother Hippo 

shows him how to use the pen and soon, the 

whole world begins to come out of it… 

Papa Hippo offre à Petit Hippo un stylo rouge pour 

son anniversaire, un stylo « plein de belles choses »… 

Petit Hippo essaie de sortir ces belles choses du 

stylo, mais il n’y arrive pas, ni sa sœur, ni la Poule, 

ni la Girafe… Finalement, Maman Hippo lui montre 

comment se servir du stylo et bientôt, la terre entière 

commence à en sortir… 

7 

Marie-Félicité Ebokéa • Clémentine Sourdais, ill. 

Mariétou Kissaitou [Marietou Whoknowsall] 

Le Sorbier, 2008 • ISBN 978-2-7320-3907-7 

When you know all, you are afraid of nothing: 

this is what little Mariétou believes. Bold, brave, 

she’s always the first to go at things. At least 

when there is light… For as soon as night comes, 

Mariétou is afraid of going across the courtyard 

to the toilet… Thanks to the words of an elder 

– the grand-father – Mariétou will get over 

her fear. A lively story, not without humour, 

that takes the reader to Douala. In À l’eau 

Mariétou ! [Into the water, Mariétou!] (ISBN 978- 

2-7320-3971-8) we find little Mariétou and her 

neighbourhood in Douala again: she goes for a 

day on the beach with her class, in her beautiful 

new bathing-suit, but she is terrified to go into 

the water: what if Mamywater really existed?... 

Quand on sait tout, on n’a peur de rien : telle est 

la conviction de la petite Mariétou. Intrépide, 

courageuse, elle est toujours la première pour 

tout. Du moins tant qu’il fait jour, car sitôt la nuit 

tombée, Mariétou a peur de traverser la cour pour 

se rendre aux toilettes... Grâce à la parole d’un ancien 

– le grand-père –, Mariétou réussira à dépasser sa 

propre peur. Une histoire vive, tonique et non dénué 

d’humour, qui amène le lecteur à Douala. Dans À l’eau 

Mariétou ! (ISBN 978-2-7320-3971-8) on retrouve 

la petite Mariétou et tout l’univers de son quartier 

à Douala, au Cameroun : la classe de Mariétou va 

passer une journée à la mer, dans son beau maillot 

de bain neuf, mais devant la mer, la peur l’emporte : 

et si Mamywater existait vraiment ?... 




Books from 

Colombia 

Contact: Carmen Barvo 

Carmen@fundalectura.org.co 

The publishing of picture books in Colombia is recent. Since the eighties, when 

the edition of books for children and youth began in our country, only few 

outstanding works have remained in our publishing market. 

In this selection of picture books we want to highlight the books written and 

illustrated by Ivar Da Coll, an emblematic author of our country, as well as the 

work of Alekos, Clarisa Ruiz and Antonio Caballero. 

Fundalectura -the Foundation for the Promotion of Reading- is a private, 

non-profit enterprise. It leads interdisciplinary assessment committees, which 

assess the bibliographic offer for children and youngsters. Their voluntary 

work feeds the lists of recommended books of the institution. 

1 

Clarisa Ruiz • Alekos, ill. 

Tocotoc, el cartero enamorado [Tocotoc, the postman in love] 

Panamericana, 1998 (1 st ed. 1993) • ISBN 958-30-0475-8 

If ever you visit a town called Cataplun and see 

going by the park two lovers, a postman and a 

beautiful girl with a jelly bean nose and cheeks 

like apples, you should know that they are the 

protagonists of a curious story of love, a romance 

by correspondence. Tocotoc, the postman, was 

in love with Mary, a seamstress, but he was so 

shy that he did not dare to say he loved her. But 

he had an idea: to write her letters to express 

all things he had not the courage to say face to 

face. This charming tale is a tribute to epistolary 

dialogue, to the old habit of putting in a mailbox 

dreams, happiness, woes, and hopes. For his work 

in this book, the illustrator was nominated to the 

IBBY Honour List 1994. 

2 

Antonio Caballero 

Isabel en Invierno [Isabel in Winter] 

Panamericana, 2003 (1 st ed. 1990) • ISBN 958-30-0519-3 

Many things happen to Isabel in Winter. She gets 

bored, sits to think, dresses and undresses and 

also she goes for a walk. At times she is alone, 

and sometimes she remembers that she is not, 

as the weasel Muchareja and the bear Nicholas. 

Isabel feels and thinks a lot. Her father knows 

this and so he wrote this book for her. When 

he showed it to Isabel, she felt represented 

in the character. A reading recommended 

to share with children living the game as their 

greatest adventure. The illustration line reflects 

the doodles children make at this age. 

the world through picture books • books from colombia • 36

3 

Ivar Da Coll 

Hamamelis, Miosotis y el señor Sorpresa 

[Hamamelis, Miosotis and Mister Surprise] 

Alfaguara, 2008 (1 st ed. 1993) • ISBN 958-704-372-3 

Mr. Surprise is a mysterious character that no 

one sees but everyone knows. When his visit is 

approaching, houses are decorated with candles, 

ribbons and flowers; behind doors, bags are put 

waiting for those gifts all have demanded from 

Mr. Surprise in a letter the wind carried to him. 

Hamamelis and Miosotis, two friends who like 

to visit each other to chat while drinking cocoa 

and eating cookies, make their requests to the 

expected visitor. But instead of asking gifts for 

themselves, each one asks for something that 

would make his neighbor happy. 

4 

Ivar Da Coll 

Hamamelis y el secreto [Hamamelis and the secret] 

Alfaguara, 2006 (1 st ed. 1991) • ISBN 958-704-219-0 

As Hamamelis is famous by his discretion, 

Miosotis, his best friend, carries a secret to his 

home. Hamamelis keeps it in a chest, so carefully, 

together with a sword, a prince’s crown and a 

striped ball. But the secret begins to move and 

make strange noises, and Hamamelis must fight 

against the curiosity and the temptation he feels 

to open the chest. More important, he has to be 

strong enough to avoid being convinced by her 

friend (Calendula) Marigold, who offers him some 

delicious cookies in exchange for revealing the 

secret. What a problem! 

5 

Ivar Da Coll 

¡No, no fui yo! [No, it wasn’t me!] 

Alfaguara, 2011 (1 st ed. 1998) • ISBN 978-958-758-058-7 

With a topic children love as it expresses with 

humor the harshness of lavatory matters, The 

situations depicted will make the reader smile. 

Three friends go out for a walk, sleep together 

and believe each other in the fabulous characters 

they invent to blame for the noises their bodies 

produce. Although many parents and teachers 

try to veil some topics to children, the author 

suggests the need to recognize that our body 

produces noises we cannot control, when least 

expected, overcoming the shame. 

6 

Ivar Da Coll 

Chigüiro Abo y Ata [Chigüiro, Abo and Ata] 

Babel, 2010 (1 st ed. 1993) • ISBN 978-958-8445-04-5 

Chigüiro, a capybara, is very intrigued and wants 

to understand the secret explaining why adults 

have to be so big, so serious, with such a big 

appetite. Why can’t he eat as much as Abo or 

have a couch like his couch, or cook with sharp 

knives as Ata does? They always tell him: “Now 

you are young, but when you grow up…” And he 

wonders when it will happen. “As time passes”, 

Abo comforts him and until this time arrives, 

Abo shows him how the adult’s world is. Then 

Chigüiro decides it is boring to be big and thinks 

it is better to wait to grow up and while waiting, 

carry on eating lollipops, riding his tricycle, and 

painting with crayons on his own small table. 


7 

Ivar Da Coll 

Garabato: historias de Eusebio II [Doodle] 

Babel, 2006 (1 st ed. 1990) • ISBN 958-97602-6-0 

Eusebio is a beautiful cat with a look between 

sad and sweet in his eyes. He is usually engaged 

in activities slightly spiritual, sensitive and even 

poetic. In this book, Eusebio begins to draw, 

specifically, to draw portraits. A cheerful morning, 

he decides to paint, and carrying the necessary 

elements, he sits under a shady tree to reproduce 

other beings on a paper. Then his friends began 

to parade in front of his improvised and airy 

studio to ask him for a portrait. 

The hen Ursula, duck Ananias, goat Eulalia, cat 

Camila and also dog Horacio want a portrait. 

All of them prove to be very fickle as models: 

they all have an excuse to leave soon the rigors 

of this activity so quiet and calm. Finally, Eusebio 

decides to paint landscapes, and then they ask 

him, again, for their portraits. At the end, Eusebio 

finds a final solution. With this book, Ivar Da Coll 

demonstrates his stories and illustrations, his 

imagination and poetry, are an outpost in our 

country and beyond. 

Doodle, to be published soon with new 

illustrations by the author, is part of the series 

Eusebio’s Stories, which include Birthday cake and 

I’m afraid. 

8 

Ivar Da Coll 

Tengo miedo [I’m afraid] 

Babel, 2006 (1 st ed. 1990) • ISBN 958-97822-3-X 

It is night and Eusebio, the cat, cannot sleep 

because he is scared. But, fortunately, he is not 

alone. His friend Ananias, a wise duck, tells him 

a secret to stop him being frightened. He reveals 

him that monsters also have to brush their teeth 

and drink their soup, that they must take baths 

with soap and water,and go to sleep at eight in 

the evening. Also, he reveals that the monsters 

like colorful ice cream. Knowing these monsters 

weakness, Eusebio decides go to sleep. He is 

peaceful, after all somebody who has to drink 

soup, as him, monsters included, cannot be 

so bad. 

This book will be published soon with new 

illustrations by the author. 

9 

Ivar Da Coll 

Torta de cumpleaños [Birthday cake] 

Babel, 2006 (1 st ed. 1990) • ISBN 958-97602-5-2 

Horacio, the dog, remembers that his friend 

Ursula had her birthday recently. He packs 

some fruit in a basket and runs to give them 

to Ursula, a hen, before she celebrates another 

birthday. Ursula receives her present and when 

she remembers that her friend the cow Eulalia 

had her birthday recently, runs to her home 

carrying in the basket fruit and some eggs before 

the cow celebrates another birthday. Then, the 

cow remembers that her friend, the cat Camila, 

recently had her birthday and runs to her home 

carrying fruit, eggs and also butter and cream, 

before the cat... and in this way continues a 

delicious play of repetition that makes this book 

one of the most beloved books of the Colombian 

author. At the end, the basket arrives to Eusebio, 

who decides to bake a cake, and guess who 

arrives at his home, attracted by the aroma? 

This book will be published soon with new 

illustrations by the author. 


Books from 

Croatia 

Contact: Dajana Brunac 

dajana@gkzd.hr / dajana.brunac@usa.net 

The list was created by members of the Croatian Committee for Library 

Services for Children and YA. 

1 

Pika Vončina 

Emilija u zemlji kotača [Emilija in the land of wheels] 

Leykam International, 2009 • ISBN 978-953-7534-34-9 

In this picture book the author presents Emilija 

the sheep, and her numerous sheep family. Emilija 

loves to eat, she grows with time and one day she 

discovers that she can say “no”. It is precisely her 

stubbornness that leads her into a true adventure. 

She refuses to go for a walk with the family, 

she takes her favourite toy and leaves. Her walk 

is cheerful at the beginning, but soon, the Lamb, 

Emilija’s favourite toy, loses a wheel. The search 

for the toy parts brings Emilija into a strange 

land of wheels. The text is simple and short, 

appropriate for children just trying to read on their 

own. Illustrations merge with the text and express 

the motives that are not always expressed in words. 

Autorica u slikovnici predstavlja svoju junakinju, ovcu 

Emiliju, i njenu brojnu obitelj. Ovca Emilija voli jesti, 

raste i jednoga dana otkriva da se može reći «ne». 

Upravo zbog svoje tvrdoglavosti doživljava pravu 

pustolovinu. Odbija otići u obiteljsku šetnju, uzima 

svoju najdražu igračku i odlazi. Samostalna šetnja 

počinje veselo, no ubrzo Ovčica, Emilijina omiljena 

igračka, izgubi kotačić. Potraga za igračkom odovodi 

Emiliju u čudnovatu zemlju kotača. 

Tekst slikovnice jednostavan je i kratak, prikladan 

za djecu koja tek pokušavaju samostalno čitati. 

Ilustracije se stapaju s tekstom, te izražavaju motive 

koji nisu uvijek izraženi riječima. 

2 

Sunčana Škrinjarić • Ana Kadoić, ill. 

Plesna haljina žutog maslačka [The Dance dress of the yellow dandelion] 

Golden marketing-Tehnička knjiga, 2004 • ISBN 953-212-220-6 

It is hard to see through the mysterious life of 

flowers, because flowers do not talk, preserving 

in such a way the secret place and the secret 

time of the annual flower-ball. Most of the 

flowers are gorgeous, beautiful and fragrant, 

just a dandelion considers himself unworthy 

to go to the ball. And when everything seems 

completely hopeless, the dandelion will get some 

help, given to him by somebody from whom such 

a thing would never be expected. Insignificant 

until recently, this small flower with no odour 

nor colour will suddenly shine and dazzle all the 

participants with the most beautiful and most 

amazing fluffy dress. This poetic story talks about 

generosity and love that lie deep in every heart. 

Even those who seem to be the most brutal 

and untouchable individuals hide some goodness 

that sometimes needs to be slowly revealed. 

U tajanstveni život cvijeća teško je proniknuti, jer 

ono ne govori i tako već dugo čuva tajnu o vremenu 

i mjestu održavanja godišnjeg cvjetnog bala. Većina 

cvijeća je raskošna, lijepa i mirisna, samo maslačak 

smatra kako je nedostojan odlaska na bal. I kad se 

čini posve nemogućim, maslačku će netko pomoći, 

netko od koga nikada takvo što ne bi očekivao. 

Do nedavno neugledan cvjetak bez mirisa i bogatih 

boja zablistat će i zasjeniti sve sudionike plesa 

u najljepšoj i najčudesnijoj pahuljastoj haljini. 

Ova poetična priča govori o plemenitosti i ljubavi koja 

se nalazi duboko u svakom srcu. Naizgled najgrublji 

i nedodirljivi pojedinci skrivaju dobrotu koju ponekad 

treba polako otkrivati. 

the world through picture books • books from croatia • 39

3 

Stanislav Marijanović 

Knjiga čarobnih formula [The Book of the magic formula] 

Sipar, 1999 • ISBN 953-6415-20-8 

This unusual and witty tale introduces readers 

to the world of small, ugly, vicious and naughty 

monsters that are essentially sweet, kindhearted 

and likeable. They live near us, with us, inside 

us and make our lives different and happy. 

Small home-monsters show the characteristics 

and behavior of children and adults, and 

the recognition and identification with the 

characteristics and with names that represent 

those characters makes the process of reading 

very amusing. In the story, the family goes on 

vacation convinced that they left their old house 

empty. But that is not the case. Although most of 

the monsters are hidden in the car, two monsters 

remain in the house. They find the “Book of magic 

formula” which, surely, has to be tested and tried 

out. This story of monsters is rich in humour 

expressed through imaginative illustrations. 

Ova neobična i duhovita bajka uvodi čitatelje u svijet 

malih, rugobnih, pakosnih i zločestih čudovišta koja su 

u svojoj biti draga, dobrodušna i simpatična. Ona žive 

uz nas, s nama, u nama i čine život raznolikim, veselim 

i drugačijim. Mala kućna čudovišta ukazuju na osobine 

i ponašanje djece i odraslih, što čitanje knjige kroz 

prepoznavanje i poistovjećivanje s karakterom i imenima 

likova koje predstavalju čini zabavnim. 

U priči obitelj odlazi na odmor uvjerena da ostavlja svoju 

staru kuću praznu. No, tako samo izgleda na prvi pogled. 

Iako je većina kućnih čudovišta skrivena u autu, dva 

vrlo živahna sobna čudovišta ostaju kod kuće. Igrajući 

se pronalaze „Knjigu čarobnih formula“ koje, naravno, 

moraju ih isprobati. 

Priča o čudovištima obiluje humorom izraženim kroz 

maštovite ilustracije. 

4 

Ludwig Bauer • Vjekoslav Vojo Radoičić, ill. 

Morski igrokazi [The sea plays] 

Golden marketing-Tehnička knjiga, 2005 • ISBN 953-212-245-1 

The book contains two witty role-play 

dramatisations, “Treasure Hunt” and “Pearl 

Diver” that are the result of joint creative work 

of two excellent Croatian authors. Visually very 

appealing and interesting as an independent 

work, it also serves as a template for some 

further work, such as setting the play on the 

stage. It is a sort of instruction for staging, and 

each reading reveals a new value in the written 

text and in colourful illustrations. Some pages of 

the picture book contain “windows”, with some 

of the characters in the play, or even whole 

scenes hidden behind, which contributes to the 

liveliness of the book, like a stage. 

Knjiga sadrži dva duhovita igrokaza „Potragu 

za blagom“ i „Ronilac bisera“ koji su rezultat je 

zajedničkog stvaralačkog rada dvojice vrsnih hrvatskih 

autora. Likovno je vrlo privlačna i zanimljiva kao 

samostalno djelo, istovremeno služi kao predložak 

za daljnji rad, odnosno postavljanje igrokaza na 

pozornicu. Ona je svojevrstan naputak za uprizorenje, 

a svako čitanje otkriva nove vrijednosti u napisanom 

tekstu i živopisnim ilustracijama. Slikovnica na nekim 

listovima sadrži „prozorčiće“, iza kojih se kriju likovi iz 

predstave ili čak cijela scena, što pridonosi oživljavanju 

knjige, poput pozornice. 


5 

Svjetlan Junaković 

Ljubav spašava živote [Love saves lives] 

Algoritam, 2007 • ISBN 978-953-220-498-8 

In this picture book the author succeeded to 

restore harmony between the world of children 

and the world of adults. With interesting solution 

the author divides the story into two parts. 

A smaller part describes the experiences of a 

girl called Ela, while the greatest part depicts 

Dad’s reflections on them fishing together. Ela 

is a vivacious girl who is convinced that her dad 

is too busy and too serious, and he needs to 

relax. For Dad fishing means enjoying the peace 

and quiet, which is impossible with Ela. For the 

imaginative girl daddy’s hat represents a perfect 

boat, she releases bait-worms and leaves them 

to play, and throws stones exactly where her dad 

envisioned complete peace. Although the different 

perceptions are intertwined through some fun, joy 

and gladness, Dad is not always amused. However, 

the childs sincerity and open heart demonstrate 

the importance of socializing, playing and having 

fun, and the true value of love that saves lives. 

Često nerazumijevanje svijeta djece i odraslih Junaković 

je pomirio u svojoj autorskoj slikovnici. Zanimljivim 

rješenjem autor dijeli priču na dva dijela. Manji dio 

čitateljima dočarava doživljaje djevojčice Ele, a veći 

oslikava tatino viđenje zajedničkog druženja na pecanju. 

Ela je živahna djevojčica koja je uvjerena kako je tata 

prezaposlen i preozbiljan, te se treba opustiti. Tata je 

pecanje zamislio kao uživanje u miru i tišini, što je uz 

Elu nemoguće. Maštovita djevojčica u tatinom šeširu 

vidi savršeni brod, crviće za mamac pušta na slobodu 

da se igraju, a kamenčiće baca upravo tamo gdje 

je tata zamislio potpuni mir... Iako se kroz različito 

doživljavanje istog isprepliću se šala, veselje i radost, tati 

nije baš uvijek zabavno. No, dječja iskrenost i otvoreno 

srce pokazuju važnost zajedničkog druženja, igre i pravu 

vrijednost ljubavi, koja spašava živote. 

6 

Sanja Lovrenčić • Tomislav Zlatić, ill. 

Kako je dobro sa svim tim životinjama 

[It has been so good with all these animals] 

Leykam-International, 2009 • ISBN 978-953-7534-36-3 

In a small house there is a place for everyone, 

for people and many different animals. They 

all live together in harmony although they are 

of very different habits, needs, characters, sizes 

and colours. No-one is angry or bothers anyone, 

like it is said in a saying “where the inmate is not 

angry, no house is too small”. Of course, there 

can be even more animals, all are welcome 

and no one will be chased. Love for animals raises 

the goodness in every person. Children filled with 

love will become happy adults, and this is one of 

the ways to teach children to accept tolerance 

and respect diversities and a harmonious 

life together. 

U maloj kući ima mjesta za sve, i ljude i mnoštvo 

različitih životinja. Svi zajedno žive skladno iako su 

vrlo različitih navika, potreba, karaktera, veličina i 

boja. Nitko nije ljut, nitko nikome ne smeta i zbog toga 

se kaže „gdje čeljad nije bijesna, ni kuća nije tijesna“. 

Naravno, životinja može biti i više, svi su dobrodošli 

i nikog se neće tjerati. Ljubav prema životinjama 

pobuđuje dobrotu u svakom čovjeku. Djeca ispunjena 

ljubavlju postaju će zadovoljne odrasle osobe, a ovo 

je jedan od načina kako malu djecu, i onu malo, veću 

naučiti toleranciji, odnosno poštivanju različitosti te 

skladnom zajedničkom životu. 


7 

Grigor Vitez • Tomislav Torjanac, ill. 

Kako živi Antuntun [How Antuntun lives] 

Mozaik knjiga, 2009 • ISBN 978-953-14-0656-7 

The book is based on Grigor Vitez’s anthological 

poem which many generations of readers 

enjoyed for over a hundred years. The poem 

carries a strong message of accepting differences 

among people which is important to develop 

in an early age, because Antuntun was kindhearted 

and a very special person, different 

from all. Perhaps he sometimes looks weird 

or behaves in a way that no one expects or 

performs in the real world, but that in fact is his 

value. Imaginative illustrations of good-hearted 

and unusual Antuntun with lots of funny scenes 

represent delight for the eyes and soul of children 

and adults. 

Slikovnica je nastala prema antologijskoj pjesmi 

Grigora Viteza u čijim stihovima već preko stotinu 

godina uživaju generacije čitatelja. Pjesma nosi 

snažnu poruku prihvaćanja različitosti među ljudima 

koju je važno razvijati od malena, jer Antuntun je 

dobrodušna i vrlo posebna osoba, drugačija od svih 

koje nas okružuju. Možda on ponekad izgleda čudno 

ili se ponaša onako kako nitko ne očekuje i ne radi 

u stvarnom svijetu, no upravo je u tome njegova 

vrijednost. Maštovite ilustracije dobrodušnog i 

neobičnog Antuntuna s mnoštvom duhovitih prizora 

užitak su za oči i dušu djece i odraslih. 

8 

Dubravka Pađen-Farkaš • Dražen Jerabek, ill. 

Gospodin Otto i stari naslonjači [Mr. Otto and old armchairs] 

Sipar, 2010 • ISBN 978-953-6415-75-5 

This story is about Mr. Otto who is a master 

upholsterer. He repairs old chairs and covers 

them with beautiful new materials of amazing 

colours and patterns. Anyone who sits in a 

refurbished piece of furniture, sails away in a 

different world and feels marvellous. Master Otto 

has a neighbour, a curious little girl who loves 

to watch him through the window of her room. 

She is very curious about the blue haze which 

envelopes his home while he is working. When 

the old master and a small neighbor finally meet, 

the girl will discover the whole unknown world. 

Thanks to the unusual master she will find out 

the secret – how, with lots of knowledge and 

skills, some good will, and a little magic, not only 

can the old chairs be restored but people as well. 

With a little imagination (or green mist) their old 

ties and relationships become like new. 

Priča je ovo o gospodinu Ottu koji je majstor tapetar. 

On popravlja stare naslonjače i presvlači ih predivnim 

novim materijalima krasnih boja i šara. Svatko tko 

sjedne u tako obnovljeni komad namještaja, otplovi 

u drugačiji svijet u kojem se i sam osjeti čarobno. 

Susjeda majstora Otta, radoznala je djevojčica koja 

ga voli promatrati kroz prozor svoje sobe. Ono što 

je najviše čudi jest zelena maglica kojom je obavijena 

njegova kuća dok radi. Kada se stari majstor i mala 

susjeda konačno upoznaju, djevojčici će se otkriti dotad 

nepoznati svijet. 

Zahvaljujući neobičnom majstoru saznat će tajnu 

– kako, uz puno znanja, volje, umijeća, te malo čarolije, 

obnoviti ne samo stare naslonjače, već i ljude i njihove 

već pomalo istrošene veze i odnose koji, uz malo mašte 

(ili zelene maglice), ponovo postaju - kao novi. 


8 

Sonja Zubović • Marijana Jelić, ill. 

Čudesna kuharica Lize Brljize [The amazing cook-book of Liza Brljiza] 

Published by the author, 2010 • ISBN: 978-953-56354-0-6 

We all know that our fondest memories are 

related to storytelling, delicious food and odours 

spreading from the mother’s or grandmother’s 

kitchen. The most precious moments are 

spent with those whom we love, and today’s 

lifestyle does not leave enough time to enjoy 

the togetherness. The kitchen is a place where 

everyone can hang out, cook and try out various 

dishes. The amazing cook-book of Lisa Brljiza, with its 

simple homemade recipes and verses encourages 

both children and parents to enjoy preparing 

meals together and to read poetry. It is still nice 

and comfortable to be in such homes where 

families often hang out at the table. 

Svi znamo kako su najljepša sjećanja vezana uz pričanje 

priča, ukusnu hranu i mirise koji se šire iz mamine ili 

bakine kuhinje. Najdragocjeniji trenutci su provedeni 

s onima koje volimo, a današnji način života ne ostavlja 

dovoljno vremena za uživanje u zajedništvu. Kuhinja 

je mjesto gdje se svi mogu družiti, kuhati i isprobavati 

razna jela, a Čudesna kuharica Lize Brljize svojim 

jednostavnim, domaćim receptima i stihovima potiče 

djecu i roditelje na uživanje u zajedničkom spravljanju 

jela i čitanju poezije. Tako je lijepo i ugodno još samo 

u onim domovima gdje se obitelji često druže za stolom. 

10 

Želimir Hercigonja • Marsela Hajdinjak-Kreč, ill. 

Vodenjak i stara kruška [Water-sprite and the old pear tree] 

Naklada Haid, 2005.; ISBN: 953-6897-49-0 

Once upon a time everything was different, 

the air was cool and the water in wells was 

crystal clear, with special flavour, all thanks 

to the diligent water-sprites. There was a little 

water-sprite who looked after a well, placed 

in the shade of an old pear tree. His life was 

beautiful until the old pear tree dried up and 

was left without fruit, and out of sadness 

he neglected the cleanliness of the well. 

Crying for the past times the water-sprite could 

not find a solution. Then an owl gives the sprite 

some wise advice and soon the water in the 

well became clear again. The well is proclaimed 

Caesarean, and he became a Caesarean watersprite. 

The text reveals to children the beauty 

in everything that surrounds them, and is 

complemented by melancholic illustrations. 

Jednom davno sve je bilo drugačije, zrak je bio svjež, 

a voda u zdencima kristalno čista i posebna okusa 

zahvaljujući vrijednim vodenjacima. Brinući o zdencu 

u sjeni stare kruške živio je mali vodenjak. Život mu 

je bio lijep sve dok se stara kruška nije posušila i ostala 

bez plodova, a on od tuge zanemario čistoću svojeg 

zdenca. Plačući za minulim vremenima vodenjak nije 

pronalazio rješenja. Jednostavnim savjetom sova 

je prenula vodenjaka, te je ubrzo voda u njegovu 

zdencu postala čista. Zdenac je proglašen carskim, 

a on sam - carskim vodenjakom. 

Tekst otkriva djeci ljepotu u svemu što ih okružuje, 

a upotpunjen je sjetnim i nostalgičnim ilustracijama 


Books from 

Denmark 

Contact: Kirsten Boelt 

kbt-kultur@aalborg.dk 

The Danish picture books were chosen by the Danish IBBY members and the 

librarians in the children´s departments in Denmark. A call was sent out for 

nominations and a number of very fine suggestions were received. The IBBY 

board and Kirsten Boelt met and agreed the 10 Danish picture books shown 

here below. 

1 

Egon Mathiesen 

Mis med de blå øjne [The blue eyed pussy cat] 

Gyldendal, 1977 (1 st edition 1949) • ISBN 978-87-01-54431-3 and 978-87-01-54431-4 

The blue eyed pussy cat is not like all the other 

cats. They tease him for his blue eyes. But he 

becomes popular because he finds the land of 

many mice. The blue eyed pussy cat from 1949 

is one of writer, painter and illustrator, Egon 

Mathiesen’s most familiar and beloved picture 

books for children. His poetic and simple texts 

combined with the illustrations created a new 

departure for Danish children’s literature in the 

post war period. The book is a classic and still 

read aloud to Danish children. For 3-6 year-olds. 

Mis er ikke som alle de andre katte. De driller ham 

med hans blå øjne. Men han bliver populær, da han 

finder landet med de mange mus. Mis med de blå øjne 

fra 1949 er en af forfatteren, maleren og illustratoren, 

Egon Mathiesens mest kendte og elskede billedbøger 

for børn. Hans poetiske og enkle tekster kombineret 

med illustrationerne skaber en ny begyndelse for dansk 

børnelitteratur i efterkrigstiden. Bogen er en klassiker 

og den læses stadig højt for danske børn. For 3-6 årige. 

2 

Flemming Quist Møller 

Cykelmyggen Egon [Bicycle mosquito Egon] 

Gyldendal, 2006 (1 st edition 1967) • ISBN 978-87-02-04698-4 and 978-87-02-04698-9-4 

Bicycle mosquito Egon loves hard and fast 

sprints. So it was in 1967 when Egon machined 

out of the water on a great, new racing bike 

in Flemming Quist Møller’s picture book which 

remains a classic today. The book, in which 

Egon travels the world and ends up in a circus, is 

illustrated with fanciful colors and a detailed and 

lively bar. Quist Møller is both author, illustrator 

and musician, and received in 2006 Gyldendal’s 

Book Prize, which was awarded to an author 

or illustrator who has done something special 

for children’s literature. For 3-6 year-olds. 

Cykelmyggen Egon elsker en hård og hurtig sprint. 

I 1967 kommer Egon cyklende op af vandet på en flot 

ny racercykel i Flemming Quist Møllers billedbog, 

som også i dag er en klassiker. Bogen, hvor Egon 

cykler rundt i verden og ender i et cirkus, er illustreret 

med fantasifulde farver og en detaljeret og livlig bar. 

Quist Møller er både forfatter, illustrator og musiker, 

og modtog i 2006 Gyldendals bogpris, der bliver givet 

til en forfatter eller illustrator, som har gjort noget helt 

særligt for børnelitteraturen. For 3-6 årige. 

the world through picture books • books from denmark • 44

3 

Mette Moestrup • Charlotte Pardi, ill. 

Hvad siger sneugleungen Ulla? [What does Ulla, the young snowy owl say?] 

Gyldendal, 2009 • ISBN 978-87-02-07076-7 

It is not easy to be a young snowy owl when you 

are not aware of what a young snowy owl really 

is saying. What does, Ulla the young snowy owl say? 

is the story of Ulla, who cannot speak openly and 

does not know how she should get the words out 

when she meets the other animals. But maybe 

they can help! The text is tight and clear, full of 

repetitions and sound that fit comfortably on 

the tongue. Illustrations by Charlotte Pardies are 

beautiful and simple in the colors blue and white. 

The book is from 2009 and has already been 

appointed as a classics for children. 

For 2-4 years olds. 

Det er ikke nemt at være en sneugleunge, når man har 

glemt, hvad sneugleunger siger. Hvad siger sneuglen 

Ulla? er historien om Ulla, som ikke kan tale rent 

og som ikke ved, hvordan hun skal få ordene ud, når 

hun møder de andre dyr. Men måske kan de hjælpe? 

Teksten er tæt og klar med mange gentagelser og lyde, 

der passer fint til tungen. Illustrationerne af Charlotte 

Pardi er smukke og enkle og holdt i farverne blå og 

hvid. Bogen er fra 2009 og er allerede ved at være 

en klassiker for børn. For 2-4 årige. 

4 

Bente Olesen Nyström 

En tur med hunden [A walk with the dog] 


A walk with the dog is an imaginative photo story 

told and illustrated by Bente Nyström Olesen. 

The reader travels with the dog on a tour 

through one image after another over 12 detailed 

notices, accompanied by a short text on four 

lines. It teems with secrets, stories and mysteries, 

which are to explore. Bente Olesen Nyström is 

an award-winning artist and illustrator. She has 

made numerous picture books and illustrated, 

among others, works about animals and plants. 

For 4-7 year-olds 

En tur med hunden er en fantasifuld billedhistorie 

fortalt og illustreret af Bente Olesen Nyström. 

Læseren rejser med hunden på tur gennem den ene 

billedverden efter den anden gennem 12 detaljerede 

fortællinger, der er fulgt af en kort tekst på fire linjer. 

Bogen er fyldt med hemmeligheder, historier og 

mysterier, som må udforskes. Bente Olesen Nyström er 

en prisvindende kunstner og illustrator. Hun har lavet 

talrige billedbøger og har blandt andet illustreret bøger 

om dyr og planter. For 4-7 årige. 

5 

Kim Fupz Aakeson • Mette-Kirstine Bak, ill. 

Mor [Mom] 

Gyldendal, 2006 (1 st ed. 1998) • ISBN 978-87-02-02384-8 and 978-87-02-02384 

The book Mom from 1998 is about a boy who has 

a fat mother. Extremely fat. She can smell a hot 

dog stand a hundred feet away. And she will not 

eat carrots and become thin. It’s embarrassing, 

the boy thinks, and he decides to find a new 

mother who is nice and slim. Kim Fupz Aakeson 

treats the subject ‘unconditional love’ in a warm 

and funny way. The drawings of Mom and her 

boy who is so embarrassed, so embarrassed 

by his fat mother is spread over the pages with 

loving hand by illustrator Mette Kirstine Bak 

The 1999 Cultural Ministry Illustrator Award. 

For 8 year-olds and older. 

Bogen Mor fra 1998 er om en dreng, der har en tyk 

mor. Kæmpetyk. Og hun kan lugte en pølsevogn 

på hundrede meters afstand. Og hun vil ikke spise 

gulerødder og blive tynd. Drengen synes, det er flovt, 

så han beslutter, at finde en ny mor, der er pæn og 

slank. Kim Fupz Aakeson behandler den betingelsesløse 

kærlighed med varme og humor. Illustrationerne 

af Mor og hendes dreng, der er så frygtelig flov over 

sin tykke mor, er bredt ud over siderne med en kærlig 

hånd af illustrator Mette Kirstine Bak, som modtog 

Kulturministeriets Illustratorpris i 1999. Fra 8 år og op. 


6 

Mats Letén • Hanne Bartholin, ill. 

Finn Herman [Finn Herman] 

Gyldendal, 2001 (1 st edition 2001) • ISBN 978-87-00-46562-6 and 978-87-00-46562-3 

Finn Herman from 2001 is about the fine lady who 

wants to go into town with her sweet crocodile 

Finn Herman. Of course it’s a little dangerous, but 

Finn Herman’s mother gives him good advice, so 

nothing happens... with Finn Herman, anyway. 

It ends with Finn Herman becoming so fat that 

he cannot even be in the book – so there must 

be a page pamphlet to show how big and fat he 

was after their walk. Finn Herman was designed 

by Hanne Bartholin, who received The Ministry 

of Culture Illustrator Prize for her humorous 

drawings that subtly and simply describe how her 

mother did not believe that the crocodile can do 

no wrong. For 4-6 year-olds. 

Finn Hermann fra 2001 handler om en fin dame, der 

vil gå en tur i byen med sin søde krokodille. Selvfølgelig 

er det lidt farligt, men Finn Hermans mor giver ham 

gode råd, så der ikke sker noget ... med Finn Herman i 

hvert fald. Det ender med at Finn Herman bliver så tyk, 

at han slet ikke kan være i bogen - så der må en ekstra 

side ind for at vise hvor stor og tyk, han er blevet 

efter deres gåtur. Finn Herman er illustreret af Hanne 

Bartholin, der fik Kulturministeriets Illustratorpris for 

hendes morsomme illustrationer, som underfundigt og 

enkelt beskriver hvordan, hendes mor ikke troede på, 

at en krokodille kan gøre noget forkert. For 4-6 årige. 

7 

Martin Glanz Serup • Lars Vegas Nielsen, ill. 

Sebastians monster [Sebastian’s monster] 

Alma, 2006 • ISBN 978-87-7243-236-6 

Sebastian’s father and mother think Sebastian 

is terribly afraid of the monster, which may be 

hiding in the closet. But actually, he thinks it’s so 

boring to be in bed. The father wants to get the 

bedding done quickly and show that monsters do 

not exist. But the whole family gets a big surprise 

– and Sebastian gets it exactly as he wants it. 

By late sleeping times, popcorn, television – and 

monster! Lars Vegas Nielsen the illustrator of this 

book received The Ministry of Culture Illustrator 

Prize. A crazy original, awful book that has 

it all including a funny ending. For 5 year-olds 

and older. 

Sebastians far og mor tror, at Sebastian er frygteligt 

bange for det monster, der måske gemmer sig i skabet. 

Men faktisk synes han bare, det er så KEDELIGT 

at skulle i seng. Da far vil gøre kort proces og vise, 

at monstre ikke findes, får hele familien sig en 

overraskelse – og Sebastian får det helt, som han vil 

have det. Med sene sovetider, popcorn, fjernsyn – og 

monster! Lars Vegas Nielsen, som har illustreret bogen, 

fik Kulturministeriets Illustratorpris for bogen. En skør, 

original og skrækkelig bog, der har det hele, også en 

lykkelig slutning. Fra 5 år og op. 

8 

Morten Dürr • Lars Gabel, ill. 

Marias dukke [Maria’s doll] 

Høst, 2010 • ISBN 978-87-638-1402 

Maria and her brother are street children and 

earn money by collecting garbage. The adults 

require them to deliver everything they find. 

But one day Maria finds the finest doll that she 

really wants to keep. But Maria can lie to the 

adults when they ask: “Is that all? Aren’t you 

keeping anything?” Maria’s doll is a picture book 

for schoolchildren. It tells of street children’s 

conditions and is about sibling love, friendship, 

poverty and survival. For 6-10 year-olds. 

Maria og hendes broder er gadebørn, og de tjener 

penge ved at samle skrald. De voksne kræver at de 

afleverer alt de finder. En dag finder Maria den fineste 

dukke, som hun rigtig gerne vil beholde. Men kan 

Maria lyve for de voksne, når de spørger: “er det alt, du 

har fundet? Beholder du ikke noget selv?” Marias dukke 

en billedbog for skolebørn. Den fortæller om gadebørns 

vilkår og om kærlighed mellem søskende, venskab, 

fattigdom og overlevelse. For 6-10 årige. 


9 

Jakob Martin Strid 

Lille Frø [Little frog] 


Little frog comes down from outer space. 

Straight into an unsuspecting frog family in 

the middle of their coziest hour in front of the 

television. The family takes the frog into their 

arms and loves it as one of their own children. 

There’s just one problem: Little frog is very, very 

bad. He ends up being sent to specialists and 

the school psychologist. However, being part 

of a family who loves him, helps Little Frog to 

find his place in the world. This story won Jakob 

Strid the Danish part of the Nordic picture book 

competition, in 2004. For 4-6 year-olds. 

Lille Frø kommer dunsende ned fra det ydre rum. 

Lige ned i en intetanende middelklasse-frø-familie 

midt i deres helligste hyggestund foran fjernsynet. 

Familien tager alligevel frøen i deres arme og elsker 

den, som deres egen lille frø. Der er bare et problem: 

Lille frø er meget, meget slem. Derfor havner han 

ret hurtigt hos skolepsykologen. Men, Lille Frø er 

en del af en familie, som elsker ham, og det hjælper 

ham til at finde sin plads i verden. Med bogen vandt 

Jakob Martin Strid den danske del af den Nordiske 

billedbogskonkurrence i 2004. For 4-6 årige. 

10 

Ib Spang Olsen 

Guden Thor [The god Thor] 

Alma, 1997 • ISBN 978-87-7243-176-8 

In every way a great book, that gathers all the 

stories of the thunder god, the fertility creator, 

fighter, fire maker and hero Thor from Nordic 

mythology. Narrated in large, gentle, violent, 

sensual, and dramatic color images in Ib Spang 

Olsen’s special tone of language, so you can even 

hear him talk. A book for all ages and at all times. 

The book is a series of vivid and grandiose stories 

carried by a warm tone, in a visual language that 

has its own highly textural texture. It is simply 

good. For 6 year-olds and older. 

En på alle måder stor bog, der samler alle historierne 

om tordenguden, frugtbarhedsskaberen, slagsbroderen, 

ildfrembringeren og helten Thor. Fortalt i store, blide, 

voldsomme, sanselige og dramatiske farvebilleder 

og i Ib Spang Olsens særlige sprogtone, så man 

ligefrem kan høre ham fortælle. En bog for alle 

aldre og til alle tider. Bogen er en række livfulde og 

storladne historier, der bæres af en varm fortælletone 

og et billedsprog, der har sin helt egen yderst 

stoflige tekstur. Det er simpelthen hamrende godt. 

Fra 6 år og op. 

. 


Books from 

Estonia 

Contact: Anu Kehman 

anu@elk.ee 

The selection was made by nearly 50 children’s librarians from Estonian county 

and city central libraries. The vote was based on a list of the best Estonian 

picture books that met the project criteria, put together by the Estonian 

Children’s Literature Centre. The final list was composed at the Centre, 

on the basis of the voting results submitted by the libraries. The list 

includes both all-time most-popular Estonian picture books (the ‘classics’) 

and contemporary works with timeless content. 

1 

Ellen Niit • Vive Tolli, ill. 

Rongisõit [A Train Ride] 

Tammerraamat, 2013 (1st edition 1957) • ISBN 9789949482825 

A Train Ride is a brisk rhyming story about a trip 

that ends in disaster. Kittens, puppies, piglets, 

billy-goats and other familiar animals are riding 

on a train conducted by a duck – some are 

headed to pastures, some to berry fields, and 

others just to visit friends. The monotonous 

clickety-clack of the train wheels lulls the duck to 

sleep. The train veers into the ditch with a bang, 

the passengers are tossed head-over-heels out of 

the train cars, and the trip is interrupted for this 

time around. 

Hoogne värsslugu õnnetusega lõppenud rongireisist. 

Kiisud, kutsud, notsud, sikud jt koduloomad 

sõidavad piilupardi juhitud rongis kes karjamaale, 

kes marjamaale, kes lihtsalt sõbrale külla. Rataste 

ühetooniline hääl uinutab piilupardi magama. Rong 

sõidab pauguga kraavi, reisijad pudenevad pead-jalad 

läbisegi vagunitest välja ja reis jääb sedakorda pooleli. 

2 

Eno Raud • Edgar Valter, ill. 

Sipsik [Raggie] 

Tammerraamat, 2014 (1st edition 1962) • ISBN 9789949449477 

Six-year-old Mart makes a rag doll as a birthday 

present for his younger sister Anu. The doll comes 

to life and becomes the little girl’s best friend and 

playmate. Together, they feed the birds, gather 

mushrooms and go to the seaside. Raggie fights 

wasps, becomes a television show-host and goes 

to the moon in a rocket made out of a shoe box. 

Kuueaastane Mart meisterdab sünnipäevaks oma 

nooremale õele Anule kaltsunuku. Nukk ärkab ellu ja 

temast saab väikesele tüdrukule südamesõber ja parim 

mängukaaslane. Koos söödetakse tihaseid, käiakse 

seenemetsas ja mere ääres. Sipsik võitleb herilastega, 

esineb televiisoris ja käib kingakarbist meisterdatud 

raketiga Kuu peal. 

the world through picture books • books from estonia • 48

3 

Silvi Väljal 

Jussikese seitse sõpra [Johnny’s seven friends] 

Avita, 2006 (1st edition 1966) • ISBN 9789985201527, 9985201523 

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named 

Johnny. He longed to find Sunday Land. Johnny 

wanted to ask Sunday if it could be every day, 

because he loved Sunday the most. One day, 

Johnny begins his journey and meets all of the 

days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Will he find 

Sunday? 

Elas kord üks väike poiss Jussike, kellele meeldis väga 

Pühapäev. Ühel päeval asub ta teele Pühapäevamaale. 

Jussike tahab Pühapäeva paluda, et see iga päev 

tema juures oleks. Teel kohtab ta kõiki nädalapäevi: 

Esmaspäeva, Teisipäeva, Kolmapäeva, Neljapäeva, 

Reedet ja Laupäeva. Kas ta leiab ka Pühapäeva? 

4 

Edgar Valter 

Pokuraamat [The Poku Book] 

Elmatar, 2009 (1 st edition 1994) • ISBN 9789985935491 

At a first glance, the creatures named ‘Pokus’ 

look like tufts of sedge. They live their lives 

discreetly, are friendly and inquisitive, but they 

are very afraid of human beings. The artist and 

children’s author Edgar Valter was one of the few 

lucky souls who has managed to gain their trust. 

His Poku Book tells about the Poku people and 

the life and times of the good-natured old Uncle 

Puuko at his cabin in the woods. 

Pealiskaudsel vaatlusel sarnanevad pokud 

tarnamätastega. Oma varjatud elus on nad armsad, 

sõbralikud ja uudishimulikud, kuid üpris inimpelglikud 

olevused. Kunstnik ja lastekirjanik Edgar Valter 

on üks neist vähestest õnnelikest, kes on suutnud 

nende usalduse võita. Tema “Pokuraamatust” võib 

lugeda pokurahva ja muheda vanataadi Puuko elust 

ja askeldustest üksikus metsatalus. 

5 

Andrus Kivirähk • Heiki Ernits, ill. 

Leiutajateküla Lotte [Lotte from Gadgetville] 

Eesti Joonisfilm, 2014 (1 st edition 2006) • ISBN 9789949139361, 9949139368 

The little puppy-girl Lotte and her best friend, 

a kitten named Bruno, live in Gadgetville, 

where the inhabitants spend most of their 

time inventing new contraptions. One day, the 

children find the bee Susumu, who comes from 

Japan. Lotte decides to help Susumu get back 

home, with her father’s clever airship. The book 

ends with a judo contest in Japan, during which 

“Team Lotte” beats the local masters of “Team 

Tamagochi”. 

Koeratüdruk Lotte ja tema parim sõber kassipoeg 

Bruno elavad Leiutajatekülas, kus on au sees 

igasuguste majapidamises kasulike masinate 

meisterdamine. Ühel päeval leiavad lapsed mesilase 

Susumu, kes on pärit Jaapanist. Lotte otsustab oma 

isa nutika lennumasina abil aidata Susumul koju 

tagasi jõuda. Raamat lõpeb judomatšiga Jaapanis, 

kus võistkond “Lotte” seljatab kohaliku võistkonna 

“Tamagochi”. 


6 

Piret Raud 

Härra Linnu lugu [Mister Bird’s Story] 

Tammerraamat, 2009 • ISBN 9789949449378 

Mister Bird lives in a big forest along with his 

hardworking friends, who are happy and content 

with their lives, building nests and singing in 

the choir. However, Mister Bird finds this kind 

of life too boring and ordinary and leaves the 

forest in order to experience something different. 

He tries being a pillow, a hedgehog, a snowman, 

a carrot and a fox, and in the end, he finds that 

a bird’s life isn’t that bad after all. 

Härra Lind elab koos teiste lindudega suures metsas. 

Tema sõbrad on rõõmsad ja oma eluga väga rahul. Nad 

on ka äärmiselt töökad: punuvad linnupesi ja laulavad 

laulukooris. Kuid härra Linnu arvates on selline elu 

igav ja harilik. Ta lahkub metsast sooviga teistmoodi 

elada ning proovib olla padi, siil, lumememm, porgand 

ja rebane. Lõpuks avastab ta, et linnuelu pole sugugi 

nii hull. 

7 

Signe Ora • Katrin Ehrlich, ill. 

Mõista, mõista, Leenuke! [Riddle Me, Riddle Me, Little Leenu!] 

Päike ja Pilv, 2010 • ISBN 9789985999745 

The book describes one evening when little 

Leenu cannot go outside to play because it is 

raining. She suggests that her mother, father 

and grandmother start playing a game of riddles. 

Even though she merely asks them simple riddles 

about wild animals, her family comes up with 

completely unexpected answers. Leenu learns the 

folk names of the animals roaming her homeland. 

Raamat kirjeldab ühte õhtut, mil väike Leenu ei saa 

vihmase ilma tõttu õue mängima minna. Nii teebki 

ta emale, isale ja vanaemale ettepaneku hakata 

mõistatuste mängu mängima. Ja kuigi tüdruk mõtleb 

välja lihtsaid mõistatusi metsloomadest, vastavad 

pereliikmed talle täiesti ettearvamatult. Mängu 

käigus saab Leenu selgeks kodumaiste metsloomade 

rahvapärased nimetused. 

8 

Aino Pervik • Catherine Zarip, ill. 

Rändav kassiemme [The Wandering Cat] 

Tammerraamat, 2012 • ISBN 9789949482443 

A wandering mother cat is looking for a place 

to give birth to her kittens. She finds an empty 

stork’s nest atop a post. It is the best place for 

bringing four little kittens into the world. The 

kittens quickly turn into good little helpers, but 

when a big rainstorm comes, they must all hit the 

road together again. 

Rändav kassiemme otsib paika, kus ta pojakesed 

saaksid ilmavalgust näha. Ta leiab posti otsas 

mahajäetud kurepesa. See on parim koht poegade 

ilmaletoomiseks. Neli kassipoega kasvavad varsti 

tugevaks ja osavaks. Pärast suurt äikesetormi asub 

rändav kassipere jälle teele. 


9 

Andrus Kivirähk • Anne Pikkov, ill. 

Konna musi [A Frog Kiss] 

Varrak, 2013 • ISBN 9789985326411 

Everyone knows that a frog should turn into 

a prince when kissed, but sometimes, the 

completely unexpected happens. It all begins 

with Santa Claus flying back home from one of 

his shopping trips for presents and he loses a 

couple of books on the way. As a fox, a rabbit, 

and a wolf read a story from one of these books, 

they all have their own ideas about frogs and 

kisses. 

Igaüks teab, et konna suudeldes saab tollest printsess. 

Kuid mõnikord võib siiski juhtuda midagi täiesti 

ootamatut. Kõik algab sellest, kui jõuluvana lennukist, 

millega ta suviselt kingiostureisilt naaseb, potsatavad 

alla raamatud. Mis juhtub rebase, jänese ja hundiga, 

kes neist raamatuist konna ja printsessi muinasjuttu 

loevad ja seda uskuma jäävad? 

10 

Indrek Koff • Marion Undusk, ill. 

Kui ma oleksin vanaisa [If I Were A Grandfather] 

Päike ja Pilv, 2013 • ISBN 9789949937080 

The main character tells about his future as 

an ideal grandfather. He would live in a little 

house in the middle of the woods, where there 

would be enough room for all thirteen of his 

grandchildren. Every one of them would have a 

turn swinging on their grandfather’s knee and 

when a new one was born, the grandfather’s leg 

would grow a little bit longer. They would have 

a fantastic time having water fights and playing 

spying games with their grandfather, would 

climb up to the top of the old maple tree, camp 

overnight in a tent, make a camp fire, and listen 

to exciting tales about his numerous trips around 

the world and the heroic feats he accomplished. 

Peategelane jutustab oma tulevikust ideaalse 

vanaisana. Vanaisa elaks metsa sees väikeses majas, 

kus oleks piisavalt ruumi kõigile kolmeteistkümnele 

lapselapsele. Igaüks neist saaks vanaisa põlvel 

kiikuda, sest iga kord, kui sünnib uus lapselaps, 

kasvaks vanaisa jalg pisut pikemaks. Koos vanaisaga 

oleks tore mängida veesõda ja luuremängu, ronida 

vana vahtrapuu otsa, ööbida telgis, teha lõket 

ja kuulata põnevaid pajatusi tema rohketest 

ümbermaailmareisidest ja kangelastegudest. 


Books from 

Finland 

Contact: Ulla Potsonen 

ulla.potsonen@gmail.com 

This selection of picture books is a combination of classics and interesting 

contemporary authors and illustrators. Some of the stories have entertained 

several generations already. The older illustrations and colors appeal also to 

younger parents as retro chic. Contemporary illustrators and authors create 

experimental, fresh and color-saturated reading experiences. 

The books were chosen by approximately 35 Finnish children librarians around 

the country, who voted for their favourites. A compiled list of 10 titles was 

made from the long list of individual favourites. The final list represents both 

official languages in Finland, Finnish and Swedish as well as the indigenous 

culture of Sami in the northern part of the country. 

1 

Tove Jansson 

Vem ska trösta Knyttet? [Who will comfort Toffle?] 

WSOY, 1960 • ISBN 9789150104714 

Toffle is a lonely and fearful little creature, who 

doesn’t want to be alone anymore. So he goes off 

to find a friend. His journey is full of amazement, 

beautiful colours and scary bogeymen. 

Translations: Finnish, English. 

Nyyti on yksinäinen ja pelokas olento, joka on 

kyllästynyt olemaan yksin. Niinpä hän lähtee matkaan 

etsimään ystävää. Nyytin matka on täynnä ihmeitä, 

kauniita värejä ja pelottavia mörköjä. 

Käännökset: suomi, englanti 

2 

Mauri Kunnas • Tarja Kunnas 

Koiramäki-sarja [Doghill series]: 

Koiramäen talossa [The Doghill farm] 

Koiramäen lapset kaupungissa [Doghill kids go to town] 

Koiramäen talvi [Winter in Doghill] 

Otava (joint ed.), 1996 • ISBN 9789511058571, 978951106995-9, 9789511102212 

Cherishing, delightfully and humoristically 

illustrated stories about Finnish way of life 

and traditions in the countryside, as it was about 

150-200 years ago. Translations: English. 

Hauskasti ja humoristisen yksityiskohtaisesti 

kuvitettuja tarinoita perinteisestä elämäntavasta 

Suomen maaseudulla reilut sata vuotta sitten. 

Käännökset: englanti 

the world through picture books • books from finland • 52

3 

Aino Havukainen • Sami Toivonen 

Tatun ja Patun Suomi [This is Finland] 

Otava, 2007 • ISBN 9789511219156 

Tatu and Patu: what can you say about these 

guys? Their approach to Finnishness is unique, 

hilarious and to the point. An essential survival 

guide to Finnish mentality. Translations: English, 

Swedish. 

Mitäpä voi sanoa Tatusta ja Patusta! Heidän 

lähestymisensä suomalaisuuteen on ainutlaatuinen, 

hillittömän hauska ja osuva. Kirja on täydellinen 

selviytymisopas suomalaiseen kansanluonteeseen. 

Käännökset: englanti, ruotsi. 

4 

Oili Tanninen 

Hippu [Nugget] 

Otava, 1967, 2009 • ISBN 9511232401 

Nugget is a small picture book about friendship 

and caring. The images are strong and deep 

enough, maybe words are not needed. The 

colours appear to be very retro, as the book 

originates in the sixties. 

Hippu on pikkuruinen kuvakirja ystävyydestä ja 

välittämisestä. Kun kuvat ovat vahvoja ja värit syviä, 

ei sanoja välttämättä tarvita. Väritys on nykykatsojan 

silmiin nostalgisen retro, kuvakirja on alun perin 

1960-luvulta. 

5 

Maikki Harjanne 

Minttu- ja Vanttu-kirjat [Minttu and Vanttu series] 

e.g. Mintun ja Vantun matka [Minttu and Vanttu take to the sky] 

WSOY, 1986 

Bright colours, clear illustration and familiar 

situations in a toddler family have made these 

picture books favourite over generations. 

Translations: English. 

Kirkkaat värit, selkeä piirrosjälki ja lapsiperheen tutut 

tilanteet ovat tehneet Minttu-sarjan kirjoista jo 

useiden sukupolvien suosikkeja. 

Käännökset: englanti 

6 

Juha Virta • Marika Maijala, ill. 

Sylvi Kepposen pitkä päivä [The long day of Sylvia Prankster] 

Otava, 2008 • ISBN 978-951-1-22373-3 

Sylvia is annoyed to be the shortest in her class 

and wishes to grow and have longer legs. Well, 

one morning her wish comes true more rapidly 

than she ever expected… The book is a joy to 

behold with its oblong shape. 

Sylvi on luokkansa lyhyin ja toivoo kovasti jalkojensa 

kasvavan. No, eräänä aamuna Sylvin toive toteutuu 

nopeammin kuin hän olisi koskaan osannut arvata… 

Kirjan pitkulainen muoto tekee siitä hauskan luettavan. 


7 

Sinikka Nopola and Tiina Nopola • Markus Majaluoma, ill. 

Rauhallinen Erkki [The calm Eric] 

Tammi, 2001 • ISBN 9789513121877 

Eric is peaceful and calm. Too calm for a child, 

his parents think. Lively Lilly moves next door, 

is it possible for Eric to make friends with a 

rascal? Somehow Eric depicts the Finnish native 

character and mentality perfectly. Translations: 

Swedish. 

Erkki on rauhallinen ja hiljainen. Vähän liiankin 

rauhallinen, ainakin vanhempien mielestä. Vilkas Lilli 

muuttaa Erkin naapuriin, miten rauhallinen Erkki voisi 

ystävystyä rasavillin Lillin kanssa? Erkki kuvaa hyvin 

suomalaista luonnetta ja mentaliteettia. 

Käännökset: ruotsi 

8 

Kristiina Louhi 

Tomppa-kirjat [Tomppa series] 

e.g.Missä Tomppa? [Where’s Tomppa?] 

Tammi, 2008 

Every day life and situations in a toddler’s family: 

spending the night at Granma’s or wanting 

something REAL bad. Translations: Swedish, 

Danish, Dutch. 

Taaperon perheen jokapäiväistä elämää: yökylässä 

mummin luona tai millaista on, kun haluaa jotain 

OIKEIN kovasti. 

Käännökset: ruotsi, tanska, hollanti 

9 

Tove Appelgren • Tittamari Marttinen, ill. 

Vesta-Linneas svartaste tanke [Vesta-Linnea down in the dumps] 

Tammi, 2008 • ISBN 978951522568-9 

The ups and downs of a big family. 

Suurperheen iloja ja suruja. 

10 

Annukka Aikio and Samuli Aikio • Mika Launis, ill. 

Tyttö joka muuttui kultaiseksi koskeloksi 

[The girl who transformed into a goosanser] 

WSOY (2nd ed.), 2010 • ISBN 9789510347478 

A story from Sami indigenous people in Lapland. 

Translations: Norwegian. 

Saamelaistarina Lapista. 

Käännökset: norja 


Books from 

France 

Contact: Nathalie Beau 

nathalie.beau@bnf.fr 

The National Centre for Children’s Literature – La Joie par les livres 

(Bibliothèque nationale de France) asked a selection of French children’s 

librarians working in public libraries of different sizes and locations, to make 

their choice of books. 

1 

Philippe Corentin 

Plouf ! [Splash!] 

L’École des loisirs, 1991 • ISBN 978-2-211-02641-3 

A landscape format used vertically makes the 

reader visualize the sensation of falling down, and 

gives a new turn to the plot. How to get out of 

the well when one is a starving stupid wolf who 

thought the moon was a cheese? Well, finding a 

half-wit that goes down the well himself ! 

Un format à l’italienne utilisé en hauteur permet 

de visualiser la sensation de chute et de faire rebondir 

l’action. Comment sortir du puits quand on est un loup 

affamé et stupide qui a pensé que le reflet de la lune 

était un fromage ? Et bien, en trouvant un benêt qui y 

descende à son tour ! 

2 

Claude Ponti 

Blaise et le château d’Anne Hiversère [Blaise and Anne Hiversère’s 

Birth Day’s castle] 


A great tribute to those stories that nurture 

children. The famous Claude Ponti’s chickens 

have ten days to build the most “irresistibilicious” 

castle for Anne Hiversaire’s [sounds like 

Anniversaire : Birthday] party ! From the 

preparations to the party itself, it is a firework 

display of invented names, places, skills and 

abundant, extravagant, hilarious images. The 

many heroes quoted on the flyleaf –from 

Frankenstein to E.T., Obélix and Hulul – soon 

become guests of honour. A delightful book for 

family reading. 

Un magnifique hommage aux histoires qui nourrissent 

l’imaginaire enfantin. Les fameux poussins ont dix jours 

pour construire le plus « irrésistibilicieux » château pour 

la fête d’Anne Hiversère ! Des préparatifs au goûter, 

on assiste à un véritable feu d’artifice d’inventions 

de noms, de lieux, de savoir-faire et d’images pleines 

pages foisonnantes, extravagantes, hilarantes. 

Les multiples héros cités en pages de garde – de 

Frankenstein à E.T. en passant par Obélix et Hulul – se 

retrouvent bientôt en invités d’honneur. Un régal à lire 

en famille ! 

the world through picture books • books from france • 55

3 

Jean de Brunhoff 

Histoire de Babar : le petit éléphant [The Story of Babar the little elephant] 

Hachette Jeunesse, 1995 • ISBN 978-2-01-223358-4 

How a little elephant goes from the jungle to the 

city, gets civilised and becomes King. Page design, 

illustration and text combine wonderfully so that 

each big double page tells the first steps of a life. 

A hero that everybody knows since his creation 

in 1931, and who charms every generation – but 

beware of counterfeits! 

Comment un petit éléphant passe de la jungle à la ville, 

se civilise et devient roi. La mise en pages, l’illustration 

et le texte se conjuguent à merveille pour permettre 

à toute l’étendue de la double page de raconter les 

premières étapes d’une vie. Un héros que tout le monde 

connaît depuis sa création en 1931 et qui séduit toute 

les générations, mais attention aux contrefaçons ! 

4 

5 

Esla Valentin • Ilya Green, ill. 

Bou et les 3 zours [Bou and the 3 bears] 

Atelier du poisson soluble, 2008 • ISBN 978-2-913741-66-9 

A story we know by heart – a little curious girl 

gets lost in the woods and goes into the three 

bears’ house – told here in a fresh, unexpected 

way thanks to the language, a joyous mixture of 

portmanteau words, neologisms, poetic words, 

foreign-sounding words. One gets used to it 

quickly and enjoys this language game with its 

repetitive structure that calls for reading out 

loud. Illustration in bright, deep colours for dense 

woods and expressive Bou with her big fair eyes, 

who goes from wonder to fear but badly wants, 

in spite of all, to go back visit the bears. 

Tomi Ungerer 

Les Trois brigands [The Three Robbers] 

L’École des des Loisirs, 1968 • ISBN 978-2-21101961-3 

C’est une histoire que l’on connaît par cœur – celle 

d’une petite curieuse qui se perd dans la forêt et pénètre 

dans la maison des trois ours – mais qui se raconte 

ici avec une fraîcheur totalement inattendue, grâce 

à la langue, un joyeux mélange de mots-valise, de 

néologismes, de mots aux consonances poétiques, avec 

des accents de langues étrangères. On s’habitue très 

vite et l’on prend plaisir à ce jeu de langage – appuyé 

par une structure répétitive – qui invite spontanément 

à une lecture à voix haute. L’illustratrice manie ici avec 

brio les couleurs à la fois vives et profondes dans une 

juxtaposition de formes qui donne une belle densité à la 

forêt et une grande expressivité à Bou, avec ses grands 

yeux clairs, qui passe de l’émerveillement à la peur mais 

meurt d’envie, malgré tout, « de retourner viser les zours ». 

A parodic story as Ungerer loves them, supported 

by economic, brilliantly efficient illustration: 

how the terrible robbers break and become 

benefactors of orphans for the sake of a little girl 

that is not easily impressed. 

Une histoire parodique comme les aime Ungerer, 

soutenue par une illustration économe et 

magistralement efficace : comment les terribles 

brigands craquent et se transforment en bienfaiteurs 

des orphelins pour une petite fille qui ne se laisse pas 

impressionner. 

6 

Ramona Badescu • Benjamin Chaud, ill. 

Pomelo grandit [Pomelo grows up] 

Albin Michel jeunesse, 2010 • ISBN 978-2-226-19566-1 

On his morning road, Pomelo comes upon a tiny 

dandelion. He realises then that he has grown 

up! He explores the big pages of the book as he 

explores the wide world. He is still a little lost, 

touchingly clumsy and boldly shy, but he would 

like to do something big. How? What happens 

when one grows up? A big-format book on the 

doubts and hesitations of children growing up. 

Sur le chemin du matin, Pomelo croise un tout petit 

pissenlit. Il se rend compte alors qu’il a grandi ! Il explore 

les grandes pages du livre comme il explore le vaste 

monde. Il est encore un peu perdu, attendrissant de 

maladresse et d’audace timide, mais il voudrait faire 

quelque chose de grand. Comment faire ? Que se passet-il 

lorsque l’on grandit ? Un album grand format sur 

les doutes et les hésitations des enfants qui grandissent. 


7 

Pierre Delye • Martine Bourre, ill. 

Le p’tit bonhomme des bois [The Little Man of the woods] 

Didier jeunesse, 2003 • ISBN 978-2-278-05383-4 

The beautiful collage work by Martine Bourre, 

with its effects of different materials, is perfectly 

adapted to this lively story using repetition. We 

follow the little man of the woods who “follows 

the path of his thoughts” without realising that 

he is himself followed by the badger, then the fox, 

then the wolf, then the bear. The typography is 

cleverly used in this classic story nicely re-visited. 

Success guaranteed with small children. 

Le beau travail de collage de Martine Bourre, avec 

ses effets de matière, est parfaitement adapté à cette 

randonnée pleine d’allant qui nous entraîne à la suite 

du p’tit bonhomme des bois, qui, lui, « suit le chemin 

et ses pensées », sans se rendre compte qu’à son tour, 

il est suivi par le blaireau, puis par le renard, puis 

par le loup, puis par l’ours. Les jeux de typo servent 

intelligemment cette histoire classique mais bien 

joliment renouvelée. Succès garanti avec les petits. 

8 

Natha Caputo • Pierre Belvès, ill. 

Roule galette [Rolling Cake] 

Père Castor-Flammarion, 1950 • ISBN 978-2-08-160112-3 

A cake cooling on the window sill gets bored, 

lets itself slide down and goes away on the road. 

It rolls across the countryside, sings a little song 

and escapes from the rabbit, the bear, the wolf… 

But the clever fox is watching out! 

A classic of Père Castor Books, published in 1950 

and still making children happy. 

Une galette qui s’ennuie à refroidir au bord de la 

fenêtre, se laisse glisser et s’enfuit sur le chemin. 

Elle roule à travers la campagne, chantonne et 

échappe successivement au lapin, à l’ours, au loup… 

Mais le renard malin guette ! 

Un classique des éditions du Père Castor, publié en 

1950 et qui fait toujours le bonheur des enfants. 

9 

Grégoire Solotareff 

Loulou 


When a young wolf meets a young rabbit and 

neither knows that one is supposed to devour the 

other, then a beautiful friendship may be born. 

But when they decide to play at “who’s afraid 

of the big bad wolf”, this trustful relationship 

may be put in danger. Solotareff leads children, 

without any demonstration, to deep reflection. 

The force of illustration, playing with contrasting 

solid colours enhances the meaning of the text. 

Quand un jeune loup rencontre un jeune lapin et qu’ils 

ignorent que l’un est sensé dévorer l’autre, une belle 

amitié peut naître. Mais quand ils décident de jouer 

à « peur du loup », cela peut mettre en danger cette 

relation de confiance. Solotareff emmène, sans rien 

démontrer, les enfants vers des réflexions profondes. 

La force de son illustration qui joue sur les contrastes 

d’aplats de couleurs vives rehausse encore le propos. 

10 

Nadja 

Chien bleu [Blue Dog] 


The friendship between a little girl and a strange 

blue-furred dog with green eyes sparkling like 

gems. Charlotte wants to adopt it but her mother 

won’t let her. Coming out of the night when 

she is lost in the woods, it will defend her from 

the black panther, spirit of the night, who has 

come to claim its dues. A strong story told with 

powerful gouache paintings. 

L’amitié entre une petite fille et un étrange chien au 

pelage bleu, aux yeux verts qui brillent comme des 

pierres précieuses. Charlotte veut l’adopter mais sa 

mère s’y oppose. Surgi de la nuit quand elle sera perdue 

dans la forêt, il la défendra contre la panthère noire, 

esprit de la nuit, venue prendre son dû. Une histoire 

forte racontée à l’aide de puissantes peintures à la 

gouache. 


Books from 

Germany 

Contact: Kerstin Keller Loibl 

loibl@fbm.htwk-leipzig.de 

The selection of titles was created in 2011 by interviews with German 

librarians by Kerstin Keller-Loibl (Standing Committee, IFLA, section Libraries 

for Children and Young Adults) in cooperation with the German Library 

Association. 

1 

Werner Holzwarth • Wolf Erlbruch, ill. 

Vom kleinen Maulwurf, der wissen wollte, wer ihm auf den Kopf gemacht 

hat [The Story of the Little Mole who knew it was none of his business / 

The Story of the Little Mole Who Went in Search of Whodunit] 

Hammer, 2001 • ISBN 978-3-87294-882-3 

A terrible catastrophe befalls the little mole one 

bright, sunny morning. When he looks out of 

his hole—PLOP! Something that looks just like 

a sausage lands on his head. Whodunit? Our little 

hero sets out to find who has left their business 

on his head. In the end, with the help of some 

flies, Little Mole gets his revenge. 

Der kleine Maulwurf ist sauer: da hat ihm doch 

tatsächlich jemand auf den Kopf gemacht. Jetzt sucht 

er den Übeltäter. Geeignet ab 3 Jahren. 

2 

Ernst Jandl • Norman Junge 

Fünfter sein [Next please] 

Beltz & Gelberg, 2009 • ISBN 978-3-407-79401-7 

Waiting for the doctor can be nerve-wracking, 

even for toys. As six injured playthings wait 

their turn to be called into a forbidding door, 

their growing apprehension is apparent on 

their faces. Each time, before the doctor calls, 

“Next please“, the door opens and one happy toy 

comes bounding out, good as new. That doesn‘t 

comfort the last toy in line – a wooden boy with 

a broken nose. 

Beim Doktor haben sich ein paar lädierte Gesellen 

versammelt und warten voll Bangen und Zagen, bis 

sie an der Reihe sind: der Blech-Pinguin ohne Flügel, 

der Teddy mit Augenklappe, ein kleiner Holzkerl 

mit abgeknickter roter Nase. Geeignet ab 4 Jahren. 

Nominiert für den Deutschen Jugendliteraturpreis 1998. 

the world through picture books • books from germany • 58

3 

Helme Heine 

Freunde [Friends] 


Charlie Rooster, Johnny Mouse, and Percy the 

pig are the best of friends. They do everything 

together. They ride their bike together, play 

games together, and even do their chores 

together. Because that’s what good friends 

do. When night falls, though, and it’s time to 

go to bed, they learn that sometimes friends 

have to be apart. But that’s okay, because true 

friends always find each other, even if it’s just 

in their dreams. 

Franz von Hahn, Johnny Mauser und Schwein 

Waldemar radeln gemeinsam am Abgrund entlang, 

spielen Piraten auf dem Dorfteich und sind sogar im 

Traum die dicksten Freunde! Geeignet ab 4 Jahren. 

Auswahlliste Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis 1983. 

4 

Nadja Budde 

Einszweidrei Tier [One two three me] 

Hammer, 2000 • ISBN 978-3-87294-827-4 

Did you ever notice that juice rhymes with moose? 

Or that pale rhymes with whale? Eye-catching, 

funky art and unexpected rhymes come together 

in this little book to show just how silly everyday 

words can be. Kids will crack up at the outrageous 

cartoon illustrations – a roach in a shower cap? 

A boar wearing lederhosen? Read the simple, 

wacky text aloud, and what seems to be random 

words suddenly take on a clever rhythm and 

pattern all their own. What could be more fun 

than nonsense and concepts rolled into one? 

Witzige Bild- und Sprachspielereien voller 

pfiffiger Einfälle. Geeignet ab 3 Jahren. Deutscher 

Jugendliteraturpreis 2000. 

5 

Jutta Bauer 

Die Königin der Farben [The Queen of Colours] 


A young Queen lives alone in her castle, but 

becomes increasingly bored with her purely black 

and white world. To ease her boredom, the court 

painter and court musician magically bring colour 

and adventure to her life. 

Malwida ist die Königin der Farben. Ihre Untertanen 

Blau, Rot und Gelb verstehen sich eigentlich ganz 

gut. Bis es eines Tages zum Streit kommt und 

Malwidas ganzes Reich grau und grauer wird. 

Geeignet ab 4 Jahren. Nominiert für den Deutschen 


6 

Janosch 

Oh, wie schön ist Panama [The trip to Panama] 


Little bear and Little tiger live together in their 

house down by the river. They are quite content 

with their life until one day Little Bear finds 

a crate marked “Panama” floating in the river. 

The crate smells strongly of bananas and Little 

Bear takes it home in great excitement to show 

Little Tiger. Panama suddenly becomes their 

dreamland and they will not be content until they 

have been there. 

Zwei Freunde brechen auf zu einer Reise in das Land 

ihrer Träume. Geeignet ab 4 Jahren. 


7 

Philip Wächter 

Ich [Me] 


Bears have more than a passing resemblance to 

humans. Especially this bear, who takes pleasure 

in the little things in life, and, of course, the big 

things as well. He is generous to a fault, and 

if we are to take his word for it, a rather clever 

fellow. But, like many of us, even our bear has 

days when he feels dreadfully alone… Fortunately, 

he knows exactly what to do about it. 

Der kleine Bär ist ein Optimist und kann sich über 

die kleinen und großen Dinge des Lebens freuen! 

Geeignet ab 4 Jahren. 

8 

Jakob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm • Nikolaus Heidelbach 

Märchen der Brüder Grimm [Fairy tales by Brothers Grimm] 


A family collection of 101 fairy tales by 

the Brothers Grimm, insightfully illlustrated 

by Nikolaus Heidelbach. 

Recommended for ages 10 and over. 

Ein Hausbuch mit 101 Grimm’schen Märchen, 

hintergründig illustriert von Nikolaus Heidelbach. 

Geeignet ab 10 Jahren. 

9 

Peter Schössow 

Gehört das so??! [Is that right? – The story of Elvis / Can it be?] 

Hanser, 2008 • ISBN 978-3-446-20563-5 

Nobody knows why the little girl with the big 

bag marches through the park and shouts at 

complete strangers – until finally someone dares 

to ask. Then it turns out that she is sad and angry 

because Elvis is dead. Not THE Elvis but her canary, 

who had the same name. That’s sad. But now 

Elvis gets a real funeral, with candles, a wreath 

with a sash, and afterwards there are biscuits and 

cocoa. And because that helps, the little girl can 

talk about Elvis again: what he was like and how 

beautifully he could sing. And who knows, maybe 

the two Elvises will meet in heaven... 

Was ist los mit dem Mädchen, das so zornig 

die Lackledertasche hinter sich herschleift? 

Folgen wir ihr! Geeignet ab 5 Jahren. Deutscher 


10 

Quint Buchholz 

Schlaf gut, kleiner Bär [Sleep well, little bear] 

Sauerländer, 2007 • ISBN 978-3-7941-3666-7 

With its tranquil pace and soft pencil drawings, 

this teddy bear tale makes a potent bedtime 

antidote for wound-up children. A wakeful teddy 

bear revisits his activities of the day just past, and 

ponders what he might do tomorrow. His mental 

wanderings take him to a river, a meadow, a 

neighbor’s house and a circus, where “in the 

evening quiet, the clown is playing a sleep song 

on his violin for the baby elephant.” 

Obwohl der kleine Bär eine lange Gute-Nacht- 

Geschichte gehört und seine 5 Küsschen bekommen 

hat, kann er immer noch nicht einschlafen… 

Geeignet ab 3 Jahren. Auswahlliste Deutscher 



Books from 

Greenland 

Contact: Mette Laustsen 

mette@katak.gl 

All the librarians in Greenland were invited to vote for the best Greenlandic 

picture books. They received a list of 39 picture books, which are the total 

number of Greenlandic picture books that have been published. Translations 

were excluded. Nine picture books received the most votes. 

1 

Miki Jacobsen 

Arfeq Nattoralillu niniarsiarannguillu marluk 

[The Whale, the Eagle and the two small girls] 

Atuakkiorfik, 1996 • ISBN 8755810896 

Two small Greenlandic girls are playing house 

at the beach. One chooses a whale as a husband 

and one chooses an eagle. But suddenly a whale 

and an eagle arrive and kidnap the girls. 

Niviarsiaqqat marluk sissami illerusaarput. Aappaata 

arfeq uissamisut toqqarpaa, aappaatalu nattoralik 

uissamisut toqqarlugu. Tassanngaannarli arfeq 

nattoralillu takkuteriassaarput niviarsiaqqallu 

aallarullugit. 

2 

Mâliâraq Vebæk • Aka Høegh, ill. 

Sassuma Arnaanut pulaarneq [A journey to the Mother of the Sea] 


A Greenlandic folk tale about an old woman and 

her husband who carry out a ritual to make the 

sea free of ice, so the hunters can go hunting 

again. The ritual takes the woman under the 

water to visit the Mother of the Sea. 

Kalaallit oqaluttuaatitoqaat arnamik 

angummillu utoqqarnik, ui angakkuuvoq. 

Ui angakuungami sikuertinniarsarilerpaa piniartut 

piniaqqilersinnaaniassammata. Nulia sassuma 

arnaanut pulaarpoq.

3 

Naja Rosing-Asvid 

Aqipi – toornaarannguaq [Aqipi – the tiny spirit helper] 

Milik, 2012 • ISBN 9788792790057 

When a shaman sends his spirit helper a few days 

into the future to check the weather, something 

goes wrong, because Aqipi arrives in a museum in 

today’s world. 

Angakkup toornani silasiortillugu aallartikkamiuk 

ajorluinnartumik pisoqarpoq. Toornaararmi Aqipi 

katersugaasivimmut ullutsinniittumut pivoq. 

4 

Bolatta Silis-Høegh 

Aima [Aima] 

Milik, 2010 • ISBN 9788791359781 

Greenlandic Aima dreams about what she wants 

to be when she grows up; from animal minder 

or shopkeeper to hunter like her granddad. But 

maybe it is better to just stay small? 

Kalaaliaraq Aima angisuungoruni suliffinnik 

amerlasuunik pilerigisaqarpoq - uumasunik 

paarsisartumiit, sukujuerniarfimmi piginnittoq allaat 

aatamisulli piniartunngorusuppoq, kisianni immaqa 

pitsaaneruvoq angisuunngunngiinnaruni? 

5 

Miki Jacobsen 

Kaassassuk [Kaassassuk – the orphan] 


A Greenlandic folktale about the orphan boy 

Kaassassuk who is abused by the people in his 

village. Kaassassuk meets the lord of power who 

gives him immense powers. One day Kaassassuk 

takes his revenge… 

Kalaallit Kaassassummik oqaluttuaatitoqaat, 

angajoqqaaqannginnami nunaqqatiminit 

mittatigisisaasarpoq. Kaassassuup Pissaap Inua 

naapippaa, taassumalu nukissuarnik tunivaa. 

Ullut ilaanni Kaassassuk akiniaavoq… 

6 

Julie Edel Hardenberg • Bolatta Silis Høegh, Christian Rex, Inuk Silis Høegh, 

Jette Brandt, Julie Edel Hardelberg, Juno Berthelsen, Niels Motzfeldt and 

Nuka Godtfredsen, ill. 

ABct [ABct] 

Milik, 2007 • ISBN 9788791359378 

An ABC with funny verses. 

ABC nuannersummik pinnguaralugit. 

the world through picture books • books from greenland • 62

7 

Stinne Jacobsen • Nikolaj Themothæussen, ill. 

Sara nanorlu [Sara and the polar bear] 

Stinne Jacobsen, 2004 • ISBN 8798990918 

Bilingual (Greenlandic/Danish) story about Sara 

who meets a polar bear cub which she plays 

with. 

Kalaallisut qallunaatullu oqaasertalik. Ullut ilaanni 

Sarap nanuaraq naapippaa pinnguaqatigerlugulu. 

8 


Ivalo & Minik [Ivalo & Minik] 

Milik, 2013 • ISBN 9788792790170 

Bilingual (Greenlandic/Danish) finding, pointing 

and counting book. On ten pages we follow the 

twins Ivalo and Minik as they play outside and 

inside their house in a Greenlandic town. 

Nassaarsiorfissatut, tikkuagassatut kisitsiffissatullu 

atuakkiaq. Allagarsiussatut ittut qulit atorlugit 

marlulissat Ivalo Minillu silami illuminnilu Kalaallit 

Nunanniittumi pinnguartut malittarineqarput 

9 


Aqipi – aasivimmiittoq [Aqipi – at the Summer Camp] 

Milik, 2014 • ISBN 9788792790415 

Aqipi visits a summer camp. He sees what Inuit 

do in the summer and which games the children 

play. 

Aqipip angakkuni ikiorniarluguaasit inuit nunaannut 

peqqippoq. Massakkut inuit aasisut najorpai. Inuit 

aasami suut sammisarneraat meerartaasalu suut 

pinnguarisarneraat malinnaaffigai. 

the world through picture books • books from greenland • 63

Books from 

Guadeloupe 

(France) 

Contact : Patricia Navet 

patricia.navet@cg971.fr 

This selection was made by librarians and teachers desiring to give children 

quality picture books to read. It has taken into account the literary interest 

of picture books published in Guadeloupe today, which, more and more 

frequently, do not just concentrate on teaching purposes. 

Two publishers, Jasor and PLB, do remarkable work to develop quality 

children’s literature. More and more, they encourage creative and original 

stories, quality in texts and illustrations, in design and aspect of books. These 

books offer a successful mixture to suit the tastes of children of different ages. 

The recipe? Take heroes that children like, familiar animals like the anoli little 

lizard, the ant, the toad (L’Anoli amoureux, Toc, toc, toc ! C’est Manioc !, Frogolo 

et Marcello), family characters – a grandmother (Les Oeufs de Man Firmin), a 

little boy and his mother (Frogolo et Marcello) – or issued from folktales like an 

ogress (Le Drôle de festin de Commère Tartignolle) or Anansi the Spiderman (Les 7 

dons d’Anansi). Pour in a good mesure of feelings, love (L’Anoli amoureux), anger 

(Frogolo et Marcello). Add a zest of humour (Rosalie et Ti Zandoli, Le Drôle de festin 

de Commère Tartignolle), a snatch of the fantastic (Lowitt la grenouille qui danse, 

Les Longues nattes de Poética), a pinch of popular song (Frogolo et Marcello). 

Blend it all with superb illustrations made by new talents (Danielle Monsoro, 

Doumey Durieux, Javie Munoz, Marielle Plaisir) or renowned illustrators. Thus 

a special place is given to Sophie Mondésir who left us too soon, and to Alex 

Godard, Guadeloupean author and illustrator who has not been published 

locally but who represents le pays Guadeloupe and needs to be in this selection. 

1 

Ophélie Bohème • Sylvie Leduc, ill. 

Rosalie et Ti Zandoli [Rosalie and Ti Zandoli] 

PLB Éditions, 2007 • ISBN 978-2-35365-025-5 

Wanting to catch a butterfly, a little anoli (lizard) 

ends up very far away from home. A sparkling 

story, full of humour, with a text in French 

and Creole, a good rhythm, accessible to very 

small children and narrative illustrations full 

of imagination. 

En voulant attraper un papillon, un petit anoli (lézard) 

se retrouve entraîné bien loin de chez lui. Une histoire 

pétillante et pleine d’humour, un texte en français 

et en créole, bien rythmé et très accessible aux plus 

petits, des illustrations narratives remplies de fantaisie. 

the world through picture books • books from guadeloupe (france) • 64

2 

Laure Galvani 

Toc, toc, toc ! C’est Manioc [Knock, knock, knock! It’s Manioc] 

PLB Éditions, 2001 • ISBN 2-912300-24-X 

Manioc the ant is suddenly awakened. 

Somebody’s knocking at her door. She opens 

it but only finds a bundle. Manioc decides 

to find who has left it there and leaves to visit 

the vast world of the garden. A walk through 

the savannah, full of good and not so good 

encounters. Original illustrations in collages; 

the song sung during the walk is at the end 

of the book. 

Manioc la fourmi est réveillée en sursaut. Quelqu’un 

frappe à sa porte. Elle ouvre, mais ne trouve qu’un 

baluchon. Manioc décide de retrouver celui qui 

l’a laissé là et part visiter le vaste monde du jardin. 

Une randonnée à travers la savane, remplie de 

rencontres bonnes et moins bonnes. Des illustrations 

originales en collage et la chanson de la randonnée 

en fin d’album. 

3 

Alex Godard 

Maman-dlo [Mama of Water] 

Albin Michel jeunesse, 1998 • ISBN 978-2-226-09079-9 

Cécette lives in Guadeloupe, with Papoli and 

Man Ninie, her grandparents: her mother is far 

away, in Metropolitan France, and the little girl 

waits. She watches the horizon, expects mail, 

is on the look out for news. Until the moment 

when, thanks to a story, she understands her own 

history better, accepts her father’s disappearance 

and believes she will meet with her mother 

again. A beautiful story that finds its richness in 

its simplicity. With few words, the text suggests 

the power of emotion. Illustrations, in big 

paintings, give colour and warmth to landscapes 

and characters. 

Cécette vit à la Guadeloupe, chez Papoli et Man Ninie, 

ses grands-parents : sa mère est partie au loin, en 

métropole et la fillette attend. Elle scrute l’horizon, 

espère du courrier, guette la moindre nouvelle. Jusqu’au 

moment où, à la faveur d’un conte, elle saura mieux 

comprendre sa propre histoire, accepter la disparition 

de son père, croire aux retrouvailles avec sa mère. 

Une belle histoire, qui trouve toute sa richesse dans 

sa simplicité même. Le texte sait suggérer en peu de 

mots la force des émotions. L’illustration, en grands 

tableaux, donne une ampleur colorée et chaleureuse 

à l’évocation des paysages et des personnages. 

4 

Gilda Gonfier • Doumey Durieux, ill. • Max Rippon transl. into Creole 

Zandoli mandé mayé = L’Anoli amoureux [The Anoli in love] 

Éditions Jasor, 2010 • ISBN 978-27011-5321-6 

This picture book is inspired by a traditional song 

of the Antilles: “Zandoli mandé mayé, Mabouya 

di non, Zandoli mandé mayé, Mabouya di non, 

non, non!”. This time, Zandoli (or Anoli) wants 

to marry the Sun’s daughter; he loves her madly 

but the animals he meets don’t understand it, 

since they know nothing of love. Chance will 

bring a happy ending. A nicely written text, with 

a good rhythm – but the language of the Creole 

text is difficult for small children. Very figurative 

illustrations, in the beautiful colors of tropical 

nature, go well with this short tale. 

Cet album s’inspire d’une chanson traditionnelle 

des Antilles : « Zandoli mandé mayé, Mabouya di non, 

Zandoli mandé mayé, Mabouya di non, non, non !» 

Cette fois, c’est la fille du soleil que Zandoli (ou Anoli) 

veut épouser, il en est follement amoureux et si les 

animaux qu’il rencontre ne le comprennent pas, c’est 

qu’ils ne connaissent rien à l’amour. Le hasard fera 

finalement très bien les choses. Le livre s’ouvre, d’un 

côté, sur la version en français et, de l’autre, sur la 

version créole. Le texte, est très joliment écrit, bien 

rythmé. Dommage que la version créole soit difficile 

d’accès pour les tout-petits. Les illustrations très 

figuratives, aux belles couleurs de la nature tropicale, 

accompagnent bien ce court récit. 


5 

Danielle Monsoro 

Les 7 dons d’Anansi [Anansi’s seven gifts] 


One day Anansi the spider wove round cocoons 

and the first humans came out of them. But only 

her last son, Anansi, stayed with her. He had six 

children and gave each a gift… A story inspired 

by Anansi the spider, a character of West Africa 

folktales. It talks of the origin of man and of 

mutual aid and support. Beautiful watercolor 

illustrations, full page, all soft, complement the 

text and make one want to go into the story. 

Anansi l’araignée tissa un jour des cocons tout ronds 

d’où sortirent les premiers humains. Mais seul son 

dernier fils, Anansi, resta auprès d’elle. Il eut six enfants 

auxquels il fit à chacun un don… Une histoire inspirée 

par le personnage d’Anansi l’araignée, que l’on trouve 

dans les contes d’Afrique de l’Ouest. Elle nous parle 

de l’origine des premiers hommes et aborde les notions 

d’entraide et de solidarité. De magnifiques illustrations 

à l’aquarelle, pleine page, toutes en douceur, 

complètent bien le texte et donnent envie de rentrer 

dans l’histoire. 

6 

Danielle Monsoro • Romuald Monsor, transl. into Creole 

Frogolo et Marcello = Fwogolo é Mawsélo [Frogolo and Marcello] 


Frogolo the toad is on a walk: in front of the 

restaurant, to the hairdresser’s, the carpenter’s… 

He arrives at Marcello’s garden but the small boy 

wants to hit him. Mother steps in and Marcello 

is not happy, not happy at all. This story written 

and illustrated by Danielle Monsoro is based on a 

Sam Castendet’s song which is very well-known 

in the Antilles. The watercolor illustrations show 

a stereotyped setting, full of nostalgia from the 

1950s. A new writer-illustrator to be encouraged. 

Frogolo le crapaud se promène : devant le restaurant, 

chez le coiffeur, le menuisier… Il arrive dans le jardin de 

Marcello mais le petit garçon veut le frapper. Maman 

intervient et Marcello n’est pas content, pas content 

du tout… Cette histoire écrite et illustrée par Danielle 

Monsoro est basée sur une chanson populaire très 

connue aux Antilles de Sam Castendet. Les illustrations 

à l’aquarelle reflètent un décor stéréotypé et 

empreint de la nostalgie des années 1950. Tous nos 

encouragements à cette nouvelle auteure-illustratrice. 

7 

Nicole Noizet • Javie Munoz, ill. 

Les Œufs de Man Firmin [Man Firmin’s eggs] 


At Fonds Roseau, life is hard for old Rose: 

a daughter on the other side of the ocean, 

a husband that has passed away, grandchildren 

to raise and feed, and now her laying hen has 

disappeared… Well, she will brood the eggs 

herself! A funny situation, tenderness and mutual 

support in daily life are the features of this picture 

book with warm pastel illustrations. 

À Fonds Roseau, dure est la vie pour la vieille Rose : 

une fille de l’autre côté de l’océan, un mari qui a rendu 

le dernier soupir, des petits enfants à élever et nourrir, 

et voilà que sa poule pondeuse a disparu… Qu’à cela ne 

tienne, elle va couver elle-même les œufs ! Cocasserie 

de la situation, tendresse et solidarité au quotidien 

marquent ces pages aux illustrations chaudes 

en pastel gras. 


8 

Jaël Pedro • Sophie Mondésir, ill. 

Le Drôle de festin de commère Tartignolle 

[Commère Tartignolle’s funny feast] 

Éditions Jasor, 2005 • ISBN 2-912594-54-5 

Commère Tartignolle loves tarts, particulary 

benêtá [silly person] tarts! She thinks the small 

boy Abénou will be perfect for a tart; she finds 

him sleeping on the beach and she takes him 

home to cook. But, to Commère Tartignolle’s 

despair, neither the knife nor the frying pan nor 

the mixer will defeat the boy. A lengthy text, 

lively, tasty as a good tart! In a natural way, with 

both grace and a farcical quality, the text and the 

marvelous illustrations by Sophie Mondésir make 

this story as spicy as it should be. 

Commère Tartignolle raffole des tartes, surtout 

de la tarte au... benêtá [jeu de mots avec « benêt »]! 

Elle pense en trouver un vraiment parfait pour une 

tarte, en la personne d’Abénou un jeune garçon 

dormant sur la plage, qu’elle amène à la maison 

pour le cuisiner. Mais ni couteau, ni poêle, ni mixeur 

n’auront raison du garçon, au grand désespoir de 

Commère Tartignolle. Un texte conséquent, plein 

de vitalité, savoureux comme une bonne tarte ! Le plus 

naturellement du monde, à la fois avec grâce et 

burlesque, le texte et les merveilleuses illustrations 

de Sophie Mondésir donnent à cette histoire le piquant 

qui convient. 

9 

Marielle Plaisir 

Les Longues nattes de Poética 

PLB Éditions, 2001 • ISBN 2-912300-24-X 

A beautiful, big picture book, with delicate and 

colourful illustrations. A rich text-image ratio and 

precious illustrations. Here we find themes from 

classical tales where heroes have magical hair: 

Rapunzel, Samson… Poética has braided hair as 

so often in the Antilles and her braids get longer 

when she dreams or she wishes for something… 

and her wishes become true! It is also a kind 

of initiatory tale. When the time comes to have 

her hair cut, Poética will enter the adult world. 

Will she lose her powers then? 

Voici un bel album, grand format, aux illustrations 

délicates et colorées. Le rapport texte-image riche 

et les fonds des illustrations sont particulièrement 

travaillés, ce qui donne à l’ouvrage un côté précieux. 

On retrouve ici des thèmes venus des contes classiques 

où le héros possède des cheveux magiques : Raiponce, 

Samson... Poética, elle, a les cheveux nattés comme 

partout aux Antilles et ses nattes s’allongent quand 

elle rêve ou qu’elle souhaite quelque chose… et ses 

désirs se réalisent ! C’est aussi une sorte de conte 

initiatique. Quand viendra le temps de couper ses 

cheveux, Poética rentrera dans le monde des adultes. 

Perdra-t-elle alors ses pouvoirs ? 

10 

Anique Sylvestre • Michèle Chomereau-Lamotte, ill. 

Lowitt, la grenouille qui danse 

Éditions Jasor, 2009 • ISBN 978-2-912594-71-6 

Pitou, a young boy, wants to charm Zinia, the 

new pupil in the class. He intends to impress her 

through a story, since she loves stories. So he asks 

his mother and she tells him the fascinating story 

of Lowitt, the green frog who, without willing it, 

became a dance star. A frog that turns out not to 

be a frog! The main themes of this tale are magic 

spells and transformation. Even if illustrations 

are sometimes redundant, every page has a clue 

– the same cord round the frog’s and the man’s 

waists – that works as a thread. 

Pitou, un jeune garçon, veut séduire Zinia, la nouvelle 

de la classe. Il compte l’éblouir en lui racontant une 

histoire, elle qui les adore tant. Pour cela, il sollicite 

sa mère qui lui raconte la fascinante histoire de 

Lowitt, la grenouille verte devenue star de la danse 

malgré elle. Une grenouille qui se révèlera n’en être 

pas une ! Ce conte a pour thèmes phares le sortilège 

et la métamorphose. Bien que les illustrations soient 

quelquefois redondantes, on retrouve de page en 

page, un indice – la même corde enroulée à la taille 

de la grenouille et à celle de l’homme – qui fonctionne 

comme un fil conducteur. 


Books from 

Guyane 

Contact: Marie-Annick Atticot – matticot@cg973.fr 

Nicolas Ruppli – nicolas.ruppli@culture.gouv.fr 

(France) 

This selection was coordinated by Nicolas Ruppli, Officer for Books 

and Reading at the Guyane Regional Direction for Cultural Affairs. 

The “Bibliothèque départementale de prêt” of Guyane (Alexandre-Franconie 

Library, Cayenne) also participated. Their choice features a variety of themes 

and types of books – alphabets, folktales, animal stories... – and highlights 

Guyane’s rich cultural heritage and identity. 

1 

Nathalie Rak 

Petit alphabête d’Amazonie [Little Alphabeast of the Amazon Basin] 

Ibis Rouge, 2004 • ISBN 2-84450-220-2 

Children of all ages enjoy this illustrated alphabet 

book which features Guyanian animals and 

develops the reader’s imagination. Different 

creatures, beautifully drawn with oil pastels, 

follow each other through the book: the agouti, 

the sloth, the urubu, the vampire, and other more 

and less scary beasts of the Amazon Rainforest. 

This square shaped book with its nice paper, 

graphic design and coloured page backgrounds 

is an ideal way to discover art. 

Cet abécédaire illustré avec des animaux de 

Guyane amuse beaucoup petits et grands et 

développe l’imagination de l’enfant. Dans une très 

belle représentation au pastel gras, les créatures 

se succèdent : agouti, paresseux, urubu, vampire, 

et autres bestioles plus ou moins inquiétantes de la 

forêt amazonienne. Format carré, qualité du papier, 

gamme des couleurs de fond de page, graphisme, 

confèrent à l’album une belle harmonie. Une belle 

initiation à l’art. 

2 

Frédérique Warin 

De awara à zébu ! Du mont Bourda aux marais de Kaw 

[From Awara to Zebu! From Bourda Mount to Kaw’s Marsh] 

Carambole & Sapotille, 2013 • ISBN 2-9546027-0-8 

This alphabet book is an extraordinary way 

to discover the richness of nature and culture 

in Guyane. Readers will particularly like the 

illustrations and the way one travels throughout 

the pages. 

Cet abécédaire offre une fascinante découverte 

des richesses naturelles et culturelles de Guyane. 

Les lecteurs apprécieront particulièrement les 

illustrations et le voyage offert au fil des lettres. 

the world through picture books • books from guyane (france) • 68

3 

Dominique Petit Virollet • Vanessa Virollet, ill. 

Un Drôle d’anniversaire [A Special Birthday] 

Collection Tatoulu Guyane, 2005 • ISBN 2951892446 

The day before his fifth birthday, Moâ-je, 

the Emerald Tree Boa, gazes at its previous 

sloughed skins and prepares the party. After a 

restless night he wakes up troubled and a quest 

for his identity starts. His resourceful friends 

accompany him on his quest for a happy ending. 

The illustrations are dynamic and expressive, 

and invite the young reader to participate in the 

story. The book includes a game: a small spider, 

a “matoutou”, is hidden on each page. At the end 

of the book, explanations and a glossary give 

more information about Guyane’s fauna. 

À la veille de son cinquième anniversaire, Moâ-je, 

le boa émeraude, contemple ses précédentes mues et 

prépare la fête. Après une nuit agitée, il se réveille et 

doit faire face à un élément hautement perturbateur… 

Une sorte de quête d’identité commence. Ses amis, 

pleins de ressources, l’accompagnent dans ses 

interrogations jusqu’au dénouement joyeux. 

Les illustrations sont dynamiques et expressives, et 

invitent le jeune lecteur à participer au récit. La lecture 

est placée sous le signe du jeu : une petite araignée, la 

matoutou, se cache sur chaque page. Des explications 

et un glossaire complètent le récit et permettent 

d’en savoir plus sur la faune de Guyane. 

4 

Groupe scolaire Yukaaluwan 

L’Anniversaire de Kakouyou [Kakouyou’s birthday] 

MKT, 2010 • ISBN 9782953303056 

Animals help each other In this picture book 

written and illustrated by pupils aged 5 & 6 in a 

school in Yukaluwan (Guyane). 

Dans cet album écrit et illustré par les élèves de 

grande section et de CP du groupe scolaire Yukaluwan 

(Guyane), les animaux sont solidaires. 

5 

Sophie Darl’mat • Anne-Cécile Boutard, ill. 

Aventures sur le Maroni [Adventures on the Maroni River] 

Plume Verte, 2002 • ISBN 2951566859 

A small colourful book. The Ti’m, a group 

of curious children, go up the Maroni River in 

Guyane in search of the Eldorado. All through 

this long quest, Ti zouk the young narrator and 

his friends meet the people living in villages on 

the river and discover Guyane’s cultural diversity. 

Completed by a “ti” (small) lexicon and a map 

of Guyane, this picture book is well documented 

and accessible to young children. 

Un petit livre haut en couleur qui suit la remontée 

du fleuve Maroni en Guyane par les ti’m, un groupe 

d’enfants curieux de tout, partis à la recherche de 

l’Eldorado. Tout au long de leur quête, Ti zouk le jeune 

narrateur et ses amis vont à la rencontre des habitants 

des villages en bordure du fleuve et s’initient à la 

diversité culturelle guyanaise. Avec son “ti lexique” et 

sa carte de la Guyane, cet album est bien documenté 

et accessible aux plus jeunes. 


6 

Sophie Darl’mat • Anne-Cécile Boutard, ill. 

Le mystère du Dragon rouge. Comment les ti’m fêtent le nouvel an chinois 

en Guyane… [The Mystery of the Red Dragon. How the Ti’m celebrate 

the Chinese New Year in Guyane] 

Collection Tatoulu Guyane, 2005 • ISBN 2951892446 

This new adventure of the famous character 

Ti zouk, explains to children the Chinese 

traditions in Guyane. Walking with his mother 

across the Amandiers square, Ti zouk is scared 

by the appearance of a fabulous red dragon. 

The following day, helped by Ti kouèt and 

Ti samba, who are intrigued by what Ti zouk 

told them, the three friends are introduced 

to the dragon’s strange den. Also involved in 

this mystery, Ti yiyi initiates them into the Great 

Jade Emperor’s myths, and the traditions and 

customs of Chinese New Year. 

Cette nouvelle aventure du célèbre personnage de Ti 

zouk explique aux enfants les traditions chinoises en 

Guyane. Alors qu’il se balade avec sa maman Place des 

Amandiers, Ti zouk est terrorisé par l’apparition d’un 

fabuleux dragon rouge. Le lendemain, aidé de Ti kouèt 

et Ti samba intriguées par son histoire, Ti zouk décide 

de mener l’enquête et les trois amis s’introduisent dans 

l’étrange repaire du dragon. Ti yiyi qui participe à ce 

mystère, les débusque de leur cachette et les initie 

aux mythes du Grand Empereur de Jade, ainsi qu’aux 

traditions et aux coutumes du Nouvel an chinois. 

7 

Patrick Agot • Diane Félix, ill. 

Ernest, chercheur d’or [Ernest, Gold Searcher] 

APEG, 2005 • ISBN 2951991401 

In early 20 th century Guyane, Ernest, the eldest 

son of a large family, joins the gold searcher 

Adolphe, after his father’s death. They discover a 

vein which brings them wealth, but also exposes 

them to the greed of Amédée. Ernest manages 

to foil Amédée’s plans, and Nature itself punishes 

him. The simple, naïve story, enhances traditional 

moral values such as courage, kindness, family, 

justice and piety. The text and the illustrations 

are interesting for their documentary value on 

customs, everyday life and nature etc and there 

is a lexicon with Creole words at the end of the 

book. 

Guyane, début du xx e siècle. Ernest, fils aîné d’une 

famille nombreuse, rejoint le chercheur d’or Adolphe 

après la mort de son père. La découverte d’un filon 

leur apporte la richesse, mais les expose aussi à la 

convoitise du cupide Amédée. Ernest saura déjouer 

ses plans et la nature se chargera de punir Amédée. 

L’histoire, simple et naïve, reprend les valeurs 

traditionnelles de courage, de bonté, de famille, de 

justice et de piété. Texte et illustrations valent surtout 

par leur valeur documentaire (coutumes, quotidien, 

nature…). Un lexique de mots créoles est proposé 

en fin d’ouvrage. 

8 

Ketty Bunch • Elsa Faure 

Maraké et les chercheurs d’or [Maraké and the Gold Searchers] 

Caraïbéditions, 2014 • ISBN 9782917623695 

Maraké, a boy aged 10, lives on the edge of the 

Maroni river. A monkey’s shout announcing 

a change encourages him to leave. He meets 

animals, a speaking tree and an imaginary 

creature, and we learn that it is his mission to 

save his land, threatened by the devastating 

actions of those searching for gold. Some phrases 

in the Creole and Wayana languages appear 

in the dialogue and are translated into French 

at the end of the book. This picture book raises 

awareness among young readers of the need 

to protect the fauna and flora and helps them 

discover the culture of Native Americans. 

Maraké, un jeune garçon de dix ans vivant au bord du 

fleuve Maroni en Guyane, se met en route après avoir 

entendu le cri d’un singe qui annonce un changement. 

Au fil de ses rencontres avec des animaux, avec 

un arbre qui parle et avec une créature imaginaire, 

on découvre qu’il s’agit pour lui de sauver sa terre, 

menacée par l’exploitation dévastatrice des chercheurs 

d’or. Quelques expressions en créole ou en wayana 

ponctuent le dialogue et sont traduites en français 

à la fin. Cet album sensibilise le jeune lecteur à la 

protection de la faune et de la flore et favorise la 

découverte de la culture amérindienne. 


9 

Caroline Boutard • Anne-Cécile Boutard, ill. 

Les animaux de la Guyane racontent… 7 histoires du soir 

[Guyanian Animals tell… 7 bedtime stories] 

Plume Verte, 2014 • ISBN 9782915678512 

Done in the style of Rudyard Kipling’s famous 

Just so stories, each of these sketches and poems 

by Caroline Boutard is written around a physical 

feature of an animal of the Guyanian forest. 

Anne-Cécile Boutard’s illustrations are both 

sensitive and humorous. Children from the age 

of 4 and their parents will enjoy this collection 

very much. 

Un peu à la manière de Rudyard Kipling avec ses 

célèbres Histoires comme ça, les saynètes ou 

poèmes créés par Caroline Boutard mettent en scène 

une caractéristique physique de sept animaux de la 

forêt guyanaise. Anne-Cécile Boutard les accompagne 

par son trait délicat et plein d’humour. Les deux sœurs 

réussissent un beau recueil qui ravira les enfants 

dès 4 ans et leurs parents. 

10 

Thierry Montford • Julien Salaud, ill. 

L’Odyssée d’Oscar, petit jaguar [Oscar the little jaguar’s Odyssey] 

Plume verte, 2011 • ISBN 2915678278 

Thanks to Oscar’s adventures, the reader 

discovers the world of the jaguars and the jungle 

of Guyane. The text is long and printed over an 

illustrated background which can make it a bit 

difficult to read, but the illustrations which are so 

realistic, are amazing. 

Cet album nous emmène à la découverte des jaguars 

et de la jungle guyanaise au travers des aventures 

d’Oscar. Le texte imprimé sur un fond illustré est long 

et quelque peu difficile à lire, mais les illustrations 

sont étonnantes de réalisme. 


Books from 

Haiti 

Contact: Lourdine Altidor 

alourdine@yahoo.fr 

Lourdine Altidor, librarian in Haiti, made a choice of 30 picture books, 

particularly successful at “l’heure du conte” (storytime) and other reading 

programs. She sent this choice to other children’s librarians in Haiti, to arrive 

at a choice of ten titles. Three librarians were able to answer in time: Adelyne 

Pinchinat, librarian at the Institut Français d’Haïti and the person in charge 

of the Digital library of the Université d’État d’Haïti, in partnership with 

Bibliothèque Sans Frontières; Fleurette Tessono, former Director of Alliance 

française des Cayes library, founder of FONDART where she manages a book 

club for young people; Gessy Tessier, former Director of the children’s section 

of the Médiathèque de l’Institut Français d’Haïti, currently Library Assistant 

at Little River Library, Miami-Dade Public Library System, USA. 

1 

Odette Roy Fombrun • Chevelin Djasmy Pierre, ill. 

Odette Roy Fombrun raconte Bouqui et Malice 

[Odette Roy Fombrun tells Bouqui and Malice] 

Editha, 2011 • ISBN 978-99935-95885-5 

Bouquin the naïf uncle and Malice the cunning, 

teasing nephew are the most popular characters 

in Haïtian folktales. Tales were nourished by 

the cultures of the various peoples on the island: 

Native Americans, Spanish, French, Africans… 

The adventures of Bouqui and Malice are told 

here in a very lively way, and dialogues are 

rich in Haitian Creole expressions. The author 

has set her tales in daily life, the market, the 

celebrations… Lots of fun at the expense of 

poor Bouqui! 

Bouqui et Malice, l’oncle un peu naïf et le neveu rusé 

et taquin, sont les personnages les plus populaires des 

contes haïtiens. Ce folklore s’est nourri de la culture 

des différents peuples qui ont habité l’île : Indiens, 

Espagnols, Français, Africains… Les aventures des 

deux compères sont racontées de façon très vivante, 

avec beaucoup de dialogues brodés d’expressions 

créoles haïtiennes. Odette Roy Fombrun a ancré 

ses récits dans le quotidien des habitants, le marché, 

les fêtes… On s’amuse beaucoup aux dépens 

de ce pauvre Bouqui ! 

2 

Clélie Aupont • Rodchield Lamothe, ill. 

Drôle de Ratutu! [Funny Ratutu!] 

Editha, 2011 • ISBN : 978-99935-95908-8 

Rats have serious misgivings about the cats of 

the nearby town, who want to eat them. A young 

couple of rats return from their honeymoon with 

a baby, Ratutu, who is obviously not like other 

little rats. His parents hide him under a big hat 

– how strange! – and they cut off his whiskers 

regularly… But instinct will eventually speak, and 

the hoax will be revealed. And if rats and cats 

learned to live together? A good story delivering 

a message in a light hearted way, accompanied 

by expressive illustrations. 

Les rats se méfient beaucoup des chats du village 

voisin qui ne sont toujours pas satisfaits de leur repas 

et ont très envie de les manger. Un jour, un jeune 

couple de rats revient de voyage de noces avec un 

bébé, Ratutu, qui, de toute évidence, n’est pas comme 

les autres jeunes rats. Ses parents le cachent sous 

un grand chapeau – comme c’est étrange ! – et lui 

coupent régulièrement les poils des moustaches… Mais 

les instincts finiront par parler, et la supercherie par se 

révéler. Et si les rats et les chats apprenaient à vivre 

ensemble ?… Une bonne histoire à message mais sans 

lourdeur, accompagnée d’illustrations expressives. 

the world through picture books • books from haiti • 72

3 

Marlène Étienne • Chevelin Djasmy Pierre, ill. 

Bénisoit en vacances [Bénisoit on holidays] 

Editha, 2011 • ISBN 978-99935-95861-1 

Bénisoit the donkey is the hero of several 

amusing stories by Marlène Étienne. In this one, 

Bénisoit goes with the children to the boat that 

will take them to Gonâve island for their holidays. 

But Bénisoit intends to go on holidays too. 

He jumps on board and does one silly thing after 

the other. Damage must be paid for. The children, 

remembering Bénisoit’s gift for dancing, put up 

a show and give the donkey his stage name: 

Jackel Makson. Pictures of Jackel dancing in the 

famous Michael’s style, are irresistibly funny. 

Chevelin Djasmy Pierre, in his style reminiscent 

of comics, has great talent for giving life to his 

characters. A picture book exuding good humor. 

Other titles in the series: Bénisoit en tap tap 

(2001); Bénisoit à Miami (2003); Bénisoit et le père 

Noël (2008). 

Bénisoit, l’âne, est le héros de plusieurs histoires bien 

amusantes écrites par Marlène Étienne. Cette fois, 

Bénisoit accompagne les enfants jusqu’au bateau 

qui va les emmener passer leurs vacances sur l’île de 

la Gonâve. Mais il entend bien profiter des vacances, 

lui aussi. Il saute à bord et, ivre de liberté, fait bêtise 

sur bêtise. Il faut payer les dégâts. Les enfants, se 

souvenant des talents de danseur de Bénisoit, décident 

de monter un spectacle et donnent à l’âne son nom 

de scène : Jackel Makson. Les images de Jackel, dansant 

à la façon du célèbre Michael, sont irrésistiblement 

drôles. Chevelin Djasmy Pierre, avec son style qui 

emprunte à la bande dessinée, a un talent fou pour 

donner vie à ses personnages. Un petit album à la 

bonne humeur contagieuse. Les autres titres de cette 

série sont aussi intéressants : Bénisoit en tap tap 

(2001); Bénisoit à Miami (2003); Bénisoit et le 

père Noël (2008). 

4 

Maël Fouchard • Chevelin Djasmy Pierre, ill. 

Le Loup et l’agneau [The Wolf and the Lamb] 

Editha, 2009 • ISBN 978-99935-95-71-7 

Maël Fouchard gives a very free version of 

La Fontaine’s fable “The Wolf and the Lamb”, 

spiced with some Creole words. It is a pleasure 

to discover the beautiful paintings by Chevelin 

Djasmy Pierre. By the same author, illustrated 

by Stanley Leriche with montage and collage, 

a free version of “The Cicada and the Ant”. 

Maël Fouchard donne ici deux versions « très libres » 

des fables de La Fontaine « Le Loup et l’Agneau » 

pimentées par quelques mots de créole. On peut 

s’interroger sur l’intérêt d’une adaptation des fables 

mais on ne boudera pas le plaisir de découvrir les 

beaux tableaux peints par Chevelin Djasmy Pierre qui 

viennent illustrer Le Loup et l’agneau. Stanley Leriche, 

lui, a fait le choix graphique de montages et de collages 

pour illustrer « La Cigale et la Fourmi ». 

5 

Ilona Armand • Chevelin Djasmy Pierre, ill. 

La Folle poursuite [The Wild Chase] 

Editha, 2008 • ISBN 978-99935-95885-5 

Christo has escaped his big sister’s surveillance : 

Poulette can only watch him disappear, carried 

up in the air by a terrible malfini (a bird). She 

pursues him and is helped by a goat, an old man 

and an old woman… Lots of humour in the text 

and in the images in this story. Lots of repetitions, 

plus surprising, colourful characters. 

Christo a échappé à la surveillance de sa grande 

sœur Poulette qui peut seulement le regarder s’enfuir, 

entraîné dans l’air par un terrible malfini (un oiseau). 

Elle le poursuit et est aidée par une chèvre, un vieillard 

et une vieille femme… Le texte et les illustrations 

de cette histoire sont remplis d’humour et 

sont construit avec beaucoup de répétitions… 


6 

Odette Roy Fombrun • Patrick Charles, ill. 

De surprise en surprise [Surprises] 

Hachette-Deschamps, 2001 • ISBN 99935-31-11-1 

Ti dane and Mercilia go to town for the first time, 

with their uncle who wants them to see what 

carnival is like. The children soon get lost in the 

motley crowd. While looking for their uncle they 

discover the fascinating but also disturbing world 

of the parade. They end up finding their uncle, 

after dancing to the catchy rhythm of meringue. 

Very colourful illustrations show the different 

carnival costumes and other details of this 

important event. 

Ti Dane et Mercilia vont en ville pour la première fois 

avec leur oncle qui veut les faire découvrir le carnaval. 

Bientôt, les enfants se perdent dans la foule. Alors 

qu’ils essaient de rejoindre leur oncle, ils découvrent 

le monde fascinant mais aussi perturbant de la parade. 

Ils finissent par retrouver leur oncle après s’être 

accrochés au rythme de la meringue. Les illustrations 

très colorées présentent les différents costumes 

du carnaval ainsi que les autres détails de ce grand 

événement. 

7 

Tamara Durand • Marc-Yves Deshauteur, ill. 

Tatézoflambo 

Hachette-Deschamps, 2005 • ISBN 99935-31-46-4 

A very cruel man beats and starves his wife and 

children. If only they knew this heartless man’s 

name, he would burst into pieces! One after 

the other, the children find out his name but… 

they quickly forget it. Sito, the youngest child, 

does remember it. Coloured pencil illustrations, 

expressive and with child-like grace for this welltold 

folktale, on the subject of family violence, 

which happens in all social classes today. 

Tatézoflambo est un homme aussi cruel qu’un monstre 

qui fait continuellement des misères à sa femme 

Célia et ses trois fils. Mais il porte un lourd secret 

qui est, en même temps son point faible. Car le jour 

où le secret viendrait à être connu de sa famille, eh 

bien Tatézoflambo exploserait en mille morceaux 

dans les airs! Célia et ses trois fils si souvent battus, 

parviendront-ils à percer ce secret…? Très bien illustré, 

ce conte aborde la violence familiale qui est présente 

dans toutes les classes sociale de notre temps. 

8 

Dany Laferrière • Frédéric Normandin, ill. 

La Fête des morts [The Day of the Dead] 

Éditions de la Bagnole,2009 • ISBN 978-2-92342-27-6 

Da, the wonderful grandmother of the small 

boy Vieux Os, has in her garden an old tomb. 

There lies mister Labastère, who still takes part 

in everyday life: Marquis the dog takes his nap 

there, and the pot of good Haitian coffee, subtle 

and light, steams on the tombstone. There are no 

frontiers between life and death, especially on the 

Day of the Dead. And when one thinks of dead 

people with tenderness and affection, they go on 

living in our hearts. A cheerful picture book, full or 

colour. Also by Dany Laferrière: Je suis fou de Vava 

(Éditions de la Bagnole: 2010) 

Da, la merveilleuse grand-mère du petit garçon, 

Vieux Os, a dans son jardin une tombe ancienne où 

repose monsieur Labastère, qui participe encore de 

la vie quotidienne : Marquis, le chien y fait sa sieste, 

tandis que, sur la pierre tombale, fume la cafetière 

emplie du bon café haïtien subtil et léger. Mais Vieux 

Os, parti à la découverte du monde d’en-bas, trouvera 

sur son chemin ce qui fait vivre et rend heureux dans 

le monde d’en-haut : l’amour. Voilà pourquoi ceux qui 

s’aiment sont éternels… Autre titre du même auteur: Je 

suis fou de Vava (Éditions de la Bagnole : 2010) 


9 

Bernadette Saint-Paul • Réginald Nazaire, ill. 

L’Étrange maladie de Nicolas [Nicolas’s strange illness] 

Hachette Deschamps, 2006 • ISBN 99935-31-41-3 

Nicolas who usually talks so much is no longer 

himself : he does not open his mouth whatever 

his teacher, the school headmaster, the doctor, 

the psychologist, the soothsayer or the healer 

might say or do… But one morning his problems 

are over, in spite of a missing tooth… A wellconstructed 

picture book, with illustrations full 

of charm and fine observation. 

Nicolas qui, d’habitude parle beaucoup, n’est plus 

le même: il ne s’ouvre pas sa bouche, peu importe 

ce que dit le professeur, le directeur de l’école, 

le médecin, le psychologue, ou ce que fait le devin ou 

le guérisseur… Mais un matin ses problèmes ne sont 

plus, en dépit de sa perte de dent… Un album bien 

construit, avec des illustrations pleines de charmes 

et d’observation. 

10 

Maël Fouchard • Bérénice F. Baussan, ill. 

La Grosse voix du rakbwa [Rakbwa’s gruff voice] 

Editha, 2009 • ISBN 978-99935-95-75-5 

The three children are scared. From a very 

dark part of the garden, they hear a gruff voice 

howling, “spitting yellow sputter and green 

sputter”. They discover a kind toad that will 

finally become their friend. Illustrations, in the 

style of those made by children, are cheerful and 

amusing, in line with a lively text, with welcome 

repetitions, playing with sounds and blending 

subtly French and an inventive and funny Creole. 

Les trois enfants ont peur. Au fond du jardin, dans un 

coin très noir, ils entendent une grosse voix qui hurle 

« en crachant des postillons jaunes et des postillons 

verts ». Le gentil crapaud qu’ils découvrent, finalement, 

deviendra leur ami. Les illustrations, dans le style des 

dessins d’enfants, sont amusantes et gaies. Elles sont 

au diapason d’un texte plein d’entrain, rythmé par 

des répétitions bienvenues, des jeux sur les sons, et 

un subtil mélange de français et d’un créole inventif 

et drôle. 




Books from 

Hungary 

Contact: Agnes Hajdu Barat 

hajdu@jgypk.u-zeged.hu 

The Board of the Association of Hungarian librarians (AHL) chose 10 Hungarian 

children’s picture books, based on recommendations made by the librarians 

of the Children’s Section of AHL, the Hungarian School Librarians’ Association, 

and by 124 Library and Information Studies students from Eotvos Lorand 

University. They selected 142 titles from the rich breadth of Hungarian 

children’s literature. Ms. Agnes Hajdu Barat, Vice President of AHL co-ordinated 

the selection process and summarised the nominations. The chosen books 

are well illustrated, have an educational purpose and are designed to enrich 

the child’s imagination. 

1 

Bálint Ágnes • Bródy Vera, ill. 

Mazsola [Sultanas] 

Holnap, 2013 • ISBN 9789633466803 

The most popular book of this well-known 

storyteller, in which the adventures of the 

adorable, ravenous, a bit lazy, but very sweet 

little pig come to life. This story by Ágnes Bálint 

is full of humble wisdom, honest love and 

tenderness and it is with these emotions that she 

surrounds the characters that she brought into 

existence. 

Az ismert meseíró legnépszerűbb könyve, melyben 

a szeretetreméltó, falánk és kissé lusta, de nagyon 

kedves kismalac kalandjai elevenednek meg. Bálint 

Ágnes története teli van szerény bölcsességgel, őszinte 

szeretettel és gyengédséggel, amivel az általa életre 

keltett szereplőket körülveszi. 

2 

Boldizsár Ildikó • Szegedi Katalin, ill. 

Boszorkányos mesék [Witch Tales] 

Móra, 2014 • ISBN 9789631195736 

This book introduces Amelia, the beautiful witch 

who can understand the language of animals and 

plants. The melancholic witch tells stories about 

stars, the Sun, the flowers, the colours and about 

the things around us. The delicate drawings of 

Katalin Szegedi are in perfect harmony with the 

unique stories that are worth sharing with many 

children. 

A könyv Amália szépséges boszorkányról szól, aki 

érti az állatok és növények nyelvét. A szomorkás 

boszorkány mesél a csillagokról, a Napról, a virágokról, 

a színekről és a körülöttünk lévő dolgokról. Szegedi 

Katalin finom rajzai tökéletes összhangban állnak 

az eredeti hangú történetekkel, melyeket érdemes a 

gyerekek széles körében ajánlani. 

the world through picture books • books from hungary • 76

3 

Csukás István • Sajdik Ferenc, ill. 

Pom pom meséi [Tales of Pom Pom] 

Könyvmolyképző, 2014 • ISBN 9789632452227 

Pom Pom, the kind and helpful hairy creature, is 

not only able to change his form, but can also tell 

interesting stories. He tells these stories every 

day while he is escorting a little girl to school. The 

main characters of the stories are all created with 

bubbling witticism. They all have human features, 

they fight against their minor or major character 

faults, they are fallible and adorable creatures. 

The humorous tales are never without a moral 

lesson. Ingenious drawings by Ferenc Sajdik give 

life to the characters. 

Pom Pom, a kedves és segítőkész mesefigura nemcsak 

alakját képes változtatni, de érdekes történeteket 

is tud. Nap, mint nap miközben a kislányt kíséri az 

iskolába ezeket meséli el. A történetek főszereplői 

sziporkázó szellemességgel megalkotott figurák, mindmind 

emberi tulajdonságokkal bíró, jellemük kisebbnagyobb 

gyengeségei ellen küzdő, esendő és szeretni 

való lények. A remek humorban oldott, tanulságot sem 

nélkülöző mesék főszereplői Sajdik Ferenc zseniális 

rajzai nyomán kelnek életre. 

4 

Fazekas Anna • Róna Emy, ill. 

Öreg néne őzikéje [The Old Lady and the Fawn] 

Móra, 2014 ISBN 9789631196344 

This story was first published in 1952 and since 

then, there is hardly a child in the kindergartens 

who has not got acquainted with it. This rhyming 

story, which has gained unbelievable popularity, 

is a real classic of children’s literature. It is about 

a wounded little deer that is nursed back to 

health by a good-natured old lady. Later in the 

story the deer comes back to her when her 

fawn needs the care of the lady, too. This is one 

of a few stories that are popular with parents, 

children, grandparents and grandchildren as well. 

Az Öreg néne őzikéje először 1952-ben jelent meg, 

és azóta alig akad óvodáskorú gyermek, aki ne 

ismerkedett volna meg vele. A hallatlanul népszerűvé 

vált verses mese igazi klasszikus gyermekirodalmi 

alkotás. Egy sérült őzgidáról szól, akit meggyógyít 

a jólelkű, idős asszony, majd idővel visszatér a faluszéli 

házba, amikor gyermekének is szüksége lesz ápolásra. 

Egyike azon kevés alkotásnak, amelyeket a szülők és 

gyermekek, nagymamák és unokák egyaránt szeretnek. 

5 

Gazdag Erzsi • K. Lukáts Kató, ill. 

Mesebolt [Shop of Fairy Tales] 

Móra, 2012 ISBN 9789631190915 

Generations have grown up on the children’s 

poems of Gazdag Erzsi. The impressive simplicity 

of the poems, the pictures that are inspired by 

the naive beauty of folklore, fit to the fantasy 

world of children in atmosphere and theme. 

Thischarming book is illustrated by the colourful, 

cheerful drawings of Lukáts Kató. 

Gazdag Erzsi gyermekköltészetének darabjain mára 

már generációk sora nőtt fel. A versek megkapó 

egyszerűsége, a népköltészet naiv bájától ihletett 

képsorok hangulatukban és tematikájukban is 

megfelelnek a gyermekkor fantáziadús világának. 

A bájos kötetet Lukáts Kató színes, derűs rajzai 

illusztrálják. 


6 

Janikovszky Éva • Réber László, ill. 

Ha én felnőtt volnék [If I were a Grown-up] 

Móra, 2013 • ISBN 9789631195026 

’It is deadly boring to be good all the time’, says 

this book. The constant warnings (’How many 

times should I tell you to wash your hands!’ 

’Do not bite your nails!’…) make life miserable. 

The world would be so different if these warnings 

would sound like this: ’Eat a lot of chocolate 

before lunch if possible…’. Children will relate to 

the outstanding and highly entertaining stories, 

adults will learn serious lessons from them. The 

drawings of László Réber make this very popular 

story-book complete. 

“Folyton jónak lenni iszonyúan unalmas” – fogalmaz a 

könyv. A számos intelem (“Hányszor mondtam, hogy 

mosd meg a kezed! Ne rágd a körmöd! ...) megkeseríti 

az életet. Egészen más lenne a világ, ha ezek az 

intelmek így hangzanának: “Egyél ebéd előtt lehetőleg 

sok csokoládét” …. A kitűnő és roppant mulattató 

történetek megértésre találnak a gyerekeknél és 

komoly tanulsággal szolgálnak a felnőtt olvasónak. 

Réber László rajzai teszik teljessé a méltán népszerű 

mesekönyvet. 

7 

Kormos István • Reich Károly, ill. 

Mesék Vackorról [Tales about Vackor] 

Osiris, 2006 • ISBN 9633898935 

In this rhyming story, the adventures of Vackor, 

the little bear, take place among children. These 

stories about kindergarten and school help 

children to overcome the fear of the unknown. 

Vackor’s mishaps and his desire to see the 

world are all topics that are constantly present 

in the mind of small readers. This book, which 

is illustrated by the friendly drawings of Károly 

Reich, belongs to the best and most popular 

writings of Hungarian children’s literature. 

Vackor a kismackó mulatságos kalandjait a gyerekek 

között éli meg a verses elbeszélésben. Az óvodai, majd 

iskola történetek segítenek feloldani az ismeretlen 

környezettől való félelmet. Csetlései-botlásai, a 

világlátás iránti vágya mind-mind olyan kérdések, 

melyek foglalkoztatják a kis olvasókat is. A Reich 

Károly hangulatos rajzaival illusztrált kötet a magyar 

gyermekirodalom legjobb, legnépszerűbb alkotásai 

közé tartozik. 

8 

Marék Veronika 

Kippkopp és Tipptopp [Two chestnut children: Kippkopp and Tipptopp] 

Ceruza, 2014 • ISBN 9789638874580 

The main characters of the Kippkopp series are 

chestnut children. The stories are simple everyday 

tales. As the location is the forest and the animals 

living there are all familiar, it is easy for children 

to identify with the characters. The author 

conveys values, writes about thoughtfulness, 

friendship, attention toward each other, all in 

an exciting way. 

A Kippkopp sorozat a főszereplői gesztenyegyerekek. 

Egyszerű és zseniális történetek, kézzelfogható és 

mégis mesebeli, könnyen lehet velük azonosulni, mivel 

a közeg az erdő, és a benne élő állatok ismerősek, 

a főhősök mégis nagyon egyediek. Értékeket 

közvetítenek, gondoskodásról, barátságról, egymás 

iránti odafigyelésről ír a szerző, mindezt, izgalmasan, 

érzékletesen teszi. A sorozat könyveinek erénye, hogy 

maga a szerző illusztrálta őket. 


9 

Szegedi Katalin 

Lenka [Lenka] 

Csimota, 2012 • ISBN 9789639768352 

This book describes an autumn day of an 

extraordinary girl. The main character is a bit 

different from the other children, but she would 

still like to play hopscotch and play with the 

hoop. However, the other girls do not accept her 

in their company. She is drawing alone when 

she catches a glimpse of a boy that she did not 

think would be willing to play with her. She finds 

in Palkó a friend and a playmate. This story with 

its positive ending has a good message for all 

children who feel a bit lonely. The author’s own, 

artistically designed pictures illustrate the book 

which was published as part of the Tolerance 

series. 

A könyv egy különleges kislány őszi napját mutatja 

be. A főszereplő kicsit más, mint a többi gyerek, de 

szeretne játszani, ugróiskolázni, karikázni lányokkal, 

akik nem fogadják társaságukba. Egyedül rajzolgat, 

amikor megpillant egy kisfiút, akiről a legkevésbé 

gondolta, hogy játszana vele. Palkóban végül barátra 

és játszótársra talált. 

Minden kisgyerek számára tanulságos lehet ez 

a pozitív kimenetelű kis mese, akik egy kicsit is 

magányosnak érzi magukat. A szerző saját művészi 

igényű képeivel illusztrálja a Tolerancia-sorozat 

részeként megjelent kötetet. 

10 

Szepes Mária • Anna F. Győrffy, ill. 

Pöttyös Panni [Pottyos Panni] 

Móra, 2013 • ISBN 9789631194289 

Almost half a century has gone by since the 

Pottyos Panni books were first published. 

The simple story, the adorable characters have 

rightfully become favourites with the readers. 

Panni got her name not just after her polka 

dotted clothing but for the chickenpox that she 

went through: so she became Pottyos Panni. 

The patient, resourceful grandmother helps her 

talkative granddaughter and the reader as well 

in everyday life and by the time they reach the 

age when kindergarten begins, they know much 

about the world. The book is illustrated by the 

colourful, cheerful drawings of Anna Győrffy. 

Közel fél évszázad telt el a Pöttyös Panni könyvek 

első megjelenése óta. Az egyszerű történet, a kedves 

figurák nem véletlenül váltak az olvasók kedvenceivé. 

Panni nem csupán piros pöttyös ruhája után kapta 

nevét, hanem mert átesett a bárányhimlőn, és így 

lett Pöttyös Panni. A türelmes, találékony nagymama 

cserfes unokájával együtt olvasóját is eligazgatja a 

hétköznapokban: s mire eljutnak az óvodáig, már 

sok-sok dolgot megtanulnak a világról. Győrffy Anna 

színes, derűs rajzai illusztrálják a kötetet. 


Books from 

India 

Contact: Sushma Arora 

sushekher@gmail.com 

CBT’s elegant picture books with bright, rich illustrations are meant for 

children below eight years. The bold text and simple, creative story lines 

revolve around subjects a young child can identify with delight The Children’s 

Book Trust (CBT) library for Children and Young Adults selected 10 Indian 

children’s picture books based on their popularity among children in the 

library and their demand in other Indian languages. The CBT has the biggest 

public children’s library in India with more than 15000 children’s books. For 

the ‘World through Picture Books’ project, the library staff chose 20 titles of 

quality children’s picture books and a notable children’s literature editor Ms. 

Navin Menon with her more than 35 years of experience in CBT selected 10 

picture books for the project. 

1 

Asha Nehemiah • Subir Roy, ill. 

Mrs. Woolly’s Funny Sweaters 

Children’s Book Trust, 2005 • ISBN 81-7011-971-5 

Mrs. Woolly’s passion for knitting nearly gets her ‘entangled’, but not for long. 

Soon she is sold out and there are enquiries for more! 

Available also in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telgu, Urdu 

2 

Devika Rangachari • Ankur Mitra, ill. 

The Weather And I 


A fascinating concept book, teaches children the various aspects related 

to the four seasons. 

Available also in Hindi 

the world through picture books • books from india • 80

3 

Shankar • Pulak Biswas, ill. 

Mother is Mother 


Ravi takes home a little squirrel he wants as a pet. This tender tale tells 

what makes him restore it to its mother. 

Available also in Hindi. 

4 

Lois Hamilton Fuller • Anil Vyas, ill. 

Little Tiger Big Tiger 


The tiger cub follows his mother about as she hunts for deer and pigs 

in the jungle. But when he grows up, he has to learn to hunt for himself. 

Available also in Bengali, Hindi 

5 

Santhini Govindan • Saurabh Pandey, ill. 

Counting Clouds 

Children’s Book Trust • ISBN 81-7011-982-0 

This concept book, besides telling them how rain is formed, teaches children 

to count. 


6 

Devika Rangachari • Sanjay Sarkar, ill. 

Colours in My World 

Children’s Book Trust, 2009 • ISBN 978-93-80076-16-4 

The varied images and simple text lures children to relate to the array of colours 

around them. 



7 

Benita Sen • Saurabh Pandey, ill. 

Oly and Owly 

Children’s Book Trust, 2007 • ISBN 978-81-89750-41-1 

Owly, the little owl, and Oly, the little girl, want to meet each other. But how? 

Available also in Hindi. Kannada, Tamil, Telgu 

8 

Asha Nehemiah • Subir Roy, ill. 

The Runaway Wheel 


Ramu and Kamala are off to see the circus in their father’s tractor when 

the wheel rolls away! 

Available also in Hindi, Bengali. 

9 

Navin Menon • Viky Arya, ill. 

Balloons For Me 


A little boy buys a balloon and plays all kinds of games with it. 

Available also in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telgu. 

10 

Sigrun Srivastava • Subir Roy, ill. 

All Fools’ Day 


Topsy-turvy adventures of a little girl on a topsy-turvy April Fools’ Day! 



Books from 

Italy 

Contact: Antonella Lamberti 

antonella.lam@gmail.com 

During the 80th international IFLA Congress in Lyon, the development of 

a new edition of The World through Picture Books catalogue was presented. 

Italy hadn’t participated in the first edition but we considered it very 

important to be included in the second edition, to introduce Italian publishing 

– even if just a limited sample – to an attentive and interested international 

public and to make Italian librarians aware of such an interesting initiative 

that engages so many collegues from many countries in the world. 

The choice of the best 10 Italian picture books has been done through a 

survey among Italian children’s librarians, with a call asking them for a list 

of their favourite picture books that satisfied the IFLA criteria. The call 

was sent out through the mailing list of AIB (Italian Libraries Association), 

through the libraries networks and among the library members of the Italian 

association Nati per leggere (Born to read). More than 50 responses were 

received from all over the country, with 200 picture books being voted for, 

creating a magnificent tableau of Italian publishing in this sector. The choice 

of the 10 most voted books was made freely and not based on a limited pool 

of options. Many librarians sent explanations of why they were voting for 

a particular title and some of these explanations have been included in the 

reviews below. As the difference in numbers of votes cast for each title was 

quite small, the Italian list is being presented in alphabetical order so that they 

are displayed with an equal value and present an intriguing window on the 

richness and variety of Italian picture book publishing. 

the world through picture books • books from italy • 83

1 

Roberto Innocenti • Roberto Piumini, ill. 

Casa del tempo [House of the time] 

La Margherita, 2010 • ISBN 9788887169959 

A house in the country is at the centre of the 

narrative. The house is witness to the most 

significant events of the 20 th century and these 

are told through large, color scenarios, rich in 

detail and which bring meaning to the text. 

Careful observation of the scenes, enable the 

reader to explore new details of the story and 

feel the emotion. Gradually we discover that 

the house, far from being just a passive witness, 

is charged with emotional meanings, reflected 

through the transformation of social change and 

the everyday moments, cheerful, dramatic and 

sad of the life of a family, which is then the life of 

the country. 

House of time is a timeless book and one for all 

ages and is presented here in this list as a fitting 

tribute to one of the leading figures of Italian 

illustration, award winning Roberto Innocenti, 

and a much loved great Italian writer for children, 

Roberto Piumini, who accompanies the pictures 

with his beautiful and imaginative words 

Una casa in campagna è al centro della narrazione, 

condotta dal testo e dalle immagini, grandi scenari a 

colori in cui campeggia lei, la protagonista, testimone 

immobile e vibrante al tempo stesso degli eventi più 

significativi della storia del ventesimo secolo. La lettura 

ad alta voce del testo si riempie di significato 

attraverso quella delle immagini, ricche di particolari. 

L’osservazione attenta delle scene permette, ogni volta 

che si sfogliano le pagine, di cogliere nuovi dettagli 

del racconto e di sentirne l’emozione. Così, via via che 

si legge, la casa, lontana dall’essere solo testimone 

passiva, si carica di significati emotivi, riflette nelle 

sue trasformazioni i mutamenti sociali, i momenti 

quotidiani allegri, drammatici e tristi della vita di una 

famiglia, che è poi la vita del nostro paese. 

Casa del tempo è un libro eterno, un’opera adatta 

dagli 0 ai 99 anni, e non poteva non essere presente 

in questa lista, doveroso omaggio a una delle figure 

di spicco dell’illustrazione italiana, Roberto Innocenti, 

vincitore.... , e a un grande scrittore italiano per 

bambini, molto amato, Roberto Piumini, che lo 

accompagna con il suo bel testo poetico. 

2 

Beatrice Alemagna 

Che cos’è un bambino? [What is a child?] 

Topipittori, 2008 • ISBN 978-88-89210-25-3 

“A child is a small person. He lingers small just 

for a while, then he becomes an adult. He grows 

up without even noticing it.” The book tells us 

that a child is all this and more and it describes, 

as a sort of catalogue highlighting the various 

faces of children, their hopes, their doubts, their 

daily problems as they are growing up. The book 

introduces us to the core of a child’s life through 

the poetry of their daily life and it is also able to 

sensitively refer to the small and bigger dramas 

of adult life. Intense, deep and thoughtful, the 

book reaches out to children and to adults who 

share with children the pictures and the simple 

imaginative style of writing. The story extends 

an invitation to respect diversity and to also 

recognise what makes children (but also adults!) 

alike: the desire of “a small light at night and kind 

eyes”, or in other words the need for love and 

solace when one is scared or in trouble. 

“Un bambino è una persona piccola. E’ piccolo solo 

per un po’, poi diventa grande. Cresce senza neanche 

farci caso.”. Questa e molte altre cose è un bambino, ci 

dice il libro, che ci presenta, in una specie di catalogo, 

le molte facce dei bambini, le loro speranze, le 

perplessità, i problemi di tutti i giorni, lungo il percorso 

della crescita. Il libro sa introdurci all’essenza della 

vita di un bambino attraverso la poesia delle cose 

quotidiane e sa alludere con delicatezza ai piccoli 

grandi drammi della vita adulta. 

Intenso, profondo, delicato, parla ai bambini e agli 

adulti che li accompagnano con immagini a tutta 

pagina e un testo poetico e semplice solo in 

apparenza, che si presta a diversi livelli di riflessione 

e di approfondimento: un bell’invito al rispetto di 

ciò che rende diversi e al riconoscimento di ciò che 

invece accomuna i piccoli (ma anche i grandi!), ovvero 

“una lucina di notte e occhi gentili”, cioè, in definitiva, 

il bisogno di essere amati e di avere conforto nei 

momenti di paura e di difficoltà. 


3 

Antonella Abbatiello 

La cosa più importante [The most important thing] 

Fatatrac, 2011 • ISBN 9788882222451 

The most important thing for the rabbit is having 

long ears, but the giraffe doesn’t agree: it is 

better to have a long neck to reach the most 

supple leaves on the top of the trees, isn’t it? 

That’s how a passionate discussion among the 

animals of the forest starts, during which each 

one of them celebrates their own main feature 

as the best that one could have. Meanwhile the 

pictures consequently modify the appearance of 

the participating animals bestowing the praised 

feature to each of them. It is only thanks to a 

wise owl that the animals are persuaded to 

stop their crazy game of imagining themselves 

all the same, and each one finally starts to feel 

important for their own peculiarities. 

This picture book has been published for years 

but it hasn’t lost its talent for capturing children’s 

attention. It’s perfect for reading aloud or for 

sharing, because of the plain structure, with its 

charming repetitions, and for the surprise caused 

by opening the folded pages and discovering the 

scenes hidden inside. It represents an invitation 

to look at diversity as a richness. 

Per il coniglio la cosa più importante sono le orecchie 

lunghe, ma la giraffa non è d’accordo: non è forse 

meglio aver il collo lungo, per raggiungere le foglie 

più tenere in alto sugli alberi? Così prende il via 

una’appassionata discussione tra gli animali del 

bosco, in cui di volta in volta uno di loro afferma 

che la propria caratteristica principale è quella più 

importante, mentre le illustrazioni modificano di 

conseguenza l’aspetto degli animali presenti in base 

alla caratteristica decantata in quel momento. Ci 

vuole un gufo saggio per spingere tutti a smetterla 

con la loro folle immaginazione di vedersi tutti uguali 

e riconoscersi invece importanti ciascuno per ciò che 

possiede di diverso. 

Un albo già in commercio da anni, che non perde la 

capacità di catturare l’attenzione dei bambini. Perfetto 

per la lettura ad alta voce e condivisa, sia per la sua 

struttura semplice, con le accattivanti ripetizioni, che 

per la sorpresa provocata dall’apertura delle pagine 

ripiegate e la scoperta delle scene che vi si nascondono, 

rappresenta un invito a guardare la diversità come 

ricchezza. 

4 

Gek Tessaro 

Il fatto è [The matter is...] 

Lapis, 2010 • ISBN 9788878741614 

The duckling won’t make up his mind to plunge 

in the pond. The duck, standing on the shore, first 

patiently explains the idea of swimming and then 

pushes him toward the water using his beak! 

But the duckling doesn’t want to take a bath and 

stays motionless, resisting the pressures of all 

the animals who one after the other, arrive and 

try to coax him into the water. This is a board 

book with thick pages suitable for little hands 

and fingers. It was described by Italian librarians 

as “A tribute to the achievement of autonomy, 

to courage and to the revenge of the small one 

over the big, of the weak over the strong” and 

also “a cheerful and fun story, particularly for 

very young readers, which talks about children’s 

obstinacy and adults’ pedantry”. It won the 2011 

Nati per leggere (Born to read) prize in the best 

book for 6-36 months category for the following 

reasons: “By using the cute character of a 

stubborn duckling and using a graphic collage 

made of strong colors, it re-assures young 

children about taking their own time in the 

growth process.” 

Il fatto è che la paperetta non si è ancora decisa a 

tuffarsi nello stagno. Così l’anatra, sul bordo dello 

specchio d’acqua, le spiega con pazienza i vantaggi 

del nuoto e poi le dà una spinta con il becco! Ma la 

paperetta non ne vuol sapere e resiste, immobile sul 

bordo, agli inviti e alle spinte dei vari animali che 

arrivano uno dopo l’altro, provano a spingerla e poi 

finiscono in acqua. Libro di piccolo formato, quasi 

quadrato, con pagine cartonate, spesse e adatte 

anche a piccole mani, così descritto dai bibliotecari 

italiani: “un inno al raggiungimento della propria 

indipendenza, al coraggio, alla rivalsa del piccolo 

sul grande, del debole sul forte”, e anche “una storia 

allegra e divertente, perfettamente accessibile anche 

ai più piccoli , racconta la cocciutaggine dei bambini 

e la pedanteria degli adulti”. Ha vinto nel 2011 il 

Premio Nati per leggere per il miglior libro 6-36 mesi 

con questa motivazione: “Utilizzando il simpatico 

personaggio di un anatroccolo ostinato, e avvalendosi 

di una grafica fatta di collage a colori forti, rassicura i 

più piccoli sul loro diritto a prendersi i propri tempi nel 

processo di crescita”. 


5 

Alessandro Sanna 

Fiume lento [Slow river] 

Rizzoli, 2013 • ISBN 9788817066730 

A wordless picture book that crosses over the 

age range, the story is told through the pictures. 

Life along the Italian river Po is described in four 

episodes, one for each season of the year: the 

tragedy of the flood during autumn; in winter 

time the night birth of a calf in a warm stable; 

in springtime the village celebration for the 

rebirth of nature, and the magic beginning of a 

love story; and finally, in summer, the escape of 

a tiger from a circus and its unbelievable meeting 

with a painter, in a sort of magic moment out 

of time. Through the use of pictures the book 

allows everyone to discover their own words and 

emotions, celebrating with poetry the flowing 

of the Po river and recalling the cycle of nature 

and rural life, in its alternating of night and 

day, of death and life. The choice of this book 

by Italian librarians, confirms the recognition 

of the great artistic maturity of the author and 

the acceptance of universal works without any 

language or age limits as magnificent examples 

for an ideal borderless museum of picture books. 

Un silent book e un cross-over: un libro fatto 

esclusivamente di immagini per raccontare una 

storia senza età. In quattro episodi, uno per ogni 

stagione dell’anno, la vita lungo il Po: la tragedia 

dell’alluvione in autunno, la nascita notturna di un 

vitello in inverno nel calore di una stalla che brilla di 

luce propria nel paesaggio bianco di neve; una festa 

di paese in primavera, che celebra il rinascere della 

natura e l’inizio di una storia d’amore; infine, in estate, 

la fuga di una tigre dal tendone di un circo e il suo 

incredibile incontro sospeso nel tempo con un pittore. 

Attraverso le immagini il libro permette a ciascuno 

di trovare le proprie parole e immergersi nelle proprie 

emozioni, evocando con poesia lo scorrere del fiume 

Po e nello stesso tempo celebrando il tempo circolare 

della natura e della vita rurale, nel suo susseguirsi di 

notte e giorno, morte e vita. La scelta di questo libro, 

oltre a confermare e riconoscere la grande maturità 

artistica dell’autore, sembra anche sottolineare una 

tendenza nelle preferenze dei bibliotecari italiani, che 

rifuggono le gabbie delle fasce d’età e non trascurano 

opere “universali”, quelle senza limiti linguistici e di 

età, proposte magnifiche per un ideale museo senza 

frontiere dei picture books. 

6 

Davide Calì • Maurizio A.C. Quarello ill, 

Mio padre il grande pirata [My father the great pirate] 

Orecchio Acerbo, 2013 • ISBN 9788896806630 

A child tells about his faraway father, a pirate, 

who comes back home only once a year, in 

summer, bringing with him the sea water smell. 

The text gives voice to the child, and the pictures 

re-create the sunny images taking shape in 

his mind as his father talks, telling him about 

hidden treasure maps, the faces of the other 

pirates who are his companions, the black flag 

waving on the ship... all this until the sad, grey 

day when the child and his mother have to travel 

to another country to his father who is hurt and 

hospitalised. The child finds out that his father 

has been in an accident but it didn’t happen to 

him boarding an enemy ship but just working in 

a mine. The child finds the reality hard to accept, 

after the fascinating and loving tales that his 

father has told him in the past and must now find 

a way to overcome his disappointement. This is 

a book that captures the emotions and touches 

the heart. It opens a page of Italian history with 

sensitivity and poetry, and makes it possible for 

us to feel closer to other contemporary tragedies, 

to other faraway fathers and their sons. 

Un bambino racconta del padre lontano, che torna 

a casa solo una volta l’anno, d’estate, profumato di 

mare perché è un pirata... Mentre il testo dà voce al 

bambino, le illustrazioni ricostruiscono le immagini 

solari che gli si formano nella mente ai racconti 

del padre: le mappe del tesoro nascosto, i visi degli 

altri pirati, la bandiera che sventola sulla nave, fino 

al triste e grigio giorno in cui parte con sua madre 

e raggiunge il padre ferito e ricoverato in ospedale. 

Un incidente è accaduto, non durante un arrembaggio 

ma mentre lavorava. E la realtà allora si fa strada, 

amara e difficile, dopo le affascinanti e amorevoli 

bugie. Il bambino deve fare ora i conti con la delusione 

ma anche con la capacità di comprendere il significato 

di “speranza”, che può prendere la forma di in una 

bandiera pirata issata in un luogo inatteso. Un libro 

che cattura, conquista e commuove, che sa aprire 

con delicatezza e poesia una pagina tragica della 

storia italiana, assumendosi con fantasia la funzione 

di memoria nazionale, e che può avvicinarci ad altre 

tragedie attuali, ad altri padri e figli tra loro lontani. 


7 

Nicola Grossi 

Orso, buco! [Bear, a hole!] 

Minibombo, 2013 • ISBN 9788898177066 

Bear got lost and now he’s looking for his den. 

During his research he falls into the dens of 

other animals and one by one they decide to 

follow him. The story is very simple and uses the 

mechanism of repetition which children love. The 

originality of this book is in the use of a very short 

text, that works perfectly with the few lines and 

coloured shapes that are the only illustrations. 

Librarians said about the book: “It has the power 

of telling a story using just colour spots, without 

losing the rythmn and the liveliness of the story, 

until the final “coup de théâtre”. It catches 

children’s attention and encourages them to join 

in! It is fun and gives a positive message that 

even the small bad things that happen in life can 

be reasons to laugh if you stay together with 

your friends! 

Un orso si è perso e deve cercare la sua tana ma 

durante questa ricerca cade nelle tane di altri animali 

che, uno alla volta, si accodano a lui. La storia è 

semplice e usa il meccanismo tanto amato dai più 

piccoli della ripetizione ma la novità di questo albo sta 

nell’utilizzare per il racconto un testo brevissimo che 

lavora perfettamente con le linee e le forme colorate 

elementari che sono le uniche illustrazioni. Ne hanno 

detto i bibliotecari: “ha la capacità di raccontare con 

macchie di colore pur mantenendo ritmo e vivacità 

di presentazioni e rivelazioni, fino al colpo di scena 

finale. Riesce a catturare l’attenzione dei più piccoli e 

a richiederne l’interazione. Arguto e spassoso. Qual è 

il messaggio? Stando insieme anche i piccoli imprevisti 

possono diventare divertenti! 

8 

Iela Mari 

Il palloncino rosso [The red balloon] 

Babalibri, 2004 • ISBN 9788883621116 

A book without words, with the story told just 

through the pictures. It tells the adventures of 

a red balloon. This one turns into an apple, then 

a butterfly, a flower, an umbrella... into a bustle 

of astonishment and transformation. The book 

brilliantly celebrates the idea of representing the 

complexity of reality through the simplicity of 

wordless, high impact pictures. First published in 

1967 by Emme, it has recently been re-published, 

proving that it is a classic that is still relevant 

and able to reach out to children today. 

Un libro senza parole, con il quale si può raccontare 

la storia a partire dalle immagini, che presentano 

le avventure di un palloncino rosso: pagina dopo 

pagina questo si trasforma in una mela, in una 

farfalla, in un fiore, in un ombrello, in un andirivieni 

di sorpresa e novità. Celebra l’idea geniale e semplice 

di rappresentare la complessità della realtà attraverso 

la semplicità di un testo senza parole, di grande 

impatto grafico, che procede come il pensiero dei 

piccoli, cioè per associazione. Pubblicato per la prima 

volta nel 1967 dalla casa editrice Emme, che ha 

segnato la storia dell’editoria italiana per l’infanzia, 

riedito di recente, si è rivelato capace di parlare ai 

bambini di allora come di adesso: un vero classico 

che non teme il passare del tempo. 


9 

Francesca Pardi • Altan, ill. 

Piccolo uovo [Small egg] 

Lo Stampatello, 2011 • ISBN 9788890579929 

Small Egg doesn’t want to come into the world 

because he doesn’t know yet where he will turn 

up. He doesn’t know what a family is and so 

decides to make a journey to find out. He starts 

by learning that there are different kinds of 

families: one made by two mother cats with their 

kittens; another one made by a hippopotamus 

alone with his child; a family of two Kangaroos 

with their two children who are two young 

bears as well as many others. Tired but satisfied 

about his investigations, Small Egg discovers the 

happiness coming from these families and feels 

ready to go and discover his own family. This 

picture book talks for the first time to very young 

children about families that may be different 

from the traditional one i.e. a mother, a father 

and their children. Altan, the Italian illustrator 

who created the very beloved Pimpa, the “dog 

with red spots”, gives his colourful animals to 

this simple and immediate story. The language 

combined with the perfect integration of text 

and pictures make it suitable even very young 

children. It also gives adults the chance to talk 

with them about subjects that are not always 

easy, such as the range of possible existing 

families and to look beyond prejudices at the 

various ways to be happy. 

Piccolo Uovo non vuole nascere perché non sa dove 

va a finire. Non conosce il concetto di famiglia e decide 

di intraprendere un viaggio per scoprirlo.Conosce 

così i più diversi tipi di famiglie: quella di due mamme 

gatte con il loro gattino, dell’ippopotamo solo con il 

suo piccolo, dei canguri con i loro cuccioli orsi e molte 

altre. Stanco ma soddisfatto dell’indagine, constatata 

la felicità che ha origine da ogni famiglia, è adesso 

pronto per andare a conoscere la propria! L’albo parla 

per la prima volta a bambini molto piccoli di famiglie 

diverse da quella tradizionale, composta da un papà, 

una mamma e I loro bambini. Altan, l’illustratore che 

ha creato l’amatissima Pimpa, la cagnolina a pois, offre 

i suoi coloratissimi animali alla narrazione semplice 

e immediata. Le scelte linguistiche e l’integrazione 

perfetta fra testo e immagini rendono la storia adatta 

anche ai più piccoli, offrendo la possibilità agli adulti 

di parlare con loro di temi non facili, come la varietà 

possibile delle famiglie esistenti e aldilà di moralismi e 

pregiudizi, dei tanti modi che esistono per essere felici. 

10 

Emanuela Bussolati 

Tararì Tararera... [Tararì Tararera] 

Carthusia, 2009 • ISBN 9788895443263 

We haven’t forgotten the translation of the title 

of this book: the translation just doesn’t exist! 

The Piripù language is a fictional language. Very 

colourful pictures and a text with a sense and 

without a meaning, often onomatopoeic, follow 

some characters and their adventures in a forest, 

where one of them, a very young one, gets lost. 

The book explores disobedience, the wish to 

explore, fear, recklessness, joy, the redeeming 

encounter, the reproach, the pleasure of meeting 

each other again and many other things. This is 

a picture book with a universal language, able 

to reach and fascinate children of many ages 

and any language. Wonderful pictures, full of 

amusement and comic sense, the book has been 

chosen also for “the originality of the idea, simple 

and fascinating, and which closes the distance 

between the adult reader and the child”, giving 

both an opportunity to enjoy the pure pleasure of 

telling stories and playing at the same time. 

Non abbiamo dimenticato la traduzione del titolo di 

questo albo: la traduzione infatti non esiste! La lingua 

Piripù è infatti una lingua inventata. Con le illustrazioni 

coloratissime e il testo, sensato pur senza significato, 

spesso onomatopeico, si seguono un gruppo di 

personaggi e le loro avventure in una foresta dove uno 

di loro, un piccolino, si perde. C’è la disobbedienza, la 

voglia di esplorare, la paura, l’incoscienza, l’allegria, 

l’incontro salvifico, il rimprovero, il piacere di ritrovarsi 

e anche altre cose, in questo albo dal linguaggio 

universale, capace di raggiungere e affascinare i 

bambini di ogni lingua e di tante età. 

Contraddistinto da immagini efficaci, comicità e 

divertimento, e’ stato scelto anche per quella che viene 

definita: “l’originalità dell’idea, tanto semplice quanto 

eccezionale, che avvicina in modo giocoso e divertente 

il lettore adulto al lettore bambino” lasciandoli al 

piacere autentico di raccontare storie e giocare allo 

stesso tempo. 


Books from 

Ivory Coast 

Contact : Chantal Kouamé 

clhariceba@gmail.com and kouameanin@yahoo.fr 

This selection was made by librarians working at the Children’s Library of the 

National Library of Ivory Coast and co-ordinated by the Children’s Library 

Director, Chantal Kouamé. Over different sessions, librarians presented 

thirty-two picture books to children; the books in the following list are those 

children preferred, because of their attractive covers, their stories and their 

illustrations. 

Some book reviews are adapted from those published in the journal Takam Tikou, 


1 

Muriel Diallo 

Bibi n’aime pas la pluie [Bibi doesn’t like the rain] 

Les Classiques ivoiriens, 2011 • ISBN 978-2-916472-67-6 

“I don’t like the rain” says Bibi. “When it rains, 

the garden has a stomach ache because it drinks 

too much water. And I get bored because I 

cannot go out…”. This is one of the eight books 

in the “Bibi” series, all built following the same 

principle: the rain, the market, school, vegetables, 

the witchdoctor etc that Bibi does not like at 

the beginning become pleasant over the pages. 

Muriel Diallo has created a character both a little 

rebellious and funny, with whom any child can 

identify. Bibi’s opposition simply shows small 

children’s fear of new, unknown things. The 

very colourful illustrations are made of paper 

and tissue collage, in a variety of styles and 

composition, that bring vitality and movement. 

The text, brief and in familiar language, suits 

small children from the age of 3. 

« Moi je n’aime pas la pluie !» dit Bibi. « Quand il pleut, 

le jardin a mal au ventre parce qu’il boit trop d’eau. 

Et je m’ennuie parce ce que je ne peux pas sortir… » 

Voici l’un des huit titres de cette série qui remporte 

un grand succès auprès des enfants et qui sont tous 

construits sur le même principe : la pluie, le marché, 

l’école, les légumes, le guérisseur… que Bibi n’aime 

pas au départ, deviennent rapidement agréables au 

fil des pages. Muriel Diallo crée un personnage à la 

fois un peu rebelle et drôle, auquel chaque enfant 

peut s’identifier. Cette réaction d’opposition traduit 

simplement la peur des plus petits face à la nouveauté 

et à l’inconnu. L’illustration, très colorée, propose des 

collages de papier et de tissu dans une variété de styles 

et de cadrages qui apportent vitalité et mouvement. 

Le texte, bref, dans une langue familière convient bien 

aux petits enfants, à partir de 3 ans. 

the world through picture books • books from ivory coast • 89

2 

Fatou Keïta • Lassane Zohoré, ill. 

Le Chien qui aimait les chats [The Dog that liked cats] 

CEDA, Nouvelles Éditions Ivoiriennes, 2009 • ISBN 978-2-84487-402-3/ 978-2-86394-622-0 

Walouba, a strong, imposing dog, with a loud, 

scary voice, terrifies everybody. Everybody except 

a tiny cat, Djakoumani, his best friend. “Dogs 

don’t like cats”, Walouba’s parents say when 

they discover this friendship. Walouba, docile, 

will try to learn the lesson, but how to resist the 

humour of this little, funny cat? And why, finally, 

wouldn’t cats like dogs? Laughs beat grunts and 

soon all the dogs and cats in the village will be 

contaminated! But will Walouba’s father change 

his mind? Fatou Keïta, acclaimed author of 

numerous children’s books, creates here a simple 

story that subverts well-known animal behavior: 

an appeal to open-mindedness? Illustration 

is expressive, lively, full of movement, in Walt 

Disneyish style – but the drawing of the cat is 

not, in fact, frightening at all… 

Walouba, un chien fort, imposant, à la voix grosse et 

effrayante, terrifie tous ceux qui le rencontrent. Tous, 

sauf un tout petit chat, Djakoumani, son meilleur ami. 

« Les chiens n’aiment pas les chats », affirment 

durement les parents de Walouba lorsqu’ils découvrent 

cette complicité. Walouba, docile, va tenter de retenir 

la leçon mais comment résister à l’humour de ce petit 

chat si drôle ? Et pourquoi, finalement, les chiens 

n’aimeraient-ils pas les chats ? Le rire l’emporte sur 

les grognements et, bientôt, tous les chiens et chats 

du village vont être contaminés ! Reste à savoir si le 

papa de Walouba changera d’avis… Fatou Keïta, auteur 

de très nombreux livres pour enfants qui remporte un 

grand succès, crée ici une histoire simple en renversant 

un comportement animalier bien connu : un appel 

à l’ouverture d’esprit ? L’illustration est expressive, 

vivante, en mouvement ; elle emprunte au style des 

dessins animés Walt Disney – mais le chien dessiné 

n’a, en fait, rien d’effrayant… 

3 

Rustom Hayat • Koué Noël Koko, ill. 

Axe et Dam, les deux écureuils [Axe and Dam, the two squirrels] 

Éburnie, 2013 • ISBN 978-84770-218-7 

Axe is a miserly squirrel, Dam is a generous 

one. In spite of this difference, both share a 

sincere friendship. One long and hard winter, 

Axe’s schemes provoke the exodus of the whole 

squirrel colony to another hazelbush wood. Soon, 

Axe feels lonely, he misses friendship… The text, 

in a polished style, teaches that miserliness 

and greed do not bring happiness, whereas 

friendship and sharing are sources of infinite 

richness. The illustrations, in bright colours, much 

appreciated by children, depict characters in 

cartoon style; they agree well with the text and 

help to understand it. This book was awarded 

the Best Picture Book prize at the 2nd National 

Festival of Children’s Books in 2013. Readers also 

like another book by the same author, Le Papillon 

qui voulait changer des couleurs [The Butterfly that 

wanted to change its colours]. 

Axe est un écureuil avare ; Dam est un écureuil 

généreux. Malgré leurs différences, les deux écureuils 

partagent une amitié sincère. Lors d’un hiver long 

et rude, les agissements d’Axe entraînent l’exode de 

toute la colonie d’écureuils vers une autre noiseraie. 

Bientôt la solitude pèse à Axe, l’amitié lui manque... 

Le texte, dans un style soigné, enseigne que l’avarice 

et la passion du gain ne font pas le bonheur, alors 

que l’amitié et le partage sont des sources de 

richesses infinies. Les illustrations, de couleurs 

vives, très appréciées des enfants, présentent des 

personnages proches du dessin animé. Elles servent 

bien le texte, aidant à sa compréhension, et le rendent 

particulièrement vivant. Cet ouvrage a reçu le prix du 

meilleur album lors de la deuxième édition des Journées 

nationales du livre pour enfants, en 2013. Un autre 

titre du même auteur est très apprécié des enfants, 

Le Papillon qui voulait changer des couleurs. 


4 

Michelle Tanon-Lora • Assi Sébastien, ill. 

Le Bébé de Madame Guénon [Mrs Monkey’s Baby] 


A monkey mother worries about her friends’ 

reactions to the beautiful baby she has just 

given birth to. Will their compliments be sincere? 

And will their judgment be fair? Visits and 

compliments do not appease her anxiety: she 

must do everything to make her baby even more 

beautiful! The title and the cover illustration 

make a strong impression on children, who 

cannot wait to read the book. The story plays 

on the animal’s parade and the repetition of visit 

scenes, but its gist is indeed the terrifying anguish 

of mothers who dream of an ideal child. However 

one can read this picture book in a light way and 

smile with the exuberant, striking illustrations 

and the very funny animals’ expressions. Another 

book by the same author and illustrator is 

much appreciated by children, Les Larmes en or 

(Golden Tears). 

Une mère guenon s’inquiète des réactions de ses amis 

face au bébé - très beau - qu’elle vient de mettre 

au monde. Leurs compliments seront-ils sincères ? 

Et d’ailleurs, leur jugement est-il si sûr ? Visites et 

compliments s’enchaînent sans que s’apaise l’angoisse 

maternelle… Il lui faut parfaire la beauté de l’enfant 

par tous les moyens. Le titre et l’illustration de la 

couverture impressionnent les lecteurs et les motivent 

à découvrir le livre. Le nœud de l’histoire, jouant sur 

le défilé des animaux et la répétition des scènes, est 

bien la terrifiante angoisse des mères qui se rêvent 

un enfant idéal. Mais on peut rester sur une lecture 

plus légère qui ne manquera pas de faire sourire tant 

l’illustration débordante a un grand impact et les 

expressions des animaux sont comiques dans leur 

outrance. L’auteur et l’illustrateur ont signé un autre 

album très apprécié des enfants, Les Larmes en or. 

5 

Gina Dick Boguifo • Ernest Teki Mossoun, ill. 

Le Chien et le poisson – Mister Dog and Mister Fish 

Les Classiques Ivoiriens, 2012 • ISBN 979-1090625-11-2 

What can be expected of the great friendship 

between a dog and a fish in a land of dreams? 

Will there be solidarity or will selfishness prevail. 

A bilingual book French-English by Gina Dick, 

author of several books for children. 

Que peut-on attendre d’une grande amitié entre un 

chien et un poisson dans un pays de rêve ? La solidarité 

existera-t-elle ou est-ce l’égoïsme qui prévaudra ? 

Un livre bilingue français-anglais de Gina Dick, auteur 

de plusieurs ouvrages pour la jeunesse. 

6 

Édoukou Adou • Ernest Teki Mossoun, ill. 

Attauba, le petit malin devenu roi 

[Attauba, the smart young boy who became King] 

Nouvelles Éditions Ivoiriennes, 2002 • ISBN 2-84487-157-7 

Attauba is small but very astute! His tricks, full 

of imagination and boldness, will change his life 

completely. In fact the title sums up the story 

well! Readers are attracted to this book because 

of the story – a well-known folktale –, which 

is fascinating. 

Attauba est petit mais très astucieux ! Ses ruses, 

pleines d’imagination et d’audace, vont complètement 

transformer sa vie… Le titre de cet album résume bien 

l’histoire ! Les lecteurs sont attirés par ce livre à cause 

de son histoire – un conte traditionnel bien connu – 

qui est très captivante. 


7 

Marie-Danielle Aka • Les Studios Zohoré, ill. 

Mificao [Mificao] 

Nouvelles Éditions Ivoiriennes, 2002 • ISBN 2-84487-160-7 

Underwater, a little carp watches the village 

children play, and wants to join them. A good 

genie fish changes her into a little girl and 

there she is, Mificao, with her new friends Yaro 

and Ziza who guide her in her discovery of 

the daily life of the village. She also discovers 

garbage heaps, the technique of scorched 

earth… and gives lessons for better hygiene and 

the protection of nature. But can Mificao stay 

forever far from her own people? The text is long; 

colourful illustrations give a good idea of life in 

the village. 

Sous la surface de l’eau, une petite carpe regarde 

jouer les enfants du village. Un poisson bon génie 

la métamorphose en petite fille et la voilà aux côtés 

de Yaro et Ziza. Mificao –c’est le nom de l’enfantcarpe 

– guidée par ses nouveaux amis, découvre 

alors la vie quotidienne du village. Elle découvre aussi 

le tas de détritus, la technique de la terre brûlée… 

et dispense des leçons pour une meilleure hygiène et 

pour la protection de la nature. Mais Mificao pourrat-elle 

rester toujours loin de siens ? Le texte est long ; 

les illustrations, colorées, donnent une bonne idée 

de la vie au village. 

8 

Serge Grah • Annick Assemian, ill. 

Kolou le chasseur [Kolou the Hunter] 


Kolou the Hunter saves the life of a man, a rat 

and a snake that had fallen into a hole. The 

animals keep their promise to make Kolou rich, 

immortal and invulnerable but the man betrays 

Kolou in front of the King… A folktale whose 

moral, as often, is just as topical as ever. Wellconstructed, 

written by Serge Grah, journalist 

and poet, this book is illustrated by Annick 

Assemian who signed several classics of Ivory- 

Coast children’s literature; she offers here some 

beautiful images. Kolou le chasseur was awarded 

the Best Picture Book prize at the 1 st National 

Festival of Children’s Books in 2011. 

Kolou le chasseur sauve la vie d’un homme, d’un 

rat et d’un serpent, tous les trois tombés dans un 

trou. Mais alors que les animaux s’emploient à tenir 

leur promesse de rendre Kolou riche, immortel et 

invulnérable, l’homme trahit Kolou auprès du roi… 

Un conte du répertoire traditionnel bien troussé, 

dont la morale, comme souvent, est de toute actualité. 

Écrit par Serge Grah, journaliste et poète, cet album 

est illustré par Annick Assemian qui a signé plusieurs 

classiques de la littérature ivoirienne pour la jeunesse ; 

elle offre ici quelques très belles pages. Cet ouvrage 

a reçu le prix du meilleur album lors de la première 

édition des Journées nationales du livre pour enfants, 

en 2011. 




Books from 

Japan 

Contact: Kazuko Yoda 

k.yoda2000@gmail.com 

When selecting 10 Japanese picture books, the Children and Young Adults 

Section of the Japan Library Association (eleven members in all, most of 

them are active in public libraries and others were once librarians) discussed 

selection criteria and decided not to select new books but ones which have 

been read by many children over many years. 

In the 1960s, librarians, writers, illustrators, and publishers were eager to 

distribute quality books to children. Eight out of the ten books in this list were 

published during the 1960s. Picture books, especially by native authors, are the 

best tool for understanding countries. There are many good books published 

after the 1970s: we hope this project will grow and another ‘Ten Picture Books’ 

list will be published in the near future. 

1 

Ken Kawata • Masayuki Yabuuchi, ill. 

しっぽのはたらき [Animal Tails] 

Fukuinkan Shoten, 1969 • ISBN 4-8340-0315-9 

This book presents the motions and roles of 

various kinds of animals’ tails. After a questioning 

page of, “Whose tail is this?” comes the answering 

page. Making use of animals’ upper bodies and 

lower bodies, readers match the pictures to make 

a complete animal. The warm and realistic style 

of the paintings exactly catches the distinctive 

features of each animal. This science picture book 

is good for reading aloud, and preschool children 

will readily participate and enjoy it. 

さまざまな動物のしっぽの動きと役割を紹介する 

絵本。めくったページの前後で「なんのしっぽで 

しょう?」の問いかけと答えとなっている。前後 

のページの絵の位置を合わせることで、動物の体 

の上半身と下半身のつながりをうまく表現してい 

る。写実的ながら温かみのある画風でそれぞれの 

動物の特徴をよくとらえており、読み聞かせに向 

く。就学前の幼い子も興味を持って参加できる科 

学絵本。 

2 

Eriko Kishida • Chiyoko Nakatani, ill. 

かばくん [Hippopotamus] 


This book is about one day in the lives of two 

hippopotamuses in a zoo. The storyteller is a boy 

who went to the zoo for his own enjoyment. 

Rhythmical expressions and words charm the 

reader. The layout makes for a big impression. 

The drawings express massiveness and a 

substantive feel making an appealing story. 

動物園のかばの一日を、遊びに行った男の子がか 

ばに語りかける形で描いている。 

リズミカルな言葉が耳に心地よい。かばの大きさ 

をうまく印象づけた構図や、布地 

を生かし,かばの重量感や質感を表した油絵が魅 

力的である。 

the world through picture books • books from japan • 93

3 

Satoshi Kako 

だるまちゃんとてんぐちゃん [Little Daruma and Little Tengu] 


Little Daruma and Little Tengu are good friends. 

Little Daruma asks his father, Darumadon, to 

let him put on the same things as Little Tengu. 

However, it’s not possible to have exactly the 

same things. So, Little Daruma works out 

a way to make similar things and becomes 

deeply satisfied. However, is it possible to make 

the same long nose as Little Tengu’s? 

This book clearly represents the psychological 

characteristics of a little child who wants to have 

the same things as his friend. 

だるまちゃんとてんぐちゃんは仲のいい友だちで 

す。だるまちゃんはてんぐちゃんと同じ物を身に 

付けたいと、お父さんのだるまどんにおねだりし 

ますが、ぴったり同じ物はありません。そこで、 

だるまちゃんはなんとか工夫して、そっくりの物 

を作って大満足。でも、てんぐちゃんの鼻と同 

じ、長い鼻を作ることはできるでしょうか。仲の 

いい友だちの真似をしたい、同じ物を身に付けた 

いという、幼い子どもの心理を鮮やかに表現し 

た作品。 

4 

Noboru Baba 

11ぴきのねこ [Eleven Hungry Cats] 

Koguma Publishing, 1967 • ISBN 4-7721-0004-0 

Eleven cats that are always hungry send a big, 

strong, and monstrous fish to sleep with a lullaby 

and catch it in a remote lake. However, the big 

fish, which is tied up to a raft, becomes a mere 

bone when the dark night is over. On the other 

hand, the cats’ stomachs become completely full 

and round like the stomachs of raccoons. 

The broad-minded story about cats who act as 

they wish, gets children’s sympathy. Additionally, 

the attached pictures have been attractively 

drawn by a cartoonist. Consisting of six volumes, 

the stories are widely appealing to children. 

いつもはらぺこの11 匹の猫たちは、遠くの湖で怪 

物のように大きくて強い魚を、なんと子守唄で眠 

らせて捕まえる。ところが、いかだに繋いだ大き 

な魚は、闇夜が明けた時には骨だけになってい 

て、その代わり、猫たちのお腹はタヌキのように 

まんまるに! 思ったままに行動する猫たちのおお 

らかな物語は子どもたちの共感を呼ぶ。加えて漫 

画家が描く猫たちの絵は親しみやすく、愛嬌たっ 

ぷり。全 6 冊あるシリーズはどれも子どもたちに 

広く支持されている。 

5 

Rieko Nakagawa & Yuriko Omura 

ぐりとぐら [Guri and Gura] 


Two field mice, Guri and Gura, are fond of 

cooking and eating. They find a big egg in the 

forest. After talking, they decide to make a 

sponge cake. Gathering twigs, they build a fire 

place, and put a big pan on the fire. Then, a nice 

smell wafts into the forest and various kinds 

of animals gather around the fire. All the animals 

eat the softly baked cake. 

The theme of “eating”, which children like, 

and the conversational style of the book arouse 

children’s sympathy and lead them into the world 

of this picture book. 

お料理と食べることが大好きな、野ねずみのぐり 

とぐらは森で大きな卵を見つける。相談した結 

果、かすてらを作ることになった。かまどを作 

り、まきを集めて大きな鍋を火にかけて・・・。す 

ると森の中にいいにおいが広がって、動物たちが 

集まってきた。ふんわりや 

けたかすてらをみんなで食べる。幼い子が大好き 

な「食べる」というテーマや読者に語りかけるよ 

うな文体は、子どもの共感を誘い、リアリティの 

ある絵本の世界に引き込む。 


6 

Masamoto Nasu • Shigeo Nishimura, ill. 

絵で読む広島の原爆 [Hiroshima: a tragedy never to be repeated] 


This diverse book tells of the dropping of the 

atomic bomb on August 6 th , 1945 using large 

27 by 31 centimeter pictures. Considering 

the pre-history of the war, which includes 

explanations of the development of the atomic 

bomb and the process of the dropping of the 

bomb, it explains the history from both offensive 

and defensive perspectives. It is composed using 

evidence as told by 61 survivors of the atomicbombing 

of Hiroshima. The pictures illustrate 

the everyday lives of people at that time and 

elaborately reconstruct a bird’s-eye view of the 

horrific disaster of the atomic bomb. 

A chronological table of peace related matters 

and detailed explanations of the 18 pictures 

attached at the back of the book are included. 

1945 年 8 月 6 日の原爆投下を、縦 27cm 横 31cmの大 

画面で多角的に伝える。連合国の原爆開発から投 

下までの進捗状況など戦争に至る前史から、戦後 

の軍拡競争までを視野に入れて、歴史の事実を攻 

守さまざまな角度から解説している。記述は 61 

人の被爆体験者の証言を積み重ねて、当時の人々 

の暮らしぶりを描き、広島における被爆の惨状 

を、鳥瞰する手法で丹念に再現している。巻末 

に、50 年にわたる平和関連年表や 18 枚の画面に 

ついて、詳細な解説がある。 

7 

Miyoko Matsutani • Yasuo Segawa, ill. 

やまんばのにしき [The Witch’s Magic Cloth] 

Poplar Publishing, 1967 • ISBN 4-591-00375-2 

A mountain witch who lived in Chofuku 

Mountain had a baby. The witch asked the village 

people to pound steamed rice into cakes and 

bring them to her. Two young men, led on the 

way by an old woman “Akazabanba”, carried 

the rice cakes to the witch. During the journey, 

the young men scared the witch and ran off. 

Akazabanba went up the mountain alone to 

prevent a disaster to the village. The witch asked 

Akazabanba to lend her a hand for 21 days. As a 

reward she gave Akazabanba a magic cloth that 

would not diminish even if used continuously. 

Akazabanba gave the magic cloth to the village 

people. Akazabanba’s love and courage towards 

the villagers helped the village and made the 

people happy. This story has been told for many 

years in the Akita district of Tohoku. The pictures 

have been created with a beautiful and elegant 

touch like Japanese-style paintings, evoking 

a bright and happy atmosphere. 

ちょうふく山のやまんばが子どもを産み、ふもと 

の村人に餅をついて持って来いという。‘あかざ 

ばんば’が先導して若者二人に餅を運ばせる。若 

者はやまんばが恐ろしくて途中で逃げ帰る。‘あ 

かざばんば’は村に災がふりかからないように、 

ひとりで登って行く。やまんばは、‘あかざばん 

ば’に21 日間手伝ってくれと頼み、お礼に使って 

も使っても減らない錦をくれる。‘あかざばん 

ば’はその錦を村人にわけ与える。‘あかざばん 

ば’の村人への愛と勇気が村を救い、村人を幸せ 

にする秋田の昔話。絵は日本画風の美麗なタッチ 

で描かれ、明るく楽しい雰囲気を伝えている。 


8 

Tadashi Matsui • Suekichi Akaba, ill. 

だいくとおにろく [Oniroku and the Carpenter] 


A Japanese folktale picture book. A skilful 

carpenter, who had been asked to build a bridge 

over a rapid river, was watching the stream and 

pondering his task when an ogre appeared in 

the water. He offered to do the task in exchange 

for the carpenter’s eyeballs. The bridge was 

completed in a flash. When the carpenter begged 

the ogre not to take his eyes, he said he would let 

him go if the carpenter could guess the ogre’s real 

name. A similar story to ‘Rumpelstiltskin’, children 

age 4 to 8 can enjoy the thrill of the conversation 

between the ogre and the carpenter. Pictures 

drawn using traditional Japanese techniques 

complement the atmosphere of the folktale. 

日本の昔話絵本。腕のいい大工が流れのはやい川 

に橋をかけるように頼まれる。大工が川を見なが 

ら考えていると、鬼が川の中から現れる。鬼は、 

大工が目玉をよこせば橋をかけてやるといい、あ 

っというまに橋をかけてしまう。大工が目玉をと 

らないでくれと頼むと、鬼は自分の名前を当てた 

ら許してやる、という。グリム昔話の「ルンペル 

シュティルツヘン」に似た話。子ども達は鬼と大 

工のやりとりをどきどきしながら楽しむ。日本 

画の技法を生かした絵が、お話の雰囲気にあっ 

ている。 

9 

Akiko Hayashi 

おつきさまこんばんは [Good evening, dear moon] 


”It’s nighttime. / Look, the sky is really, really dark. 

/ Now look above the roof. / There’s a light. / It’s 

the moon! / Good evening, dear Moon!” Two cats 

on the roof are cheerfully greeting the beautiful, 

rising moon. However, a big cloud passes, hiding 

the moon’s face behind it. “Please move, Cloud, we 

can’t see the Moon’s face,” the two cats cry. Then 

the cloud gradually passes over, and the smiling 

moon comes out again... The moon’s grace and 

its bright face are beautifully depicted in warm 

and soft strokes. Each illustration in this handy, 

square format abundantly describes the gentle 

atmosphere of the night. 

「よるになったよ/ほらおそらがくらい 

くらい/おややねのうえがあかるくなった/ 

おつきさまだ/おつきさまこんばんは」屋根に 

のぼった二匹のねこは、きれいなお月さまにあい 

さつします。けれど、おおきなくもがあらわれ 

て、お月さまをかくしてしまいました。「くもさ 

んどいて/おつきさまのおかおがみえな 

い」ねこたちが大きな声でさけぶと、くもは静か 

に去り、ふたたびきれいなお月さまのお顔があら 

われました。やさしく輝くお月さまの顔が、あた 

たかく柔らかな筆致で描かれている。子どもが手 

に取りやすい大きさの四角の版型に、あたたかな 

夜の雰囲気がおさめられている。 

10 

Minami Nishiuchi • Seiichi Horiuchi, ill. 

ぐるんぱのようちえん [Grumpa’s Kindergarten] 


Grumpa, the young elephant, was ordered to 

start work. He went to work for a biscuit maker, 

a shoe maker, a car maker, and so on. However, 

his efforts were in vain because all he could make 

were jumbo-sized goods that nobody would buy. 

Grumpa was very disappointed and began to think 

that he would never be able to work properly. Just 

then, he happened upon a busy mother with 12 

children, and so found a job which would make 

him the happiest elephant in the world. He set to 

work creating a wonderful playground with the 

huge things he had already made. 

Children love the elephant-sized things and enjoy 

Grumpa’s success story. Simple pictures and 

a cheerful atmosphere attract little children. 

ぐるんぱはさびしがりやの象。ぐるんぱは働きに 

出たけれど、大きすぎるビスケットを作って追い 

出され、大きすぎる靴を作って追い出され、どこ 

へ行っても失敗ばかり。追い出されてしょんぼり 

していると、子だくさんのお母さんに、子どもた 

ちの世話を頼まれる。 

ぐるんぱは幼稚園を開き、特大のビスケットや靴 

で子どもたちと遊ぶ。ぐるんぱは幸せな象。子ど 

もたちは、象のサイズの大きな道具やおもちゃが 

大好きで、ぐるんぱの成功を一緒に喜ぶ。元気な 

雰囲気の素朴な絵は、小さな子どもに人気。 


Books from 

Contact: Yunmee Jang 

yunmeej@korea.kr 

Korea (Republic of) 

The National Library for Children and Young Adults chose 10 Korean children’s 

picture books based on recommendations made by 19 members of the 

Children’s materials section which is the subcommittee of the National 

Library Service Council for Children in Korea. The Children’s materials section 

is made up of 19 librarians who serve children and young adults in public 

libraries and children’s libraries and write children’s book reviews, which are 

shared by children’s librarians nationwide. For the ‘World through Picture 

Books’ project, the members chose 25 titles of quality children’s picture books 

and a notable children’s literature author Ms. Ji Eun Kim finally selected the 

following 10 titles. 

1 

Dong Soo Kim 

설빔(남자아이멋진옷/ 여자아이고운옷 [How I Caught a Cold] 

Borim Press, 2008 • ISBN 978-89-433-0479-9 

2 

The book How I Caught a Cold is about childhood 

behavior. What does a flock of featherless ducks 

have to do with a little girl catching a cold? It all 

begins with a new down winter jacket. One day, 

she discovers a feather emerging from it. That 

night, she goes to sleep wondering about the 

feather and begins dreaming of featherless ducks 

who feel cold. The girl distributes the feathers 

from her jacket. Finally, all the ducks feel warm 

but the girl doesn’t. This book displays a child’s 

imagination and love of animals. 

Jae Soo Ryu 

십장생을찾아서 [Yellow Umbrella] 


무엇보다 이 책의 그림은 대단히 정답다. 마치 수업시간 

에 딴 짓하며 쓴 낙서 같은 책 표지는 손때까지 덕지덕 

지 묻어 있어서인지 연필심 냄새가 나는 것만 같다. 책 

표지를 넘기면 내복바람의 어린이가 깃털 바구니를 머 

리에 이고 씽씽이를 타며 어디론가 달려가고 있다. 깃털 

을 줄줄이 흘리는 모습이 꼭 무슨 짓을 하면 흔적을 남 

기는 어린이의 행동을 보는 것만 같아 미소 짓게 된다. 

감기에 걸린 현실과 오리를 염려하는 아이의 상상력이 

결합되어 새로운 이야기를 도출해 낸 책이다. 어린이 

의 순수하고 엉뚱한 면에 대해 생각해 볼 수 있는 계기 

를 마련해 준다. 

누구나 한 번은 걸려서 고생해 봤을 ‘감기’라는 소재를 

일상적이지만 어린이 특유의 동물을 사랑하는 마음과 

독특한 상상의 논리가 담겨져 있다는 점에서 특별한 인 

상을 주는 그림책이다. 

작가 김동수는 2009년 도쿄 국제 도서전에서 이 책을 

소개하여 큰 호응을 얻은바 있다. 

Like a sonata, this book is enjoyed with music 

instead of words. It is written without words. On 

the book readers will see the yellow umbrella 

that a student would hold on a rainy day. There 

is a harmony of colors and rhythm made by the 

yellow umbrella together with other colorful 

umbrellas. In the attached CD, there are 14 short 

pieces of piano music in accordance with the 

illustrations. This book has no text but it talks 

about the beauty of a rainy day. In 2002, the 

New York Times selected Yellow Umbrella as the 

‘Book of the Year’. 

비가 오는 풍경을 위에서 아래로 내려다보는 독특한 시 

선처리가 눈길을 끄는 작품이다. 그림 속에서 경쾌하게 

움직이는 우산들의 움직임은 비 오는 날의 생동감을 즐 

기는 어린이들의 마음을 보여준다. 빗줄기를 그려 넣지 

않았음에도 마치 빗방울이 떨어지는 것 같은 느낌을 주 

는 수채화풍의 그림구성이 돋보인다. 

또한 책에 함께 수록된 CD에 실린 음악은 ‘톡.톡.톡’ 

빗줄기가 떨어지는 소리와 함께 빗속에서 책을 읽는 것 

같은 기분을 불러 일으켜 준다. 

비 오는 날의 정취와 내음을 담뿍 담아 감성을 깨우는 

이 책은 그 예술성이 뛰어나다고 생각되어 추천하였다. 

2002년 뉴욕타임즈에서 ‘올해의 우수 그림책’으로 선 

정된바 있다. 

the world through picture books • books from korea • 97

3 

Hee Kyung Kim • Iwona Chmielewska, ill. 

마음의 집 [A House of the Mind: MAUM] 

Changbi, 2010 • ISBN 978-89-364-5431-9 

“A House of the Mind: Maum” invites readers into 

a philosophical dialogue with the self through 

three questions: “Where is the mind?” “What is 

the mind?” and “Who owns the mind?” Readers 

can learn how to understand and communicate 

with others through poetic texts and images. 

In addition to the self-reflective text by Kim 

Hee-kyung, Polish artist Iwona Chmielewska 

illustrated the work with abstract geometric 

forms and movable images. This book won 

the Bologna Ragazzi Award for non-fiction 

in 2010. The critics praised the work for being 

like “a short elegant poem,” and imbued with 

a “vision of the world.” 

이 책은 ‘마음’이라는 철학적 주제어를 누구나 알기 귀 

운 ‘집’의 구조와 특성에 빗대어 나타낸 그림책이다. 나 

의 마음과 다른 사람의 마음을 이해하고 소통하는 법 

을 아름다운 시적 언어와 따뜻한 그림을 통해 배울 수 

있다. 

이책의 콜라주 기법은 하나의 기억에 새로운 생각이 덧 

대어지면서 점점 커지는 우리의 마음을 인상적으로 설 

명해주는 표현방식이다. 2010년 볼로냐 국제아동도서 

전에서 라가치상 노픽션 부분 대상을 수상하였다. 

4 

Yoon Duck Kwon 

만희네 집 [Man-Hui’s Home] 

Gilbut, 1995 • ISBN 978-89-86621-10-X 

This book shows that ‘home’ is not simply the 

place you live but a place connected to your 

history, heritage, friends, family and memories. 

Man Hui’s family lived in a small town house and 

then moved to his grandparents’ house where 

they have many rooms, a spacious backyard and 

three dogs. He finds a lot of enjoyment in living 

together as an extended family. Readers can 

have a better understanding of the daily life of 

a Korean family in the 20 th century. Though we 

may take home for granted, readers will realize 

the most essential embodiment of life is ‘home’. 

집을 보면 그 곳에 사는 사람이 보인다. 

집은 거처 가는 곳이 아닌 머무르는 곳, 가구는 곳, 이 

야기가 있는 곳이라는 것을 그림이 말해준다. 

이 책에서 보여주는 만희네 집은 살기에는 조금 불편해 

보이지만 사람살이 냄새가 나는 사람 중심의 집이다. 

이 곳에서 할아버지, 할머니의 사랑을 받으며 마음껏 

뛰어 놀던 만희는 지금쯤…. 

그 곳에서 아이를 키우며 아이와 함께 집을 가꾸어가는 

사랑 가득한 아빠가 되었을 것이다. 

20세기 한국 도시 가정의 전형적인 모습을 보여주는 

섬세하고 따뜻한 그림이 돋보인다. 

5 

Hyun Ju Bae 

설빔 [New Clothes for New Year’s Day] 

Sakyejul, 2006 • ISBN 978-89-5828-139-1 

This story demonstrates how important 

Lunar New Year’s day is in the Korean culture. 

It takes you through the experience of wearing 

traditional Korean clothes called “Hanbok”, 

a glorious costume complete with embroidered 

socks, rainbow-striped jacket and a crimson 

skirt, a warm furry vest, embroidered shoes, 

lucky charm, red and gold hair ribbons, bag and 

black satin hat for New Year’s Day. The reader 

can sense how excited the little girl is to have 

new clothes for New Year’s day. There are many 

wonderful cultural details throughout the book. 

The details are beautifully drawn and the text 

flows smoothly. 

설은 새 해를 맞는 첫 날로 한국에서는 아주 큰 명절 중 

하나이다. 설빔은 이 날 입는 새 옷으로 집안의 여자들 

이 온 가족의 행복과 건강을 비며 전통적인 방식에 따 

라 한 땀 한 땀 바느질로 떠가며 만든다. 

한국이 새해 첫날은 추운 겨울이다. 눈도 내려 찬 기운 

이 알싸한 설날 아침 아이들은 정해진 순서에 따라 한 

복을 입으며 오랫동안 전해 내려온 가족의 문화와 사 

랑을 배운다. 

영어, 일본어, 프랑스어로 판권이 수출되었고, 작가 배 

현주는 제27회 한국어린이도서상 일러스트레이션 부 

문 상을 수상했습니다 


6 

Hyang Rang Choi 

십장생을 찾아서 [Looking for the Ten Symbols of Longevity] 

Changbi, 2007 • ISBN 978-89-364-5414-5 

A young girl spent a lot of time together with her 

grandfather. One day, he became very ill and was 

hospitalized. As the girl prays for his good health, 

she begins her journey to collect 10 symbols 

of longevity which include the sun, mountains, 

water, rocks, pine trees, clouds, magical 

mushroom, tortoise, white crane, and deer. 

These symbols are well demonstrated through 

illustrations featuring Korean traditional furniture 

and colors. In particular, it is interesting to see 

each symbol shown using different subjects 

like fabrics, paintings, chest inlaid with mother 

of pearl, embroidery, quilting and so on. 

설은 새 해를 맞는 첫 날로 한국에서는 아주 큰 명절 중 

하나이다. 설빔은 이 날 입는 새 옷으로 집안의 여자들 

이 온 가족의 행복과 건강을 비며 전통적인 방식에 따 

라 한 땀 한 땀 바느질로 떠가며 만든다. 

한국이 새해 첫날은 추운 겨울이다. 눈도 내려 찬 기운 

이 알싸한 설날 아침 아이들은 정해진 순서에 따라 한 

복을 입으며 오랫동안 전해 내려온 가족의 문화와 사 

랑을 배운다. 

영어, 일본어, 프랑스어로 판권이 수출되었고, 작가 배 

현주는 제27회 한국어린이도서상 일러스트레이션 부 

문 상을 수상했습니다 

7 

Young Kyung Lee 

아씨방 일곱 동무 [The Seven Friends in a Lady’s Chamber] 

BIR, 1998 • ISBN 978-89-491-0020-7 

The setting of this story is a Lady’s Chamber 

where a young woman sews clothes. The Lady 

has seven friends for her needlework: Ruler, 

Scissors, Needle, Thread, Thimble, Small iron 

with a long handle, and Iron. When the lady 

dozes off one day, the seven friends argue about 

who is the best part of sewing. Later, they all 

realize that all of them make sewing possible and 

they cannot carry out the needlework without 

the help of friends. Readers can realize that 

everything existing has its own value and better 

understand a Korean woman’s daily life and 

traditional clothes of Hanbok. 

한국 옛 여인의 방에서 만날 수 있는 아기자기한 바느 

질 도구를 주인공으로 삼아 세상 모든 존재의 가치와 

중요성을 표현한 그림책이다. 

아씨방의 바느질 도구인 자, 바늘, 실, 골무,가위, 인두, 

다리미를 의인화하여 아씨의 오랜 친구를 표현하고 있 

다. 이 일곱 친구들이 입고 있는 한복은 한국 전통이 아 

름다운 선과 색의 아름다움을 전해준다. 

본문 첫 페이지 아씨의 방안에 걸린 족자 그림은 조선 

시대 풍속화가 신윤복의 미인도 그림으로 한국의 대표 

적인 문화재이다. 한국의 생활모습을 살펴보면서 이야 

기의 재미도 느낄 수 있는 책이다. 

8 

Tae Joon Lee • Dong Sung Kim, ill. 

엄마 마중 [Waiting for Mama] 

Hangilsa, 2004 • ISBN 978-89-356-5712-3 

A little boy is waiting for his mama on the 

streetcar platform. As each streetcar arrives 

with passengers, he asks the driver if his mama 

is coming. Finally, one driver warns the boy he 

will get hurt if he stands so close to the streetcar 

and tells him to stand still until his mama comes. 

Time passes, the wind blows and snow falls as 

the child waits patiently without moving until his 

mother arrives. The muted watercolors capture 

people and scenery as they might have appeared 

in Seoul in 1938. A perfect union of text and 

illustration tells a simple but moving story. 

이 책에서는 엄마를 기다리는 아이의 간절한 마음이 추 

워서 코가 새빨개진 아이의 모습으로 잘 표현되었다. 

따뜻한 모자를 쓴 노란 소년의 캐릭터는 1900년대 초 

반 서울에서 만날 수 있었던 친근한 보통아이의 모습 

이다. 

어린 아이의 눈으로 바라본 세상은 커다란 기차와 말없 

는 나무처럼 무심하고 냉정하다. 

어두워지는 하늘에 눈까지 내려 아이는 두려움을 느 

끼지만 한 전차 차장의 다정한 도움말에서 용기를 얻 

는다. 

20세게 초 근대화의 초입에서 바쁘고 어렵게 살아가는 

한국 서민들의 모습과 콧날 시큰한 어린 아이와 엄마의 

사랑이 아름답게 묘사된 작품이다. 


9 

Suzy Lee 

파도야 놀자 [Wave] 

BIR, 2009 • ISBN 978-89-491-1205-3 

This wordless picture book perfectly captures 

a child’s day at the beach. Followed by a flock 

of seagulls, a girl runs delightedly to where 

waves break on the shore. Loosely rendered 

charcoal and acrylic images curl and flow like 

water and reflect playfulness, especially in the 

facial and bodily expressions of the child and 

seagulls. The use of blue in an otherwise graytoned 

world calls attention to the ocean, which 

rivals the girl as a main character in this story. 

The New York Times selected Wave as one 

of ten best illustrated children’s books in 2008. 

그림책과 놀이의 만남이 무엇인지 잘 보여주는 그림 

책이다. 

2~3가지의 컬러만 사용하며 배경을 과감히 생략한 그 

림음 독자들이 등장하는 아이와 파도에 집중하게 한다. 

아이와 파도의 밀고 당기는 게임은 어린이가 바다를 보 

고 느끼는 감정을 솔직하게 드러내는 명장면이다. 화면 

가득하게 그려진 아이의 표정에서는 물놀이에서 오는 

즐거움이 충분히 전해진다. 

이수지 작가는 ‘그림자 놀이’ ‘거울 속으로’ 등의 거울 

3부작이라 불리는 작품을 통해 아이들의 생활 속 상상 

놀이를 다양하게 그려내고 있다. 

10 

Dae In Cho • Sook Hee Choi 

팥죽 할머니와 호랑이 [The Red Been Porridge Granny and the Tiger] 


One day, a tiger appears before a granny and 

it tries to eat her. She begs the tiger to make 

him one bowl of red bean porridge before she 

dies. The old woman makes a big pot of red 

bean porridge and cries in front of it fearing her 

death. At night, the tiger comes back, and the 

small and weak objects like an egg, straw mat, 

turtle and gimlet join together to fight off the 

tiger. Readers are overjoyed when the scary tiger 

is beaten by small objects. The moral of the story 

is that those who are bad are punished one way 

or another. 

한국의 옛이야기 ‘팥죽 할머니와 호랑이’는 위기에 처 

한 할머니를 구하는 사회적 약자들의 단결에 대한 것 

이다. 

힘 없고 약한 존재들이 자신이 가장 잘 하는 것을 내세 

워 호랑이를 물리치는 이야기가 바른 호흡으로 전개되 

어 재미를 더한다. 이야기를 읽는 어린이들도 자신들이 

할 수 있는 작은 실천에 대한 자신감을 얻을 수 있다. 

한국은 오천 년의 역사를 지니고 있다. 

수 많은 침략과 전쟁이 있었지만 꿋꿋하게 나라를 지켜 

왔다. 그 원동력은 이야기 속 개똥, 알밤 같은 보통 사 

람들이 힘을 합해서 위기를 극복해왔기 때문이다. 

팥죽, 자라, 지게, 멍석, 절구 등 한국의 전통 생활 문화 

를 느길 수 있는 이미지가 가득한 책이기도 하다. 


Books from 

Lebanon 

Contact: Hala Bizri– halahb@inca.com.lb 

Michèle Abi Raad – mabiraad@cyberia.net.lb 

This list is built on the investigations made by Maha Alwan* in public libraries 

in Lebanon. Forms were sent to one hundred public libraries in all parts 

of Lebanon and responses were received from 30 libraries. The result, based 

on the project’s criteria for selection, reflects the preferences of readers. 

Sadly Maha Alwan has since died after an accident. We honour her memory, her 

enthusiasm and her commitment to children and their books, through this list. 

Her colleagues Hala Bizri and Michèle Abi Raad have accepted to become 

coordinators of this project for Lebanon. 

1 

Samar Mahfuz • Baraj Lena Merhej, ill. 

مل اكن اقصد 

Assala, 2007 • ISBN 9953470065 

Lam akoun aqsid [It was not my intention] 

The story of a girl who does stupid things that 

carry consequences. But each time she learns 

from her own mistakes. A glimmer in her eyes 

is reminiscent at the end of this album that she 

thinks about another stupid thing... 

قصة فتاة ترتكب اهلفوة تلو األخرى مما يتسبب هلا 

بعض العواقب.‏ تتعمل يف لك مرة من أخطاهئا لكن 

البصيص الذي يف عينهيا جيعلنا نفرتض،‏ يف آخر 

القصة،‏ أن مثة هفوات أخرى تفكر بارتاكهبا...‏ 

2 

Amal Ayoub • Frayji Michèle Standjofski, ill. 

Akh rijli [Ouch my leg] 

Jad, a young boy keeps moving, but one day he 

falls and breaks his leg. 

A story that softens the pain of children’s 

everyday life. 

جاد،‏ صيب صغري،‏ دامئ احلركة يقع يومًا ويكرس ساقه.‏ 

إهنا قصة ختفف من وطأة آالم احلياة اليومية لدى 

األطفال.‏ 

آخ رجيل 

Dar al-ilm Lilmalayin, 2006 • ISBN 9953633762 

3 

Fatima Charaf Al-Din • Hiba Farran, ill. 

نورا وقصهتا 

Assala, 2008 • ISBN 9789953488578 

Nura wa qissatouha [Nora and her History] 

Illustrations that are full of details, and a beautiful 

calligraphy, recount the life of the ant Noura. 

A fable about the life of ants which reflects the 

formative experience of Noura. After saving 

her friends and family from a terrible flood she 

regains confidence in herself and returns to her 

family. 

تشلك الرسوم التوضيحية اليت تزخر بالتفاصيل 

باإلضافة إىل اخلط الفين امجليل إطارًا لقصة حياة 

‏“نورا”‏ المنلة.‏ فهي بعد إنقاذ اصدقاءها وأهلها من 

طوفان خطري،‏ تكتسب ثقة بنفهسا فتقهم أن ماكهنا هو 

بني أهلها.‏ 

حاكية عن حياة المنل وعن ماكنة لك فرد ودوره يف 

جممتعه.‏ 

the world through picture books • books from lebanon • 101

4 

Nadine R.L. Touma • Lana Khayat, ill. 

القمر والوروار 

Dar Onboz, 2006 • ISBN 9953465037 

Al-Qamar wa-l-wirwar [The Moon and the bird] 

The moon and the bird are close friends, they eat 

and play together all day long. A rhythmic lullaby 

introduces the reader into a gentle drowsiness. 

A CD accompanies the book. 

القمر والوروار أعزّ‏ األصدقاء.‏ يألكان ويلعبان معًا طيلة 

اليوم.‏ 

عديّة مقفاة لألطفال الصغار تدخلهم هبدوء إىل عامل 

النعاس.‏ 

قرص مدجم يرافق الكتاب.‏ 

5 

Rania Saghir • Samar Ziadeh, ill. 

العمالق العمالق 

Turning point, 2005 • ISBN 9953000204 

Al-imlaq el imlaq [The great giant] 

A child feels his “big” hands, his “big” feet, his “big” 

eyes. Beside his mother he discovers his real size. 

صيب صغري يتحسس يداه الكبريتان،‏ رجاله الكبريتان 

وعيناه الكبريتان...‏ 

يكتشف جحمه احلقييق عندما يكون إىل جانب أمه.‏ 

6 

Caroline Hemadeh 

يامسينة والمسكة 

Assala, 2007 • ISBN 9953470804 

Yasmina wa essamaka [Yasmina and the fish] 

A part of learning Arabic language series. The 

letter and the sound ”S“ are often repeated 

throughout the text. 

هذا الكتاب هو جزء من سلسلة تعمل اللغة العربية.‏ 

يتعرف القارئ عىل حرف السني ‏“س”‏ من خالل تكراره 

يف أغلب لكامت النص.‏ 

7 

Samah Idriss • Yasmin Nachabeh Taan, ill. 

قصة الكوىس 

Dar al-adab li-sighar, n.d. • no ISBN 

Qissat el-Koussa [The History of zucchini] 

Oussama does not like zucchini, but his mom 

invented a trick to make him eat more zucchini. 

A book that breaks the taboo of using colloquial 

Arabic in children’s book. Illustrations are 

innovative and feature rich details. 

أسامة ال حيب الكوىس.‏ إبتكرت أمه حيلة جتعله يألك 

البعض مهنا مث املزيد.‏ 

سامه هذا الكتاب يف كرس احملرّمات من خالل 

إستخدام لغة قريبة من العامية العربية يف كتب 

لألطفال.‏ الرسوم التوضيحية مبتكرة وتمتزي بوفرة 

التفاصيل.‏ 


8 

Rania 

Zaghir • Racelle Ishak, ill. 

من حلس قرن البوظة؟ 

Man lahassa qarn al-bouza? [Who ate my ice cream ?] 

Khayyat saghir, 2009 • ISBN 9789953013473 

This witty girl must make a decision. She is 

wondering about the best way to enjoy her icecream 

cone without getting her clothes dirty. 

Imaginary creatures, reflecting her thoughts and 

fears, suggest different solutions. By the end, the 

smart girl learns her lesson: the best way to enjoy 

your ice-cream is your own way. 

This “refreshing” picture book helps the young 

reader value his own instinct and trust his own 

decisions. It is available in many languages. 

هذه الفتاة الصغرية علهيا أن تتخذ قرارًا.‏ يه تتساءل 

عن أفضل وسيلة للحس قرن البوظة من دون أن 

تتسخ ثياهبا.‏ أفاكرها وهواجهسا جتسدت عىل شلك 

خملوقات أسطورية،‏ خرافية لتقرتح علهيا حلولًا خمتلفة.‏ 

تتعمل الفتاة الذكية يف آخر القصة أن أفضل طريقة 

للحس قرن البوظة يه الطريقة اليت ختتارها يه 

بنفهسا.‏ 

هذا الكتاب املنعش يساعد القارئ الصغري عىل تقيمي 

غرائزه والوثوق بقراراته.‏ ترمج هذا الكتاب إىل لغات 

متعددة.‏ 

9 

Nabiha Mhaidli • Hassan Zahreddine, ill. 

احزر يا يارس 

Dar Al-Hadaek, 2008 • ISBN 9953496269 

Ihzar ya Yasser [Can you guess, Yasser?] 

Yasser, the famous little hero of several picture 

books, has always found the solution to all of his 

grandfather’s riddles except for this one. He starts 

looking for a solution at home, in the garden, 

everywhere… till he finds it when he least expects 

it. 

The reader will find himself caught in this search 

until he finally finds, with Yasser, the solution. 

يارس،‏ البطل الصغري املعروف،‏ اكن يف لك مرة جيد 

اجلواب الصحيح عىل أحايج جده بهسولة،‏ إىل أن 

أىت دور احلزورة الصعبة.‏ بدأ يبحث عن احلل يف 

البيت،‏ يف احلديقة،‏ يف لك ماكن...‏ فوجده أخريًا يف 

حلظة غري متوقعة.‏ 

جيد القارئ نفسه مأخوذًا يف رحلة البحث هذه حىت 

يصل مع بطل القصة إىل املاكن حيث يتضح لك يشء.‏ 

10 

Nabiha Mihaydli • Loujaina |Al Assil, ill. 

غسان أيم يه املؤلف 

Ghassan Ummi hiya el Mu allif [Ghassan, my mother, is the author] 

Dar al-hadaeq, 2006 • ISBN 9953464014 

How to write a book? Ghassan’s mother is a 

writer, she tells him how to make books, from 

the idea until the printing. 

In class, Ghassan is very proud of his mother who 

wrote the book chosen by the teacher. 

كيف تؤلف كتابًا؟ أم غسان مؤلفة ، ترشح لولدها 

كيف يصنع كتبًا بدءًا من الفكرة األساسية وصوالً‏ إىل 

الطباعة.‏ يف صفّه،‏ يفخر غسان بأمه اليت ألفت الكتاب 

الذي أختارته املعملة.‏ 

* Maha Alwa (1962-2012) was the founder and Director of Mtein Library 

and a member of the Standing Committee of IFLA Section Libraries 

for Children and Young Adults. 


Books from 

Madagascar 

Contact: Reyna Josvah Rubiaza 

reyna.josvah@gmail.com 

Each book on the list from Madagascar was chosen for a slightly different 

reason. These reasons are included as part of the review of each book. 

1 

Razanadriaka Vololomampisa Lalao Elina • Rivo Randremba, ill. 

I Tita sy ny boky [Tita and her book] 

Tsipika, 2009 • ISBN 978 2 912290 96 0 

Tita is a young girl of 3 years old. She does not 

yet know to read. But she already likes to look 

at books for her age. Finally, she can write 

and read books. Tita encourages her friends 

to read because it helps everybody to develop. 

Her ambition when she will be an adult is to 

print books for young children. This book was 

chosen for the quality of its images and the 

story itself and especially as promoting reading 

is one of IFLA’s aims. It provides an opportunity 

to encourage young children to continue to 

read, especially for undeveloped countries like 

Madagascar. 

Tita dia tovovavy kely 2 taona. Tsy mbola mahay 

manoratra izy kanefa efa tia mijery ireo boky natokana 

ho an’ny ankizy mitovy taona azy. Taty aoriana, mahay 

mamaky teny sy manoratra i Tita. Mamporisika ireo 

namany izy hamaky boky satria manampy ny tsirairay 

hivelatra izany. Ny faniriany rehefa lehibe dia ny 

hanonta boky ho an’ny ankizy kely. 

2 

Esther R. Randriamamonjy • Rainivato Rakotomalala, ill. 

I Trimobe sy Fara, vadiny [Trimobe and Fara, his wife] 

Trano, 2009 

Trimobe is Fara’s husband. Fara is a young pretty 

girl who serves her husband well. But Trimobe 

is not only a bad and ugly husband, but he is 

very greedy. He always asks for something to 

eat. He has finished poultry, pig and duck, but he 

is never satisfied. Finally, Fara has an idea to get 

rid of her husband... 

This book was chosen because it is one of the 

famous tales parents often tell to children. 

Most Malagasy young people know this story. 

We wish to share it with other children around 

the world and to show that we have similar 

little stories. The book shows Malagasy culture 

and fashion. 

Trimobe no vadin’i Fara izay tovovavy mbola tanora 

sy tsara tarehy. Manompo tanteraka ny vadiny izy. 

Saingy, i Trimobe dia sady ratsy tarehy no ratsy 

toetra. Fanampin’izay, mbola tenda-kanina koa izy. 

Tsy mitsahatra ny manontany sakafo hohanina foana 

i Trimobe. Notamperiny nohanina daholo ny vorona 

sy ny kisoa tao antrano. Farany moa dia nitady hevitra 

i Fara hialàna aminy…. 

the world through picture books • books from madagascar • 104

3 

Cryber Mananto, Razanadriaka Lalao-Elina • Rivo Randremba, ill. 

Ikelimahiratra [The little intelligent boy] 

Tsipika, 2009 • ISBN 978 2 912290 97 7 

This book is about a very cute and intelligent 

young boy. The King does not believe in the 

boys’ intelligence, so he asks him to achieve 

the unachievable like laying an egg. The boy 

shows the King, that it is never possible to 

achieve the unachievable. This book was also 

chosen because it is one of the famous tales 

parents often tell children, and most Malagasy 

young people know it. 

Zazalahy kely maranitra sy kinga saina i Ikelimahiratra. 

Saingy, tsy mino zany fahaizany sy hakingantsainy 

izany ny Mpanjaka. Indray andro ary, te hitsapa ny 

fahaizan’Ikelimahiratra ny Mpanjaka. Hafetsena anefa 

no nampiasain’ity zazalahy kely. Nasainy nanafina 

atody tany anaty lambany avy ireto lehilahy lehibe 

telo. Dia mody atao hoe “mahalatsaka atody toy ny 

reniakoho izy ireo!”, izay zavatra tsy ho tanteraka 

mihitsy eo amin’ny olombelona. 

4 

Alison Jolly, Hantanirina Rasamimanana • Deborah Ross, Mélanie Mcelduff, ill. 

Tsambiky. Ilay Sifaka Fotsy [Bounce the White Sifaka] 

Durell Wildlife Conservation Trust, 2009 • ISBN 978 0 955903 4 1 

The Sifaka, or the white lemur, likes to bounce. 

And it is very funny and wonderful to look at 

him bouncing to the forest. Lemurs have a 

particular voice to talk to each other. Madagascar 

is known by its biodiversity. The “Great Island” 

(the third biggest island in the world) is especially 

represented by lemurs. Sifaka is one of the 

biggest and most spectacular lemurs. This book 

can show other young children around the world 

how lemurs live in the forest.. 

Anisan’ny gidro lehibe sy mahatalanjona indrindra ny 

sifaka, milanja 5 hatramin’ny 8 kilao. Misy karazany 

maro ny sifaka arakaraky ny ala misy azy: ao ny jobo, 

ao ny mivolom-bitsika misy hetra fotsy, ao ny mainty 

lamosina sahala amin’ny harina fa ny sandry sy ny 

ranjo kosa mivolom-boasary. Manana feo mampiavaka 

azy ny andiana sifaka rehefa hiresaka miaraka, ary feo 

hafa rehefa mikiaka. 

5 

Razanadriaka V. Lalao-Elina • Magnolia Buisson, Patricia Ramahandry, ill. 

Ikelimahihitsy tao Ambohitsoa [Ikelimahitsy at Ambohitsoa] 

Tsipika, 2010 • ISBN 978 2 912290 98 4 

The village where the two children lived was 

a beautiful village. All people who passed there 

called it “Ambohitsoa”, city of happiness. This 

village was situated in the suburbs of the city. 

One day, when the children were playing, a little 

car passed from the North… 

This book was chosen because it tells stories set 

in one of Malagasy landscapes where we can see 

the endemic plant Ravinala, also representing 

the “Great Island”. This book is illustrated by 

watercolor paintings. 

Tsara mahafinaritra ny tanàna nipetrahan’i Lema, 

zazalahy kely 9 taona, sy Ikelimahitsy, namany, 7 

taona. Ambohitsoa, tanànan’ny fahasambarana no 

hiantsoan’ny olona mandalo eo ny tanàna misy azy 

ireo. Somary mihataka kely ny renivohitra no misy 

an’Ambohitsoa. Indray andro, nisy fiara avy any 

avaratra nandalo ny tanàna… 


6 

Lucie Razafintsalama Rabenjamina • Honoré Benjamin Andrianifahanana, ill. 

Angano! Angano! Contes et Légendes de Madagascar 

[Tales and legends of Madagascar] 

Tsipika, 2010 • ISBN 978 2 36076 004 6 

Madagascar has its own tales and legends. 

In this book, the author has especially chosen 

tales about nature and animals. The tales in 

this book recount and perpetuate the history, 

beliefs and customs of the Malagasy ancestors. 

They contain profound ideas, to entertain and 

captivate and show Malagasy morality and 

values. This book is nowadays in Malagasy and 

French languages. 

Maro ireo ANGANO navelan’ny razan’ny 

Malagasy. Lalina ny hefitra fonosin’izy ireny fa 

sady hampihomehy sy hahavariana no hananarana 

koa. Nofidiana ireo angano tsotsotra antonona ny 

ankizy. Nangonina avy amin’ny lafy valon’ny Nosy izy 

ireo. Manana ny toerany lehibe eo amin’ny angano 

Malagasy ny olombelona, ny masoandro, ny volana, ny 

kintana, ny rahona ; ary koa ireo karazana biby maro 

tahaka ny sahona, voalavo, omby, lambo voay… 

7 

Esther R. Randriamamonjy • Rainivato Rakotomalala, ill. 

Te hianatra I Bota sy Kinga [Bota and Kinga want to go to school] 

FLM, 2010 • ISBN 978 2 36076 004 6 

Kinga and Bota are Mamy’s cat and dog. 

Mamy is a little girl of 7 years old. She goes 

to school and her animals envy her and want 

to follow her to school. The book tells Bota 

and Kinga’s journey in imagining what school, 

reading, listening and learning good manners 

in life is like. (Kinga means “quick”, and Bota 

“large”) The author published many books like 

this for young Malagasy children. These books are 

simple to read and to be understood and deserve 

to be included in this list from Madagascar. 

Kinga sy Bota dia saka sy alikan’i Mamy, zazavavy kely 

vao 7 taona monja. Rehefa mandeha any antsekoly i 

Mamy dia te hanaraka azy ireo bibiny ireo. Mitantara 

araka izany famisavisan’i Bota sy Kinga ny mety ho 

fiaianany any antsekoly: tahaka ny ahoana izany 

mamaky teny sy manoratra izany, ary mianatra ireo 

fomba tsara eo amin’ny fiaraha-monina. 

8 

Marie Michèle Rakotoanosy • Soimanga, ill. 

Maria. Vakansy any Alaotra [Marie and her holidays in Alaotra] 

Jeunes Malgaches, 2005 

Maria is a girl who has a different childhood 

because she does not live with her parents. 

She has to study in town. However, when the 

school year ends in June, she returns to her 

parents for her holidays. Many young Malagasy 

people study in town. Most of Malagasy localities 

or regions have still a lack of infrastructure. 

So parents have to send their children to study in 

town. The book shows the difference of the two 

ways of living, in town and in the countryside. 

I Maria dia vavimatoa ary manana zandry efatra, 

vavy telo ary lahy iray. Any Antananarivo any amin’ny 

rahavavin-dreniny i Maria sy ny zandriny vaviaivo 

Domoina no mipetraka mandritra ny taom-pianarana. 

Rehefa andro fialan-tsasatra vao mody any amin’ny 

ray aman-dreniny. Faly ery izy mirahavavy fa tapitra 

ny taom-pianarana ka handeha hiala sasatra any 

Alaotra, toerana hipetrahan’ireo Ray aman-dreniny, 

izay toerana mamokatra vary be indrindra eto 

Madagasikara. 


9 

Joseph Betalata • Patou, ill. 

Lasa mpiandry omby i direktera 

Tsipika Editions & Dika Printy, 2002 • ISBN 978 2 36076 000 8 

This book (for junior children) tells the story of 

a bird called Vorompotsy (white bird) who is the 

director of a primary school. One of the students 

is the frog, an intelligent student who practices 

French language whereas Vorompotsy teaches 

in Malagasy. He is impatient to teach… 

The zebu is part of Malagasy culture. It is in our 

society and represents many things. This book 

shows also that Malagasy society opens to other 

cultures, for instance using foreign language 

and transforming it in Malagasy (like “Direktera” 

which comes from “Directeur” in French. 

Tao amin’ny sekoly iray Analanjozoro no niasa i 

Vorompotsy. Izy no Direktera tao. Ao amin’io sekoly 

io no mianatra ny zanak’i Ramalona atao hoe 

“Sahomailaka”. Anisan’ny zaza azo lazaina fa mba 

mahiratriratra i Sahomailaka. Tena manavanana azy 

ny miteny frantsay. Saingy tsy manampaharetana 

I Vorompotsy mampianatra manisa amin’ny teny 

Malagasy an’i Sahomailaka ka niafara tamin’ny 

fikapohana azy izany. 

10 

Geneviève Ramakavelo • Nicolas Randrianarisoa, ill. 

Haja sy Hasina [Haja and Hasina] 

Megaprint, 2011 • ISBN 978 2 917367 25 4 

This book tells Haja and Hasina‘s journey. 

They play in the garden every morning. 

But they finally spoil the flowers. 

As Malagasy primary and secondary schools 

are bilingual (French and Malagasy), most of 

Malagasy authors try to print their book in those 

languages. This book shows not only how Haja 

and Hasina play in the garden, but is also a kind 

of guide for young children to learn about their 

general culture. 

Mitantara ny fiainan’i Haja sy Hasina ny boky. Milalao 

eo anjaridaina matetika izy mianadahy kely ary niafara 

tamin’ny fanimbana ny voninkazo. 


Books from 

Mali 

Contact: Viviana Quiñones 


These books were chosen by librarians of the Children’s Library in the 

Centre National de la Lecture Publique – National Centre for Public Reading – 

in Bamako: Head children’s librarian Abdoulaye Doumbia, and the Director 

of the Centre, Siaka Coulibaly, and by Viviana Quiñones. 

1 

Moussa Konaté • Aly Zoromé ill. 

La Fileuse [The Spinster] 

Le Figuier, 2003 • ISBN: 978-2-84258-081-0 

Published in a series on traditional crafts, 

together with The Potter, The Dyer, The Weaver, 

The Miners of the desert, this large picture book 

shows the spinster’s work. The reader follows 

her different tasks, from the purchase of cotton 

flowers in the market to the delivery of reels to 

the weaver. Every successive task is clearly and 

simply depicted in a double-page illustration 

and a short text describing tools and gestures 

in a colloquial manner. 

Publié dans une collection consacrée aux métiers 

traditionnels, avec La Potière, La Fileuse, La 

Tenturière, Le Tisserand, Les Mineurs du désert, 

ce bel album montre le travail de la fileuse. Nous suivons 

ses diverses taches depuis le moment où elle se rend 

au marché pour acheter les fleurs de coton, jusqu’à 

la remise au tisserand des bobines de fils. Les taches 

successives sont clairement et simplement décrites par 

l’illustration en double page et un texte très simple en 

cursive décrivant les outils, les gestes sur un ton familier. 

2 

Ina Keïta • Karim Diallo, ill. 

Des jambes pour Aliou [Legs for Aliou] 

Donniya, 2006 • ISBN 978-2-911741-41-8 

What an adventure! Tidiane and Djénéba have 

decided to take care of Aliou, a disabled boy. 

Thanks to their support, Aliou can start attending 

school. A very good story set in the city of Bamako, 

very well depicted in Karim Diallo’s full page 

illustrations. Three other stories with the same 

characters in Les Aventures de Tidiane et Djénéba. 

Quelle aventure ! Tidiane et Djénéba ont décidé de 

prendre en charge Aliou, un enfant handicapé. Une 

belle entreprise de solidarité qui mènera l’enfant sur 

le chemin de l’école, avec pour cadre Bamako, rendue 

bien présente par les illustrations couleur pleine page 

de Karim Diallo sur chaque page de gauche. Trois 

autres aventures avec les mêmes personnages dans 

Les Aventures de Tidiane et Djénéba. 

3 

Modibo Sidibe • Svetlana Amegankpoé, ill. 

L’Epopée de Soundjata : d’après la tradition orale malinké 

[Sundiata Epic: from Malinke oral tradition] 

ISBN 978-2-911741-42-5 

Sundiata Keita, founder of the Empire of Mali in 

the XIII century, is undoubtedly the most popular 

historical figure of West Africa. In addition to its 

introductory page and the essentials of the tale 

itself, this remarkable Malian large picture book 

has the big advantage of being richly illustrated 

by S. Amegankpoé, with great historical accuracy. 

By the same author and illustrator, the excellent 

La Légende du Ouagadou-Bida. 

Soundjata Keïta, fondateur de l’Empire du Mali au XIIIe 

siècle est sans doute le personnage historique le plus 

populaire en Afrique de l’Ouest. Cette remarquable 

édition malienne en album grand format présente le 

grand intérêt, outre la page d’introduction historique 

et le récit même dans ses grands traits, d’être 

richement illustré par S. Amegankpoé avec un réel 

souci documentaire. Par le meme auteur et la meme 

illustratrice, l’excellent La Légende du Ouagadou-Bida. 

the world through picture books • books from mali • 108

4 

Moussa Konaté, Aly Zoromé, ill. 

Tombouctou [Timbuktu] 

Le Figuier, 2006 • ISBN 978-2-84258-096-4 

Tombouctou, as well as Djenné and Le Pays Dogon 

published in the same series, make children 

discover, in an adapted, simple, attractive way, 

cultures and places that UNESCO has included 

in its World Heritage List. Tombouctou begins 

with a map and historical information on this 

city of the desert, known all over the world since 

the 14th century. Illustration takes a large place; 

it is full of significant details that the simple text 

takes up, inviting the reader to watch and explain 

them. Architecture, crafts, feasts, drought… The 

past and the present are linked naturally. 

Tombouctou, comme Djenné et Le Pays Dogon 

dans la même collection, propose aux jeunes enfants 

une découverte adaptée, simple et séduisante de 

ces cultures et de ces lieux classés par l’UNESCO au 

patrimoine mondial de l’humanité. 

Tombouctou démarre avec une carte et quelques 

rappels historiques sur cette cité du désert, connue 

du monde entier dès le xiv e siècle. Une place très 

abondante est donnée à l’illustration, pleine de détails 

significatifs repris par un texte très simple qui invite, 

dans une démarche pédagogique directe, à observer 

ce que dit l’image et à l’expliciter. Architecture, savoirfaire, 

fêtes, sécheresse... Passé et présent se relient 

tout naturellement. 

5 

Isabelle Revol 

Cadou [Cadou] 

Donniya, 2009 • ISBN 978-99952-0-048-0 

The beautiful yellow shades of the cover make 

one want to open this picture book. And one 

is not disappointed. The illustration, pretty and 

original, in collages of tissue and paper, tells in a 

childlike way the hard story that so many women 

live, in Africa and elsewhere. Cadou, an African 

mother, leaves her children to work far away for 

many years, so that the children can eat properly 

and can go to school. Her suffering from being 

separated from them is constant, as is their 

presence in her heart. Almost chanted, the text 

goes to the essential and renders, at child level, 

with restraint, Cadou’s heart-rending feelings. 

A great book. 

Un album que la couverture aux belles couleurs jaunes 

donne aussitôt envie d’ouvrir. Et on n’est pas déçu. 

L’illustration, jolie et originale, avec sa technique 

de collages, en tissu et papier, raconte, sous un air 

enfantin, une histoire dure qui est celle de tant de 

femmes en Afrique et ailleurs. Cadou, une mère 

africaine, part travailler loin de ses enfants pendant 

de longues années pour qu’ils aient de quoi manger 

et puissent aller à l’école. Sa souffrance d’être séparée 

d’eux est constante, comme leur présence dans son 

coeur. Presque scandé, le texte va à l’essentiel et 

transmet, à hauteur d’enfant, avec pudeur, le ressenti 

déchirant de Cadou. Son sacrifice sera récompensé, 

dans une fin apaisante. Un grand livre. 

6 

Halima Hamdane • Isabelle Calin ill. 

Sarraounia, la reine magicienne du Niger [Sarraounia, Niger’s magician Queen] 

Cauris, 2004 • ISBN 978-2-914605-13-7 

Told simply to young children, the life of the 

beautiful Sarraounia, born in present-day Niger 

at the end of 19th century. The daughter of a 

Haoussa king, she was soon initiated to magic 

and to hunting and war weapons. She was 

recognized by her neighbour enemies as a 

formidable warrior, but she mostly distinguished 

herself in the resistance to the European 

conquerors. Good illustrations and some 

historical information complete this portrait of 

a great heroine of Niger. Published in the “Lucy” 

series of biographies of Black outstanding figures. 

A la portée des jeunes enfants, simplement racontée, 

la vie de la belle Sarraounia née au Niger à la fin 

du xix e siècle. Fille du roi d’une peuple d’origine 

haoussa, très tôt initiée à la magie et au maniement 

des armes de chasse et de guerre, elle est reconnue 

dans des conflits avec ses voisins comme une 

redoutable guerrière, mais surtout elle s’illustrera 

dans la résistance au conquérant européen. Une 

belle illustration bien servie par la mise en page et 

quelques repères historiques complètent ce portrait 

d’une grande héroïne du Niger. Ce livre fait partie de 

la collection « Lucy » de biographies de personnages 

du monde noir. 


7 

Marlène Anna Amegankpoé • Svetlana Amegankpoé, ill. 

Petit Poussin veut… grandir [Little Chicken wants… to grow up] 

Donniya, 2009 • ISBN 99952-0-054-6 

A picture book on an universal question: every 

child’s wish to grow up and surpass his father 

or his mother. This is Little Chick’s wish. He’ll 

have to endure some setbacks before learning 

patience and finding himself, one day, almost as 

beautiful as his father. Svetlana Amegankpoé’s 

humoristic drawings show a terribly expressive 

chicken – curious, tender, ridiculous, sad or 

impatient. Images are as colourful as a backyard 

poultry, as joyous and lively as the story. 

Cet album nous offre l’histoire d’un problème universel : 

le désir que tout enfant nourrit de devenir grand sur 

le champ et de surpasser son père ou sa mère. C’est 

aussi le souhait de Petit Poussin. Il lui faudra essuyer 

quelques déconvenues avant d’apprendre la patience 

pour se découvrir enfin, le jour venu, presque aussi 

beau que son coq de père. Le dessin humoristique 

de Svetlana Amegankpoé nous offre un poussin 

terriblement expressif – tour à tour curieux, tendre, 

ridicule, triste ou impatient. Le dessin est coloré, 

à l’image de la basse-cour, gai et enlevé, comme 

cette histoire. 

8 

Ousmane Diarra • Massaré Tounkara, ill. 

La Princesse capricieuse [The Capricious Princess] 

Balani’s, 2006 

A version of the well-known story of the girl 

who puts an impossible condition on her 

marriage. This time, it is because she likes 

money too much and wishes to get rich thanks 

to her suitors… The man she marries is in fact 

a python, but with the help of her sister who 

has witch powers she escapes her husband and 

goes back home. The text by Ousmane Diarra, 

writer and storyteller, flows nicely; expressive, 

colourful illustrations are as lively as the text. 

The story is told in French and in Bambara in 

the accompanying audio cassette. 

Une version du conte bien connu de la jeune fille 

qui met une condition impossible à son mariage. 

Cette fois-ci, parce qu’elle aime trop l’argent et veut 

s’enrichir sur le dos des prétendants… L’être qu’elle 

épouse finalement se révèle être un python, et 

ce n’est qu’avec l’aide de sa petite sœur qui a des 

pouvoirs de sorcière qu’elle échappera à son mari 

et retournera chez elle. Le texte d’Ousmane Diarra, 

écrivain et conteur, coule avec la fluidité de sa parole ; 

les illustrations expressives, colorées, soulignent la 

vivacité du texte. Le texte est raconté en français 

et en bambara dans une cassette audio. 

9 

Moulaye et Zakaria Traoré • Nafogo Coulibaly, ill. • Ismaïla Samba Traoré, adapt. 

Nabi mon frère 

La Sahélienne, 2010 • ISBN 978-99952-54-14-8 

The protective and affectionate relationship 

between a young boy and his toddler brother. 

A brief, simple text; illustration – somewhat 

clumsy and naïve, but with a certain charm – 

stages the two boys in a relationship of play and 

laughter but also of “education” that works well 

beyond language. And to grow up, nothing better 

than good stories… The Father is kindly asked to 

bring back, from Bamako market…picture books! 

Links between children are finely depicted, and 

the message is touching and lively. Some small 

punctuation and orthographic problems are to 

be regretted. 

La relation protectrice et affectueuse d’un garçonnet 

envers un petit frère qui tient tout juste sur ses 

jambes. Un texte court, simple ; des illustrations dont 

la maladresse et la naïveté ne sont pas dénuées d’un 

charme particulier, met en scène les deux enfants dans 

une relation de jeu, de rire, mais aussi d’ « éducation », 

qui passe bien au-delà du langage. Et pour grandir, 

quoi de mieux que de belles histoires à écouter ? Le père 

est ainsi gentiment sommé, lorsqu’il ira au marché 

de Bamako, de rapporter des livres avec des images ! 

Une juste observation en finesse des liens entre 

enfants et un message touchant et plein de vitalité. 

Dommage pour les petits problèmes de ponctuation 

et d’orthographe... 




Books from 

Martinique 

(France) 

Contact : Anny Désiré 

anny.desire@culture.gouv.fr 

This selection was made by librarians working at the “Bibliothèque 

départementale de prêt” of Martinique and at the Public Library in the town 

of Le Lamentin, with the aim of showcasing quality books for children, about 

their environment. This choice highlights several aspects of this French island 

in the Caribbean, where about twenty authors write for children. Some of them 

specialize in literature for young people, others write for a wider audience. 

Books for babies and toddlers are very rare in the Martinique publishing 

landscape. Authors and illustrators chosen here are Martinicans living on 

the island or elsewhere. There are few publishers in Martinique, therefore 

many authors are published out of the island (in Reunion Island or in Paris, 

for example). Children’s book publishing is quite recent in Martinique. It is a 

small island and the sales opportunities are narrow: this explains why only 

a small number of books are published per year. The first to create picture 

books in Martinique were teachers. Faced with the lack of books set in the 

children’s own environment, they had to create their own pedagogical material 

themselves. They wanted to offer children reading material about local 

traditions, about the fauna and flora. Over the years a collection of picture 

books for children, closely related to their daily life has built up. Thanks to this, 

children can now read about their customs, for example celebrating Christmas 

in a landscape with no snow, as in Le Noël de Rosie [Rosie’s Christmas], or they can 

explore Martinique’s various eco-systems, as in Petit Manicou [Little Manicou]. 

1 

Ina Césaire • Isabelle Malmezat, ill. 

Ti-Jean des villes [Town Ti-Jean] 

Dapper, 2005 • ISBN 2915258112 

Variations on a legendary Caribbean hero, these 

adventures tell how Ti-Jean, a boy who wanted 

to conquer the world for his mother, faces 

despotism before liberating his people. Rooted 

in traditional Martinique, the story condemns 

oppressive tyrannies which support slavery and 

pays tribute to freedom. The style of Ina Cesaire’s 

(the daughter of Aimé Césaire) follows the 

pattern of the tale and is very concise. Dynamic 

and original illustrations strongly echo the text 

and enhance the story with fabrics and papers 

set inside ochre or turquoise backgrounds drawn 

in pastel. The book is accompanied by a bilingual 

French – Creole CD. The oral and musical 

storytelling of the text on the CD is classic. 

Variations sur un héros légendaire des Caraïbes, 

ces tribulations de Ti-Jean racontent comment un 

garçon, parti conquérir le vaste monde pour sa mère, 

est confronté au despotisme avant de devenir un 

héros libérateur. Ancrées dans une Martinique de 

tradition, ces aventures se veulent une condamnation 

des tyrannies esclavagistes et oppressantes et un 

hommage à la liberté. L’écriture d’Ina Césaire, fille 

d’Aimé Césaire, se conforme au schéma du conte dans 

un style très ramassé. La force des illustrations vient en 

heureux contrepoint rythmer le récit et rehausser, avec 

originalité, l’imagerie du conte, par des incrustations de 

tissus et de papiers, sur fond de camaïeux d’ocre et de 

turquoise au pastel. Le livre est accompagné d’un CD 

bilingue français-créole, qui offre un “dit” du texte avec 

un habillage musical conventionnel. 

the world through picture books • books from martinique • 111

2 

Sandy Fiol 

Le Grand voyage de Petit Manicou [Little Manicou’s great journey] 

Orphie, 2005 • ISBN 2877633098 

Little Manicou (a small marsupial) is getting 

bored by everyday life and wants to see the sea, 

so he decides to leave his family and to venture 

away. This upsets his nocturnal rhythm and way 

of life as he discovers daylight, threatening cars, 

the mangrove, the animals of the island, and, 

last but not least, the sea… which also means 

sunburn, too much salted water and difficult 

sand castles. This classic story deals with freedom 

and love for one’s family. It is well told and offers 

nice and numerous pictures. At the end, nonfiction 

pages give information about the rich 

eco-system and invites the reader to look back 

at the pictures in order to discover new aspects. 

Poussé par l’ennui et par son envie de voir la mer, 

Petit Manicou (un petit marsupial) décide de quitter 

sa famille pour partir à l’aventure. Bouleversant son 

rythme nocturne et ses habitudes, il découvre la 

vie diurne, la menace des voitures, la mangrove, les 

animaux de l’île, et, enfin, la mer… avec ses coups de 

soleil, son eau trop salée, et ses châteaux de sable 

pas si simples à construire. Cette histoire classique 

d’une émancipation qui permet à l’enfant de réaffirmer 

son amour pour les siens est bien menée et donne 

une belle place aux images. À la fin, un complément 

documentaire sur les richesses de l’écosystème invite 

le lecteur à se plonger une nouvelle fois dans les 

images pour y découvrir de nouveaux éléments. 

3 

Henri-Laurent Gusto 

Les Noces de Monsieur Anoli [The Wedding of Mister Anoli] 

Orphie, 2010 • ISBN 9782877635592 

This picture book presents Henri-Laurent 

Gusto’s version of the origin of the West Indian 

very famous nursery rhyme “Zandoli mandé 

mayé, Mabouya dit non…”. Blézando and his 

friend Jolikeur are two beautiful anolis (small 

lizards), one green while the other is blue. They 

meet on the sapodilla tree to eat the delicious 

“poulbwas” (termites) which the tree is teeming 

with under its bark. A beautiful “mabouya” (gecko 

lizard) with pink eyes is already there. Jolikeur 

falls in love and wants to marry it. The day the 

lizard lady is to try on her dress woven by the 

spider, she says No to the wedding! Very clever 

illustrations, made with a creative pen tablet, 

organize the text in a comic strip format. 

Henri-Laurent Gusto donne, dans cet album, 

sa version de l’origine de la très célèbre comptine 

antillaise : « Zandoli mandé mayé, Mabouya dit non… ». 

Blézando et son copain Jolikeur, deux beaux anolis 

(petits lézards), l’un vert et l’autre bleu, ont rendezvous 

dans le sapotillier pour se régaler des poulbwas 

(termites) qui grouillent sous son écorce. Une belle 

mabouya aux yeux roses y est déjà installée. Jolikeur 

en tombe amoureux et veut l’épouser. Le jour où la 

belle doit essayer sa robe tissée par l’araignée, elle dit 

non ! Les illustrations réalisées sur palette graphique 

jouent habilement des couleurs, des effets de matière, 

et des découpages du récit en images séquentielles 

à la manière de la bande dessinée. 

4 

Michelle Houdin • Sylvie Agat-Zéphir, ill. 

Madou siwo épi bon zépis = Madou sirop et bons épices 

[Madou syrup and good spices] 

L’Harmattan, 2002 • ISBN 2747523756 

This delicious story displays numerous appetizing 

local sweets, cakes and fruits whose names are 

explained in notes on the pages. But balance is 

necessary to life, and soon this ideal situation 

crumbles… The solution of the crisis is found by 

a little girl called Marmelade, with the help of a 

fantastic creature. The text is bilingual (Creole- 

French). Illustrations are simple and gentle. 

Cette histoire à croquer dispose sous les yeux du 

lecteur un éventail de sucreries appétissantes, dont 

les noms sont précisés et expliqués en note. Mais 

rien ne dure sans un minimum d’équilibre, et bientôt, 

tout se délite… C’est une petite fille, Marmelade, qui, 

passant d’une frontière à une autre avec l’aide d’une 

créature fantastique et d’un précieux cadeau, saura 

trouver la clé de l’énigme et l’apporter à son village. 

Le texte est bilingue (créole-français). Les illustrations 

sont simples et douces. 


5 

Nicole Noizet • Javie Munoz, ill. 

Le Noël de Rosie [Rosie’s Christmas] 

PLB Editions, 2006 • ISBN 2912300991 

Illustrated by very endearing, brightly coloured 

images which highlight Christmas, this book 

tells the story of Rosie, a little girl who wants 

to prevent her beloved pig from being killed 

for Christmas so she questions the customs 

and traditions. 

Éclairée par des images très attachantes qui offrent 

des couleurs ensoleillées à la fête de Noël, cette 

histoire met en scène Rosie, une fillette qui, alors 

qu’elle cherche à éviter à son cochon préféré d’être 

tué pour les fêtes, s’interroge sur les coutumes et leur 

transmission. 

6 

Anique Sylvestre 

Twapat: le cheval à trois pattes [Twapat: the three legs Horse] 

Jasor, 2007 • ISBN 9782912594642 

Justin and Virginie are very scared, after their 

father told them the story of Manfifine and 

the Man with no head. Even more scary is 

the “Twapat horse”, who comes to their 

door and carries them away toward the big 

ceiba… This picture book helps children to 

overcome their fear of supernatural creatures. 

Imaginative illustrations spice the story. 

Justin et Virginie ont trop peur ce soir, après l’histoire 

de Manfifine et de l’homme sans tête racontée par 

papa. Et le comble, voilà maintenant un « cheval 

twapat » à leur porte qui les embarque dans la nuit 

vers le grand fromager... Un album pour déjouer la 

peur des créatures surnaturelles, à l’illustration d’une 

fantaisie débridée qui ajoute du piquant à l’histoire 




Books from 

Mauritius 

Contact: P Hauroo 

natlib@intnet.mu 

Ten illustrated titles from different Mauritian authors were selected and 

the hope is that these titles will help project the new generation of our local 

writers and illustrators on the international scene. 

1 

Pushpa Lallah • Bernadette Mok Tsze Chung, ill. 

Marde so Zardin – Marde’s garden [Marde’s garden] 

Federation of Pre-school playgroups, 1999 • ISBN 9990361061 

Marde is a gardener; he wears a hat, has 

a moustache and comes to work by bicycle. 

His garden was very beautiful. One day a group 

of children come to visit his garden and asks 

him why he has put a fence around his garden. 

He tells them how, after working so hard in his 

garden, the dogs came and crushed all his plants, 

so he had to protect the garden. 

Bilingual Creole-English. 

Marde li enn zardinier. Li ena enn zoli zardin. Enn 

zur enn grup zanfan al vizit so Zardin, zot poz li buku 

kestion lors so zardin. Marde repon ban zanfan la 

2 

Amarnath Hosany • Thierry Permal, ill. 

Le Paradis des oiseaux [Birds’ paradise] 

Bartholdi, 2007 • ISBN 9789990386097 

An island was inhabited by different kinds 

of tropical birds staying together in harmony. The 

island was filled with vegetation and fruit trees. 

When the fruits were ripe, they attracted the bats 

but the birds did their best to protect their island. 

The bats stayed in the nearby island. A bat was 

sent to spy, but it was ill. The birds took care of it. 

When the bat recovered, it influenced each group 

of birds and divided them to break their strength. 

Then the bats invaded the island and made their 

paradise into hell. Hopefully, they realised their 

mistake and could get out of the hell with the 

help of the neighbouring island’s birds. 

Le Paradis des Oiseaux est un conte pour enfants, 

avec une histoire captivante. L’action évolue dans 

un décor exotique, mettant en garde toute une 

population, qui vivait jusque-là en parfaite harmonie, 

contre le danger de la division. 

3 

D. Vina Balgobin • Madvee Armoogum Sundhoo, ill. 

Our musical instruments: history of the Republic of Mauritius 

Dehoutee Balgobin, 2009 • ISBN 9789990341584 

The first Frenchmen arrived in 1715. The French 

people used many musical instruments in their 

parties. Slaves and indentured labourers came 

to Mauritius and worked on the sugar estates. 

They came from different countries of the world 

and enjoyed the music and songs of their native 

lands. In 1810, there was a naval war and the 

French gave up the island to the British. In 1835, 

there was abolition of slavery. Many types of 

instruments used by slaves, Indian immigrants 

and Chinese were introduced to the island. 

the world through picture books • books from mauritius • 114

4 

Amarnath Hosany • Thierry Permal, ill. 

Contes de Noel [Stories for Christmas] 

Bartholdi, 2005 • ISBN 9990386056 

“Letter to Father Christmas” is the story of a 

postman who had a difficult childhood. Thus 

he never believed in Father Christmas. On his 

last day at work, he met a little girl from a poor 

village, who pleaded with him to write a letter 

to Father Christmas on her behalf. It can be seen 

in the story, that the determination with which 

the postman tried to fulfil the dream of that little 

girl and all the children of that village and the 

feeling of satisfaction and joy upon its realisation. 

On that day, he even believed in the magic 

of Christmas. 

Le livre contient deux histoires. La première intitulée 

« La Lettre du Père Noël » et la seconde « Et si le Coq 

ne Chantait pas ». Dans ces contes, l’auteur invite 

ses jeunes lecteurs à rêver. 

5 

Alain Gordon Gentil • Henry Koombes, ill. 

Mystère à la Citadelle [Mystery at the Citadelle] 

Vizavi, 2001 • ISBN 9990337268 

The Citadelle is an ancient fortress in Port-Louis, 

the capital of Mauritius. In the colonial period, 

soldiers were living there and guarded the port 

against intruders. Tikoulou likes the place very 

much as he can see the whole city and play with 

his friend and cousin during the summer holiday. 

They hear about the mysterious disappearance 

of bicycles and plan to catch the thief. They go 

to the Citadelle to execute their plan and luckily 

they find the stolen bicycles hidden in a dark 

room. Many other good picture books featuring 

Tikoulou, illustrated by Henri Koombes. 

C’est l’histoire de Tikoulou qui vient passer quelques 

jours de vacances de Noël chez son cousin Gromarto. 

Tikoulou passe des moments agréables à Port-Louis 

et aime aller jouer à La Citadelle, une ancienne 

forteresse où vivaient les soldats à l’époque où l’Ile 

Maurice était une colonie anglaise. 

6 

Shenaz Patel • Joelle Maestracci, ill. 

La Toile bleue [The blue cloth] 

Vilaz metis, 2010 • ISBN 9789990338287 

A little girl sat in front of the sea and wanted to 

animate the dull, big blue cloth in front of her. She 

stood up, approached the water and grabbed the 

blue cloth with both hands. The sea came with her 

followed by the sky. She put the cloth to dry on 

a wire. People were very angry about her action 

but were surprised to see garbage falling from the 

cloth. Finally, the cloth became clean and white. 

C’est une fable, que l’auteur a nourrie dans son 

imaginaire poétique. Une petite fille contemple la mer 

et le ciel. Une toile bleue, trop immobile a son goût, 

qui va cependant s’animer d’une vie particulière quand 

elle décide de la décrocher pour l’épingler sur une 

corde à linge. 

7 

Centre Nelson Mandela pour la Culture Africaine • Stanley Harmon, ill. 

Zistoir Ze ek Melia: lepok esklavaz – moris 1834 

[Story of Ze and Melia : slavery period – Mauritius 1834] 

Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture, 2006 • ISBN 9990310122 

It is a story about Ze and Melia, brother and 

sister during the slave period. They had to 

wake up early in the morning and go to work. 

Melia worked as helper and Ze as Cartwright. 

They worked till late and did not have time to 

play. They had to wait for their lunch time to play 

but were scolded and beaten by their masters. In 

Creole. 

Ze ek Melia zot 2 zenfan esklav. Gras a zot creativite 

ek imazination zot resi sap depi lenfer system esklavaz. 


8 

Shakuntala Halwoldar • Priska, Shaoling & Clarel, ill. 

Stories for Moksha: adapted for parents 

Cathay, 1999 • ISBN 9990341133 

The book consists of stories which are narrated 

by a grandmother (author) to her grand-child, 

Moksha. Moksha is 4 years old. The author has to 

go to her world to narrate her stories. The stories 

convey messages which centre around the 

family and core values and end with reflections 

for thought. The author believes that each story 

should be a source of inspiration for parents. 

9 

Sedley Richard Assonne • Catherine Servan-Schreiber, ill. 

Tizann [Medicinal plants] 

Editions de la Tour, 2006 • ISBN 999492219X 

A little girl was named Tizann (medicinal plant) 

by her aunt as Tizann’s mother used to sell 

medicinal plants. Tizann helped her mother 

before going to school. As Tizann was familiar 

with the medicinal plants, her mother asked 

her to gather some medicinal plants from the 

forest. She was accompanied by her friend Yann. 

They took the bus to Plaine – Champagne. They 

were so busy in the forest that they did not 

notice the night and had to sleep in the forest. 

Ton Singaron, a hunter helped them reach 

home safely. In Creole. 

Tizann est une petite fille qui aide sa mère dans la 

vente des plantes médicinales. Un jour elle va à la 

Plaine Champagne pour la cueillette des feuilles 

médicinales en compagnie de son amie, Yann. Elles 

étaient préoccupées dans leurs tâches et ne se 

souciaient pas de la tombée de la nuit. Elles s’étaient 

égarées et c’est Ton Singaron, un chasseur qui les 

a aidées à rentrer chez elles. 

10 

Meeteelah Devi Purmah • Karishma Devi Purmah, ill. 

Have you ever imagined? From human to alien 

Woochit, 2008 

The story is about the consequences that 

human beings may face in the future. So before 

it is too late, let us all reduce pollution so that 

we can save our planet and we do not end up 

being named Aliens, Aliens with numbers. 


Books from the 

Contact: Ingrid Bon 

ingrid.bon@biblioservice.nl 

Netherlands 

The National Children’s Librarian Council requested all contacts within 

the twelve provinces to send their favourite 2 titles. 

1 

Rindert Kromhout van der Meer • Annemarie van Haeringen, ill. 

Kleine Ezel en jarige Jakkie [Little Dunkey and the birthday present] 

Leopold, 2001 • ISBN 978 90 258 3067 0 

Lovely story about Little Dunkey who buys a 

birthday present for his friend Jakkie. It is very 

difficult to give such a lovely present away so 

he tries lots of excuses. Luckily his mother has 

a good solution. 

Lief verhaal over Kleine Ezel die een verjaardagscadeay 

koopt voor zijn vriendje Jakkie. Omdat het erg moeilijk 

is om zo’n mooi cadeau weg te geven verzint hij allerlei 

smoezen. Maar gelukkig heeft zij moeder een hele 

goede oplossing. 

2 

Annemarie van Haeringen 

De prinses met de lange haren [The long-haired princess] 

Leopold, 1999 • ISBN 9789025836085 

A princess is not allowed to cut her hair. Finally 

she needs to be carried around because of the 

weight of her hair. A strong man from the circus 

is her assistant. When she grows up a lot of 

young men with golden brushes want to marry 

her but she chooses love over money. 

Een prinses mag haar haren niet afknippen. Uiteindelijk 

moet ze overal naar toe gedragen worden omdat 

het haar veel te zwaar geworden is. Een sterke man 

uit het circus is haar assistant. Als ze volwassen wordt 

dingen veel mooie jonge en rijke mannen om haar 

hand maar ze verkiest liefde boven geld en trouwt 

met haar circusman. 

3 

Max Velthuijs 

Kikker is kikker [Frog is frog] 

Leopold, 1996 • ISBN 9789025860202 

Frog feels sad because all his friends have 

something special and he is just green. Great 

story about self acceptance and friendship. 

Kikker voelt zich verdrietig omdat al zijn vriendjes 

iets specials Hebben of kunnen. Kikker is alleen 

maar groen. Prachtig verhaal over zelfbewustzijn 

en vriendschappen. 

the world through picture books • books from the netherlands • 117

4 

The Tjong Khing 

Waar is de taart? [Where is the Cake?] 

Lannoo, 2004 • ISBN 9789020956924 

Two little rats steal a pie. A wild chase is the 

result. Finally the pie falls into a pond and a 

frog saves it. Everybody gets a piece except for 

the two little thieves. Great large picture book 

without words but a huge amount of details and 

jokes in the illustrations. 

Twee kleine ratten stelen een tart. Een wilde 

achtervolging is het resultaat. Uiteindelijk valt de taart 

in een vijver en een kikker redt hem. Iedereen krijgt 

een stukje behalve de twee kleine dieven. Prachtig 

groot formaat prentenboek zonder woorden maar 

met een enorme hoeveelheid details en grapjes in de 

tekeningen. 

5 

Dieter Schubert 

Monkie [Monkey] 

Lemniscaat, 1986 • ISBN 9789060696408 

A young boy loses his toy monkey. The story tells 

the adventures of the toy and how the young boy 

is re-united with his toy again. Great picture book 

without words. Lovely full-colour illustrations will 

plenty of detail. 

Een klein jongetje verliest zijn knuffel aapje. Het 

verhaalt vertelt de belevenissen van het aapje en 

hoe het jongetje zijn aapje weer terugvindt. Mooi 

prentenboek zonder woorden. Prachtige full colour 

illustraties boordevol details. 

6 

Lida Dijkstra • Marije Tolman, ill. 

Schattig [Cute] 

Lemniscaat, 2006 • ISBN 9789056378615 

Rabbit Tijn does not want to be cute! He wants 

to be tough, strong, and have a tattoo and 

piercings – but will that help? 

Konijn Tijn wil niet langer schattig zijn! Hij wil sterk 

en dapper zijn, neemt een tattoo en een piercing, maar 

of dat helpt? 

7 

Sylvia van den Heede • The Tjong King, ill. 

Wat een kou, Vos en Haas! [Isn’t it cold, Fox and Hare!] 

Lannoo, 2009 • ISBN 9789020984101 

It is a very cold winter so what do you do? Make 

a snowman and lots of others things. Very large 

picture book, ideal for group presentations. 

Het is een erg koude winter duswat ga je doen? Een 

sneeuwpop maken en een heleboel andere tupische 

winterspelletjes. Extra groot prentenboek dat zich 

bijzonder goed leent voor groepspresentaties. 


8 

Hans de Beer 

Ijsbeer in de tropen [Little Polar Bear] 

De Vier Windtreken, 1987 • ISBN 9789055791859 

A little polar bear drifts out to sea and floats to 

the tropics. 

Een kleine ijsbeer verdwaalt op 33 en drijft naar de 

tropen. 

9 

Imme Dros • Harrie Geelen, ill. 

Het boek van Ella [The book about Ella] 

Querido, 2011 • ISBN 9789045112763 

Several stories about a toddler with a very strong 

opinion of her own. Stories about daily life and 

the emotions Ella is facing. 

Enkele korte verhaaltjes over peuter Ella, met haar 

eigen mening. Dagelijkse belevenissen en emoties 

die Ella beleeft en ervaart. 

10 

Karel Eykman • Patsy Backx, ill. 

De K van Kasper 

De Harmonie, 2008 • ISBN 9789061698470 

Five stories about a very normal boy who is also 

very special. 

Vijf korte verhaaltjes over een jongen die heel 

erg normal is maar ook heel heel erg bijzonder. 


Books from 

Contact: Frances Plumpton 

frances@francesplumpton.com 

New Zealand 

New Zealand has a small children’s publishing industry with approximately 

130 trade books published each year, ranging from picture books through to 

young adult titles published each year. For this selection, curated by Frances 

Plumpton, chair of IBBY New Zealand, children’s librarians from public libraries 

in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington and from National Library Services 

to Schools, contributed their favourite titles, which were then whittled 

down to the final ten. This was quite a challenge, as there was a core of titles 

on everyone’s list, and the final selection was chosen to represent our very 

unique perspective which we hope will be enjoyed by children internationally. 

1 

Lynley Dodd 

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy 

Penguin NZ, 2010 (Originally Mallinson Rendel, 1983) • ISBN 9780143306153 

It was just over 30 years ago that this beloved 

dog stepped jauntily into the lives of New 

Zealand children. After Hairy Maclary slips out 

his front gate seeking adventure at the far end 

of town, he is joined one by one, by his doggy 

mates, when suddenly they are confronted by 

Scarface Claw, the toughest Tom in town, whose 

confronting “yeowl” sends the pack scurrying 

back home to safety. Lynley Dodd’s effortless 

rhyme and rhythm is matched by her skillful 

illustrations capturing the personality of each 

dog and the drama of the event perfectly. She 

has written and illustrated over 20 further titles, 

many starring Hairy Maclary and his friends, 

as well as a series relating the adventures 

of a devious cat, Slinky Malinky. 

2 

Margaret Mahy • Selina Young, ill. 

A Summery Saturday Morning 

Penguin NZ , 2010 (Originally Hamish Hamilton, 1998) • ISBN 9780143504528 

A family’s walk with their dogs, down the 

grassy slopes to the beach below, turns into 

a glorious romp when the dogs, thrilled with 

chasing cats and a boy on a rattly bike, turn 

their attention on a goose and her goslings who 

immediately retaliate. Margaret Mahy’s cheerful 

verse and inventive vocabulary are irresistible 

and Selina Young’s landscape is redolent of the 

hills surrounding Lyttlelton harbour where they 

both lived, and captures the chaos deliciously. 

A Summery Saturday Morning was awarded the 

New Zealand Book of the Year, 1999. 

the world through picture books • 120

3 

Betty Gilderdale • Alan Gilderdale, ill. 

The Little Yellow Digger 

Scholastic NZ, 1992 • ISBN 9781869432126 

One wet day a little yellow digger gets stuck in 

the mud on a construction site and a sequence 

of bigger and yet bigger diggers succumb to the 

same fate. Two days later when the weather has 

eased, it’s only the little yellow digger that can 

be manoeuvered and is instrumental in releasing 

all the other bigger machines from the viscous 

mud. The Little Yellow Digger received the 2002 

Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a muchloved 

book. Betty Gilderdale, an ardent children’s 

literature advocate, and her husband Alan, 

have produced other titles featuring the little 

yellow digger. 

4 

Patricia Grace • Robyn Kahukiwa, ill. 

The Kuia and the Spider 

Penguin NZ, 1982 • ISBN 9780140503876 

Two revered Maori artists, writer Patricia 

Grace and illustrator Robyn Kahukiwa have 

collaborated on this witty tale of an old woman 

and spider arguing companionably about 

whose weaving is superior. The two decide to 

let their grandchildren decide, and while the 

spider weaves webs for swinging, climbing and 

capturing flies, the kuia (the old woman) skilfully 

makes flax kits for gathering food and for gifts 

and flax mats for sitting and sleeping. When the 

children arrive they are too busy treasuring their 

own kits, gathering kumara (sweet potatoes) 

and seafood, relaxing and finally sleeping on the 

mats and the spiderlings energetically climbing, 

swinging and catching flies for a decision to 

be made. The Kuia and the Spider was awarded 

the New Zealand Government Picture Book 

of the Year, 1982 

5 

Peter Gossage 

How Maui Slowed the Sun 

Penguin NZ, 2011 (Originally Reed, 2005) • ISBN 9780143505181 

When the sun raced across the sky and the days 

became so short that there was not enough 

time for the people to finish their work, Maui 

persuaded his brothers to help him slow it down. 

Taking strong ropes they made from flax, Maui 

led his brothers to the great pit where the sun 

would rise and when he signaled they would 

throw the magic ropes to harness it. This story, 

first published in 1982, is one of the traditional 

Maori legends retold by Gossage and illustrated 

in his distinctive style using the Maori colour 

palette of red, ochre, yellow, brown and black. 

6 

Jennifer Beck • Robyn Belton 

The Bantam and the Soldier 

Scholastic NZ, 1996 (Reissued new cover 2014) • ISBN 9781775432074 

100,000 New Zealanders were sent from 

New Zealand (population just over 1 million) 

across the world between 1914 and 1918 to fight 

for “King and Country”. A postcard sent home 

from the warfront was the inspiration for this 

poignant story of a young soldier adopting a stray 

bantam hen, which he named Bertha. Despite 

initial derision from the other soldiers, Bertha 

was adopted as a mascot, her eggs a solace for 

the men coping in treacherous conditions in the 

trenches. Robyn Belton’s delicate watercolours 

depict both the camaraderie of the soldiers and 

the confined conditions of the trenches. The 

endpapers have an intriguing array of ephemera 

relating to the story. Awarded 1997 New Zealand 

Post Children’s Book Awards: Book of the Year. 


7 

Eve Sutton • Lynley Dodd, ill. 

My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes 

Penguin NZ, 2014 (Originally Hamish Hamilton, 1973, Mallinson Rendel,1984) • ISBN 9780143506072 

This simple rhyming picture book, featuring 

cats from around the world in extraordinary 

situations, followed by the mantra “… but My 

cat likes to hide in boxes…” has been a favourite 

since it was first published in 1973. Although 

very much a product of its time in design, the 

captivating humour of Lynley Dodd’s illustrations 

complement Eve Sutton’s cheerful rhyming 

couplets. This is the first picture book illustrated 

by Lynley Dodd, who was soon to follow with her 

own titles, while Eve Sutton’s subsequent books 

were historical fiction for older readers. My Cat 

Likes to Hide in Boxes won the LIANZA Esther Glen 

Award, 1975 

8 

Joy Cowley • Sarah Davis, ill. 

The Fierce Little Woman and the Wicked Pirate 

Gecko Press, 2010 • ISBN 9781877467417 

The fierce little woman lived in a house at the 

end of the jetty, playing her bagpipes, knitting 

socks for sailors and fishing through a trapdoor 

in the floor. When her solitude is disturbed one 

stormy night by a pirate tapping on the window 

and demanding to come inside, she refuses 

him entry and a battle of wits takes place, until 

he finally capitulates and admits that his boat 

has sailed and he’s scared of the dark. Children 

delight in the actions of the fierce little woman 

repelling the pirate, and enjoy the eventual 

happy outcome. Sarah Davis’ lushly coloured 

illustrations add wonderful drama. 

9 

Jenny Hessell • Trevor Pye, ill. 

Grandma McGarvey 

Scholastic NZ, 1992 (Originally Oxford University Press, 1990) • ISBN 9781869431112 

This initial rhyming story of the madcap 

adventures of Grandma McGarvey cheerfully 

loading her car and trailer with rubbish to take 

to the dump has been followed by eleven others 

that explore the psyche of New Zealand life 

with hilarity. They include Grandma McGarvey 

playing rugby, painting the shed, going to 

the zoo, camping, going to school, to sea, to 

computer class - all with outrageous outcomes 

that delight the readers. Trevor Pye’s cartoon 

style illustrations are a perfect match. Winner 

of the 2014 Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for 

a Much-Loved Book 

10 

Gavin Bishop 

The House That Jack Built 

Gecko Press, 2012 (Originally Scholastic NZ, 1999) • ISBN 9781877467790 

Gavin Bishop gives the historical background to 

his masterful picture book with his subheading 

“…being the account of Jack Bull Esq who sailed 

from these shores to a land far away to live there 

and trade with the natives of that said land 12th 

day of September 1798…” Using the traditional 

nursery rhyme of the title for text, he juxtaposes 

the history of the colonial settlers of New Zealand 

slowly overwhelming the indigenous Maori 

people, from both perspectives, with carefully 

crafted illustrations and superb draughtsmanship. 

This is an exceptional account of the early history 

of New Zealand, with each rereading revealing 

additional elements. 


Books from 

Nigeria 

Contact: Virginia Dike 

virginiadike@gmail.com 

Books from Nigeria were selected by Virginia W Dike against the criteria 

set for the project. These are exacting criteria for picture books in a country 

like Nigeria, which has published few picture books and fewer of good quality. 

Moreover, there is little tradition of keeping books in print. For this reason, it 

was difficult to completely meet some criteria. It is difficult to talk of classics, 

and those one might consider are unlikely to still be in print. I have included 

one older title (at the end) that is still available. The content (text, illustration, 

message) of these are of high quality, though the physical quality in some 

cases is less so. The others are very recent titles and are by one of two new 

Nigerian publishers producing picture books of high quality, including high 

physical quality: Cassava Republic and Farafina. The selection may seem 

lopsided, but this is what is currently available. It may also be surprising that 

all titles are in English, but this is another Nigerian reality. Very few children’s 

books are published in Nigerian languages. I have listed the titles in order of 

year of publication, beginning with the most recent. 

1 

Virginia W. Dike • Robin Gowen, ill. 

Birds of Our Land: A Child’s Guide to West African Birds 

Cassava Republic, 2011 (Rev. ed.) • ISBN 978-978-9060-900 

Poetic descriptions and vivid illustrations introduce 

children to 25 notable birds of West Africa, both 

common ones and more unusual species. The 

book is designed to encourage careful observation, 

scientific inquiry and appreciation of the natural 

world. It begins with an introduction to birds 

that brings out basic features and hints on how 

to observe birds and ends with activities intended 

to lead children beyond the content of the book 

to a lifetime of scientific awareness and discovery. 

The book is envisaged as the first title in a nature 

series focusing on West Africa. 

Originally published in 1986 by Fourth Dimension 

Publishers of Enugu, an early leader in picture 

book publication, with different illustrations 

by the same artist 

2 

Lola Shoneyin • Francis Blake, ill. 

Mayowa and the Masquerades 

Cassava Republic, 2010 • ISBN 978-978-48518-8-6 

Mayowa is reluctant to leave his computer 

games to join his parents on a trip to visit Granny 

in a village in Western Nigeria. However, Granny 

teams him up with a neighbor boy who shows 

Mayowa the sights, including a festival of colorful 

masquerades. The two are so carried away with 

the dancing that they temporarily lose their 

way, but all ends well. Finally a tired but happy 

Mayowa is on his way home, now convinced that 

the village offers even more excitement than his 

room in the city. 

the world through picture books • books from nigeria • 123

3 

Simidele Dosekun • Rosalie-Ann Modder, ill. 

Beem Explores Africa 

Farafina, 2009 • ISBN 978-978-079-003-9 

In this vividly illustrated introduction to the 

African continent, a young girl, Beem, guides 

readers in exploring a varied geography of 

cities and cultures, wildlife and landscapes. 

She explores ancient places in Egypt, Mali and 

Zimbabwe; the modern cities of Cairo, Lagos 

and Johannesburg; rivers, lakes and mountains; 

rain forests, savannah and deserts. 

4 

Ifeoma Okoye • Segun Adejumo, ill. 

Only Bread for Eze 

Farafina, 2009 • ISBN 978-978-48012-1-8 

Eze is so enamored with bread that he wants 

to eat nothing else. After repeated refusal to 

eat the nutritious and varied dishes prepared 

by his mother, Eze’s parents determine to teach 

him a lesson, putting him on a diet of nothing 

but bread. He quickly weakens and tires of the 

monotonous diet, thereby learning his lesson and 

starting to enjoy other food as well. This book is 

similar in theme to the American picture book, 

Bread and Jam for Frances. 

Originally published by Fourth Dimension 

Publishers of Enugu in 1980, with different 

illustrations, this is the best known of three Eze 

books, all originally published by Fourth 

Dimension in 1980 and in a revised edition 

by Farafina in 2009. 

5 

Fatima Akilu • Alexander Amulu, ill. 

Kitwa Plays the Drums 


This and the next three titles are in a series 

of eight books highlighting the Millennium 

Development Goals. In this title Kitwa is a girl 

thoroughly fed up with the favored treatment 

received by her brother. Kitwa’s mother and 

grandmother pronounce her dream of playing 

the drums unladylike and say differential 

treatment is just the way things are. However, 

things change when the family visits cousins who 

take a very different view. There, everyone joins 

in the housework and plays musical instruments. 

A family band is formed, with Kitwa playing 

the drums and her grandmother realizing her 

childhood dream of playing the flute. 

6 

Fatima Akilu • Alexander Amulu, ill. 

Preye and the Sea of Plastic 


Preye is completely upset over the rubbish taking 

over the environment around him, especially 

discarded plastic bags. He determines to do 

something about it and together he and his 

friends mobilize to raise awareness. Together 

they research and produce a film that is shown 

all over the country and begins to effect changes 

in their community and beyond. It even takes 

them to meet the President and to realize that 

they too might one day lead the country. 


7 

Fatima Akilu • Mustapha Bulama, ill. 

Aliyyah Learns a New Dance 


In this title centering on developing global 

partnerships, Aliyyah enters a regional 

dance competition. With helpful hints 

and encouragement from her brother, 

she perfects her steps and wins at the 

African regional level in Tanzania. This leads 

to participation in an international competition 

in Sweden. With the support of her brother 

and classmates, and indeed the entire nation, 

she ties with a Serbian girl for first place and the 

two are rewarded with exchange visits to each 

other’s countries. 

8 

Chinua Achebe and John Iroaganachi, with The Lament Of The Deer by Christopher 

Okigbo • Adrienne Kennaway (1979, Nwamife Ed. and 1989 East African 

Educational Publishers), Mary Grandpre (2011, Candlewick Press in US), ill. 

How the Leopard Got its Claws 

Nwamife, 1972, 1979 • ISBN 978-124-007-5 • East African Publishing House, 1976 • East African 

Educational Publishers, 1989 • Candlewick Press, 2011 • ISBN 978-9966463647 and 9780763648053 

Previous edition: Originally published by 

Nwamife, Enugu, one of the first indigenous 

Nigerian publishers, in 1972 with black and white 

illustrations by Per Christiansen and in 1979 with 

coloured illustrations by Adrienne Kennaway. 

This edition is available only in occasional old 

stock, but there have been later editions, in 

Nigeria, Kenya and the United States, that are 

still in print. In this tragic mythic tale of a world 

gone wrong, kind king leopard rules without 

force and the animals co-operate with each 

other until the dog spoils this peaceable kingdom. 

With his sharp teeth, he seizes control, drives 

out king leopard and soon has the fickle animals 

singing his praises. Disillusioned, the leopard 

goes in search of weapons that will enable him 

to regain his kingdom—sharp teeth and claws 

and a terrifying roar. He succeeds but ever 

after rules by force, while the dog becomes the 

servant of man. The 1979 edition had evocative 

impressionistic illustrations, but those in the new 

edition appear computer-generated. 


Books from 

Norway 

Contact: Leikny Haga Indergaard 

leikny@bergen.folkebibl.no 

The Norwegian Library Association’s Section for Children and Young Adults 

co-operated with Norwegian IFLA members on this project in our country. 

The project was announced with information and publicity in Norwegian 

library and literature periodicals, on the internet via blogs and discussiongroups 

for librarians and people interested in literature. Children’s librarians 

sent their suggestions to the Norwegian Library Association, and more than 

100 picture books were nominated. 

The final list of picture books consists of titles that both met the IFLA criteria 

and got the largest number of votes. The librarians say that these books are 

excellent stories to promote in their work with story-telling for children 

in kindergarten and primary schools. These books are highly recommended 

by the librarians, and we are proud to send this list to an international 

selection of the world’s best picture-books. 

1 

Bjørn F. Rørvik • Gry Moursund, ill. 

Bukkene Bruse på badeland [The Billy Goats Gruff in Waterworld] 

Cappelen Damm, 2010 • ISBN 9788202295882 

One day the three Billy Goats Gruff set off to 

the hills. Suddenly they notice a sign that shows 

them the way to Waterworld. “Ohhh, please!” 

begs the littlest Billy Goat Gruff. He would rather 

go to Waterworld this summer. “And then we 

don’t have to cross the bridge either. It’s so 

scary with that troll” says the youngest goat. 

The big Billy Goat Gruff gives in and off they go 

to Waterworld. But when the three Goats don’t 

cross the bridge the troll comes to Waterworld. 

And the troll is really angry! 

En dag de tre Bukkene Bruse skal til seters å gjøre seg 

fete, ser de plutselig et skilt som viser vei til Badeland. 

“Åhh, please!” sier den minste Bukken Bruse. Han vil 

mye heller dra på Badeland denne sommeren. “Da 

trenger vi jo ikke gå over brua. Det er så skummelt 

med det trollet,” sier den mellomste Bukken Bruse. 

Den største Bukken Bruse lar seg overtale og de drar 

avgårde til Badeland. Siden de tre Bukkene Bruse ikke 

dukker opp på brua, kommer trollet heller til Badeland, 

og trollet er virkelig sint! 

the world through picture books • books from norway • 126

2 

Stian Hole • Stian Hole, ill. 

Garmanns sommer [Garmann’s Summer] 

Cappelen, 2006 • ISBN 9788202259228 

Garmann is anxious about starting first grade 

as he is not ready. He cannot cycle, he does 

not dare to put his head under water and none 

of his teeth are loose yet. It’s urgent – school 

starts tomorrow! It’s the last day of summer 

and Garmann’s three old aunts come to visit. 

Garmann discovers that adults are also scared 

sometimes. His aunts are afraid of having to 

use a walker, harsh winters and of having to 

leave all behind when death comes. In the end 

Garmann isn’t any less nervous about starting 

school, but he knows anxiety is a part of life. 

2007 Bologna Ragazzi Award winner. 

Garmann gruer seg til å begynne i første klasse. Han 

er ikke klar: Ikke kan han sykle, han tør ikke stikke 

hodet under vann og ingen av tennene hans er løse 

ennå. Det haster – skolen starer i morgen! Det er siste 

sommerdag og Garmanns tre eldre tanter kommer på 

besøk. Garmann oppdager at også voksne av og til 

er redde. Tantene hans er redde for å måtte gå med 

gåstol, for strenge vintre og å måtte forlate alt når 

døden kommer. Til slutt er ikke Garmann lenger så 

nervøs for å begynne på skolen, men han har erfart at 

det å være redd er en del av livet. 

3 

Lisa Aisato • Lisa Aisato, ill. 

Odd er et egg [Odd is an egg] 

Gyldendal, 2010 • ISBN 9788205399204 

Imagine that your head is an egg. It can break 

any minute. What would PE (Physical Education) 

lessons and ball games be like? How do you think 

you would enjoy a walk in Pinecone Forest? Or 

riding your bike in dangerous traffic? Not much? 

7 years old Odd is fully aware of all those things, 

because his head is an egg. Every morning he 

carefully covers his head in towels to keep it safe. 

Then one day Odd meets Gunn. 

Tenk deg at hodet ditt er et egg. Som kan knuse når 

som helst. Hvordan tror du gymtimene med ballspill 

hadde vært da? Hvordan tror du en tur i kongleskogen 

hadde føltes? Eller en sykkeltur i den farlige trafikken? 

Ikke noe særlig, nei. Alt dette vet Odd, for hodet hans 

er nemlig et egg. Hver morgen pakker han det inn med 

håndklær og tevarmere så det ikke skal knuse.. Men så 

møter Odd Gunn. 

4 

Gro Dahle • Svein Nyhus, ill. 

Snill [Nice] 

Cappelen, 2002 • ISBN 9788202221324 

Little sweet Lussie is so nice, so nice. So nice that 

one day she just disappears. No one noticed her: 

“Her mother forgot that she was there. 

Her father forgot that she was there. 

The teacher forgot that she was there. 

And all the pupils forgot that she was there”. 

When no one sees or hears her, she slips 

into the wall. Will she ever be able to find the 

way out? 

This book received the Brage Prize 2002. 

Lussi er så snill, så snill. Så snill at hun en dag 

blir borte. Og ikke bare litt borte, men helt 

bortebortebortevekk borte. Faktisk helt inn i veggene 

vekk. Lussi er så stille og snill og flink og ren og pen 

at ingen ser henne lenger. Ikke moren, ikke faren, ikke 

læreren og heller ikke de andre barna. Ikke engang den 

store vaktmesteren kan finne henne … 


5 

Henrik Hvoland • Torill Kov, ill. 

Johannes Jensen føler seg annerledes [Johannes Jensen Feels Different] 

Cappelen, 2003 • ISBN 9788202224462 

Johannes Jensen is a crocodile that works in a 

tax office. He feels different and tries to find out 

why. Could it be that he wears a bow tie? Is he 

adopted? Or is it because he has a tail? He ties up 

his tail but this leads to trouble balancing. He falls 

and hits himself and ends up at the emergency 

ward. There he meets Doctor Fjeld. This is a 

turning point for Johannes Jensen. 

Johannes Jensen er en krokodille som jobber i 

skatteetaten. Han føler seg annerledes og prøver å 

finne ut hvorfor. Kan det være fordi han broker sløyfe? 

Er han adoptert? Eller er det fordi ha har hale? Han 

binder halen opp på magen, men det gjør at han får 

problemer med balansen. Han faller og slår seg og 

ender opp på legevakten. Der møter han Doktor Fjeld. 

Det blir et vendepunkt for Johannes Jensen. 

6 

Tore Renberg • Øyvind Torseter 

Gi gass, Ine [Step On It, Ine] 

CappelenDamm, 2010 • ISBN 9788202325626 

This is an imaginative and playful story about 

the siblings Ine and Hasse. Ine is the oldest. She 

has lost one tooth, is light on her feet and tough 

in her heart. Hasse is her baby brother with 

a pacifier and diapers. Whenever he is asked 

a question, he replies with either a “yes” or a 

“tractor”. Ine and Hasse are going to chop down 

a tree. They bring an axe into the forest. But after 

a while all the animals in the forest come out to 

watch them. And then the animals want to come 

home with them! 

Dette er en fantasifull og leken fortelling om søsknene 

Ine og Hasse. Ine er eldst. Hun har mistet en tann, 

er lett på foten og tøff i hjertet. Hasse er Ines lillebror. 

Han bruker smokk og bleie. Når Hasse blir spurt om 

noe, svarer han enten “ja” eller “traktor”. Ine og Hasse 

skal hugge et tre. De tar med seg en øks ut i skogen. 

Etter en stund dukker alle dyrene i skogen opp for å se 

hva de gjør. Og så vil alle dyrene bli med dem hjem! 

7 

Trond Brænne • Per Dybvig 

Venner [Friends] 

Aschehoug, 2005 • ISBN 9788203246906 

Five animals, who live on a farm, decide to get 

to know each other. They invite each other home 

and try to eat each other’s food. This is a lovely 

story which in very few words tells a lot about 

how friendship works. 

Fem dyr, som alle bor på en bondegård, bestemmer seg 

for å bli bedre kjent. De inviterer hverandre hjem til seg 

og prøver å spise hverandres mat. Dette er en skjønn 

fortelling som med svært få ord forteller svært mye 

om vennskap og hvordan det fungerer. 

8 

Kari Stai 

Jakob og Neikob [Yesper and Noper] 

Samlaget, 2008 • ISBN 9788252170870 

Jakob and Neikob live together and are good 

friends even though they are very different. Jacob 

says YES to everything and Neikob says NO. “Hey 

Neikob. You wouldn’t say no to a road trip?” “NO”, 

responds Neikob. On the road they meet a thief! 

He takes their muffins and says he wants to steal 

their car. ‘Yes,’ replies Jacob, a little too fast. After 

several thoughtless YES answers, they end up 

being swallowed as crocodile food. Will they ever 

be able to escape from the crocodile’s stomach? 

Jakob og Neikob er to gode venner som bur i lag, men 

dei er veldig forskjellige. For mens Jakob seier JA til alt, 

seier Neikob NEI til alt. “Hei, Neikob! Du seier vel ikkje 

nei til ein biltur?” “Nei”, svarar Neikob. På vegen møter 

dei ein tjuv. Han tar muffinsen deira og seier han har 

tenkt å stele bilen deira òg. ‘Ja,’ svarar Jakob, litt for 

fort. Etter fleire tankelause svar, endar dei opp som 

krokodillemat. Vil dei nokosinne greie å komme seg ut 

av magen til krokodilla? 


9 

Tor Åge Bringsværd • Thore Hansen, ill. 

Ruffen, sjøormen som ikke kunne svømme 

[Ruffen, the sea serpent who couldn’t swim] 

Gyldendal, 2005 (1 st ed. 1977) • ISBN 9788205313255 

This is a timeless story about Ruffen who is 

an outsider and cannot swim and play with 

the other young sea serpents. He is in fact afraid 

of water. Ruffen is afraid of water, but when 

the Octopus becomes stuck, Ruffen helps free 

him and in return the Octopus teaches him 

to swim. Ruffen becomes the best sea serpent 

at swimming, and when a ship is wrecked in 

a storm, it is only Ruffen who dares to swim out 

and save the big American boat. 

Dette er en tidløs historie om Ruffen, sjøromen som 

ikke kunne svømme. Han sitter alene og er aldri 

med de andre sjøormene og leker. Han har faktisk 

vannskrekk. Men da Ruffen hjelper Blekkspruten 1030 

å komme løs fra der han har satt seg fast, lærer 1030 

ham å svømme. Ruffen blir etter hvert den beste 

sjøormen til å svømme. Når et stort skip kommer 

i havsnød, er det kun Ruffen som våger å svømme 

ut for å redde det store amerikaskipet 

10 

Alf Prøysen • Vivan Zahl Olsen, ill. 

Geitekillingen som kunne telle til ti [The kid who could count to ten] 

Gyldendal Tiden, 2003 (1 st ed. 1975) • ISBN 9788205278943 

This is a classic story about a young goat who 

can count – until ten. He counts all the animals 

he meets. The other animals become angry and 

afraid when he says he is going to count them, 

and one after another they run after the kid. 

In the end they all enter a boat. But the boat 

is only classified for ten animals. When the crew 

discovers that the kid can count, they scream: 

“Hurry up and count us!” Luckily they are exactly 

ten. The young goat remains at the boat to count 

passengers. 

Dette er en klassisk regle-fortelling om den lille 

geitekillingen som kunne telle til ti. Han teller alle 

dyrene han møter. De andre dyrene blir sint når han 

sier han skal telle dem, og en etter en begynner de å 

løpe etter geitekillingen. Til slutt havner de alle på en 

ferje. Det er kun lov å være ti dyr om bord i ferjen. Når 

mannskapet skjønner at geitekillingen kan telle, roper 

de: “Skynd deg og tell oss!” Heldigvis er de akkurat 

ti. Geitekillingen får jobb ombord for å telle alle 

passasjerer. 



Philippines 

Contact: Melanie Abad 

melanier_25@yahoo.com 

The favourite books from the Philippines were chosen on the basis of their 

literary and artistic worth; suitability of content and vocabulary to the 

age of the readers; accuracy and clarity; positive reviews; high interest/ 

low vocabulary items which satisfy the needs of reluctant readers. 

1 

May Tobias-Papa • Isabel Roxas, ill. 

Araw sa Palengke 

Adarna House Inc., 2008 • ISBN 978-971-508-317-1 

“Listen well,” her mother tells her. “Hold on to 

me tightly, ha? So you won’t get lost. And don’t 

point at things that you want me to buy for 

you.” And so the story begins with a promise: 

“Yes, Nanay, I promise.” Early one morning, a 

little girl accompanies her mother to the market. 

They take readers with them. The market is 

hot and noisy, smelly and muddy, but it’s also 

fascinating and colorful, because it’s seen from 

a point of view that’s only about three feet 

tall. When they arrive home, and our little girl 

unpacks the bayong (bag) to find a surprise 

wrapped in newspaper at the bottom, it’s her joy 

we feel in the little dance that she does. Market 

Day! is a true marriage of text and visual image. 

The result is a lighthearted picture book that is 

nuanced, controlled, and thoroughly engaging. 

A really good read. 

Sasama ako kay Nanay! Pupunta kami sa palengke. 

Ano-ano kaya ang makikita namin doon? Sino-sino 

kaya ang makikilala ko? Tara, sama ka. Ngayon 

ay araw ng palengke!For 3-6 årige. 

2 

Kristin Canon • Leo Alvarado, ill. 

Si Pilong patago-tago 

Adarna House Inc., 2004 • ISBN 971-508-240-8 

“Bulaga! You didn’t see me, did you?” 

This Pilo! He really loves hiding. 

Won’t he get tired of this kind of game? 

“Bulaga! Hindi ninyo ako nakita, ‘no?” 

Hay, si Pilo! Mahilig magtago. 

Hindi kaya siya napapagod sa ganitong paglalaro? 

3 

Jose Miguel Tejido 

Ang Pambihirang Sombrero 

Adarna House Inc., 2003 • ISBN 971-508-181-9 

Mia found a strange hat in Lola’s old trunk. 

What wonders is the hat hiding and why are 

her neighbors drawn to it? 

Nakahalungkat si Mia ng kakaibang sombrero 

sa lumang baul ng kaniyang Lola. Ano kaya ang 

hiwagang itinatago ng sombrero at bakit maraming 

tao sa kanilang pamayanan ang naaakit nito? 

the world through picture books • books from the philippines • 130

4 

Annie Denise, Angelika Lumbao • Liza Flores, ill. 

But that won’t wake me up 

Adarna House, Inc., 2010 • ISBN 978-971-508-356-0 

Tomorrow is a school day. Maya is worried that 

she won’t wake up early. But Nanay has some 

wonderful ideas on how to wake her up. 

May pasok bukas. At nag-aalala si Maya: baka hindi 

siya magising nang maaga! Pero may magagandang 

naiisip si Nanay kung paano siya gigisingin. 

5 

Renato C. Vibiesca • Ray-Ann Bernardo, ill. 

Taho, Taho, Taho… Tahoooieyy! 

Lampara Books, 2009 • ISBN 978-971-518-213-3 

Of all the taho vendors, Tere’s father is the one 

with the highest and sharpest voice. When 

he hollers, it can almost shatter the glass in 

the neighbors’ windows. He has many regular 

customers because they’re entertained by the 

unique sound of his voice. 

But one day, Tere’s father falls ill and cannot 

holler. Her brother takes over in vending taho. 

It looks like the whole day will pass without her 

brother being able to sell a single glass of taho. 

Until Tere hollers in the highest sharpest voice: 

“Taho! Taho! Taho... Tahoooieyy!” 

Sa lahat ng mga magtataho ay ang tatay ni tere ang 

may pinakamatinis na boses. Parang mababasag ang 

mga salamin sa bintana ng mga kapitbahay kapag 

sumisigaw ito. Maraming suki ito dahil aliw na aliw 

ang mga ito sa kakaibang tono nito. 

Ngunit isang araw, nagkasakit ang tatay ni tere 

at hindi makasigaw. Pumalit ang kanyang kuya 

sa pagtitinda. Mukhang mauubos ang buong 

maghapon na hindi makakabenta ng maski isang 

basong taho ang kanyang kuya. 

Hangang sa pinakawalan ni Tere ang matinis na: 

“Taho!Taho!Taho...Tahoooieyy!” 

6 

Danilo Consumido • Hubert B. Fucio, ill. 

Si Pagong at si Matsing 

Adarna House, 2006 • ISBN 971-508-282-3 

Matsing is known for his intelligence and cunning 

but Pagong also has his wit and cleverness. When 

they both find a banana tree, the match begins. 

Find out who triumphs in this classic tale that has 

amused generations. 

Kung anong hina raw ni Pagong ay siyang tuso ni 

Matsing. Magsisimula ang kuwento nila sa paghati 

ng puno ng saging. Alamin sa kuwento kung sino 

sa kanila ang mananaig. 

7 

Rene O. Villanueva • Jo Ann Bereber-Gando, ill. 

Ang Barumbadong Bus 


A reckless bus is acting like he is the king of the 

road. He doesn’t care what happens to others. 

Read what happens to the unruly bus because of 

his arrogance. 

Isang bus na kaskasero ang naghahari-harian sa 

kalsada. Wala siyang pakialam sa kapakanan ng iba. 

Basahin sa kuwentong ito ang sinapit ng barumbadong 

bus dahil sa kaniyang kayabangan. 


8 

Rebecca T. Anonuevo • Ruben De Jesus, ill. 

Ang Mahiyaing Manok 

Adarna House, 2000 • ISBN 971-508-074-X 

Onyok is a young rooster who cannot crow as 

good and as loud as the others, so he spends 

most of his time sulking. How can a shy rooster 

prove his worth? 

Sa lahat ng mga manok ni Mang Oca, itong si Onyok 

ang mukmok nang mukmok. Paano’y hindi niya 

magawang tumilaok tulad ng ibang mga kapuwa 

manok. Paanong palalakasin ang loob ng isang 

mahiyaing manok? 

9 

Maria Corazon Remedio • Roland Mechael Ilagan, ill. 

Bru-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha… Bru-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi… 


Should one judge a person based on their 

physical appearance? Learn about the sad life 

of an old lady and how she was accepted by 

our young protagonist in this story of laughter 

and understanding. 

Dapat bang husgahan ang tao batay sa kaniyang 

panlabas na anyo? Alamin ang malungkot na buhay ng 

isang matandang babae at kung paano siya tinanggap 

ng ating batang bida sa kuwentong puno ng tawanan 

at pag-unawa. 

10 

Rene O. Villanueva • Alfonso Onate, ill. 

Si Emang Entankada at ang Tatlong Haragan 


Three naughty children refuse to care for their 

environment: they destroy plants, waste water 

and throw garbage just about anywhere! 

One day, an enchantress decides to teach them 

a lesson they will never forget. 

Tatlong pilyong bata ang nasisiyahan sa pagputol ng 

mga halaman, pagsasayang ng tubig at elektrisidad, 

at pagtatapon ng basura kahit saan. Si Emang 

Engkantada ang maguturo sa kanila ng kahalagahan 

ng pangangalaga sa balanse ng kalikasan. 


Books from 

Poland 

Contact: Maria Kulik 

ibby@ibby.pl 

The selection was prepared by Maria Kulik, librarian and Polish IBBY 

Chairperson and Małgorzata Cackowska, PhD, academic from Gdańsk 

University, Chairperson of the jury for the Graphic Book of the Year Award. 

The initiative came from Mrs. Maria Witt, a librarian born in Poland but living 

in France and keen to ensure that Poland was represented in The World 

through Picture Books project. A list of over 40 picture books, recently 

published in Poland was prepared, sent to librarians who were encouraged 

to vote for their favourites. Information about the project was also published 

on the Polish Library Association’s website. 26 papers were received, votes 

were counted. Some books received the same number of votes, which meant 

for example a joint 5th position. In these cases we chose another book which 

had not yet been represented. Some artists specialize in picture books, as 

do publishers (Wytwórnia, Dwie Siostry). It is not surprising, then, that some 

names were repeated many times (Marta Ignerska, Iwona Chmielewska). 

The Polish Library Association and the Book Institute found the results 

of voting very interesting and published the final list on their websites. 

1 

Jan Bajtlik 

Auto [Automobile] 

Dwie Siostry, 2013 • ISBN 9788363696245 

The tradition of Polish poster art, especially 

inspired by the art of Jan and Peter Młodożeniec 

is timeless and once again finds itself in the 

hands of young readers. Using simple concepts 

the book affirms everyday reality and shows 

the world of the automobile – tyres, mechanic, 

petrol, lights, wash, etc. These are shown within 

the microcosm of the family, through the text 

and bright primary colour illustrations. The 

characters are presented concisely, comically 

and picturesquely. 

Jury zostało usatysfakcjonowane przez Jana Bajtlika 

i Wydawnictwo Dwie Siostry, że tradycja polskiej 

szkoły plakatu, szczególnie inspirowana sztuką Jana i 

Piotra Młodożeńców jest ponadczasowa i kolejny raz 

może trafiać w książkowej formie w dziecięce ręce. 

Arcyprosta, dla najmłodszych dzieci koncepcja książki 

afirmującej codzienność, zawiera automobilowy 

kosmos (w takich pojęciach jak: auto, opony, 

mechanik, benzyna, światła, myjnia itp.) osadzony w 

mikroświecie rodziny (w słowach: tata, ja, mama) – co 

urzekająco zostaje wyeksponowane w wyróżniającej 

się typografii i akcencie barw podstawowych. 

Skrótowo i komicznie, a jednocześnie bardzo malarsko 

przedstawieni bohaterowie i ich rekwizyty stają przed 

dzieckiem niczym realne. W narracji całej książki jest 

zatem przestrzeń i swoboda dla identyfikacji oraz 

własnej interpretacji tego co w książce i tego, co przez 

odbiorcę doświadczone. 

the world through picture books • books from poland • 133

2 

Iwona Chmielewska 

Cztery zwykte miski [Four Ordinary Bowls] 

Format, 2013 • ISBN 9788361488293 

This book is about everything you can think 

of - even four ordinary bowls. It has minimalist 

illustrations and a simple, but important text. 

The bowls can do everything - a baseball cap, 

dark sunglasses and a pinwheel for a child, but 

can also be used to learn counting, the alphabet, 

or to create your own compositions. The bowls 

can also talk about something more important 

than just fun, they can talk about emotions and 

about social injustice. They can show the beauty, 

but also the cruelty of the world and the need 

to pay attention to the great power of creation. 

The book encourages children to open their 

imagination and to use their own interpretation. 

“Książkę można wymyślić o wszystkim” – mówi Iwona 

Chmielewska w pierwszych słowach swej ostatniej 

książki. I tak też sama czyni, bo pretekstem do jej 

powstania są najzwyklejsze przedmioty codziennego 

użytku – cztery małe miski. Naczynia są zwykłe, ale 

książka o nich – zupełnie niezwykła. Autorka (znana 

i nagradzana na świecie, m.in. w Korei Pd., Japonii, 

Chinach, Portugalii, Polsce i Niemczech) zachwyca 

wyważonym połączeniem minimalistycznego tekstu 

z piękną w swej prostocie ilustracją. I przekazuje 

głęboką refleksję: o niesprawiedliwości społecznej i 

sile tworzenia. Książka w całości powstała w duchu 

recyclingu – z używanych, nikomu już niepotrzebnych 

materiałów. 

3 

Maria Ekier 

Kocur mruży ślepia złote [The Tomcat Narrows His Golden Eyes] 

Hokus Pokus, 2008 • ISBN 97883360402153 

An interesting idea for young readers providing 

inspiration for their own attempts at painting. 

The precisely added touches of colour work in 

harmony with black and white to create a story 

that is mysterious from the very start right 

through to the twist at the end. Playing with the 

scale adds emphasis to the rhythm of the poem. 

Words are used sparingly to encourage verbal 

and graphic play. 

Niebanalna propozycja dla najmłodszych, inspirująca 

do swobodnych prób malarskich.Bardzo precyzyjnie 

dodawane akcenty kolorystyczne oraz biel i czerń 

współgrają ze sobą, tworząc historię zagadkową od 

samego początku aż do przewrotnej puenty. Zabawa 

skalą podkreśla rytm wiersza. Oszczędność słów 

zachęca do wspólnej słowno-graficznej zabawy. 

Wyróżnienie za piękne, swobodnie malowane 

obrazy, które dopowiadają historię o niewielu celnie 

dobranych słowach. 


4 

Marta Ignerska • Przemyslaw Wechterowicz 

Alfabet [Alphabet] 

Znak, 2011 • ISBN 9788324015320 

These are very simple texts but at the same time 

very unusual ones and Marta Ignerska adds to 

them adequate visual interpretation. In the book 

we find a distinctive mix of artistic techniques (ink 

and pencil on yellowish paper). On a dark greyish 

background striking colours are composed into 

the shape of letter – a kind of dab of the brush 

or the stains of spilled inks. The same letters are 

repeated in classic typeface on the left page, for 

better readability. Examples of sentences show 

that the association between a person and the 

letters goes quite far. The way that Ignerska/ 

Wechterowicz defy convention shows in the 

unusual connections: for example a dancing lady 

and gentleman are associated with X and Y (male 

and female chromosomes). The entire concept of 

the book is completed by witty end pages – on the 

last page many characters from the book come 

together in a kind of genre painting. The book 

leaves much space for one’s own interpretations, 

comments, creative activities, anecdotes. 

Teksty są proste, ale niezwykłe, a Marta Ignerska 

dokłada do nich trafioną interpretację wizualną. 

Połączenie słowa i obrazu niekiedy urasta nieomal do 

rangi poezji Mirona Białoszewskiego. 

W książce znajdujemy charakterystyczny miks technik 

(tusz i ołówek na pożółkłym papierze). Na zgaszonym, 

szarawym tle wybijają się soczystej barwy, układające 

się w zarys litery: ni to maźnięcia pędzlem, ni plamy 

rozlanych kolorowych tuszy. Dla większej czytelności 

– powtórzone są na lewej stronicy jako grzeczne, 

układne wersaliki. I dopiero przykłady w zdaniach – 

jak w prawdziwych elementarzach – pokazują nam, że 

skojarzenia między osobą a literą idą całkiem daleko. 

Przekora propozycji duetu Ignerska/Wechterowicz 

objawia się w nieoczywistych połączeniach: przy 

brzuszku – wizerunek D, B znajdujemy zgoła gdzie 

indziej, a gdy tańczyć mają pani z panem, widzimy X i 

Y (chromosomy tancerzy?). 

Swoboda, śmiałość kompozycji zagęszczona jest 

niby-wycinankami, liniaturą papieru, udawaną 

monochromią całości – na tym tle barwne plamy liter 

aż świecą! Całości dopełnia dowcipna końcówka – na 

ostatniej stronie spotyka się wielu bohaterów książki 

w swoistej scence rodzajowej. Książka zostawia sporo 

przestrzeni dla własnych przemyśleń, komentarzy, 

poszukiwań twórczych, anegdot. 

5 

Aleksandra Mizielińska • Daniel Mizieliński 

Miasteczko Mamoko [The Small Town Mamoko] 

Dwie Siostry, 2010 • ISBN 9788360850138 

A new Polish wordless picture book to connect 

the generations. Each reader is able to create 

his/her own story based on the characters in the 

pages. It’s obvious that the authors had great 

fun when creating this book and that the readers 

will enjoy discovering all its hidden secrets. Each 

spread shows a number of parallel stories about 

the different inhabitants of the city. The pictures 

all work together to make an interesting whole 

story. It’s a delicious treat for the careful and 

observant reader and it encourages re-reading. 

A subdued palette of colours, with images rich 

in detail, though with a distinctive feature, invite 

you to return and decipher the multiple artistic 

and cultural puzzles. The book is published 

in board format which ensures its durability. 

Nowy polski pomysł na książkę bez słów. Propozycja 

wydawnicza, która może łączyć pokolenia: każdy 

czytelnik (oglądacz) najpierw uważnie śledzi 

losy poszczególnych bohaterów, a potem tworzy 

własną opowieść o licznie zapełniających jej strony 

zwierzątkach. Widać, że autorzy doskonale się bawili 

przy tworzeniu, a widzowie mogą cieszyć się książką, 

stopniowo odkrywając wszystkie jej zakamuflowane 

smaczki. Duże, kolorowe strony zawierają kilkanaście 

równolegle toczących się historii różnych mieszkańców 

miasteczka o znaczącej nazwie (Mamoko = mam oko, 

jestem spostrzegawczy). Panoramiczne plany, śmiała 

kompozycja, płasko kładziony kolor, drobiazgowy, a 

przy tym swobodny, rysunek - wszystko to składa się 

na efektowną całość. Gratka dla spostrzegawczych 

i uważnych, zachęcająca do wielkrotnego oglądania. 

Książka ma strony z grubego kartonu, co z pewnością 

przedłuży jej żywot. Przygaszona paleta barw, 

ilustracje bogate w szczegóły, acz z wyraźną 

dominantą, zapraszają do wielokrotnych powrotów 

i rozszyfrowywania zagadek artystycznych i 

kulturowych. 


6 

Joanna Olech • Edgar Bąk, ill. 

Kto ty jestes? [Who Are You?] 

Wytwornia, 2013 • ISBN 9788364011016 

The graphic design of the book Who are you? is very 

attractive. The book is designed with a respect for 

the child reader. It is a picture book that relies on 

the interplay of short texts on the right side of the 

spread and the illustrations, a series of posters, 

presenting the issue to be discussed. The text 

itself is located on a white page with one style of 

typeface and it is easily readable. 

Szata graficzna książki,Kto ty jesteś? przyciąga 

zdecydowaną, syntetyczną formą. Książka 

zaprojektowana z szacunkiem dla dziecka, bez zbędnej 

infantylizacji. Wpisuje się w gatunek książki obrazkowej: 

kompozycja opiera się na współgraniu krótkich tekstów 

umieszczonych z prawej strony rozkładówki i ilustracji 

- właściwie serii plakatów – obrazujących omawiany 

problem. Tekst umieszczony na obszernej bieli kartki za 

pomocą dużej jednoelementowej czcionki, daje się łatwo 

przeczytać. Na dodatek ilustracja wyrazista, centralna, 

poprzez użycie prostych atrybutów podpowiada, 

że patriotyzm nosi znamiona powszechnie znanych 

codziennych sytuacji i na pewno nie jest wyłącznie 

biało-czerwony i odświętny. Płaska plama barwna 

podkreśla poczucie ładu, porządku, pozostawia w 

swojej graficznej przestrzeni miejsce dla własnych 

przemyśleń. Czerwono-różowa energetyczna okładka 

jest jak rumieniec na twarzy zaaferowanego ważną 

sprawą dziecka. Zaczepnie pyta: A Ty? 

7 

Paweł Pawlak 

Czarostatki i Parodzieje [Steam Wizards] 

Tatarak, 2012 • ISBN 9788363522025 

A picturesque story about little Sophie and Tosia, 

her beloved plush lamb, who one day suddenly 

fell out of the window. The whole book is 

dominated by the images. But for the reader it 

is not only about losing and finding something, 

but also abut the aura of magic places: peaceful, 

lazily flowing, sometimes full of hustle and bustle 

and filled with a variety of human behavior. 

Sophie looks for the lamb in good and bad 

weather, during the day and night, in time of war 

and peace, in space, over the cities of modern 

and historical cities, in a tropical forest and in 

the desert. The book inspires, helps develop 

vocabulary, and helps a child learn to look, 

comment and reflect. 

Zosia mieszka z mamą, ma Tosię – umiłowaną pluszową 

owieczkę, którą dostała od taty, mama wychodzi na 

pół godzinki do apteki… plus oczywiście wiele znaczący 

tytuł – to właściwie jedyny tekstowy przekaz, który 

książka ta zawiera. Nad pozostałą narracją, stanowiącą 

niemal całość książki dominują obrazy. Jury doceniło, że 

z taką spójnością i doskonałym warsztatem malarskim, 

z oryginalną i cudowną, konceptualną naiwnością ma 

do czynienia po raz pierwszy pośród polskich książek 

obrazkowych (również beztekstowych). Tym samym 

oglądamy jedną z najlepszych książek, powstałych w 

naszym kraju, snujących narrację wizualną, której obrazy 

każą się czytać. 

Artysta oryginalnie wyodrębnia światy umieszczając 

dziejącą się tu i teraz rzeczywistość już na kilku 

stronach przedtytułowych. Zabieg taki, oraz przypis 

do tytułu, w którym zamieścił zapewnienienie, 

że oto odsłania się przed nami historia oparta na 

prawdziwych wydarzeniach, zdaje się być świadomym 

upełnomocnieniem potęgi dziecięcej wyobraźni, tak 

często postponowanej przez dorosłych… 


8 

Janusz Stanny 

O Malarzu rudym jak cegła [About a Painter Redhead Like a Brick] 

Wytwornia, 2013 • ISBN 9788364011009 

The book was first published in 1961 and highlights 

the fame of Janusz Stanny as an illustrator as well 

as revealing his great literary talent. The story 

is full of poetic charm and demonstrates the 

author’s artistic manifesto. It tells the story of a 

Painter who creates his world by brush and paint. 

The book is simple and witty, perfectly composed 

as each double page forms a clear visual story 

drawn by synthetic lines. The book was remains 

as modern today as it was when it was first 

published 50 years ago. 

Oto wydana po raz pierwszy w roku 1961 książka 

Janusza Stannego, która utrwaliła jego ilustratorską 

sławę i ujawniła, obok plastycznego, także wielki 

literacki talent. Pełna poetyckiego wdzięku opowieść 

stanowi manifest artystyczny autora, który 

opowiada historię Malarza tworzącego świat farbą 

i pędzlem. Książka prosta i dowcipna, perfekcyjnie 

zakomponowana - każda rozkładówka to przejrzysta 

fabularna sytuacja, nakreślona jak najoszczędniej, 

syntetyczną kreską. Książka była bardzo nowoczesna 

z góra przed 50 laty... i taką pozostała. 

9 

Józef Wilkoń 

Psie Zycie [A Dog’s life] 

Hokus Pocus, 2011 • ISBN 9788360402573 

For ages Joseph Wilkoń has painted and sculpted 

animals. In his great work he shows their nature. 

The book A Dog’s Life is very personal. It is a 

monologue of a dog, illustrated by sculptures. 

We see dogs of various breeds, dachshunds, 

wolfhounds, schnauzers and others. Although they 

are carved in wood, they look at us as if they were 

living and speaking to a human being. I’m speaking 

to you. yes, it’s me, the dog, your very best friend. 

This book is a very important voice – it is the voice 

of all dogs in the world. A dog’s life tells us about 

the relationship between man and dog in a very 

simple but moving way. It reminds us that dogs 

needs our love and care. This book encourages 

children and parents to discuss the relationship 

between people and animals. Sometimes we say 

that the dog is the friend of man and a man of his 

master. The dog is loyal in his love and affection 

but the man is sometimes different. In the book 

A Dog’s Life Joseph Wilkoń reminds us that we 

should be responsible. 

Tego jeszcze nie było! Autorska książka Józefa Wilkonia 

zilustrowana rzeźbami psów. 

Józef Wilkoń od lat maluje i rzeźbi zwierzęta. W swych 

pracach świetnie potrafi uchwycić ich naturę. 

Książka Psie życie jest bardzo osobista. 

To wzruszający monolog psa, zilustrowany 

charakterystycznymi rzeźbami Wilkonia. Widzimy psy 

różnych ras, jamniki, wilczury, sznaucery i kundelki. 

Mimo że wyrzeźbione są w drewnie, patrzą na nas 

jak żywe. 

Czasem mówimy, że pies jest przyjacielem człowieka, 

a człowiek jego panem. Pies jest w swojej miłości i 

przywiązaniu wierny, z człowiekiem bywa różnie. 

W książce “Psie życie” Józef Wilkoń przypomina nam, 

że powinniśmy być odpowiedzialni za to, co oswoiliśmy. 


10 

Aleksandra Woldańska-Płocińska 

Pierwsze [The Piglet’s First Birthday] 

Czerwony Konik, 2010 • ISBN 9788392672623 

This board book for very young readers, is 

filled with humour, excellent to look at, to read 

and to learn to count. The simple story about 

piglet’s birthday refers to different sayings and 

associations (also to classics of children literature 

– the bear brings “a half of the jar of the hunny” 

– which reminds us of something, doesn’t it?) The 

unpretentious style of Aleksandra Woldańska- 

Płocińska is already recognizable: simplified 

silhouettes of animals, an interesting choice of 

flat stains of colours and unusual typography. The 

artist searches for her own way of displaying the 

world she has created. 

Książka dla najmłodszych odbiorców, pełna humoru, 

do oglądania, czytania, nauki liczenia. Prosta historyjka 

o prosiaczku-jubilacie nawiązuje do rozmaitych 

powiedzeń i skojarzeń, także z klasykami literatury 

dziecięcej (niedźwiedź przynosi w prezencie „pół 

słoiczka miodku” – to nam chyba coś przypomina…). 

Bezpretensjonalny styl Aleksandry Woldańskiej- 

Płocińskiej jest już rozpoznawalny – uproszczone 

postaci zwierząt, ciekawy dobór płaskich plam koloru, 

niebanalna typografia. Artystka szuka własnego 

sposobu pokazania stworzonego przez siebie świata, z 

dala od Disneyowskich skojarzeń. 


Books from 

Qatar 

Contact: Amira Abed 

amira.bqfp@gmail.com 

Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing was established as Qatar’s first 

publishing house to publish books of excellence and originality in English 

and Arabic. They are dedicated to cultivating new literary talent especially 

in Arabic by organizing events to support the development of aspiring 

new literary talent and running creative writing workshops. In the schools 

community, their fast growing role has gained them a lot of recognition 

among teachers, librarians and parents as they build a literary culture in 

Qatar and the Middle East through reading events and other initiatives such 

as World Book Day. 

Through Reading and Writing Development (RWD) they aim to give Arabic 

literature the importance it deserves by creating content for librarians/ 

teachers and literary resources such as the annual Children’s Book Guide with 

readers looking to RWD for quality book recommendations, book resources, 

and a community with whom to share their passion. They are also working on 

establishing a BQFP standard for libraries that local Independent Schools will 

aspire to meet. 

They provide readers with a well-rounded list of children’s books in a 

combination of literature in translation and original writing and a variety 

of illustration styles, subject matters, and cultures. For example, Hamda and 

Fisaikra and Victory Over Abu Derya are retellings of old folk tales from the 

region which expose Qatar’s diverse ex-patriate community to the Gulf’s 

rich heritage. They aim to bring children in the Arab world closer to books 

on relevant themes such as tolerance, unconditional love, and fun and to give 

the message that good pleasurable books and active child-friendly libraries 

should be accessible to each and every child in school. 

the world through picture books • books from qatar • 139

1 

Kaltham 

Al Ghanem • May Al Mannai, ill. 

محدة وفسيكرة 

Hamda wa Fisaikra [Hamda and Fisaikra] 

Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation, 2011 • ISBN 9789992178881 (Arabic edition) • 

ISBN 9789992178874 (English Edition) 

Hamda is the Cinderella of the Gulf. The story 

takes place on the Gulf shores where Fisaikra, 

the fairy fish rescues poor Hamda from the 

wicked step mother and brings her together 

with the charming Sheikh’s son. A tale that is 

living proof of the power of popular fairytales 

to reinvent themselves in different cultures. Told 

by Kaltham Al Ghanim whose work vastly covers 

areas of anthropological research in the Arabian 

Gulf, paired up with a Qatari illustrator who 

works in Al Jazeera Children’s Channel in Qatar. 

The book is available separately in English 

and Arabic 

‏“محدة”‏ يه سندريلال اخلليج،‏ وتدور قصهتا عىل 

شواطئ اخلليج حيث تنقذها مسكة الفسيكرة الحسرية 

من زوجة أبهيا الرشيرة،‏ ومجتعها أخريًا بفارس 

أحالمها.‏ 

تربهن هذه القصة عىل إماكنية إعادة إنتاج القصص 

اخليالية مبا يتوافق مع الثقافات املختلفة.‏ ولتحقيق ذلك 

جيمتع قمل لكمث الغامن اليت هلا عدة أمعال يف جمال 

البحث األنرثوبولويج يف اخلليج العريب،‏ مع رسومات 

الفنانة القطرية يم املنايع اليت تعمل يف قناة اجلزيرة 

لألطفال بقطر.‏ 

2 

Mohamed Ali 

االنتصار عىل أيب دريا 

Al Intisar ala Abi Derya [Victory Over Abu Derya] 

Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation, 2010 • ISBN 9789992142240 (Arabic edition) • 

ISBN 9789992142233 (English edition) 

A Gulf legend that lives on from one generation 

to another about the history of pearl diving 

where the pearl fleet returns from another 

hard season at sea after a terrible defeat 

by the legendary guardian of the sea kingdom 

Abu Derya. 

Many ships and sailors have been lost; but when 

the grandmother of little Rashid has a dream in 

which her grandson’s hands are filled with pearls, 

the villagers vow to reverse their fortune. Down 

there, Abu Derya however is prepared to unleash 

his powers. The book is available separately 

in English and Arabic. 

أسطورة خليجية تتناقلها األجيال تدور أحداثها حول 

تارخي صيد اللؤلؤ ؛ وفهيا يعود أسطول صيد اللؤلؤ من 

مومس آخر صعب بعد هزميته عىل يد حارس مملكة 

البحر األسطوري أبو دريا.‏ 

يُفقد عدد من السفن والبحارة؛ لكن حني حتمل جدة 

الصغري ‏"رشيد"‏ حبفيدها حملا ترى فيه يده ممتلئة 

بالآليلء،‏ يممص أهل القرية عىل تغيري حظهم العرس.‏ 

ولكن يف هذه األثناء يستعد أبو دريا إلظهار قدراته.‏ 


3 

Kaltham 

Al Ghanim • Khaled Al Fahd and Tomader Al Esseiry, ill. 

األغاين الرتاثية لألطفال 

Al Aghani Al Toratheya Lel Atffal [Traditional Children’s Songs] 

Qatar Museum Authorities – National Museum of Qatar, 2013 • ISBN 9992161213 

A bouquet of folk songs and nursery rhymes from 

the Qatari heritage, educating children about 

environmental phenomena, and family bonds 

and reinforcing traditional and religous values. 

The songs are about everything – from the moon 

and desert rain to children’s games and the 

festive henna that girls love so much. 

باقة من األغاين من الرتاث تنقل األطفال يف رحلة 

اىل املايض من خالل أغاىن املطر والقمر والطبيعة 

والتقاليد الدينية واألرسية وحىت ألعاب األطفال واحلنة 

اليت تنتظرها البنات يف االحتفاالت.‏ 

4 

Kaltham Al Ghanim • National Museum of Qatar production team, ill. 

الفارسان ‏)سباق املسيلة(‏ 

Al Farisan – Sibaq Al Messila = The 2 Knights – Al Messial horserace 

Qatar Museum Authorities – National Museum of Qatar, 2013 • ISBN 999216123X 

The traditional Al-Masila annual race is a day 

of challenge, as the story starts with a cloud of 

dust that kicks off the race between the white 

horse Al Na’ama, and the brown horse, and the 

knights battle for the title and impress their 

eager audience. The book is available separately 

in English and Arabic. 

تصور القصة سباق املسيلة السنوي الذي يعترب من 

التقاليد اهلامة حيث يتنافس الفارسان عىل اللقب 

مبساعدة احلصان األبيض:‏ نعمة واحلصان البين:‏ 

سودة امام مجهور مىلء بامحلاس 

5 

Kaltham Al Ghanim • Tomader Al Esseiry, ill. 

بوابة القرص 

Bawabet Al Qasr [The Palace Gates] 

Qatar Museum Authorities – National Museum of Qatar, 2013 • ISBN 9992161248 

Khalid falls asleep reading a book about the 

history of Qatar. He opens his eyes to find himself 

in the past when the people of Qatar relied 

on the treasures of the sea and, together with 

his friend they enter through the gates of the 

glorious palace of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jassem 

who ruled the land and witness how he manages 

the country and the people. 

يغمض خالد عيناه وهو يقرأ كتابا عن تارخي قطر 

فينطلق يف رحلة اىل املايض حيث يتعرف عىل 

غواصني بيحثون عن الآليلء وجيد نفسه أمام الشيخ 

عبداهلل بن جامس آل ثاين مؤسس دولة قطر وحامك 

البالد وهو يف جملسه يدير شؤون بالده،‏ فنعيش مع 

خالد وصديقه رحلة داخل القرص الذي حتول فميا بعد 

إىل متحف.‏ 


6 

Asma 

Al-Kuwari • Jawaher Ahmed, ill. 

مملكة القرنقعوة 

Mamlaket Al Garangao = The Garangao Kingdom 

Literature Centre for Training and Consulting, 2013 • ISBN 9789927400919 

Garangao is the traditional children’s festival 

day in the middle of the Islamic Holy month 

of Ramadan during which children roam the 

neighbourhoods singing traditional songs, as 

they fill their bags with sweets and nuts from the 

neighbours. Noura dreams of building an entire 

kingdom out of her Garangao candy. She soon 

finds herself in a land full of talking sweets and 

nuts and embarks on a delicious journey. It all 

starts with a little voice coming from her bag. 

The book is bilingual in Arabic and English. 

قرنقعوه هو احتفال األطفال بنصف هشر رمضان 

املعظم حيث يقوم األطفال بغناء أغاين القرنقعوه 

الفللكورية مع أكياهسم املليئة باحللوى واملكرسات من 

اجلريان.‏ 

نورة عازمة عىل بناء مملكة من حلوى ومسكرات 

القرنقعوه ، وجفأة جتد نفهسا يف عامل ميلء باحللوى 

الناطقة حيث تنطلق يف رحلة ممتعة و لذيذة تبدأ 

بصوت صغري من كيس احللوى.‏ 


Books from 

Quebec 

Contact: Marie France Genest 

mariefrancegenest@ville.montreal.qc.ca 

(Canada) 

The “Association des Bibliothèques publiques du Québec” in collaboration with 

“Bibliothèques de Montréal” asked librarians from all around Quebec to choose 

their top ten favourite picture books of all time. A selection committee of nine 

children’s librarians came together to analyse the top choices derived from the 

survey and decide upon the top ten picture books which are recommended for 

children all around the world. 

1 

Ginette Anfousse 

La Chicane [The Fight] 

La Courte échelle, 2009 • ISBN 978-2-89651-103-7 

First published in 1978 and now available in 

several languages, this story has become a classic 

in Quebec. The title of the story ‘la chicane’ is 

a unique Quebec French expression meaning a 

quarrel. In this story, Jiji, who is known for her 

outspoken personality throughout the series ‘My 

friend Pichou’, is very upset with her friend Cloclo 

for daring to pet her baby aardvark Pichou. Will 

she ever forgive him? An amusing picture book 

that touches on the importance of friendship. 

Un classique de la littérature québécoise pour la 

jeunesse, publié originalement en 1978 et qui met en 

scène une fille très dynamique Jiji, et son Pichou, bébé 

tamanoir chéri. Jiji est très en colère contre son ami 

Cloclo Tremblay. Il a osé toucher à son Pichou chéri ! 

C’est une grosse « chicane » comme on dit au Québec. 

Une chicane est une très grosse dispute. 

Est-ce que c’est la fin d’une amitié entre les 

deux enfants ? 

Un album drôle et touchant qui ne vieillit pas. 

2 

Danielle Simard • Geneviève Côté, ill. 

La Petite rapporteuse de mots [The Little Word Catcher] 

Les 400 Coups, 2007 • ISBN 9-78-2-895-401-483 

Elise’s grandmother has an illness that is making 

her lose her words. Naturally, Elise tries to bring 

them back to her. What if grandma’s words are 

not lost, but simply used up? Or what if grandma 

is giving her words to Elise which would explain 

why she can’t use them anymore? This book 

introduces ways in which children might explain 

Alzheimer’s disease to themselves. This tender 

story focuses on the love between grandmother 

and grandchild and the soft, pastel illustrations 

successfully represent the words that are slowly 

being erased from grandma’s memory. 

La grand-mère d’Élise souffre d’une maladie qui lui 

fait perdre ses mots. Tout naturellement, l’enfant 

les lui rapporte. Mais s’ils étaient simplement usés, 

plutôt que perdus? Ou si mamie les donnait à sa 

petite-fille et ne pouvait alors plus les utiliser ? Autant 

de manières pour l’enfant de s’expliquer la maladie 

d’Alzheimer. Une tendre histoire sur l’immense amour 

qui unit la petite à sa grand-maman, et qui se déploie 

en douceur dans des illustrations aux teintes pastel 

tout en transparence, faisant écho aux mots qui 

s’effacent peu à peu de la mémoire. Un texte où poésie 

et naïveté charment sans lourdeur. 

the world through picture books • books from quebec (canada) • 143

3 

Élise Gravel 

La Clé à mollette [The Wrench] 

La Courte échelle, 2012 • ISBN 978-2-896-951-826 

Bob breaks a wheel on his tricycle and in order to 

fix it, he needs a wrench. Since his own wrench 

is nowhere to be found, he decides to go to the 

Mégamart department store where he comes 

across so many amazing, incredible tools that 

he completely forgets about buying his wrench. 

When he returns home, he realizes that not 

only has he has forgotten to buy his wrench, he 

now has no money left over to buy it. How will 

he fix his bike? This story addresses the topic of 

overconsumption in an age-appropriate manner. 

Bob, un étrange animal rose, brise la roue de son 

tricycle et pour le réparer il a besoin de sa clé 

à molette. Comme il ne la trouve pas, il se rend chez 

Mégamart, un immense magasin à rayons. Là-bas, 

il se laisse séduire par plusieurs produits plus inutiles 

les uns que les autres jusqu’à n’avoir plus d’argent 

pour acheter le précieux outil. Comment Bob résoudrat-il 

son problème ? Dans cet album, qui aborde la 

surconsommation de manière comique, on retrouve 

avec bonheur les illustrations toujours originales 

et colorées d’Élise Gravel. 

4 

Marie-Louise Gay 

Stella, étoile de la mer [Stella, star of the sea] 

Saint-Dominique et compagnie, 1999 • ISBN 2-895-512-0749 

While spending the day at sea for the first time, 

Sasha has many questions for his big sister Stella 

about sea-shells, fish and sea-horses. Sasha 

wants to know everything about the ocean 

and luckily, Stella has all the answers. Marie- 

Louise Gay, who has become one of the most 

internationally recognized author-illustrators, 

has created a magical story filled with bright, 

vibrant watercolours. This story was awarded the 

Mr Christie’s book prize and the Ruth Schwartz 

award in 2000. 

Se promenant pour la toute première fois au bord de 

la mer, Sacha interroge sa sœur Stella sur l’origine des 

étoiles de mer, des coquillages et des poissons. Sacha 

veut tout connaître et, par chance, Stella sait tout ! Cet 

album, ancré dans la réalité, pose les grandes questions 

que les tout-petits se posent. Marie-Louise Gay, une 

des auteures jeunesse les plus appréciées et reconnues 

à l’échelle internationale, a su créer un univers 

empreint de poésie et de magie remplie d’illustrations 

lumineuses. Elle a reçu, pour ce livre, le Prix du livre 

M. Christie et le Prix Ruth Schwartz en l’an 2000. 

5 

Dominique Demers • Stéphane Poulin, ill. 

Vieux Thomas et la petite fée [Old Thomas and the little fairy] 

Dominique et compagnie, 2000 • ISBN 2-895-512-1389 

Winner of several children’s literature prizes, 

this story brings together two extraordinary 

characters. Children are introduced to a crabby, 

old fisherman named Thomas whose life changes 

when finding a little fairy washed up onto shore. 

The breathtaking illustrations bring to life a 

wonderful story which is a magical tale full of 

love and wonder. ‘’Old Thomas was angry at the 

whole world. One evening when he was pacing 

the beach and shouting insults at the stars and 

the waves, he discovered a tiny little girl who had 

been washed up on the sand…’’ 

Lauréat de plusieurs prix littéraires, Vieux Thomas 

et la petite fée rassemblent un duo de créateurs 

exceptionnels. Les illustrations à couper le souffle de 

Stéphane Poulin donnent vie au texte poétique de 

Dominique Demers, nous offrant un récit magnifique 

et émouvant, empreint de merveilleux et porteur 

d’une grande douceur. « Vieux Thomas était en 

colère contre le monde entier. Un soir qu’il arpentait 

la plage en lançant des injures aux étoiles et aux 

vagues, il découvrit une fillette minuscule échouée 

sur le sable... » 


6 

Lili Chartrand • Rogé, ill. 

Le Gros monstre qui aimait trop lire [Taming Horrible Harry] 

Dominique et compagnie, 2005 • ISBN 978-2-895-124-542 

A horrible monster who lives in the woods scares 

away anyone who dares to enter the forest. 

One day, he finds a little girl reading by a tree 

trunk. After scaring her off, he realizes that in her 

fright, she has left her book behind. The horrible 

monster, with his newfound book, quickly learns 

how to read. He becomes so fascinated with 

reading books, that he forgets to scare people 

away from the woods. However, isn’t a monster’s 

job to scare people? Is the joy of reading the 

reason why monsters don’t scare humans 

anymore? Children and parents alike will enjoy 

this colourfully illustrated tale. 

Le Gros monstre qui aimait trop lire raconte 

l’histoire d’un affreux monstre qui vit dans la forêt et 

qui s’amuse à terroriser les gens en poussant de gros 

hurlements. Un jour, il croise une jeune fille qui est 

fascinée par l’histoire d’un livre, et il doit s’y prendre 

à deux reprises pour réussir à la faire fuir. Elle laisse 

son livre derrière elle. Le gros monstre, le livre entre 

ses mains, apprend rapidement à lire et prend goût 

à la lecture au point d’oublier de hurler à l’approche 

d’un humain dans la forêt. Mais le devoir d’un monstre 

n’est-il pas d’effrayer les gens, non de lire des livres ? Le 

plaisir de la lecture serait-elle la raison pour laquelle les 

monstres ne font plus peur aux humains, de nos jours ? 

7 

Melanie Watt 

Frisson l’écureuil [Scaredy Squirrel] 

Scholastic, 2006 • ISBN 978-043-994-0474 

Scaredy Squirrel is petrified of leaving his beloved 

tree in fear of the unknown. Tarantulas, poison 

ivy, aliens and killer bees are only some of the 

things Scaredy suspects could be waiting for him 

away from his home. As a result, he has made 

himself a minute-by-minute schedule to follow, 

an emergency kit and an evacuation plan. One 

day, while keeping watch, Scaredy spots a killer 

bee! He panics and drops his emergency kit ! 

What will he do ? This first book from the Scaredy 

Squirrel series is perfect for young children who 

are facing scary, unknown situations for the first 

time. The simple, colourful illustrations that are 

used throughout the series further enhance the 

hilarious adventures of Scaredy Squirrel. 

Frisson est un adorable écureuil qui redoute plus 

que tout de quitter son arbre et d’affronter l’inconnu. 

Les tarentules, l’herbe à puce, les extraterrestres et les 

abeilles meurtrières sont autant de choses dont Frisson 

a peur. Il s’est donc constitué un horaire routinier sans 

risques, une trousse d’urgence et un plan d’évacuation. 

Un jour, en faisant le guet dans son arbre, Frisson 

aperçoit une abeille meurtrière. Il panique et laisse 

tomber sa trousse! En plongeant pour la rattraper, 

il fait face à une situation nouvelle et inconnue. 

Ce n’est pas si terrible ! Depuis sa sortie, l’écureuil 

a conquis les cœurs avec ses illustrations simples et 

colorées, son style télégraphique et son exagération 

hilarante. C’est le premier album d’une série qui relate 

les aventures de Frisson. Un album parfait pour 

les petits qui ont peur de l’inconnu. 

8 

Louis Émond • Philippe Béha, ill. 

Le Monde de Théo [The World of Theo] 

Hurtubise, 2011 • ISBN 978-2-89-647-4394 

Theo is alone in the world after surviving a 

disaster that has wiped out everyone on Earth. 

One day, he decides to go on an adventure to 

look for another person to keep him company. 

He builds a flying machine out of used parts and 

begins his voyage. This story touches on the 

themes of solitude, hope and perseverance and 

warns the reader of the impact of human nature 

in a subtle and successful manner. The wonderful 

illustrations loaded with vibrant colours do well 

to contrast the devastated world in which Theo 

lives. The open ending allows for interpretation 

and can lead to many discussions. 

Théo est seul au monde, le seul survivant d’un 

événement catastrophique ayant décimé la Terre 

entière. Un jour, alors que sa solitude lui pèse plus 

qu’à l’habitude, il décide de partir à la recherche d’une 

autre personne. Il construit une machine volante avec 

des pièces usagées. Et c’est le début d’un long voyage. 

Théo est une fable moderne sur la solitude, l’espoir 

et la persévérance. L’album met en garde contre 

les ravages causés par l’humain à l’environnement 

de façon subtile et réussie. Les illustrations exquises 

aux couleurs vives contrastent avec le monde dévasté 

dans lequel Théo vit. L’album, avec sa fin ouverte, 

laisse place à l’interprétation et aux discussions. 


9 

Dominique Jolin 

Attends une minute! [Wait one minute!] 

Les 400 Coups, 1999 • ISBN 978-289-540-4392 

Camilien is very thirsty so he asks his mother 

for a glass of water. ‘’One minute!’’ responds 

his mother. While he is waiting, hisimagination 

begins to run wild and he pretends that he is 

being attacked by monsters, then he finds himself 

flying in the sky attached to a pirate boat before 

being trapped in an aquarium, among other 

creative scenarios. What an adventure - all in 

what seems to be a very long minute! A simple, 

funny picture book with colourful and expressive 

illustrations that is sure to amuse children and 

their parents. A classic, always in print since 1999. 

Camilien a très soif. Il demande un verre d’eau 

à sa mère. 

« Attends une minute !» lui répond sa mère. Il doit 

patienter, mais son imagination, elle, s’envole dans 

le désert, sur un bateau volant, dans un aquarium 

et pour finir dans une mer peuplée de monstres. 

Quelle aventure! 

Un texte rythmé, drôle avec des illustrations originales, 

colorées et expressives. 

Un classique de notre littérature, réédité depuis 1999, 

a fait rire bien des enfants et leurs parents. 

10 

Marianne Dubuc 

Devant ma maison [In front of my house] 

La Courte Échelle, 2010 • ISBN 978-2-89-651-2751 

A circular story that begins and ends in front of 

a tiny house. This inventive tale takes the reader 

on a voyage that explores everyday items in a 

creative way, especially with the discovery of a 

fairy tale book hidden under the bed ! The pencil 

crayon illustrations and simple text work well 

to create anticipation and keep children guessing 

as they wonder what will be hiding behind the 

next object. A mysterious adventure perfect 

for younger children who enjoy using their 

imagination. 

Un imagier pas comme les autres! Un voyage 

à travers une maison, un environnement rassurant 

pour le tout-petit, mais combien aussi mystérieux. 

Sous le lit, un livre de contes égaré permet la rencontre 

de plusieurs personnages connus des enfants : 

princesses, pirates, loups et bien d’autres. Le plaisir de 

l’album pour le jeune enfant réside dans l’anticipation 

de ce qui se cache derrière les objets qu’il rencontre 

tout le long du livre. 

Les illustrations, dessinées à crayon de bois, donnent 

une vie poétique à cette mystérieuse promenade 

du quotidien et de l’imaginaire. 


Books from 

Contacts: Linda Koo Seen Lin – linda.ksl@gmail.com 

Anne-Christelle Tiverne – anne-christelle.tiverne@cg974.fr 

Reunion Island 

(France) 

This selection of picture books, made by librarians of the “Bibliothèque 

départementale” of Reunion, says many things about this small French island 

situated in the Indian Ocean (21°09 S, 55°30 E). In all these books, children 

are invited to glance into their natural and cultural heritage (Reunion Island 

from A to Z, 100 words about Reunion Island). Reunion is a preserved area where 

nature, through rupture in the earth’s crust, has given birth to the island 

(The Small Volcano) and has developed some very extraordinary living birds 

such as shown in The Paille en queue bird or extinct ones like the dodo bird 

(The Bird Dodo’s take off). This nature must be protected: ecology, recycling 

and sustainable development are to be taught (Velocity). The island is very 

much concerned about its cultural identity; people from Europe, Africa and 

Asia have met there and created an extraordinary melting pot: this multiethnic 

population has merged in a unique society living together in peace 

and harmony but some questions have to be asked (She knows from whom she 

inherited it). Different religions co-habit and due respect is paid to each of them 

(The Mixing up of Religions). We also have examples of traditional tales with the 

mythical animal, the cunning hare who is always trapped in the end (Hare is 

going to the Ball) together with nursery rhymes and Creole songs (Ticoulitintin). 

Creole is the popular spoken language and how it should be written is much 

of an issue. Some tales are drawn from old native stories or from neighbouring 

Madagascar, whose history has been quite close to Reunion’s (In my basket). 

All these books are remarkably illustrated, some can be considered as art 

books. Publishing for young children has increased these last years both 

in number and in quality, perhaps thanks to the work done by children’s 

libraries. The municipal library of Saint Pierre hosts a contest every three 

years; a prize is offered to the best illustrator of a picture book, chosen by 

children among a short list made by librarians, of recent picture books; the 

“Bibliothèque départementale” gives every newborn baby a book and a leaflet 

on how to read to babes together with an invitation to a show for young 

children. Moreover most libraries throughout the island have social and 

cultural activities with books especially for children and teenagers. This has 

boosted publishing. Reunion is only a small island and the sales opportunities 

are narrow, this explains why such a small number of books are published 

each year. 

the world through picture books • books from reunion island (france) • 147

1 

Fabienne Jonca • Hélène Moreau, ill. 

La Réunion des religions [The Mixing up of Religions] 

Océan éditions, 2010 • ISBN 978-2-36247-003-5 

The better you know about the various religions 

that exist, the better you become tolerant and 

make it easier to live together. This book is 

accessible to children from very young age, it 

offers an abstract for the eight most popular 

religions in the world such as: Hinduism, 

Buddhism, the popular religion of China that 

include Confuciusm, Taoism and Buddhism, the 

Judaism, the Catholicism, the Orthodox, the 

Protestants, and Islam. Bassam lives in Réunion 

Island, a small island in the Indian Ocean where 

people about various religions live together. He 

is happy about this diversity; in fact he is often 

invited to big celebration parties by his friends. 

One part of the book could be classified as a 

documentary book which is useful for the reader 

because it gives answers to questions that are 

frequently asked about religions such as: What 

are the most popular religions? What are the big 

events associated to these religions? And what are 

the most important practices of each of them? 

We have chosen this book because it gives a 

positive image of Réunion Island and its people. 

In fact, it gives information about their religious 

beliefs, culture and practices and how people 

live together in peace with their differences. 

This book is accessible to children from the age 

of 8; it is a beautiful book with multicoloured 

pictures and could be used to read aloud. At the 

end of the book there is an index which gives 

explanation for all the religious terms and 

expressions. It helps children learn about the 

variety of religions that does exist in a same 

country and respect them. 

Mieux connaître les différentes religions, c’est cultiver 

la tolérance pour mieux vivre ensemble. 

Destiné aux enfants dès leur plus jeune âge, ce livre 

propose un tour d’horizon de huit grandes religions : 

l’hindouisme, le bouddhisme, la religion populaire 

chinoise, le judaïsme, le catholicisme, l’orthodoxie, 

le protestantisme et l’islam. Bassam vit à La Réunion, 

une petite île de l’océan Indien dans laquelle se 

côtoient des fidèles de très nombreuses religions. Il se 

réjouit de cette diversité, il est en effet régulièrement 

invité à de grandes fêtes par ses amis. Une partie 

documentaire permet de répondre aux grandes 

questions que l’on se pose souvent sur les religions : 

Quelles sont les principales croyances ? Les grands 

événements ? Les pratiques importantes ? 

Nous avons choisi ce livre car il donne une image 

positive de la Réunion et son peuple. En fait, il donne 

des informations sur leurs croyances religieuses, 

la culture et des pratiques et comment les gens vivent 

ensemble en paix avec leurs différences. Ce livre 

est accessible aux enfants à partir de 8 ans, c’est un 

beau livre avec des images multicolores et peut être 

utilisé pour lire à haute voix. À la fin du livre, il y a un 

glossaire qui explique tous les termes et les expressions 

religieuses. Cet album aide les enfants à comprendre 

la diversité des religions qui existent dans un même 

pays et à les respecter. 


2 

Robi • Maîté Chaveron, ill. 

Elle a de qui tenir [She knows from whom she inherited it] 


Who are you? Where are you from? You are the 

fruit of your own roots, a new growing plant 

that will have its own way… The members of an 

African’s crossbreed family want to find a trait 

of their own in a new born baby girl. This book is 

about people from crossbreed origin and it was 

inspired by a song from the singer Robi. Who has 

never questioned himself about the similarity 

in a trait of characters that his child could have 

inherited from himself or from a member of his 

close family? The book attempts to answer these 

questions. Through the illustrations and the 

beautiful rhymes the album becomes very sincere 

and authentic. Furthermore the alternative 

between pictures that are painted and used to 

represent the members of the close family and 

those that are drawn and used to represent the 

growing girl are an excellent graphics choice 

because it reinforces the coherence between 

a text based on comparison of people and it is a 

kind of celebration for the crossbreed identity. 

The book has been selected for its originality. 

The topic it covers is a common subject but it is 

treated in an original way which makes it easy 

to read aloud with children from the age of three. 

Qui es-tu ? D’où viens-tu ? Tu es le fruit de tes racines, 

Une pousse toute neuve qui suivra son propre chemin… 

Les membres de la famille métissée d’un Africain 

veulent trouver un trait de ressemblance de caractère 

chez une petite fille qui vient de naître Ce livre traite 

du métissage et il a été inspiré par une chanson 

du chanteur Robi. Qui ne s’est jamais interrogé sur 

la similitude d’un trait de caractère que son enfant 

pourrait avoir hérité de lui-même ou d’un membre de 

sa proche famille ? C’est précisément à cette question 

que ce livre tente de répondre. Beaucoup d’authenticité 

et de sincérité pour ce livre avec ses illustrations et ses 

belles rimes. En outre, l’alternance entre la peinture 

pour représenter les membres de la famille proche 

et le dessin pour représenter la jeune fille qui grandit 

est un excellent choix graphique, parce qu’il renforce 

la cohérence entre un texte basé sur la comparaison 

des personnes. C’est une sorte de célébration 

du métissage. 

Ce livre a été choisi pour son originalité, c’est un livre 

agréable et coloré, Le sujet du livre pourrait paraître 

banal mais il est traité d’une manière originale, il est 

facile à lire à haute voix avec des enfants de moins 

de 3 ans. 

3 

Baptiste Vignol, Jean-Claude Vignol • Elsa Lauret, ill. 

La Réunion de A à Z, 100 mots sur la Réunion 

[Reunion Island from A to Z, 100 words about Reunion Island] 

Les Éditions du Boucan, 2007 • ISBN 978-295248362-9 

It is an alphabet primer of 100 words that 

describes Reunion Island, its history, the most 

famous spices found and used in this country, 

the typical houses of Réunion Island called “cases” 

(huts), the rainfalls, the banana, the mosquitoes, 

the traditional dance called “maloya”, but also 

details about Madagascar Island, etc… 

This book is an invitation to discover Réunion 

Island in an attractive and intelligent way, 

by using 100 famous words that will relate 

to the island in the most beautiful way through 

riddles and games. The illustrations use lots 

of colours, humour and imagination in order to 

reflect closely the charm, the richness and the 

atmosphere of this Island. This book is a real 

success amongst literature for young people 

and is accessible from the age of 6. 

Il s’agit d’un abécédaire de 100 mots qui décrivent 

l’île de la Réunion, son histoire, la faune et la flore, 

les épices les plus célèbres du pays, les maisons 

typiques de l’île de la Réunion appelé “case” 

(hutte), la pluie, la banane, les moustiques, la danse 

traditionnelle appelée “maloya”, mais aussi avec 

des détails sur l’île de Madagascar, etc ... 

Ce livre est une invitation à découvrir l’île de la Réunion 

d’une façon attractive et intelligente, en utilisant 

100 mots célèbres qui par le biais d’énigmes et de 

devinettes renvoient à la Réunion. Les illustrations 

sont très colorées il y a de l’humour de l’imagination, 

qui reflètent le charme, la richesse et l’atmosphère 

agréable de cette île. C’est un vrai succès de librairie 

pour les jeunes lecteurs, il est accessible à partir 

de 6 ans. 


4 

Arius and Mary Batiskaf • A class of year 5 from the primary school 

of Champcourt, le Tampon, ill. 

Dododékol [The bird Dodo’s take off] 

Dodo vole, 2007 • ISBN 978-2-952204-3-1 

This hardback square book deals with frequently 

asked questions, anecdotal and metaphysical 

ones that could be asked at any age from 

age 0 to 6. Here there are some dodo’s birds who 

asked funny questions to their school teacher and 

all of them will take off! These philosopher birds 

speak for the pleasure of the readers. This book 

has been selected for its lovely artistic illustration, 

it could be classified as a book of art for children. 

Cet album cartonné relié répond aux questions 

fréquemment posées qu’elles soient anecdotiques ou 

métaphysiques de 0 à 6 ans. Là, les dodos posent des 

colles à leur professeur et tout le monde décolle ! Les 

oiseaux philosophes s’en laissent conter pour notre 

plus grand plaisir... Ce livre a été sélectionné pour ses 

qualités artistiques. On peut le considérer comme un 

livre d’art pour les enfants. 

5 

Axel Gauvin • Fabrice Urbatro, ill. 

Liev i sava bal… [Hare is going to the Ball] 

Tikouti, 2007 • ISBN 2-916401-04-0 

The King of animals organised a big ball where all 

the animals were invited, except those who do 

not have horns. A hare wanted to go so decided 

to make some false horns and finally was able 

to enter the ball and enjoy the party until the 

morning. The horns were made with honeycomb 

and melted under the sun when the hare got 

out and so he couldn’t enter the ball again. This 

is a famous story in Reunion Island used by 

storytellers to tell to children in reading aloud 

circles. The author is a very famous story teller in 

Reunion Island and he generally speaks in Creole 

(which is a French dialect spoken in the Island). 

By using Creole language the book uses funny 

jokes and expression, however this is not visible 

when translated into French. 

Le roi des animaux organisa un grand bal où tous les 

animaux furent invités, excepté ceux qui n’avaient pas 

de cornes. Un lièvre voulut y aller et décida de se faire 

de fausses cornes et put entrer dans le bal et fit la fête 

jusqu’au matin. Les cornes fabriquées en cire d’abeille 

fondirent au soleil. Quand le lièvre fut sorti, donc il ne 

put y entrer de nouveau ... Il s’agit d’un conte célèbre 

dans l’île de la Réunion que les conteurs racontent 

aux enfants à la veillée. L’auteur est un conteur 

très célèbre dans l’île et il conte généralement en créole 

(qui est un dialecte français parlé dans l’île). Par le biais 

de la langue créole le livre utilise des blagues et des 

expressions mais cela se perd dans la traduction 

française 

6 

Florette Ratiazandry • Anny Grondin, Sully Andoche, ill. 

Dans mon soubik [In my Basket] 

Epsilon jeunesse 2010 • ISBN 978-2-912949-35-6 

This book is a collection of beautiful tales from 

Madagascar Island and Reunion Island. They 

are in French and Sakalave (a Malagasy dialect 

spoke in the north of Madagascar) for the tales 

of Madagascar, and the tales of Reunion Island 

are in French and Creole (a French dialect 

spoken in Réunion Island). This book is the result 

of a co-operation between two authors, one 

from Madagascar Island and the other from 

Reunion Island and it shows the differences and 

similarities of cultures between the two countries 

through their literature and traditional tales. 

The book is multilingual and is accompanied 

by a CD. 

Ce livre est une collection de belles histoires de l’île 

de Madagascar et l’île de la Réunion. 

Celles-ci sont en français et en Sakalave (un dialecte 

Malgache parlé dans le nord de Madagascar) pour 

les contes de Madagascar et les contes de la Réunion 

sont en français et en créole (un dialecte français parlé 

à la Réunion). Ce livre est le résultat d’une coopération 

entre deux auteurs, l’un de l’île de Madagascar et 

l’autre de l’île de la Réunion et il montre les différences 

et les similitudes de culture entre les deux pays 

à travers leurs littératures et des contes traditionnels. 

Le livre est multilingue et est accompagné d’un CD. 


7 

Christophe David • François Carage, ill. 

Le Petit Volcan [The Small Volcano] 

Hi-Land, 2005 • ISBN 2-910822-00-1 

This book is about the birth of the Island, in fact 

this is the story of the union of the sea to the 

volcano which has made this beautiful island. 

Then beautiful birds came to live there, and 

beautiful fishes came to live in the sea around it. 

All this has made the Island a paradise where it is 

good to live. The book uses the famous character 

of the sea and the volcano which are commonly 

used in literature for children. Indeed in Reunion 

Island we have a volcano which is still alive and 

does wake up once a year or once every two 

years. Children in this country grew up with 

nature around them, mountain, rivers, falls and 

the volcano which makes them get used to it 

so they don’t become frightened about it in their 

daily life. 

Ce livre parle de la naissance de l’île, en fait, c’est 

l’histoire de l’union de la mer et du volcan qui a fait 

cette belle île, puis de beaux oiseaux sont venus y vivre, 

et de beaux poissons sont arrivés dans la mer autour. 

Tout ceci a créé un paradis où il fait bon vivre. Ce livre 

personnifie la mer et le volcan qui sont généralement 

utilisés en littérature comme des personnages célèbres 

dans la littérature pour les enfants. En effet, dans l’île 

de la Réunion, nous avons un volcan qui est toujours 

actif et se réveille une fois par an ou une fois tous 

les deux ans. Les enfants dans ce pays ont grandi avec 

la nature qui les entoure, la montagne, les rivières, les 

cascades et le volcan ce qui fait qu’ils en sont habitués 

et ils ne s’en effraient pas dans leur vie quotidienne. 

8 

Joëlle Écormier • François Gonthier, ill. 

Ticoulitintin [Ticoulitintin] 


A collection of traditional nursery rhymes 

of Réunion Island; these songs are in both 

languages Creole and translated into French, and 

these are still in use in nurseries or sung at home 

nowadays. At the end of the book the author 

has put a list of instruments that are commonly 

used with these songs. The book is accompanied 

with a CD audio. We have selected this book 

because it contributes to the folklore of Réunion 

Island and particularly to the children’s patrimony 

and culture that children are taught from a very 

young age. The book is very well illustrated and it 

gets good feedback in the Island. 

Ce livre est un recueil de comptines traditionnelles 

de la Réunion, ces chansons sont à la fois dans 

la langue créole et traduites en français, et ceux-ci 

sont toujours en usage dans les chambres d’enfants 

ou chantées à la maison de nos jours. À la fin du 

livre, l’auteur a mis une liste d’instruments qui sont 

généralement utilisés avec ces chansons. Ce livre 

est accompagné d’un CD audio. 

Nous avons choisi ce livre parce qu’il contribue 

au folklore de la Réunion et particulièrement 

au patrimoine et à la culture de l’enfant et tout cela 

est appris aux tout-petits. Le livre est très bien illustré 

et il est très apprécié dans l’île. 


9 

Aurélia Moynot 

Vélocité [Velocity] 

Epsilon, 2010 • ISBN 978-2-912949-36-3 

The author and illustrator of this book 

is a modeller, She always makes the models, 

takes photos of them and uses them for 

the illustrations in her book. As a result the 

illustrations appear as if they are in 3D and it is 

a very nice combination of picture and drawings. 

Further this book is about biodiversity and 

recycling things. It gives a good image of how life 

could be beautiful when we care for the nature 

around us by using a bicycle instead of an engine 

or a car. We have selected this book because 

it gives a good image about the protection 

of nature, the politics of recycling things and 

and sustainable development. This book was 

granted the prize “La Réunion des livres” for its 

illustrations in February 2011. All the models used 

in the illustrations are sold in the markets as toys 

for young children and they encourage them 

to appreciate playing with recycled things. 

L’auteur et l’illustrateur de ce livre est un modeleur 

elle fait toujours des modèles et les photographie puis 

elle les utilise pour illustrer de son livre. Le résultat 

est que les illustrations apparaissent comme si elles 

étaient en 3D c’est une très belle combinaison d’images 

et de dessins. De plus ce livre traite les thèmes de la 

biodiversité et du recyclage. Il montre bien comment 

la vie pourrait être belle quand nous nous soucions 

de la nature autour de nous en utilisant la bicyclette 

au lieu d’un moteur ou d’une voiture. 

Nous avons choisi ce livre parce qu’il donne une 

bonne image de la protection de la nature, la politique 

de recyclage des objets et le développement durable. 

En février 2011, ce livre reçut le prix de «La Réunion 

des livres» pour ses illustrations. Tous les modèles 

utilisés en illustrations sont vendus sur les marchés 

comme des jouets pour des jeunes enfants et cela les 

encourage à apprécier le jeu avec des objets recyclés. 

10 

Marie Winter 

Le Paille en Queue [The Paille en Queue Bird] 

Editions Azalées, 1993 • ISBN 2-908127-18-0 

This book is a documentary book for children 

dealing with a typical bird that lives in Réunion 

Island named “Le Paille en Queue”. The book is 

very well illustrated and gives minute details 

about the life of this bird. The young reader will 

appreciate the beautiful images of the island that 

are real places that he could have visited during 

his own life in this island. We have selected 

this book because the author is one of the first 

authors to write documentaries books about 

wildlife and flora for children in Réunion Island. 

Her books are a real success with children as they 

help children to know about the typical animals 

that live on their Island, and probably nowhere 

else in the world, the same as for the typical 

plants that grow up here. 

Ce livre est un livre documentaire pour les enfants 

qui traite d’un oiseau typique qui vit dans l’île nommé 

« Le Paille en Queue ». Le livre est très bien illustré 

et donne les moindres détails de la vie de cet oiseau. 

Le jeune lecteur appréciera les belles images de l’île, 

qui sont des lieux qu’il a pu visiter personnellement. 

Nous avons choisi ce livre parce que l’auteurillustrateur 

du livre a été le premier à sortir des albums 

documentaires sur la faune et la flore pour les enfants. 

Ses livres ont un vrai succès auprès des enfants 

qui apprennent ainsi la vie des animaux typiques 

qui ne vivent que sur leur île et nulle part ailleurs, 

cela s’appliquant aussi à la flore. 


Books from 

Romania 

Contact: Ruxandra Navarre 

ruxandramoasanazare@yahoo.com 

An initial consultation was undertaken with colleagues from the Children 

and Young Adults department of the Public Library of Brasov and an initial 

list of the picture books was agreed. Secondly, a search for the titles was 

carried out in many bookshops and online in order to see them, to verify if 

they are eligible, appreciate them and to know if they are in stock. Afterwards, 

ten titles were established and the proposition was submitted to IBBY 

National Section Romania and to librarians from the Children and Young 

Adults departments belonging to all Romanian public libraries via e-mail. 

The Romanian National Section of IBBY operates within the Romanian Union 

of Publishers which means that the response of IBBY Section Romania also 

includes the editors’ response. A response was received from IBBY National 

Section as well as suggestions for new titles. Further searching and verifying 

of titles took place and finally the ten picture books for Romania were chosen 

based on the co-operation of IBBY Romania and librarians. 

1 

Petre Ispirescu • Walter Riess, Mihaela Paraschivu, Valeria Moldovan, 

Raluca Ilie, ill. 

Basme [Fairy tales] 

Corint Junior, 2010 • ISBN 978-973-128-346-3 

The anthology includes the most beautiful 

and appreciated Romanian fairy tales, read 

by children and adults as well, generation after 

generation: “Youth without Age and Life without 

Death”, “Aleodor the King”, “The Salt in the Food”, 

“Praslea the Sturdy and the golden apples”. 

All these tales were collected and published 

by Petre Ispirescu, a writer mostly interested 

in the literary traditional heritage of Romanian 

tales. With time, they became the tales of all 

the children, charming children’s spirit by their 

imaginative world. 

Antologia cuprinde cele mai frumoase şi apreciate 

basme populare româneşti, citite de copii şi adulţi 

deopotrivă, generaţie după generaţie: Tinereţe fără 

bătrâneţe, Sarea în bucate, Prâslea cel voinic şi 

merele de aur. Poveştile au fost culese şi publicate de 

Petre Ispirescu, tipograf, folclorist şi scriitor interesat 

de moştenirea literară a poveştilor tradiţionale 

româneşti. Cu timpul, ele au devenit poveştile tuturor 

copiilor, spiritul copiilor fiind fermecat de lumea 

magică a poveştilor. 

the world through picture books • books from romania • 153

2 

Ion Creangă • Valentin Tănase, ill. 

Harap Alb [White Moor] 

Flamingo GD, [2009] • ISBN 978-973-1896-13-7 

The White Moor is the King’s son, the youngest 

and most courageous one, who leaves the 

family, and is forced to face many challenges 

and difficulties. In spite of his father’s advice, the 

prince was tricked by the Spân (the Beardless 

Man) who turns him into a slave and gives him 

dangerous tasks that put his life at risk. Helped 

by Holy Friday and his horse, and also having 

supernatural powers, the White Moor succeeds 

in all his missions. Finally, the White Moor defeats 

his master and regains his freedom, finding his 

place and true love. 

Harap Alb este cel mai tânăr şi curajos dintre cei trei fii 

ai regelui, care părăseşte familia, plecând să îşi înfrunte 

destinul şi trebuind să facă faţă multor provocări şi 

dificultăţi. În ciuda sfatului părintelui său de a evita 

Omul Spân şi Omul Roş, prinţul este păcălit de Spân, 

care îl înrobeşte şi îi dă să facă cele mai grele sarcini, 

dorindu-i să-şi piardă viaţa şi să îi ia locul. Ajutat 

de Sf. Vineri şi de calul său cu puteri supranaturale, 

precum şi de o serie de personaje fantastice, Harap 

Alb reuşeşte să ducă la bun sfârşit fiecare misiune grea 

încredinţată de stăpânul său. În final, Harap Alb îşi 

înfrânge stăpânul şi îşi recâştigă libertatea, descoperind 

adevărata dragoste şi locul său propriu în lume. 

3 

Mihai Eminescu • Anamaria Smigelschi, ill. 

Făt-Frumos din lacrimă [Prince Charming from the Tear] 

Gramar, 2007 • ISBN 978-973-591-570-4 

Born from his mother’s tears, the Prince Charming 

from the Tear left his home, in search of glory. He 

saves his neighbor’s kingdom from the curse of a 

witch, called Muma Pădurii (The Forest Witch), 

finding love with her beautiful daughter. At the 

request of his blood brother, he accepts the 

mission of bringing his brother’s future bride, the 

beautiful youngest daughter of the most powerful 

leader, Genar. After a lot of difficulties, he 

succeeds in his mission. The adventures, romantic 

atmosphere, magic characters and very poetic 

language give a special flavour to this tale, which 

captures any reader. 

Născut din lacrimile mamei sale, Făt Frumos din 

Lacrimă părăseşte casa părinţilor lui, în căutarea 

gloriei. El salvează împărăţia vecină de blestemul 

unei vrăjitoare, numită Muma Pădurii, descoperind în 

frumoasa ei fiică adevărata dragoste a sa. La cererea 

fratelui său de sânge, el acceptă misiunea de a-i aduce 

acestuia viitoarea mireasă, fiica unui prea puternic 

stăpân al locului, Genarul. După o mulţime de greutăţi, 

el izbândeşte în lupta sa. Aventurile, atmosfera 

romantică, personajele magice şi limbajul poetic 

expresiv conferă un aer special acestei poveşti care 

captivează orice cititor. 

4 

Elena Farago • Anamaria Smigelschi, ill. 

Căţeluşul şchiop [The Lame Puppy] 

Gramar, 2006 • ISBN (10) 973-591-537-5, (13) 978-973-591-537-7 

Elena Farago (1878-1954) was a well known and 

appreciated Romanian poet. This is the story of 

a puppy badly hurt by a cruel boy and as a result 

becomes lame and is unable to play with other 

puppies or children. The boy’s regrets are useless, 

and the kind-hearted puppy did not punish 

him, being more generous than a human being 

could ever be. The poem, carrying a clear moral 

message, is one of the best poems known by 

children and it is often used as a nursery rhyme 

in schools, kindergartens and library reading 

activities. 

Elena Farago (1878-1954) a fost o cunoscută şi 

apreciată poetă română. Poemul intitulat Căţeluşul 

şchiop este povestea unui căţel rănit grav de un băiat 

crud. Din cauza acelui accident nefericit, căţeluşul 

devine şchiop şi nu se mai poate juca cu ceilalţi 

căţeluşi sau cu copiii. Regretele băiatului sunt inutile, 

dar generosul căţel nu îl pedepseşte, dovedindu-se mai 

generos decât a fost băiatul. Poemul, cu un evident 

mesaj moral, este unul dintre cele mai cunoscute 

creaţii ale poetei de către copii, folosit adesea în 

activităţie pedagogice din grădiniţe, şcoli şi biblioteci. 


5 

Otilia Cazimir • Anamaria Smigelschi, ill. 

Baba Iarna intră-n sat [The Winter Old Woman enters the village] 

Gramar, 2006 • ISBN (10) 973-591-539-1, (13) 978-973-591-539-1 

Many of the poems written by Otilia Cazimir 

(1894-1967) were dedicated to children. The 

author has always appreciated their tenderness 

and innocence. She used to tell them stories or 

write happy lyrics for them, describing either 

their world or the universe of the harmless 

insects or animals. The poetry The Winter Old 

Woman enters the village is about the cold season, 

which is imagined like an old and gloomy woman. 

The words and images are very suggestive and 

it quickly became a beloved and well-known 

children’s poem. 

Multe dintre poemele scrise de Otilia Cazimir (1894- 

1967) sunt dedicate copiilor. Autoarea a surprins 

întotdeauna expresiv candoarea copiilor în creaţiile 

ei, descriind lumea particulară a copiilor ori universul 

micilor şi nevinovatelor gângănii şi animale. Poezia 

Baba Iarna intră-n sat evocă anotimpul rece, care este 

imaginat sub chipul unei bătrâne mohorâte. Cuvintele 

şi imaginile sunt foarte sugestive şi poemul a devenit 

repede una dintre cele mai iubite şi cunoscute poezii de 

către copii. 

6 

Ioana Nicolaie • Mihail Marian, ill. 

Aventurile lui Arik [Arik’s Adventures] 

Corint Junior, 2008 • ISBN 978-973-128-174-2 

It is the best and the most successful book of 

the last years, written by a very gifted poet. Arik 

is a little hedgehog, who has a lot of adventures 

searching for his brothers and saving them from 

the smoky hornets. He fights against them 

helped by his best friend, a little mouse named 

Nasuri Cârne [Snub Noses]. He is also helped by 

a wise mole named Santa Cârţ and a horse fly, 

named Zum. The beauty of the lyrics, the exciting 

adventures and the attractive illustrations, 

including a puzzle game, make the reading a real 

delight for children. 

Cartea Aventurile lui Arik de Ioana Nicolae este unul 

dintre cele mai bune şi de succes volume ale ultimilor 

ani, scris de o poetă extrem de înzestrată. Arik este un 

micuţ arici, care are o groază de aventuri, în căutarea 

fraţilor lui pe care îi salvează de Viespile de fum, cele 

care au furat timpul. El luptă împotriva lor ajutat 

de cel mai bun prieten al lui, un şoricel numit Nasuri 

Cârne, precum şi de o înţeleaptă cârtiţă, Moş Cârţ şi 

de bondarul Zum. Frumuseţea versurilor, aventurile 

magice şi ilustraţiile atractive, precum şi jocul de 

puzzle inclus, fac lectura o reală bucurie pentru copii. 

7 

Gellu Naum • Nicolae Vasilescu (First Volume), Gellu Naum (second volume), ill. 

Cartea cu Apolodor [The Book with Apolodor]; A doua carte cu Apolodor 

[The Second Book with Apolodor] 

Humanitas, 2008 • ISBN 978-973-50-2213-6; 978-973-50-2214-3 

Both volumes relate the adventures of a 

penguin, named Apolodor, who goes through 

all kinds of events along with his friends, Ilie the 

Kangaroo and Amedeu the Lion. Gellu Naum’s 

lyrics make a very powerful impression on young 

readers and Apolodor’s world is full of humor 

and surprises. At the same time, in these books, 

children discover both a lot of useful experiences, 

and a good model to be followed. 

Ambele volume relatează aventurile pinguinului numit 

Apolodor, care trece prin diverse aventuri împreună 

cu prietenii săi, Ilie Cangurul şi Amedeu leul. Versurile 

lui Gellu Naum fac o puternică impresie asupra micilor 

cititori, iar lumea lui Apolodor, pinguinul care cânta în 

corul de la circul din Bucureşti şi care pleacă în lume 

să-şi revadă fraţii, este plină de umor şi surprise. În 

acelaşi timp, copiii descoperă în carte o sumedenie de 

experienţe utile şi un model demn de urmat. 


8 

Laura Cristinasărăcin • Cristina Pecherle, ill. 

Norocel 

Benefica, 2010 • ISBN 978-606-92754-3-6 

Norocel (Lucky) is a nice dog who grows bigger 

and bigger. He eats more and more and there is 

a real danger to everything around him. Finally, 

Norocel demolishes his master’ house. The people 

call the police and the dog has to run away, into 

the forest, causing a lot of damage there too. 

Left behind by all the animals scared by him, 

Norocel decides to surrender to the authorities. 

On the road to them, Norocel meets three boys, 

in danger of drowning themselves and he saves 

them, drinking the whole water and becoming 

the hero of the community. 

Norocel este un căţeluş drăgălaş care creşte din ce 

în ce mai mare. El mănâncă din ce în ce mai mult şi 

există o primejdie reală de a doborî totul în jur. În 

final, Norocel demolează casa stăpânilor săi. Aceştia 

chiamă poliţia şi câinele trebuie să fugă în pădure, 

unde continuă să facă pagube. Părăsit de toate 

animalele, speriate de el, Norocel decide să se predea 

autorităţilor. Pe drum, Norocel întâlneşte trei băieţi în 

pericol de a se înneca şi îi salvează, sorbind toată apa 

lacului. Astfel, devine eroul comunităţii şi este angajat 

la pompieri, folosindu-şi abilităţile în slujba oamenilor 

care l-au crescut. 

9 

Sándor Fodor • Lívia Rusz, ill. 

Csipike, az óriás törpe [Csipike, the Fierce Dwarf] 

ro-Print, 2007 • ISBN 978-973-8468-58-0 

Csipike is a nice dwarf, sometimes grumpy, but 

trusted, and always available for his friends 

and animals of the forest where he lives, being 

absolutely convinced that the fate of the forest 

depends entirely on him. His experiences are both 

funny and highly educational. Time after time, 

he becomes aware of his real role and starts to 

respect the others. Fodor Sandor’s book has won 

many fans among children by its fully imaginative 

characters and events. The illustrations also have 

a large contribution to its success. 

Csipike este un pitic drăguţ, uneori ţâfnos, dar de 

încredere şi întotdeauna dispus să ajute pe prietenii lui 

şi animalele din pădurea unde trăieşte, fiind absolut 

convins că soarta pădurii depinde în întregime de 

el. În felul acesta el dă peste cap toată viaţa pădurii 

prin ordinele lui. În timp, el devine conştient de rolul 

său real şi învaţă să respecte pe alţii. Experienţele 

lui sunt pline de umor, dar şi educative. Cartea lui 

Fodor Sándor a câştigat mulţi fani printre copii prin 

personajele şi evenimentele ei pline de imaginaţie. 

Ilustraţiile au contribuit la succesul cărţii. 

10 

Ricarda Maria Terschak • Mihaela Tivadar, ill. 

Die Bunte Omi [The Funny Grandmother] 

Sibiu, Hora Publishing House, fourth edition, 2004 • ISBN 978-973-8226-92-0 

The book describes the imaginary travel 

around the world of six children along with 

their grandmother. Traveling and playing, 

children learn new things about people and 

their particular habits in different places of the 

world, going through a real educative and moral 

experience. The illustrations are very real and 

convincing, making reading a real pleasure. 

Cartea descrie călătoria imaginară în jurul lumii a 

6 copii însoţiţi de bunica lor. Călătorind şi jucându-se, 

copiii învaţă lucruri noi despre oameni şi obiceiurile 

lor particulare în diferite locuri ale lumii. Călătoria 

este o experienţă educativă şi morală, iar ilustraţiile 

contribuie ca lectura să fie o reală plăcere. 


Books from 

Contact: Irina Mikhnova 

maria.evseeva@gmail.com 

Russian Federation 

This list consists of books illustrated by the most impressive Russian painters 

of the present and past, which have been published in recent years. One 

top ten list can’t include all varieties of the Russian book art. However, the 

expert group of the Russian State Children Library, which is the federal 

methodological centre, have tried to find a balance between recognized 

classical artists among Russian-speaking children (Ivan Bilibin, Yuri Vasnecov, 

Vladimir Konashevich, Vladimir Suteev, Tatyana Mavrina) and the most 

impressive representatives of the Russian modern book graphic arts (Gennady 

Spirin, Nikolay Popov, Francheska Yarbusova, Kirill Chelushkin). Also, during 

the process of selection the best texts (books by Alexander Pushkin, Anton 

Chekhov, Korney Chukovsky, etc.) and the high printing quality have been 

taken into account by the experts. 

1 

Y. Vasnetsov, ill. 

Ладушки: русские народные сказки, песенки, потешки 

[Pat-a-cake: Russian folktales, songs, rhymes] 

Detgiz, Octopus, 2011 • ISBN 978-5-94887-086-1 

Yury Vasnetsov is one of the most famous 

book illustrators in Russia. His works have 

been recognized as classics of Russian graphic 

arts. This book is considered to be his very 

best masterpiece (1964). Ornate, smart, 

decorated illustrations by Vasnetsov naturally fit 

for the small forms of Russian folklore. 

Юрий Алексеевич Васнецов — одни из крупнейших 

российских художников книги, признанный 

классик отечественной графики. Вершиной его 

творчества и главным итогом многолетней 

деятельности считается сборник русских 

народных сказок, песенок и потешек «Ладушки» 

(1964). В нарядных, остроумных, «пряничных» 

рисунках Васнецова малые формы русского 

фольклора нашли своё едва ли не самое органичное 

воплощение. 

2 

I. Bilibine, ill. 

Русские народные сказки [Russian Folktales] 

Mescheryakov, 2009 • ISBN 978-5-91045-078-7 

Russian folktales with classic illustrations 

by Ivan Bilibine, famous artist and participant 

of the artistic group Mir Iskusstva (World of Art) 

have been reprinted many times. 

Русские народные сказки с классическими 

иллюстрациями выдающегося художника- 

«мирискусника» Ивана Яковлевича Билибина 

переиздаются в России постоянно. В сборнике 

Издательского Дома Мещерякова билибинские 

шедевры представлены на достойном 

полиграфическом уровне. 

the world through picture books • books from russia • 157

3 

Tatyana Mavrina, ill. 

Лукоморье: сказочные миры Татьяны Мавриной 

[Curved Seashore: Fantastic Worlds by Tatyana Mavrina] 

Moskovskiye Uchebniki, 2010 • ISBN 978-5-7853-1362-0 

This book comprises not only folktales, but 

also all fairy tales in verse written by Alexander 

Pushkin, such as “The Tale of the Priest and 

of His Workman Balda”, “The Tale of Tsar 

Saltan”, “The Tale of the Dead Princess and the 

Seven Knights”, etc. Tatyana Mavrina is the only 

Russian artist to have been awarded the “Nobel 

Prize for children’s literature” – Gold Medal of 

Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration. 

Her naïve, primitive but in fact very refined 

manner is widely recognized both in Russia 

and abroad. 

Татьяна Алексеевна Маврина — единственная из 

русских художников, кто был удостоен «малой 

Нобелевской премии» — Международной Золотой 

Медали им. Х.К.Андерсена, высшей награды в 

области литературы для детей. Сказочная 

красота её кажущейся наивной, лубочной, но в 

действительности изысканной художественной 

манеры получила широкое признание у нас и за 

рубежом. К сожалению, в последние годы книги в её 

оформлении почти не издаются. Этот сборник — 

исключение. В него вошли не только фольклорные 

тексты, но и все сказочные произведения 

А.С.Пушкина (вплоть до отрывков из «Сказки о 

медведихе»). 

Книга, вышедшая в издательстве «Московские 

учебники», небезупречна в полиграфическом 

отношении, однако даёт достаточно внятное 

представление об уникальном художественном 

мире этого удивительного мастера. 

4 

Alexander Pushkin • К. Chyolushkin, ill. 

Сказка о рыбаке и рыбке [The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish] 

Azbuka, 2011 • ISBN 978-5-389-02463-2 

This tale in verse is about a fisherman who 

manages to catch a “Golden Fish” which promises 

to fulfill any wish of his in exchange for its 

freedom. Pushkin wrote the tale in 1833 and since 

that time it has been published with illustrations 

by very many artists. We have chosen this edition 

because of the graphics by Kirill Chyolushkin, 

one of the most talented and bright modern 

illustrators. 

Пушкинская «Сказка о рыбаке и рыбке» издавалась 

с рисунками самых разных художников. Мы 

остановили свой выбор на этом издании из-за 

графических работ Кирилла Чёлушкина, одного 

из самых ярких, щедро одарённых современных 

иллюстраторов. Даже всем известное, 

хрестоматийное произведение Кирилл способен 

трансформировать в нечто совершенно новое, 

странное, завораживающее. 

5 

Korney Chukovsky • V. Konashevitch, V. Suteyev, V. Duvidov, ill. 

Детям [For Children] 

Planeta Detstva, 2007 • ISBN 978-5-17-042973-8 

Korney Chukovsky is one of the most popular 

children’s poets of the Soviet times in the Russian 

language. This book comprises his poems “Doctor 

Aybolit”, “The Giant Roach”, “The Crocodile”, 

“Wash’em’clean”, etc., which have been favourites 

with many generations of Russian children. 

Each of the three illustrators has his own manner. 

Lyric and decorative style by Konashevitch, simple 

and smiling pictures by Suteyev, sincere and 

musical illustrations by Duvidov – all them show 

us the world of Chukovsky’s fairy tales. 

Корней Иванович Чуковский — создатель 

российской детской литературы. Его сказки — 

безусловная классика, так же как иллюстрации, 

украсившие этот сборник. 

Лиричный, игрушечно-декоративный Владимир 

Конашевич, бесхитростный и улыбчивый Владимир 

Сутеев, искренний, музыкальный Виктор 

Дувидов — каждый из этих художников в своей 

неповторимой манере раскрывает мир сказок 

Корнея Чуковского. 


6 

Vadim Gusev 

Про что внутри — прочти, посмотри: рисунки со стихами ли, 

с рисунками стихи ли… [What is inside – read and look: either pictures 

with verses or verses with pictures…] 

Detgiz, 2010 • ISBN 978-5-8452-0434-9 

Vadim Gusev illustrated his own poems 

in the Russian constructivism manner of 1920s. 

His poetry seems to be an integral part of his 

illustrations. 

Стилистика иллюстраций художника Вадима 

Гусева перекликается с работами русских 

конструктивистов 1920-х годов. Его поэзия 

настолько органично вписана в картинки, что 

кажется их неотъемлемой частью. 

7 

Nikolai Popov 

Зачем? [Why?] 

Ripol classic, 2010 • ISBN 978-5-386-02167-2 

Nikolai Popov’s wordless, thought-provoking 

tale about a frog who sits peacefully on a rock 

smelling a flower and a mouse who aggressively 

snatches the flower away. The absurdity of 

aggression and the inevitable consequences 

of the violence that occurs teaches us the 

ugliness of war and that there are no winners. 

This book was selected as the best book for 

children in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 

В книжке-картинке замечательного художника 

Николая Попова нет ни единого слова, но 

говорит она об очень важных вещах. О том, 

как легко поссориться со вчерашними друзьями 

и начать враждовать. История о войне мышей 

и лягушек в исполнении Николая Попова признана 

лучшей книгой для детей в Германии, Австрии 

и Швейцарии. 

8 

Sergei Kozlov, Yuriy Norshteyn • Franchesca Yarbusova, ill. 

Ёжик в тумане [Hedgehog in the Fog] 

Krasnyy Parokhod, 2011 • ISBN 978-5-386-02167-2 

This is a story about a little hedgehog, who is on 

his way to visit his friend the bear cub.Hedgehog 

in the Fog is a 1975 Russian animated film directed 

by Yuriy Norshteyn. The script was written by 

Sergei Kozlov and a book under the same name 

was published.In 2003 in Tokyo Hedgehog in 

the Fog was selected “N o 1 Animated film of all 

the time”. 

Книжная версия знаменитого мультфильма, 

признанного на фестивале в Торонто в 2003 

году лучшим анимационным фильмом всех времён 

и народов. 


9 

Junna Morits • Eugeny Antonenkov, ill. 

Крыша ехала домой: стихи-хи-хи для детей от 5 до 500 лет 

[The roof was going home: ha-ha verses for children from 5 to 500 years old] 

Vremya, 2010 • ISBN 978-5-9691-0507-2 

Junna Morits has attracted many young 

readers with her children’s poetry, some of 

which, like her adult work, became known 

to mass audiences through guitar singers. 

Illustrations by E. Antonenkov make their creative 

co-operation a real tandem. 

В лице художника Евгения Антоненкова Юнна 

Мориц нашла такого замечательного соавтора, 

что и сама, кажется, обрела второе дыхание. 

Их творческий тандем получился на редкость 

слаженным и удивительно органичным. 

10 

Anton Chekhov • G. Spirin, ill. 

Каштанка [Kashtanka] 

Ripol classic, 2010 • ISBN 978-5-386-01828-3 

“Kashtanka” by Anton Chekhov is one of the most 

famous short stories for children. 

The dog Kashtanka lives in precarious 

surroundings, with a drunken master and the 

ever-present possibility that she’ll be beaten or 

neglected. Suddenly, she finds herself living the 

good life; in so far as canine ideals go, she’s hit 

the jackpot. However, she rejects the good life 

as soon as her original master calls. Illustrations 

by Gennady Spirin, one of the top illustrators of 

children’s books, are considered the best graphics 

that have ever been created for this story. 

«Каштанка» — пожалуй, самый известный рассказ 

А.П.Чехова из тех, что давно и прочно вошли 

в детское чтение. По мнению специалистов, 

иллюстрации Геннадия Спирина принадлежат 

к числу лучших графических работ, когда-либо 

сделанных к этому произведению. 


Books from 

Senegal 

Contact: Viviana Quiñones – viviana.quinones@bnf.fr 

Antoinette Correa – bld@bldsn.org 

The selection was made by Mané Joséphine Diouf, in charge of reading 

activities at the Children’s library of Institut Français Léopold Sédar Senghor 

in Dakar, and coordinated by Antoinette Correa et Viviana Quiñones. 

1 

Adapt. of the text by Léopold Sédar Senghor • Abdoulaye Sadji, Georges Lorofi, ill. 

Les Aventures de Leuk-le-lièvre [The Adventures of Leuk-the-Hare] 

Les Nouvelles éditions africaines du Sénégal, 2003 (1 st ed. 1975) • ISBN 978-2-7236-1583-9 

Resourceful Leuk-the-Hare has much to learn 

from life, from other animals, from men, to 

become as wise as he aspires to be… This picturecomic 

book tells, with jocular illustrations, some 

of the adventures of this traditional hero of the 

savannah and of other very human animals that 

never lose their sense of humour. First published 

in 1975, it is based on L.S. Senghor and A. Sadji’s 

classic book for children La Belle histoire de Leukle-lièvre. 

Leuk-le-lièvre, débrouillard, a beaucoup à apprendre 

de la vie, des autres animaux, des hommes, pour 

devenir le sage qu’il aspire à être... Quelques unes 

des aventures de ce héros traditionnel de la savane 

africaine nous sont ici présentées dans la forme d’une 

bande dessinée à l’illustration savoureuse dans laquelle 

les animaux évoluent à la manière des humains, sans 

jamais perdre leur humour. Réédition de l’ouvrage paru 

en 1975, inspiré du classique La Belle aventure de 

Leuk-le-lièvre de L.S. Senghor et A. Sadji. 

2 

Fatou Ndiaye Sow • Moustapha Ndiaye, ill. 

Le Mouton d’Aminata [Aminata’s Lamb] 

Nouvelles Editions Ivoiriennes, 1996 • ISBN 978-2-910190-84-2 

Aminata is delighted with the upcoming 

Muslim Tabaski festival: the taylor has sewn 

her a beautiful dress, the braider has made her 

beautiful braids… but the main thing is missing, 

the lamb ! Aminata is very concerned One of 

Fatou Ndiaye Sow’s great stories, with stylized 

illustrations by Moustapha Ndiaye showing 

everyday life. 

Aminata se réjouit de la fête musulmane du Tabaski 

à venir; le tailleur lui a préparé une belle robe, la 

tresseuse lui a fait de belles nattes... mais il manque 

l’essentiel : le mouton ! et Aminata s’inquiète... 

Un récit de l’auteur sénégalaise Fatou Ndiaye Sow, 

dont les illustrations stylisées de Moustapha Ndiaye 

réproduisent des scènes de la vie quotidienne. 

the world through picture books • books from senegal • 161

3 

Lamine Diemé • Ndèye Daba Niane, transl. 

Nenne / Bébé Amine [Baby Amine] 

BLD, 2009 • ISBN 978-2-916859-07-1 

When Baby Amine wakes up alone on a big bed, 

his eyes show perplexity, then anxiety and finally, 

great anger… Fortunately, Mother is not far away. 

A small, square picture book, with expressive 

illustrations, where the story is mostly told by the 

image and its skilful framing. Other good simple 

picture books for very young children in this 

collection “Tété”: Dem Dikk on the blue and yellow 

Dakar mini-buses, and Colobane, on Colobane 

market in Dakar. Bilingual French-Wolof. 

Quand Bébé Amine se réveille seul dans un grand lit, 

c’est d’abord la perplexité qui se lit dans ses yeux, 

bientôt relayée par l’inquiétude, pour finir par une 

très grosse colère. Heureusement, Maman n’est pas 

loin. Dans ce petit album carré, aux illustrations très 

expressives, le récit est mené essentiellement par 

l’image qui joue habilement sur les cadrages. D’autre 

bons petits albums pour tout petits dans cette 

collection « Tété »: Dem Dikk, sur les mini-bus bleu et 

jaune de Dakar, et Colobane, sur ce marché dakarois. 

Bilingue français-wolof. 

4 

Béatrice Lalinon Gbado • Moctar Ly, ill. 

Waali le petit Talibé [Waali the little Talibe] 

Bibliothèque Lecture Développement, Ruisseaux d’Afrique, 2005 

Little “talibes” – children who attend Koranic 

schools, led by a marabout – live and beg in the 

streets of big cities. Starving, they sometimes 

snatch a passer-by’s handbag and end up at 

the police station. This is what happens to little 

Waali. It is Mister Ba the shopkeeper who tells 

this sad story to his family, that evening. What is 

the best solution for these abandoned children? 

To send them back to their home village? The 

powerful, warm illustrations enhance a story 

whose ending may not be a happy one. 

Dans les rues des grandes villes, des petits talibés 

– ces enfants de l’école coranique attachés à un 

marabout – vivent et mendient. Il leur arrive, affamés, 

d’arracher le sac d’une passante pour un morceau de 

pain et de se retrouver à la police. C’est ce qui arrive 

au petit Waali. Et c’est Monsieur Ba le boutiquier qui 

raconte cette triste histoire le soir à sa famille. Quelle 

solution pour ces enfants abandonnés ? Retrouver 

leur village natal ? Les illustrations fortes et chaudes 

mettent en valeur une histoire dont il n’est pas sûr que 

la résolution soit heureuse. 

5 

Raphaël Ndiaye • Malang Sène, ill. 

Mariame Kanté, Antoinette Fall Corréa, adapt. 

La Lutte [Wrestling] 

BLD, 2007 • ISBN 978-2-9527685-8-0 

In Fadiouth village, on the island of clam shells, 

André explains to his cousin Leïty just arrived 

from France, all about traditional Serer wrestling: 

the origins, the training, the costumes, the 

different techniques, women wrestling… A quiz 

and charades complete this non-fiction picture 

book giving substantial information on a little 

treated subject, African martial arts. 

Au village, à Fadiouth, l’île aux coquillages, André 

explique à son cousin Leïty venu de France, tout sur la 

lutte traditionnelle sérère : les origines, l’apprentissage, 

les tenues, les différentes prises, la lutte chez les 

femmes… Un quizz et des charades complètent ce 

documentaire conséquent, très illustré sur un sujet 

peu abordé, les arts de combat en Afrique. 


6 

7 

Awa Ndir Seck • Falilou Fall, ill. 

Awa et l’âne [Awa and the Donkey] 

BLD, 2006 • ISBN 978-2-916859-00-2 

Awa, a very poor girl, meets a donkey at a rubbish 

dump. He is in a pitiful state and Awa takes 

great care of him. One night, the donkey grants 

Awa’s greatest wish, to have a lavish home. But 

on one condition, the best room must belong 

to the donkey for ever. A tale on the importance 

of keeping one’s promises, told by a concise text 

and pleasant, meaningful illustrations. 

Malick Mayabé Fall • Abdou Karim Camara, ill. 

Oumar et Mariam [Oumar and Mariam] 

BLD, 2006 • ISBN 978-2-9527685-7-3 

Awa, jeune fille très pauvre, rencontre un âne dans 

un dépôt d’ordures. Il est dans un piteux état et Awa 

s’en occupe avec grand soin. Une nuit l’âne exauce son 

souhait le plus cher : avoir une demeure somptueuse. 

Mais à une condition, la meilleure pièce de la maison 

devra appartenir à son âne à tout jamais. Un conte 

sur l’importance de la promesse tenue, dit par un 

texte concis et par des illustrations agréables et très 

parlantes qui occupent une large place. 

Oumar and Mariam go back to the village after 

spending the school year at their uncle’s home in 

Dakar. It is a joy for them to see their parents again, 

and take part in the activities of every summer: 

help Mother cook and sell rice porridge, catch birds, 

harvest rice… Beautiful watercolours give charm to 

the book, a book serene as good family holidays. 

Oumar et Mariam rentrent au village après l’année 

scolaire chez leur oncle à Dakar. C’est une joie de 

retrouver les parents et les activités de chaque été : aider 

maman à préparer et à vendre la bouillie de riz, attraper 

des oiseaux, récolter le riz… Les belles illustrations à 

l’aquarelle sont pour beaucoup dans le charme de cet 

album serein, à l’image des bonnes vacances en famille. 

8 

Mariame Kanté • Pape Thierno Niang, ill. 

Moi, Sirou, chat sénégalais [Me, Sirou, Senegalese cat] 

BLD, 2007 • ISBN 978-2-9527685-6-6 

Sirou, a kitten, tells the story. He’s just arrived in 

a family home with its order, its rules to respect, 

a little girl Soukeye who wants to pamper him… 

and a sofa, forbidden to him but of course, soon 

taken over. Sirou is punished and must go back 

to a stray cat’s life. But because he foils a thief’s 

plans, he is welcomed back into the family. A 

lighthearted story, with humour and a peaceful 

vision of everyday family life. Cartoon speech 

bubbles , inserted into the illustrations , add to 

the book’s playfulness. 

La parole est à Sirou, petit chat tout juste débarqué 

dans une famille d’accueil avec son ordre établi, des 

règles à respecter, une petite fille Soukeye qui ne 

demande qu’à le chouchouter… et un canapé défendu 

et bien sûr investi : la punition ne tarde pas et c’est le 

retour à la vie de chat errant. Mais pour avoir déjoué 

les entreprises d’un voleur, le chat rentrera bientôt 

en grâce. Histoire légère, non dénuée d’humour et 

proposant une vision tranquille du quotidien familial. 

L’inclusion de bulles dans l’illustration proche du style 

BD, renforce le ton enjoué. 

9 

Hélène Ngone Diop, Moustapha Ndiaye, ill., Mame Daour Wade, transl. 

Jinne yu mel nune – Des djinns de toutes les couleurs [Djinns in all colours] 

BLD, 2008 • ISBN 978-2-916859-06-4 

First published in 1997 together with two other 

stories, this tale is published here alone, in a 

square, smaller and better suited format. It is 

not easy for djinns and men to live together, 

especially at siesta time when the little, invisible 

djinns make a racket… A very short text, in French 

and Wolof; amusing, colourful illustrations by 

Moustapha Ndiaye in his recognizable style. 

Paru en 1997 dans une édition qui regroupait trois 

histoires, cette nouvelle présentation du conte, seul, dans 

un album carré plus petit, permet de mieux en goûter la 

saveur. La cohabitation entre les djinns et les hommes 

n’est pas facile, surtout à l’heure de la sieste quand les 

petits êtres invisibles ne cessent leur vacarme… Un 

texte très court, en français et en wolof ; d’amusantes 

illustrations très colorées de Moustapha Ndiaye dans son 

style si reconnaissable que l’on a plaisir à retrouver. 




Books from 

Serbia 

Contact: Daniela Skoković 

daniela.skokovic@gmail.com 

The Children and Young Adults Section of the Serbian Library Association 

announced the project and call for voting on the internet via blogs, mailing 

list and Facebook group. A compiled list of 10 titles was made by multiplevote 

titles that were chosen by children’s librarians from 27 public libraries 

of different sizes from all around Serbia. 

1 

Branko Ćopić • Dušan Pavlić, ill. 

Јежева Кућица [The Hedgehog’s Home] 

Kreativni centar, 2010 • ISBN 978-86-7781-278-2 

Perhaps the most famous and most popular 

children’s poem ever written in the Serbian 

language, the “Hedgehog’s Home” by Branko 

Ćopić still enchants readers of all generations 

with its magic lyrics. Ježurka Ježić, the title 

character, is a moody loner who loves his 

home more than anything else. The story of his 

adventures in the forest is a story of modesty, 

courage, shyness and wisdom. 

Можда најпознатија и најпопуларнија поема за 

децу написана на српском језику, „Јежева кућица“ 

Бранка Ћопића својим магичним стиховима и 

даље подједнако очарава све генерације. Јежурка 

Јежић је ћудљиви усамљеник који више од свега 

воли свој дом, а прича о њему и његовим шумским 

догодовштинама је прича о скромности и 

храбрости, о стидљивости и мудрости. 

2 

Simeon Marinković • Tihomir Čelanović, ill. 

Мишко Нећејед [Miško Nibbling] 

Kreativni centar, 2009 • ISBN 978-86-7781-221-8 

One of the picture books about the little boy 

Miško who keeps getting into all kinds of trouble. 

The stubborn Miško finds a great way to attract 

attention by rejecting everything he is offered, 

especially food. However, one day his breakfast 

(jam, honey, milk and French toast) decides to 

abandon him instead of waiting for him to make 

up his mind. This exciting book will tell you about 

how Miško handled this unusual situation. 

Једна од сликовница из серије о дечаку Мишку, коме 

се стално дешавају неке невоље. Својеглави Мишко 

овог пута је пронашао сјајан начин да непрекидно 

држи пажњу своје околине тако што одбија све, 

а пре свега – храну. Ипак, једнога дана, џем од 

шљива, мед, млеко и прженице, уместо да чекају 

да се Мишко коначно смилује и поједе их, одлуче да 

напусте малог размаженка. Како се Мишко снашао 

у тој новој ситуацији, открићете на страницама 

ове веселе књиге. 

the world through picture books • books from serbia • 164

3 

Dejan Aleksić • Boris Kuzmanović, ill. 

Девојчица И Плаво [Тhe Little Girl And Blue] 

Zavod za udžbenike, 2008 • ISBN 978-86-17-14624-3 

The Little Girl and Blue, written by Dejan Aleksic 

and illustrated by Boris Kuzmanovic, is a book for 

children which stands out among its kind because 

of its unusual story, poetic style and great beauty. 

A highly imaginative book created in an original 

style with numerous illustrations that in unison 

truly penetrate deep down to the very depths of 

one’s soul. The main character, a little girl, meets 

Blue in her enchanting dream. She sees him casually 

catching butterflies in a beautiful meadow while 

he is hopeful that they will fly him up into the sky, 

because every normal Blue lives in that lofty place... 

Књига Девојчица и Плаво писца Дејана Алексића и 

илустратора Бориса Кузмановића маштовитим 

и оригиналним текстом и илустрацијама које 

продиру у душу испричаног, представља дечију 

књигу која се посебно издваја необичношћу, 

поетичношћу и лепотом. Девојчица у свом 

чудесном сну среће Плаво које на ливади лови 

лептире са жељом да га они однесу на небо, јер 

свако нормално Плаво живи на небу... 

4 

Brana Crnčević • Dobrosav Bob Živković, ill. 

Љутито Мече [The Angry Little Bear] 

Kreativni centar, 2005 • ISBN 86-7781-297-0 

The well known poem by Brana Crnčević about 

a stubborn little bear who refuses to sleep his 

winter sleep, and wants to play with cats, rabbits 

and birds instead. Crnčević was inspired to write 

it when his little daughter refused to go to sleep 

on time. This poem has been very popular among 

children, and the angry little bear has become 

a nickname for disobedient and feisty kids. 

Позната песма Бране Црнчевића о тврдоглавом 

мечету које неће да спава зимским сном, већ хоће 

да се „проводи“ заједно са мачкама, зечевима и 

птицама, настала је после тешких борби које је 

сам аутор имао са својом ћеркицом око одласка 

на спавање. Временом, ова песма је постала веома 

популарна међу децом, а „љутито мече“ живи 

као препознатљив синоним за сву непослушну 

и храбру децу. 

5 

Gordana Maletić • Ana Grigorjev, ill. 

Упознајте Породицу Леопардић [Let’s Meet The Leopard Family] 

Evro-Giunti, 2009 • ISBN 978-86-505-1383-5 

In a nice quiet little town on the banks of the 

river there are many houses and large buildings. 

They keep their tenants, residents of this pleasant 

place to live. In one of the newest buildings 

high on a hill, surrounded by a park, unusual 

tenants have moved in recеntly. The whole 

neighbourhood is full of life now! Each floor is 

shared by two unusual families. That’s why living 

in this house is so cheerful for everyone. Let’s 

meet the Leopard Family. 

У лепом градићу на обали мирне реке постоји много 

кућа и великих зграда. Оне чувају своје станаре, 

становнике овог места пријатног за живот. 

У једну од тек сазиданих високих зграда на 

брежуљку, окружену парком, недавно су се уселили 

станари. Како је ту сада живо! Сваки спрат деле по 

две необичне породице. Зато је и живот у овој кући 

весео у својој шароликости. Упознајте породицу 

Леопардић! 

6 

Brana Cvetković • Neda Dokić, ill. 

Прича О Ваљушку [The Story of a Noodle] 

Креативни центар, 2003 • ISBN 86-7781-152-4 

The main character of this poem, written by the 

famous 20th century Serbian poet and illustrator, 

is a noodle. He escapes through a kitchen window, 

goes out into the world and has many adventures. 

At the end of this book there is a recipe for making 

noodles, so you can try it out yourself! 

Јунак ове приче у стиху, чији је аутор познати 

српски песник и илустратор с почетка 20. века, 

јесте ваљушак, једна врста јела од теста. Много 

узбудљивих згода и незгода ће се десити кад 

ваљушак побегне са кухињског прозора и крене у 

свет. На крају књиге чека вас рецепт за прављење 

ваљушака, па изволите, опробајте се! 


7 

Simeon Marinković • Dušan Pavlić, ill. 

Шта Све Ана Зна ...Добри Суседи [What Ana Knows…Good Neighbours] 

Креативни центар, 2008 • ISBN 978-86-7781-514-1 

This series of lift the flap picture books “What 

Ana knows” is made for the youngest readers. 

Together with little Ana, through ten everyday 

situations, children will learn how to behave with 

their neighbours, and why it is so important to 

treat others in the same way that you yourself 

would like to be treated. 

Серија сликовница – преклапалица „Шта све Ана 

зна...“, намењена најмлађим читаоцима, садржи 

девет наслова, од којих је „Добри суседи“ међу 

најпопуларнијим. Заједно са малом Аном, кроз десет 

свакодневних ситуација, деца ће сазнати шта 

значи лепо понашање према суседима и зашто је 

важно да се према другима понашамо онако како 

бисмо волели да се и они понашају према нама. 

8 

Brana Cvetković • Biljana Labović, ill. 

Зунзарина Палата [The Blowfly’s Palace] 


This story, based on a Serbian folk tale, features 

as its characters a blowfly, a mosquito, a frog, 

a rabbit and a bear. Its repetitive and exciting 

rhythm will hypnotize the youngest readers and 

make them want to hear the story over and over 

again. 

Весело испричана прича са елементима 

разбрајалице, у којој су главни јунаци једна мува 

зунзара, комарац, жабац, зец и меда, својим 

ритмом и узбудљивом завршницом магнетски 

привлачи најмлађе читаоце. Ова сликовница 

на најбољи начин подсећа на дечјег писца и 

илустратора Брану Цветковића, који је стварао 

у периоду између Првог и Другог светског рата. 

9 

Arsen Diklić • Dobrosav Bob Živković, ill. 

Плави Кит [Blue Whale] 


As a child, the famous Serbian poet Arsen Diklić 

loved spending time by the river Gacka, where 

he also kept his own boat hidden. When he grew 

up, his love of the river inspired him to write 

many poems and stories. The Blue Whale, one of 

his most beautiful poems, is a thrilling tale of a 

grumpy sailor and a big blue whale who endures 

his taunting, until one day when he loses his 

temper… 

Као дете, познати српски песник Арсен Диклић 

заволео је реку Гацку на којој је имао и свој скривени 

чамац, а када је одрастао, најлепше дане провео је 

на Дунаву и Сави. Из те љубави и снова на рекама 

поникле су многе његове приче и песме, а једна 

од најлепших је поема „Плави кит“, узбудљива 

приповест о морнару свађалици и великом, плавом 

киту који трпи његова задиркивања све док једног 

дана не изгуби стрпљење... 

10 

Gordana Maletić • Ana Grigorjev, ill. 

Јеж И Лисица [The Hedgehog and the Fox] 

Evro-Giunti, 2010 • ISBN 978-86-505-0535-9 

Charming and amusing illustrations in this 

illustrated book embellish the stories about the 

adventures of those who inhabit the edge of 

the forest. These are the well known characters 

from popular tales- the fox, the bear, the wolf 

and many others... As always, their encounters 

in tales finish with the victory of the weaker but 

wiser, so the children can learn that wisdom 

triumphs over force. 

Свет домаћих и дивљих животиња одувек је 

омиљени амбијент дечје маште и интересовања. 

Преплићући познате народне мотиве са 

савременим окружењем, аутори духовито и 

раскошно илуструју живот на ободу шуме и 

сусрете становника са обе стране „златне капије“. 


Books from 

Singapore 

Contact: Ian Yap 

Ian_YAP@nlb.gov.sg 

The books included in the top ten list for Singapore were chosen for inclusion 

because they are: 

– Books that feature Singapore and/or its diverse culture 

– Books with universal values such as friendship, love, family, etc. 

– Of good quality in writing and illustrations (not didactic in the telling) 

– Children’s perennial favourites (e.g. Mooty) 

Most of the books featured have received awards such as First Time Writers 

and Illustrators award, Hedwig Anuar award or in the case of Emily Lim’s book, 

Independent Publisher’s Book Award (“IPPY Awards”) – Bronze medal in the 

Children’s Picturebook category. 

1 

Adeline Foo • Lee Kowling, ill. 

The beaded slippers 

Booksmith, 2008 • ISBN 9789810808044 

Puteh lives in a huge house with her 

grandmother, Mama, and their servant, Amah. 

There are 4 rooms in the house, one for each 

of them. But, the last room remains unoccupied. 

Not only that, it is always locked. Amah calls 

it the haunted room in the hope of scaring 

Puteh but that only triggers Puteh’s curiosity 

even more. One day, she chances on the 

room unlocked. As both Mama and Amah are 

busy, she sneaks into the room and discovers 

something special about the room. 

Follow Puteh and learn about the “Peranakan” 

world through the illustrations and facts in 

this book. With the inclusion of a glossary of 

Peranakan terms used for a better understanding, 

this will definitely be an informative read. 

2 

Shamini Flint • Alpana Ahuja, ill. 

Sasha visits Singapore 

Sunbear Pub, 2006 • ISBN 9789810565404 

Sasha is in Singapore, and she is in for a treat. 

Follow her through a bumboat ride, the MRT 

and even a zebra-striped train! As she explores 

vibrant Singapore, she meets the famous Merlion, 

the white tigers in the Singapore Zoo and even 

a Lion Dance. 

Tag along with Sasha and you will get a chance 

to visit Singapore’s famous attractions all in 

one day. The illustrations capture the essence 

of Singapore very well. 

the world through picture books • books from singapore • 167

3 

Belinda Chan • Lynette Long, ill. 

Ah Kong’s clock 

Straits Times Press Children, 2009 • ISBN 9789814266376 

Ah Kong’s clock has been with the family for 

many generations. It is a friend as well as a 

member of the family. Day after day, the clock 

ticks on faithfully, telling everyone the time and 

going through important occasions with the 

family. But one day, the clock stops! Is it trying 

to tell us something? 

This is a great book, and also suitable for parents 

to emphasize to their child on the importance 

of time. 

4 

Jin Pyn 

The elephant and the tree 

Epigram Books, 2006 • ISBN 9789810561024 

This story features a unique relationship 

between an elephant and a tree. They are the 

best of friends. The story begins with a young 

elephant who loves wandering free. Yet he will 

always go back to the same tree. He goes to 

the tree to scratch his itching body and to share 

stories. As the years go by, they lose their natural 

playground to humans. The elephant is shot 

and the tree chopped down. With one chained 

and the other bound, they recount the happy 

memories of the time they were both free. 

This heart-warming adventure tells of how the 

friendship between the elephant and the tree 

stands the test of time. 

5 

Lynn Lee • Phua San San, ill. 

I don’t want Mei Mei anymore! 

Straits Times Press, 2008 • ISBN 9789814266062 

This book is about Mark and his baby sister 

whom he calls Mei Mei. One day, Mark gets very 

angry and declares that he does not want Mei 

Mei anymore. They sit in Mark’s rocket and take 

off on an adventure. They land right in front of 

a baby factory where Mark gets to exchange Mei 

Mei for another baby. Will he find the perfect 

baby? A simple yet beautiful story about sibling 

relationships. 

6 

By Emily Lim • Neal Sharp, ill. 

Prince bear & pauper bear 

Mustard Seed Books, 2007 • ISBN 9789810590048 

Prince Bear and Pauper Bear belong to the same 

toy store but they look very different. While 

Prince Bear has matching eyes and a mouth, an 

armour with his name on it and wears a crown 

and cape, Pauper Bear is plain with mismatched 

eyes and no mouth. Prince Bear is bought by 

a girl who loves him initially but neglects him 

afterwards. Pauper Bear is given to a boy without 

much money. The grateful boy fixes his eyes and 

mouth and plays with him daily. 

A story that highlights the values of empathy, 

compassion and friendship. It is accompanied 

by child-like illustrations with gentle and 

cheerful colours. 


7 

David Seow • Enrico Sallustio, ill. 

Blow a kiss 

Bonnie Books, 2010 • ISBN 9789810824938 

This heart-warming story starts with a simple 

thought: “Can you blow a kiss? Get ready, get set, 

blow! Now let’s see where your little kiss will go.” 

It then takes the reader’s imagination across 

various countries and cultures, following the 

pathway of the blown kiss. 

With rhyming text, this story shows how 

much joy a blown kiss can bring to others. 

The illustrations are charming; colourful with soft 

shades and full of expression! They enhance the 

vivid pictures that come to mind when reading 

the verses. The kiss finally lands in Singapore 

and it’s the reader’s turn to pass on the message 

of love and happiness - blow a kiss! 

8 

Sharon Ismail • Khairudin Saharom, ill. 

What Sallamah didn’t know 

Candid Kids, 2007 • ISBN 9789810589943 

Set in early Singapore, this true story tells 

of a girl’s journey in discovering and accepting 

that she is an adopted child. It all began with 

a Chinese baby girl who was given to a Malay 

family to raise as their own. The baby was named 

Sallamah and grew up happily amongst her 

many siblings in a close knit kampong (Malay 

for “village”). Her happiness finds an abrupt end 

when she found out, by accident, that she was 

in fact adopted and of Chinese heritage. Soon, 

she learnt that some of her other siblings were 

also adopted as babies and were also of different 

races. This is a heartwarming story, beautifully 

written by the protagonist’s daughter – of 

true love and kinship, regardless of the colour 

of one’s skin. 

9 

Jessie Wee • Kwan Shan Mei, ill. 

The adventures of Mooty 

Marshall Cavendish Children, 2009 • ISBN 9789814276559 

Mooty is a mouse who lives in Grandma’s house 

but he is forced to move out when Grandma gets 

a cat. He finds a big hollow tree and calls it his 

new house. He then makes friends with other 

creatures – ants, lizards, birds and frogs. Mooty’s 

adventures come in five books with ten stories. 

The whole set is entertaining with Mooty getting 

married and having a baby at the end of the 

series. The illustrations are cute and children 

will especially get attracted to adorable Mooty 

in his sarong attire. 

10 

Yixian Quek • Grace Duan Ying, ill. 

The Book that was Handed Down 

Straits Times Press, 2008 • ISBN 9789814266055 

Ping is always getting hand-me-downs from 

her brother Ming, including this book. She does 

not like the book at all, that is until her brother 

shares the hidden wonders of stories. This is 

a highly original picturebook, simple yet brilliantly 

put together to carry the story through its 

illustrations. It won the inaugural Hedwig Anuar 

Award in May 2011. 


Books from 

Slovenia 

Contact: Darja Lavrenčič Vrabec – darja.lavrencic-vrabec@mklj.s 

Tilka Jamnik – tilka.jamnik@mklj.si 

A shortlist of the ten most outstanding picture books from Slovenia has been 

drawn up by the staff of Ljubljana City Library (LCL), Pionirska – the Centre 

for Youth Literature and Librarianship and the Slovenian Section of the IBBY. 

The entries included in the shortlist have been carefully selected by experts 

in the field of youth literature and youth librarianship, tutors of reading and 

promoters of youth literature nationwide. It includes ten of the most original 

and timeless classics of this genre. Compiling the shortlist according to the 

highest professional standards proved to be a challenging and responsible 

task indeed. One of our guiding principles was to include one entry only for 

each author (a writer, an illustrator) so that the list includes a picture book 

that is most representative of their entire body of work and is significant 

within the system of Slovenian youth literature. It was our aim to present 

picture books that have gained a timeless eminence and popularity and many 

have been incorporated in the Slovenian hall of fame of folk-like tales and 

literary characters. The shortlisted picture books never cease to enrich and 

brighten the early years of Slovenian children, and have been an indispensable 

component of the childhood years of many generations. This makes them a 

vital part of Slovenian cultural and literary heritage passed from generation 

to generation. Every single one of them is a world unto itself and together 

they present a wide and diverse range of textual and visual styles and designs. 

The present selection includes the best of Slovenian picture books from the 

early 1900s (starting with The Bubbles by Oton Župančič) to the late 1970s. It is 

a pleasure to be part of this important international project which will place 

Slovenian picture books on the world map and also promote the best-quality 

Slovenian picture books. All of the shortlisted entries have won the Golden 

Pear token of recognition presented by the Ljubljana City Library, Pionirska. 

They carry many positive and life-affirming messages to make this world a 

better place. In terms of quality, they have been produced according to the 

highest standards of the Slovenian printing and publishing trade. Their textual 

and visual components supplement each other; and their rich interplay 

invariably succeeds in boosting the imagination and creativity of young 

readers. They are suitable for reading aloud in the context of a family (with an 

adult reading aloud), as well as for children in the early stages of their reading 

skills acquisition to read for themselves. In terms of age groups, they are 

aimed at pre-school children and at primary school children up to the age of 11. 

The short outlines presented below have been drawn up by the board 

members of the Guide for Reading High-quality Books for Young Readers, which is 

compiled nationwide by the Ljubljana City Library (LCL), Pionirska, The Guide 

acts an overview and a detailed assessment of books for children and young 

readers published in Slovenia during one year. 

the world through picture books • books from slovenia • 170

It remains our aim to draw up a follow-up to the present shortlist which will 

include the ten best contemporary (post 1970-) Slovenian picture books to 

outline the development of Slovenian picture book output to the present 

day. The shortlisted entries will cover talented emerging authors of younger 

generations, a diversity of trends and tendencies, the richness of different 

visual vocabularies and idiosyncratic styles that go beyond a local context and 

carry a universal potential for the world at large. 

Note: The entries are listed in alphabetical order according to the last name of the writer 

and the translations have been done by Tina Mahkota. 

1 

Niko Grafenauer • Marjan Manček, ill. 

Pedenjped [The Littleman] 

Mladinska knjiga, 1979 • ISBN 9789610117599 

Ever since its first appearance, The Littleman, 

brainchild of Slovenian poet Niko Grafenauer (b. 

1940), has enjoyed a massive popularity and has 

become almost a folk-like character of Slovenian 

poetry for children. The richness and versatility 

of his extra-literary life can be compared only 

to Župančič’s character Ciciban and to Levstik’s 

Najdihojca. Following its first publication in 1966, 

The Littleman has appeared in many editions of 

selected poems and illustrations. However, it is 

the sixth edition, featuring ten poems about the 

Littleman, illustrated by Marjan Manček (b.1948) 

that has gained a true nationwide appeal. 

The poems carry a quintessential signature 

of Grafenauer’s subtle interplay between the 

word sound and sense. The poet’s idiosyncratic 

neologisms (starting with the very name of 

the character itself, Pedenjped, which would 

literally translate as ‘Nine-Inch Man’) are subtly 

juxtaposed by colloquial expressions to give the 

poems a familiar and cosy local colour. In terms 

of form, a consistent trochaic verse pattern 

follows either an alternate (ABAB) or a repetitive 

(AABB) rhyme scheme, which makes the poems 

very regular and firmly structured. Due to their 

acoustic quality the poems are especially suitable 

and appealing to young readers. The Littleman is 

visually represented as a brat with unkempt hair, 

picking his nose, but also as a precocious young 

“artist” with a vivid imagination. However, his 

nearest and dearest do not always understand 

or appreciate his musical, artistic and scientific 

experiments and antics. It is precisely these 

character features that allow young readers to 

easily identify with the Littleman almost 50 years 

after his first appearance, and provide many a 

cue to laugh with and about him. 

Pedenjped Nika Grafenauerja (roj. 1940) je 

nedvomno eden najbolj znanih, že skoraj ponarodelih 

likov slovenske poezije, razvejanost njegovega 

zunajliterarnega življenja pa se verjetno lahko kosa 

le še z Župančičevim Cicibanom ali Levstikovim 

Najdihojco. Pedenjped se je od leta 1966 slovenskim 

bralcem predstavil večkrat, v različnih prepletih izborov 

pesmi in ilustracij. Šesti ponatis zbirke iz leta 1979 

je najverjetneje najbolj znana kombinacija desetih 

pesmi o Pedenjpedu in ilustracij Marjana Mančka 

(roj. 1948). Pedenjpeda zaznamuje Grafenauerjev 

značilni občutek za zven in pomen: domiselnim 

neologizmom (z imenom glavnega junaka na čelu) 

se občasno pridružijo posamezne pogovorne besede, 

ki besedila obarvajo domače, vse pa povezujeta 

stalna trohejska stopica in prestopna ali zaporedna 

rima, kar zagotavlja močan ritem in trdno strukturo 

besedila, ki sta še kako pomembna pri pesmih za 

otroke. Pedenjped je predstavljen kot majhen pobalin 

s prstom v nosu in razmršenimi lasmi, hkrati pa kot ne 

povsem razumljen mali “umetnik” z veliko domišljije – 

njegovih glasbenih, slikarskih ali učenjaških poizkusov 

doma ne razumejo/sprejemajo najbolje. Kot tak malim 

bralcem še po skoraj pol stoletja ponuja tako možnost 

samoidentifikacije kot iztočnico za veliko smeha – 

bodisi s Pedenjpedom ali o Pedenjpedu. 


2 

Kajetan Kovič • Jelka Reichman, ill. 

Maček Muri [Muri the Cat] 


Kajetan Kovič is considered a contemporary 

classic of Slovenian youth literature mainly due 

to his unpretentious, witty and evocative fairy 

tale of Kitty Town and its central character 

Muri the Cat. This uplifting and optimistic idyll 

of small town life starts with an early morning 

coffee accompanied by a perusal of the latest 

newspaper, and is followed by a morning stroll 

through the town, bursting with interesting retail 

and repair shops, and with an obligatory addon 

in every idyllic town, two police officers who 

have captured an infamous robber and are taking 

him to jail. The highlight of Muri’s day out is his 

lunch date with the famous belle of the town in 

a first-class restaurant. The ensuing afternoon is 

enjoyed in different ways: gentlemen of the feline 

order attend a football match, while female cats 

spend it chatting away while kitten-sitting. Not 

only is Muri the Cat a true gentleman, but also a 

writer and the town’s chronicler, so he ends his 

day writing down the events of the day. Kovič’s 

story, which is a genuine masterpiece in its own 

right, was given added value by the illustrator 

Jelka Reichman. Although it may appear at first 

glance a celebration of idyllic life in a small town, 

this is presented as a possibility and not as a 

privilege of a certain social elite. Consequently, 

Muri the Cat can address contemporary children 

as if they were the townspeople themselves, 

encouraged to enjoy living in their town. Ever 

since its first edition in 1975, no shortlist of 

Slovenian core texts for children has been 

complete without Muri the Cat. 

Kajetan Kovič (roj. 1931) se je med klasike slovenske 

mladinske književnosti zapisal s preprosto, hudomušno, 

a sugestivno pravljico o Mačjem mestu in njegovem 

junaku mačku Muriju. Optimistična meščanska idila se 

začne z jutranjo kavico in pregledom novic v časopisu, 

se nadaljuje v dopoldanski sprehod po mestu, polnem 

zanimivih obrti, uslug in prodajaln ter – z obveznim 

dodatkom vsakega zadovoljnega mesta – policajem, 

ki pelje dva znamenita roparja počivat. Vrhunec dneva 

je kosilo z mestno lepotico v odlični gostilni, popoldne 

pa se zadovoljstvo razdeli na dvoje: obisk nogometne 

tekme za mačje gospode in prijeten prijateljski 

klepet ob čuvanju otrok za mačje dame. Ker je Muri 

poleg kavalirja še mestni kronist in pisatelj, preden 

zaspi, skrbno popiše vse, kar mesto doživlja in Muri 

z njim. To mojstrsko besedilo je likovno ovekovečila 

ilustratorka Jelka Reichman (roj. 1939). Čeprav je 

slikanica neke vrste hvalnica idiličnemu meščanskemu 

življenju, idilo slika kot možnost in ne kot privilegij 

elite, zato slikanica tudi sodobne otroke nagovarja kot 

domačine, ki naj mesto uživajo, če že v njem živijo. 

Od leta 1975, ko je slikanica prvič izšla, temeljni izbor 

knjig za otroke ni popoln brez te slikanice. 


3 

Fran Levstik • Roža Piščanec, ill. 

Kdo je napravil Vidku srajčico [Who Made Videk’s Shirt] 


Fran Levstik published his fairy tale about a poor 

boy, Videk (Vitus) and his animal friends as early 

as 1877 in the third issue of a story paper, Vrtec 

(Little Garden). As a picture book in its own right 

it first appeared in 1955 in the popular story book 

series Čebelica (Little Bee), accompanied by 

wonderful lithographs by Roža Piščanec. Levstik’s 

original text was slightly altered and rewritten to 

sound less archaic, by the series editor Kristina 

Brenk who also deleted the final paragraph with 

a rather didactic comment by Videk’s mother. 

Since then, Who Made Videk’s Shirt has been 

published many times and remains in print with 

the original illustrations by Roža Piščanec. It 

is hardly an exaggeration to claim that Levstik 

who rates as a role model of fine writing in 

Slovenian, showed us how to address ecology 

and environmental issues as early as 130 years 

ago. Being very much in vogue these days, such 

writing is too often reduced to trendy variations 

and countless versions of how-to-deal-withwaste-bins, 

the predicaments of birds after an 

oil spill, and computer-savvy kids chasing ecocriminals. 

Contrariwise, Levstik gets to the point 

in just a few masterful strokes: that mankind’s 

failure to conjoin with nature will make us even 

poorer than we are, should we fail to realize that 

every single creature is an indispensable link to 

our survival. And this is the message that Videk 

has to learn even before he starts attending 

school. 

Pravljico o revnem Vidku in prijateljicah živalih je 

Fran Levstik (1831-1887) prvič objavil leta 1877 v 3. 

številki Vrtca, kot slikanica pa je prvič izšla šele leta 

1955 v zbirki Čebelica s čudovitimi litografijami Rože 

Piščanec (1923-2006). Od tedaj dalje je besedilo, ki 

ga je za Čebelico jezikovno posodobila in za zadnji 

odstavek, nekakšen modrostni zaključek Vidkove 

mame, skrajšala verjetno urednica Kristina Brenkova, 

doživelo številne ponatise v različnih izdajah, a vse z 

ilustracijami Rože Piščanec. Brez pretiravanja lahko 

rečemo, da je Levstik, ki tudi sicer velja za našega 

učitelja dobrega pisanja v slovenščini, s to zgodbo že 

pred več kot 130 leti postavil zgled smotrnega pisanja 

o ekologiji. Medtem ko se sodobno modno pisanje o 

okoljskih problemih v neekoloških količinah zadovoljuje 

z neštetimi različicami premetavanja smetnjakov, 

davečih štorkelj in računalniško bistrih otrok, ki lovijo 

okoljske zločince, Levstik v nekaj potezah predstavi 

bistvo: da smo brez sodelovanja z naravo še bolj revni 

kot sicer, saj je prav sleherno bitje pomemben člen 

našega preživetja. In to mora vedeti mali Videk še pred 

vstopom v šolo! 


4 

Svetlana Makarovič • Kostja Gatnik, ill. 

Pekarna Mišmaš [Mishmash Bakery] 


In addition to the Kosovirs (the Cosies) and 

Sapramiška (Sapramouse), Mishmash, the baker, 

is the third of Svetlana Makarovič’s brainchildren 

that ranks as one of the legendary characters 

in Slovenian literature for children and adults 

alike. The story which first appeared in 1974 

has undergone several changes, and has been 

adapted for stage and radio many times. In 

1986 it was published with the writer’s own 

illustrations. In terms of a picture book format, 

three versions are available, illustrated by 

Marlenka Stupica (1974), Gorazd Vahen (1997) and 

Kostja Gatnik (2011) respectively. These include 

three slightly different text versions which do not 

vary much in terms of the story’s key messages, 

its appearance and a plotline. What differs, 

though, are the openings and the endings. The 

identical beginnings in the 1997 and 2001 editions 

differ from the 1974 edition; the identical endings 

from the 1974 and 2011 editions differ from 

the one published in 1997. It is fairly irrelevant 

whether these changes were incited to provide a 

critical analysis of the context of their publication, 

or whether they were driven by more prosaic 

pecuniary publishing business goals. Mishmash 

Bakery remains a truly original and ingenious 

critique of greed and envy, two main causes 

of small-mindedness and impoverishment. 

As far as the illustrations in different editions 

are concerned, they bear a signature of their 

publication time too. Marlenka Stupica focuses 

on the aesthetic perfection of colour surfaces and 

colour schemes to convey the message of the 

baker’s generosity and the folly of the envious 

village folk. Gorazd Vahen (his is the edition with 

a different ending) upgrades his illustrations 

with stage lighting that adds many stage-like 

emphatic features to his characters. It is Kostja 

Gatnik (b. 1945), however, who transposes the 

aesthetics of a drawing to a big screen where 

new perspectives are added to the characters. 

Similarly, the story is given a new lease of life in 

terms of satire, familiarity and universal human 

condition. A picture book is thus turned into a 

proper visual spectacle for all age groups and big 

screens all over the world. 

Poleg Kosovirjev in Sapramiške je pek Mišmaš tretji 

literarni lik Svetlane Makarovič (roj. 1939), ki se je 

vključil med legendarne like slovenske literature 

nasploh. Sama pripoved je od svoje prve izdaje 

leta 1974 doživela kar nekaj preobrazb; od izdaje z 

avtoričinimi ilustracijami (1986), priredb za gledališče, 

radio in zvočne posnetke (od leta 1975 dalje), do treh 

pomembnih slikaniških izdaj z ilustracijami Marlenke 

Stupica (1974), Gorazda Vahna (1997) in Kostje 

Gatnika (2011). Omenjene tri slikaniške izdaje pomenijo 

tudi tri besedilne različice zgodbe. Razlike sicer ne 

spreminjajo bistvenih sporočil in podobe zgodbe, 

spremenjeni so predvsem začetki in konci (enaka 

začetka izdaj 1997 in 2011 se razlikujeta od izdaje 

1974; enaka konca izdaj 1974 in 2011 se razlikujeta od 

izdaje 1997). Naj so te spremembe nastale kot poskus 

kritične aktualizacije trenutka, v katerem je besedilo 

izhajalo, ali iz kakih bolj prozaičnih založniških potreb, 

v celoti Pekarna Mišmaš ves čas ostaja izvirna kritika 

pohlepa in nevoščljivosti, ki sta navadno glavna 

generatorja omejenosti in revščine vseh vrst. Odtenek 

časa, v katerem so izhajale izdaje, veje tudi iz ilustracij. 

Marlenka Stupica se posveča zgolj estetski perfekciji 

ploskev in barv, ki otrokom govorijo o dobroti peka in 

neumnosti nevoščljivcev. Gorazd Vahen (v teh izdajah 

je spremenjen zaključek besedila) ilustracijam doda 

odrske luči in z njimi odrske poudarke karakterjev. 

Ilustracije Kostje Gatnika (roj. 1945) pa estetiko risbe 

razpnejo na veliko “kinematografsko” platno, na 

katerem v novi perspektivi zaživita tako pravljičnost 

kot satira, domačnost in občečloveškost – predstava 

torej za vse starosti in vsa “platna” po svetu. 


5 

Frane Milčinski-Ježek • Gorazd Vahen, ill. 

Zvezdica Zaspanka [Twinkle Sleepyhead/ Little Sleepy Star] 

Sanje, 2004 • ISBN 9789616767415 (Zvezdica Zaspanka) • ISBN 9789616767422 (Little Sleepy Star) 

Famously, Twinkle Sleepyhead is the first Slovenian 

radio play. It was written in the late 1940s by 

Frane Milčinski-Ježek (1914-1988) and was first 

broadcast nationally on 31 December, 1949. 

Directed by Jože Pengov in 1955, it was staged 

at the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre. In 1959, Frane 

Milčinski-Ježek won the national Levstik award 

for his Twinkle Sleepyhead. In terms of its visual 

and design features, the shortlisted edition of 

Twinkle Sleepyhead, featuring colourful, spirited 

and yet somehow mysterious illustrations by 

Gorazd Vahen (b. 1969), is far more fairy-tale like 

than its predecessor, the 1992 edition illustrated 

by Mojca Cerjak (published by Mladinska knjiga). 

It is an adapted and abridged version of the 

original radio play (lacking most of the songs, 

as well as some scenes and characters that give 

the story its characteristic thematic brilliance 

and a humorous slant). This notwithstanding, the 

presented adaptation follows the original plot 

line, which makes it suitable for readers of all 

age groups. In addition, the publisher Sanje put 

out an even shorter version aimed at pre-school 

children, and two English language versions 

(Twinkle Sleepyhead in 2004, and Little Sleepy 

Star in 2009). It is due to her careless attitude 

to her duties and responsibilities, that Twinkle 

Sleepyhead causes many problems for people on 

Earth (children are unable to fall asleep, seamen 

are unable to find their way home, poets are 

unable to find words that rhyme). In his attempt 

to reprimand her, Uncle Moon sends her to Earth. 

She will be allowed to return to the sky after she 

will have accomplished a good deed. She does so 

by turning the robber Grovel, who has a heart of 

stone and is after her precious hair of gold, into a 

loving and sensitive person by teaching him how 

to spell the word beLOVEd. Twinkle Sleepyhead 

is highly evocative and works on several layers; 

speaking of symbolism, it uses a poetic language 

that will touch the readers’ hearts and feelings, 

and will address the moral and ethical attitudes 

shared universally by all human beings. Therefore 

it is no surprise that these popular and eternally 

revived stories for young readers have a massive 

appeal as a picture book, or when reincarnated 

in other media, even in its sixties, and will 

definitely continue to be passed from generation 

to generation as an essential item of Slovenian 

literary heritage. 

Zvezdica Zaspanka je prva slovenska radijska igra, 

ki jo je v petdesetih letih prejšnjega stoletja napisal 

Frane Milčinski – Ježek (1914-1988), premierno 

je bila predvajana na sporedu Radia Ljubljana na 

silvestrovo leta 1949, leta 1955 pa so jo prvič uprizorili 

v Lutkovnem gledališču Ljubljana, v režiji Jožeta 

Pengova. Avtor je leta 1959 za besedilo prejel tudi 

Levstikovo nagrado. Slikaniška izdaja Založbe Sanje je 

na izvedbeni ravni (barvite, vitalne, a hkrati skrivnostne 

ilustracije Gorazda Vahna, roj. 1969) zagotovo bolj 

čarobna od svoje predhodnice iz leta 1992, ki jo je za 

založbo Mladinska knjiga ilustrirala Mojca Cerjak. 

Gre za priredbo oziroma skrajšavo originalne radijske 

igre, v kateri je sicer umanjkala večina pesmi, pa 

tudi nekateri prizori in liki, ki dajejo zgodbi posebno 

motivno svežino in jo bogatijo s humorno perspektivo. 

Kljub temu priredba uspešno zasleduje osnovni 

pripovedni lok tako, da je primerno branje za otroke 

vseh starosti. Založba Sanje je ob daljši izdala tudi 

krajšo verzijo, namenjeno predšolskim otrokom in 

izdajo v angleškem jeziku. Zvezdica Zaspanka zaradi 

svojega brezbrižnega odnosa do službe povzroči kup 

težav na Zemlji (otroci ne morejo zaspati, mornarji ne 

najdejo poti domov in pesniki ne prave rime). Za kazen 

jo boter Mesec pošlje na Zemljo, s katere se lahko vrne 

šele, ko opravi zares dobro delo: razbojnika Ceferina, ki 

ima kamen namesto srca in ga mikajo njeni zlati lasje, 

spreobrne v dobrega in čutečega človeka, ko ga nauči 

napisati besedo ljuba. Zgodba o Zvezdici Zaspanki 

je večplastna in simbolična, saj govori v poetičnem 

jeziku, ki se dotika bralčevega srca, njegovih čustev 

ter moralnih in vrednostnih stališč, ki so občečloveška. 

Nobeno presenečenje torej ni, da je večno zelena, 

vedno znova oživljena, in v različnih knjižnih in 

neknjižnih oblikah, kot literarna dediščina številnih 

generacij, preživela več kot šest desetletij. 


6 

Tone Pavček • Damijan Stepančič, ill. 

Juri Muri v Afriki [Georgy Porgy in Africa] 

Miš, 2012 • ISBN 9789612720841 

A tale “about a boy who loathed being washed” 

was first published in 1958 with illustrations by 

Melita Vovk. The second edition, published in 

1988, was illustrated by Marjanca Jemec-Božič. 

The third version, shortlisted here, was illustrated 

by Damijan Stepančič. This classic verse tale by 

Tone Pavček is still very much enjoyed even after 

more than 50 years after its first appearance. 

The warmness of the poet’s expression and the 

beauty of his wording continue to make a strong 

impression on young and adult readers alike. 

Damijan Stepančič illustrated this masterpiece 

with a great power of persuasion, pervaded by 

his admiration of the poet’s sensitivity, and paid 

special attention to the story’s main message 

and fine details. Having said that, Stepančič’s 

illustrations are very original and contemporary, 

and they evoke his respect and admiration of 

African natural beauty and culture, and present a 

depiction of the great size of the African continent 

and its spiritual tradition. This verse tale has been 

reprinted many times and reincarnated in other 

media as well. Many a generation of Slovenian 

children grew up reading it. 

“Zgodba o fantu, ki se ni maral umivati” je prvič izšla 

leta 1958 z ilustracijami Melite Vovk, leta 1988 jo je 

ilustrirala Marjanca Jemec-Božič, v pričujoči izdaji pa 

Damijan Stepančič (roj. 1969). Klasična mojstrovina 

Toneta Pavčka (1928-20111) je živa in radoživa tudi 

danes: po več kot pol stoletja toplina pesnikove misli 

in lepota njegove pesniške besede prevzameta tudi 

sodobne bralce, mlade in odrasle. Damijan Stepančič 

je to kanonsko – skorajda že ponarodelo besedilo 

– upodobil zelo prepričljivo, s spoštovanjem do 

pesnikovega občutenja in humorja, upoštevajoč tako 

osrednje sporočilo kot številne podrobnosti. Obenem 

pa je njegova ilustracija zelo izvirna in sodobna: izraža 

občudovanje do afriške nature in kulture, upodablja 

širino afriške celine in njeno duhovno tradicijo. 

Spremna beseda pesnikove hčerke, Saše Pavček, 

O fantu, ki ... je prisrčna in prinaša nekaj zanimivih 

dejstev o nastajanju in genezi Jurija Murija. Zgodba 

v verzih je doživela številne ponatise in prenose v 

druge medije; ob njej je zraslo več generacij slovenskih 

otrok, doživela je tudi nadaljevanje z naslovom Juri 

Muri drugič v Afriki (Mladinska knjiga, 2001) in v 

zadnjih letih tudi tretji del stare zgodbe z naslovom 

Juri Muri po Sloveniji (Miš, 2011) in Juri Muri gre po 

srečo (Miš, 2012), ki ju je ilustriral Damijan Stepančič. 

Ilustrator pa se je lotil tudi nove podobe slikanice Juri 

Muri drugič v Afriki (Miš, 2013). Tako lahko prvo 

zgodbo o Juriju Muriju primerjamo v treh različnih 

ilustracijah, pa tudi s tremi naslednjimi zgodbami – 

oboje je v izziv ne le strokovnjakom, ampak predvsem 

tudi učencem OŠ (raziskovalno branje) in njihovim 

mentorjem. 


7 

Ela Peroci • Lidija Osterc, ill. 

Hišica iz kock [The Little House of Blocks] 


The shortlisted version of The Little House of Blocks 

is the fourth and revised edition of a picture 

book which first appeared in 1964, during the 

period that could be called “the golden age of 

Slovenian picture books”. The story is a classic 

fairy tale with a linear plotline told in three 

parts, and a conflict which is resolved due to the 

little girl’s persistence and ingenuity. The main 

protagonists of the story are magical objects and 

their supernatural qualities, but the book also 

addresses the issues of true friendship, loyalty 

and hope. Ultimately, good wins over evil. The 

art of illustrations is idiosyncratic, decorative 

and poetic. The interplay between the text 

and the illustrations allows for readers’ reading 

and aesthetic pleasure, which is inimitable. 

Undisputedly, The Little House of Block presents 

the peak of Slovenian picture book creativity. 

Many revised and redesigned editions produced 

according to the highest standards of excellence 

make this picture book very familiar to Slovenian 

children. It has equal appeal for the emerging 

generations of young readers and their teachers. 

The Little House of Blocks has been translated 

into several languages. Ela Peroci, the writer, 

and Lidija Osterc, the illustrator, were wellknown 

and acclaimed not only in Slovenia, but 

internationally too. In 1970 they were awarded 

a token of high recognition by IBBY for the 

excellence of their work. 

To je 4., prenovljen natis slikanice, ki je prvič izšla 

leta 1964 – tedaj je bilo »zlato obdobje« slovenske 

slikaniške produkcije. Besedilo je klasična tridelna 

pravljica z linearnim potekom in konfliktom, ki se 

razreši z vztrajnostjo in iznajdljivostjo deklice Jelke. 

Nastopajo pravljični čudežni predmeti in čarobnost, 

toda tudi resnična prijateljstvo in zvestoba; prisotno 

je upanje in dobro tudi zmaga. Ilustracija je povsem 

izvirna, dekorativna in poetična. Prepletanje besedila 

in ilustracije nudi bralcu enkraten estetski užitek. Gre 

za vrhunski dosežek slovenske slikaniške produkcije; 

novo oblikovanje v pričujočem prenovljenem natisu 

je dognano, tako da je kanonsko besedilo oziroma 

slikanica, ki naj bi jo poznal sleherni slovenski otrok, 

zagotovo privlačna tudi sodobnim (naj) mlajšim bralcem 

in njihovim vzgojiteljem. Slikanica je bila prevedena v 

več tujih jezikov. Obe ustvarjalki, tako pisateljica Ela 

Peroci (1922–2001) kot ilustratorka Lidija Osterc (1928– 

2006) sta bili uveljavljeni ne le v slovenskem prostoru, 

ampak sta bili deležni priznanja tudi v mednarodnem 

prostoru – obe sta leta 1970 prejeli »visoko priznanje« 

Mednarodne zveze za mladinsko književnost (IBBY) za 

celotno ustvarjalno delo. 


8 

Leopold Suhodolčan • Marjanca Jemec-Božič, ill. 

Piko Dinozaver [Piko the Dinosaur] 


Leopold Suhodolčan ranks as one of the most 

popular authors for children and young readers in 

Slovenia. His work includes realistic fiction as well 

as fantasy tales, stage, radio and puppet theatre 

plays, and screenplays for television series. The 

multi award winning author famously pioneered 

the Slovenian Reading Badge Society movement 

which has promoted reading and encouraged 

emerging readers in Slovenia for over fifty years. 

One of Suhodolčan’s shorter works of fiction that 

has never lost its appeal is this modern fairy tale 

about Piko the Dinosaur, a most unlikely pet. It 

was first published in 1978 as a picture book and 

superbly illustrated by Marjanca Jemec-Božič. 

It has been reprinted many times and translated 

into several languages. The protagonist, a boy 

called Benjamin, is desperate to become a pet 

owner. Alas, there is no room for a pet dog in his 

family’s flat. So Benjamin is allowed only to dream 

of having a canine companion. However, one day 

he comes across an abandoned dinosaur, a big 

and friendly giant that he adopts on impulse and 

names Piko the Dinosaur. The pet dinosaur is very 

curious, but also scarily large in size. Above all, he 

is constantly hungry, which leads to all sorts of 

embarrassing and funny situations while his proud 

owner takes him for a walk on leash through his 

hometown to show off in front of his friends. The 

townspeople gradually come up with ingenious 

plans for the dinosaur: they could use him to meet 

many of their needs, or, even better, put him on 

display for the whole world to see, and earn a lot 

of money by doing so. Benjamin gets increasingly 

anxious about his pal Piko, until we learn that 

the dinosaur is actually a museum exhibit, which 

will wait reliably for his owner in the same place 

at the same time every day. This clever mixing of 

reality and the fantasy world of children, as well 

as the playful, warm-hearted, witty, cheerful and 

colourful illustrations by Marjanca Jemec-Božič 

are the main reasons why Piko the Dinosaur has 

been a trusty companion of Slovenian children 

for decades and will continue to perform this role 

for many years to come. 

Leopold Suhodolčan (1928-1980) je tudi med 

sodobnimi otroki zelo priljubljen mladinski pisatelj, 

katerega opus obsega tako realistične kot fantazijske 

pripovedi, gledališke, radijske in lutkovne igre ter 

televizijske nadaljevanke. Večkrat nagrajeni avtor je 

bil tudi pobudnik za nastanek Bralne značke, (Slovene 

Reading Badge Society) gibanja, ki slovenske otroke in 

mlade spodbuja k branju kakovostne mladinske knjige 

že več kot petdeset let. To gibanje je bilo nominirano 

tudi v mednarodnem prostoru, za IBBY Asahi 

Reading Promotion Award. Med njegovimi še posebej 

priljubljenimi krajšimi besedili, je tudi sodobna pravljica 

o Piku Dinozavru, neobičajnem hišnem ljubljenčku, 

ki je bila prevedena v številne tuje jezike. Prvič je bila 

objavljena v slikaniški izdaji leta 1978 z imenitnimi 

ilustracijami Marjance Jemec Božič (roj. 1928), od 

tedaj pa že večkrat ponatisnjena. Deček Benjamin si 

neizmerno želi imeti psa, a zanj v stanovanju preprosto 

ni dovolj prostora. Zato Benjamin o svojem pasjem 

prijatelju lahko samo sanja, dokler nekega dne ne opazi 

najdenčka, osirotelega dinozavra, prijaznega velikana, 

ki ga deček še isti hip posvoji in poimenuje Piko 

Dinozaver. A dinozaver je tudi precej radoveden, pa 

nadvse strašljivo velikanski in seveda kar naprej lačen, 

kar vodi v številne zadrege in peripetije , ko ga ponosni 

novi lastnik na vrvici vodi po mestu in se z njim važi 

pred svojimi vrstniki. A meščani imajo za dinozavra 

takoj celo goro načrtov: lahko bi ga koristno uporabili 

za mestne potrebe ali pa še bolje, razkazovali celemu 

svetu in tako zaslužili na gore denarja. Benjamin zaradi 

svojega Pika postaja vse bolj zaskrbljen, dokler se 

ne razkrije, da je njegov dinozaver v resnici muzejski 

eksponat, ki ga bo vsak dan zvesto čakal na svojem 

mestu. Preplet resničnosti in otroškega fantazijskega 

sveta, igre, dobrodušne hudomušnosti, vesele ter 

barvite likovne podobe Marjance Jemec Božič so 

zagotovo poglavitni razlogi, da je Piko Dinozaver 

že več desetletij še kako živ in zvest prijatelj 

slovenskih otrok. 


9 

Josip Vandot • adapted by Andrej Rozman Roza • Zvonko Čoh, ill. 

Kekec in Bedanec [Kekec and Bedanec] 


The textual component of this picture book is 

based on several stories about a boy called Kekec, 

written by Josip Vandot. They first appeared 

between 1918 and 1924 in the story paper Zvonček 

(Little Bell), but were not published as a single 

volume until 1952 when Kekec above the Lonely 

Abyss finally appeared. A wonderful version of 

Kekec’s adventures was completed in 2001 by 

a well-liked and versatile Slovenian author and 

poet, Andrej Rozman Roza. It has been reprinted 

many times. The Kekec tale that was embraced 

by the young and not-so-young readers many 

years ago is an action-packed adventure set 

in the Alpine highlands of Slovenia. Kekec, the 

main protagonist, is a prototype of a sturdy, 

good-hearted, cheerful and generous Slovenian 

literary child character. Kekec uses his openhandedness, 

intelligence and good will to outwit 

the evil poacher Bedanec, who is desperate to 

find a secret entrance to the abode of the old 

herbalist Kosobrin, who has rescued Minka, a 

girl kept in captivity in Bedanec’s cottage. In 

terms of its inner dynamics, the illustrations by 

Zvonko Čoh actually outshine the text itself. The 

reader feels that they could become alive and 

turn into a moving picture in no time. Clearly, the 

illustrator was inspired by the first motion picture 

based on Kekec stories, and tried to give a strong 

‘momentum’ to his illustrations especially in the 

scenes of great danger or action. His wide views 

of landscape painting suggest the width of a big 

screen. The close-up shots of the protagonists, 

especially of Bedanec, have a film-like quality 

too. This comes as no surprise since the first 

black and white film about Kekec, directed by 

Jože Gale, was made as early as 1951. In 1952 it 

won the Golden Lion award for best children’s 

film at the Venice international film festival. 

As a special bonus, the shortlisted Kekec picture 

book features on its back cover lyrics from 

Kekec’s theme song by Frane Milčinski-Ježek 

that children and parents of many generations 

know from the film version. With its unusual 

angles, long shots, close-ups, details and film-like 

portraits, the picture book provides a genuine 

“motion picture” reading experience. 

Slikaniško besedilo je nastalo po Kekčevih zgodbah, 

Josipa Vandota (1884-1944), ki so v letih 1918-1924 

izhajale v otroški reviji Zvonček in so v knjižni izdaji 

izšle šele leta 1952 z naslovom Kekec nad samotnim 

breznom. Odlično priredbo za slikanico je priljubljeni 

pisatelj in pesnik Andrej Rozman Roza pripravil že leta 

2001, kasneje je izšla v več ponovljenih izdajah. Besedilo, 

ki so ga že pred desetletjem posvojili mladi in manj 

mladi bralci, je “akcijska” pustolovščina, ki se dogaja 

v slovenskem visokogorju in izpostavlja predvsem 

klenost, dobrovoljnost in velikodušnost glavnega junaka 

Kekca, pravega slovenskega otroškega literarnega 

junaka. Kekcu uspe s srčnostjo, zvijačnostjo in dobro 

voljo ugnati v kozji rog divjega lovca Bedanca, ki skuša 

najti skrivni vhod v bivališče starčka Kosobrina, da bi 

si ponovno prilastil deklico Minko, ki jo je stari zeliščar 

naskrivaj rešil iz Bedančevega ujetništva. Morda je 

še več dinamičnosti kot v samem besedilu najti v 

imenitnih ilustracijah Zvonka Čoha (roj. 1956). Njegove 

ilustracije učinkujejo tako, kakor da se bodo vsak 

trenutek spremenile v filmsko predstavo. Nedvomno je 

bil ilustrator navdihnjen s prvim filmskim Kekcem, saj 

poskuša »gibati« svoje ilustracije zlasti ob drznih prizorih 

akcije in panoramskih prikazih narave, ki spominjajo na 

»široko filmsko platno«. Nič manj filmski niso približani 

prikazi mimike na obrazih knjižnih junakov, zlasti 

Bedanca. Mladinski igrani črno-beli film z naslovom 

Kekec, pod režisersko taktirko Jožeta Galeta, je nastal 

leta 1951 in leta 1952 prejel tudi najvišje mednarodno 

priznanje na beneškem festivalu. Odlični slikaniški 

priredbi Vandotovega besedila je na zadnji platnici 

dodana tudi kitica iz Kekčeve pesmi Franeta Milčinskega 

- Ježka, ki jo otroci in starši poznajo tudi iz filmske 

upodobitve. Z zanimivimi perspektivami, velikimi totali, 

bližnjimi plani, detajli ter z izrazito filmskimi portreti je 

tudi slikanica pravo “filmsko branje. “ 


10 

Oton Župančič • Alenka Sottler, ill. 

Mehurčki [The Bubbles] 


Oton Župančič is one of the greatest and most 

important Slovenian authors and poets. His poems 

for children clearly mark the very beginning 

of modern Slovenian poetry for children. His 

shortlisted collection, The Bubbles, which was 

first published posthumously, includes selected 

poems from all his previous poetry collections for 

children. These have enriched many generations of 

children up to the present date. They are familiar 

to all from school, home reading assignments and 

reading lists for the Reading Badge competition. 

The Slovenian reading experience of these poems 

is therefore pervaded by an acquired nationhoodforming 

experience, which makes it more difficult 

to assess them neutrally. This notwithstanding, we 

are invariably attracted by their strong rhythmic 

scheme and musicality, and fascinated by the 

poet’s optimistic tone. These features prevail 

in the contemporary readers’ experience too, 

although they may not attempt to comprehend 

all the thematic elements in the poems. These 

revolve around a happy-go-lucky boy, called 

Ciciban, living in an ideal world, surrounded by 

his warm and understanding family, authentically 

in touch with nature. Ciciban plays merrily in a 

temporal and spatial setting inspired by the poet’s 

early childhood years in the region of Bela Krajina 

where he was born. Nonetheless, Župančič’s 

themes are equally familiar to the children of 

today. What attracts and impresses us most is the 

acoustic quality of Župančič’s poetry for children. 

Since their protagonist is a young boy, the target 

readers of The Bubbles are mostly pre-school 

emerging readers. The shortlisted collection of 

The Bubbles was published in 1995 with exquisite 

illustrations by Alenka Sottler (b. 1958). Brimming 

with colour, joyful cheerfulness, light, optimism, 

and an uplifting faith in life, they provide a perfect 

match for Župančič’s poems. 

Oton Župančič (1878–1949) velja za enega 

najpomembnejših slovenskih literatov in njegove pesmi 

za otroke za začetek modernega slovenskega pesništva 

za otroke. Zbirka, ki je prvič izšla šele po pesnikovi 

smrti, vsebuje pesmi iz vseh njegovih zbirk za otroke. 

Bogatile so otroštvo mnogih generacij vse do danes. 

»Vsi« jo poznamo tudi iz šolskih obravnav, domačih 

branj ali branj za Bralno značko. Naše doživljanje teh 

pesmi zato ni brez nekega privzgojenega – skorajda 

bi lahko rekli – »narodnotvornega« občutenja, tako da 

jih je težko nevtralno vrednotiti, čeprav nas dejansko 

vedno znova pritegneta njihova ritem in melodija ter 

očara pesnikov optimizem. Vse to najbrž pri sodobnem 

mladem bralcu prevlada, tako da si niti ne prizadeva 

razumeti motivnega sveta v pesmih. Upesnjujejo 

namreč radoživega otroka, cicibana, v idealnem svetu, 

razumevajoči družini, pristnem stiku z naravo, pri 

veseli igri, v dogajalnem času in prostoru, ki je vezan 

na pesnikovo otroštvo v rodni Beli Krajini, a so pesniški 

motivi kljub temu še zmeraj blizu tudi sodobnim 

otrokom. Najbolj nas očara zvočna lepota Župančičeve 

otroške poezije, ki je že zaradi svojega glavnega 

junaka cicibana namenjena predvsem otrokom v 

predšolskem in zgodnjem bralnem obdobju. Leta 

1995 je zbirka pesmi Mehurčki izšla tudi z imenitnimi 

ilustracijami Alenke Sottler (roj. 1958), ki so barvite, 

polne prekipevajočega veselja, svetlobe, optimizma 

in zaupanja v življenje prav kakor Župančičeva poezija. 


Books from 

Contact: Jay Heale 

jayheale@afrihost.co.za 

South Africa 

The main deliberation was done by Jay Heale and Lona Gericke who are widely 

considered to be the top authorities on children’s literature in South Africa 

on (respectively) English and Afrikaans books. Additional input was received 

by a number of librarians in public and school libraries. 

1 

Ingrid Mennen & Niki Daly • Nicolaas Maritz, ill. 

Ashraf of Africa 

Shuter & Shooter – Songololo Books, 1990 • ISBN 9781919888057 

A bright picture book to correct the popular view 

of Africa as a vast savannah roaming with lions! 

Ashraf is an African boy of today. He lives in the 

city of Cape Town and the only place he has seen 

wild animals is inside books. So he walks through 

the streets to the public library, where he renews 

his favourite book – about wild animals. Bold, 

simplistic pictures by a renowned local artist. 

2 

Christopher Gregorowski • Niki Daly, ill. 

Fly, Eagle, Fly! 

Tafelberg, 2000 • ISBN 9780624039037 

A farmer finds an eagle chick and puts it with 

his chickens where it learns to live like a chicken 

and, as the farmer insists, it even “thinks like a 

chicken”. A friend tries three times to persuade 

the young eagle to fly, urging it “You belong 

not to the earth but to the sky.” Eventually 

he takes the eagle (and the protesting farmer) 

up a mountain. There, the eagle sweeps 

up into the sky, “never again to live among 

the chickens”. 

3 

Antjie Krog (English text by Gus Ferguson) • Fiona Moodie, ill. 

Fynbosfeetjies [Fynbos Faeries] 

Umuzi, 2007 • ISBN 9781415200223 

Totally different from the delicate Flower Fairies 

of Cicely Mary Barker, these South African floral 

spirits are modern and with-it. The Erica fairies 

wear jeans and Grandma Geranium smokes 

a pipe. The Afrikaans verses of Antjie Krog are 

sheer brilliance. Fiona Moodie has provided 

our children with a pictorial encyclopedia 

of the fynbos: its inhabitants, its varied plants 

and winged visitors. A storming, stunning book. 

the world through picture books • books from south africa • 181

4 

Wendy Hartmann • Joan Rankin, ill. 

Just Sisi 

Human & Rousseau, 2010 • ISBN 9780798152198 

Sisi is a small rabbit with floppy ears – but could 

be any and every small girl. Five deceptively 

simple stories: a journey past unseen African 

dangers, a surprise party, painting the wall of 

Gogo’s house, welcoming Dad home and saying 

goodnight. Joan Rankin’s artwork is outstanding, 

with so much thought to space, page position, 

character, humour, reader reaction. The text 

is minimal. The impact maximum. 

5 

Maria Hendriks • Piet Grobler, ill. 

Makwelane En Die Krokodil [Makwelane and the Crocodile] 


This is a big, bold, laugh-making, Africa-loving 

picture book about a girl outwitting a crocodile. 

In amongst the everyday rural necessities 

of fetching water, washing clothes, pounding 

maize meal and, of course, making music, 

there is the need to be wary of danger. Piet 

Grobler’s exuberant artwork frolics around the 

large pages with zest and skill, full of the flavour 

and humour of Africa. 

6 

Wendy Hartmann • Marjorie van Heerden, ill. 

Nina and Little Duck 


This is sheer pleasure. A large-paged picturebook 

collection of read-aloud stories interspersed 

with rippling verses, all enlivened and enloved 

by Marjorie van Heerden’s illustrations. 

The whole feeling is of life and love, personified 

by two vigorous youngsters, Nina and Simon, 

but centred around the mother figure of 

Little Duck. 

7 

Sindiwe Magona • Paddy Bouma, ill. 

The Best Meal Ever 


Siziwe is looking after her four younger brothers 

and sisters in Guguletu, with both parents 

away. There is no food in the house – nothing. 

In desperation she heats up a pot of water, 

and adds salt and pepper, stirring until the 

younger ones gradually fall asleep as they wait. 

Then Siziwe falls to her knees and prays: “Thank 

you, Father in Heaven, for the gift of hope. This 

was the best meal ever! But, Lord, can you send 

us a different one, tomorrow?” 


8 

Elinor Batezat Sisulu • Sharon Wilson, ill. 

The Day Gogo went to Vote 


This heart-warming picture book records the 

occasion when a nation stood in line to vote 

in South Africa’s first democratic election. 

Elinor Sisulu follows Gogo, a grandmother, 

who has waited all her long life for this 

opportunity and insists in going to the ballot box 

in spite of the problems of transport and old age. 

Illustrated in bold, impressive colour. 


Books from 

Spain 

Contact: Ana Mª Cendán Doce 

oepli@oepli.org 

La Organización Española para el Libro Infantil y Juvenil (OEPLI), the Spanish 

section of IBBY, is formed of four language sections representing librarians, 

illustrators, authors, publishers and booksellers. Through a voting process, 

ten books in the four official Spanish languages were selected because of their 

literary quality, themes and topics, illustrations, and the recommended age 

of the readers 

1 

Carlos Reviejo • Jesús Gabán, ill. 

Versos del bosque. [Verses from the woods] 

Ediciones SM, 2013 • ISBN 9788467552096 

This book of poetry for early readers is a 

completely illustrated album. All of its pages, 

including credits and the table of contents, 

offer a full-page illustration on which Carlos 

Reviejo’s poems are written in calligraphic style. 

They are poems describing environments and 

situations that are related to time and nature 

in the woods. Each page features a moment, 

a place and an actor. The cover and the back 

cover compose a single environment where one 

can perceive personified trees, elusive animals, 

mysterious insects and the fantastic world of 

elves and legends that inhabit every page. There 

are moments in this book that lead us to our 

experiences of childhood, like the harmony of 

autumn colours, the magic of trees in bloom or 

the fascination over a huge basket full of fruit. 

The best of this work is undoubtedly its setting. 

The way in which illustrations present the poetry 

of the text and enhance its beauty and its magic. 

The page with the elf - the final illustration - 

summarizes all the experience transmitted by this 

book : the elf, studying flowers and plants, opens 

for children a new poem to imagine, to write or 

to live in dreams. 

Este libro de poesía para primeros lectores es 

totalmente un álbum ilustrado. Todas sus páginas, 

incluidas la de los créditos y el índice, ofrecen una 

ilustración a toda plana que sirve de base a los poemas 

de Carlos Reviejo, escritos en letra caligráfica sobre 

las ilustraciones. Son poemas que describen ambientes 

y situaciones que guardan relación con el tiempo y 

la naturaleza en el bosque. Cada página ofrece un 

momento, un lugar y un protagonista. La portada y la 

contraportada componen un solo ambiente en el que 

se adivinan los árboles personalizados, los animales 

huidizos, los misteriosos insectos y el mundo fantástico 

de duendes y leyendas que puebla cada una de las 

páginas. Hay en este libro momentos que nos llevan a 

nuestras experiencias de infancia, como la armonía de 

los colores del otoño, la magia de los árboles en flor o 

la fascinación ante un enorme cesto repleto de frutos. 

Lo mejor de esta obra es sin duda su ambientación, 

la forma en la que la ilustración presenta y envuelve 

la poesía del texto y realza su belleza y su magia. 

La página del duende que es la ilustración final, resume 

la experiencia que transmite este libro. El duende, 

estudiando las flores y las plantas abre a los niños a un 

nuevo poema que imaginar, escribir o vivir en sueños. 

the world through picture books • books from spain • 184

2 

Ricardo Gómez • Tesa González, ill. 

El Sueño de Lu Shzu [Lu Shzu’s Dream] 

Edelvives, 2011 • ISBN 9788426381774 

A cloth doll tells its story and the story of a 

Chinese girl, a dagonme, a girl who has been 

working hard from her early childhood, an efficient 

girl, who one day had a dream and bravely fought 

for it. Life changed for her and her family. A 

feminist book, a book of denunciation and at the 

same time of hope. A beautiful story by Ricardo 

Gómez, of social commitment, consistent with 

his thinking. Written in a concise and forceful 

language. There are some magnificent illustrations 

by Tesa Gonzalez telling thousands of details. A 

work of beautiful design and layout. An album to 

be, read alone or in a group. An album to reflect, 

discuss and improve the reader’s conscience and 

make him/her become a better person. 

Una muñeca de trapo cuenta su historia y la de una 

niña china, una dagonme, una niña trabajadora desde 

muy chica, una niña aplicada, eficiente pero que un 

día tuvo un sueño y valientemente luchó por él. La 

vida cambió para ella y las suyas.Un libro femenino y 

de reivindicación, un libro de denuncia pero a la vez 

de esperanza. Una preciosa historia de Ricardo Gómez, 

de compromiso social coherente con su pensamiento. 

Un lenguaje conciso y contundente. Unas magníficas 

ilustraciones de Tesa González que narran mil detalles. 

Un bello trabajo de diseño y maquetación. Un álbum de 

los de colección, para leer en solitario o en grupo. Un 

álbum para reflexionar, discutir y hacer al lector tomar 

conciencia y ser mejor. 

3 

Gonzalo Moure Trenor • Javier Zabala, ill. 

El Arenque rojo [The Red Herring] 

Ediciones SM, 2012 • ISBN 9788467556858 

A park filled with people coming and going. 

Games, racing, readings, looks... a park with no 

words because there is no text in the book to tell 

what the characters say or feel. The reader has 

to select their characters, follow them on each 

page and make up stories, to find the relationship 

between the characters on each page. Red 

Herring is a mysterious balloon that flies over the 

place inflating, growing up with these stories, 

every day, anywhere in the world. Solitude, 

cruelty, fear, love, innocence and sensitivity... 

anything that you are looking for will find its 

story in the book, a personal and different story 

for each. Different also for the authors who, in 

the end, in a secret envelope, give the reader the 

possible story of seven of their characters. This 

book is open to invention, to whims, to dialogue. 

Highly recommended 

Un parque lleno de gente que viene y va. Juegos, 

carreras, lecturas, miradas... un parque sin palabras 

porque no hay texto en el libro que narre lo que 

los personajes dicen o sienten. El lector tiene que 

seleccionar sus personajes, seguirlos en cada página e 

inventarse las historias, jugar a encontrar la relación 

entre los personajes de cada página.El arenque rojo es 

un globo misterioso que sobrevuela el lugar inflándose, 

creciendo con esas historias cotidianas, de cada día, 

en cualquier lugar del mundo. Soledad, crueldad, 

miedo, amor, inocencia, sensibilidad… cualquier tema 

que busquemos encontrará su historia en el libro, una 

historia personal y diferente para cada uno. También 

para los autores, al final, en un sobre secreto, cuentan 

la posible historia de siete de sus personajes. Un libro 

está abierto a la invención, al capricho, al dialogo. Muy 

recommendable. 


4 

Joxantonio Ormazabal • Iraia Okina 

Ilargia esnatu da [The Moon is up] 

Elkar, 2012 • ISBN 9788490270448 

This album in the Basque language speaks about 

death in a nostalgic and optimistic tone. One night 

Unai asks his mother about his grandmother. 

Unai’s mother tells him about the moments that 

he spent with grandmother when he was a child. 

She speaks to him about how she lived the death 

and the mourning of her mother. She knows 

that the love she felt for her is still alive. The 

illustrations hold on the story of this album and 

intensify the nostalgic atmosphere. The steamed 

up colours that are used by the illustrator, the 

protagonist’s faces alike sculptures and the 

illustrations based in nature cycles intensify 

this atmosphere. This album is recommended 

for children that are more than 8 years old. 

Ipuin ilustratu honetan heriotzaz hitz egiten zaigu, tonu 

nostalgiko eta baikorrean. 

Bertan kontatzen zaigu nola gau batean Unaik amari 

amonari buruz galdetzen dion eta amak kontatzen 

dizkio umetan berarekin bizitako hainbat pasadizo, bere 

heriotza eta dolua nola bizitu zituen,.. amonarekiko 

maitasuna oraindik irauten duela nabarmenduz. 

Ilustrazioak narrazioaren bideari eusten dio eta giro 

nostalgikoari eta oroimenezkoari indar handiagoa 

ematen dio. Kolore lausoak erabiliaz, pertsonaien 

karakterizazioan eskultura diruditen aurpegiak erantsiz 

eta naturaren zikloetan oinarrituaz. 

5 

Leire Bilbao • Maite Mutuberria, ill. 

Gerrak ez du izenik [War does not have a name] 

Pamiela, 2013 • ISBN 978-84-7681-802-2 

War is the main topic of this album in the Basque 

language and the of the album is sad The story 

takes place in March 1937, in the initial stages 

of the Durango’s (Bizkaia, Spain) bombing. The 

narrator notices about the sadness, the bitterness 

and the silence that this fact created. A little girl 

tells us about the feelings and the memories 

of this bombing. The album has both old 

photographs about the bombing and illustrations, 

so, we can see the contrast between the reality 

and the little girl’s perspective. This album is 

recommended for children that are more than 10 

years old. However, it is preferable to be read with 

the mediation of an adult. 

Kontakizuna 1937ko martxoan dago kokatuta, 

Durangoko bonbardaketaren atarian. Gertaera horrek 

eragindako tristura, samina eta isiltasuna azaleratu 

ditu narratzaileak neskatila baten begiak, oroimena 

eta sentimenduak agerian jarrita. Amaren berotasunak 

babestu du neskatila. Ilustrazioak indartsuak dira, 

argazkiak eta marrazkiak tartekatuta. 

Album hau 10 urtetik gorako neska-mutilentzat 

da gomendagarria baina heldu baten bitartekaritza 

lagungarri izango da beti. 

6 

Marta Altès 

Sóc un artista [I am an artist] 

Blackie Books, 2014 • ISBN 9788494167607 

Once again, Marta Altès seduces readers from 

all ages with her stories and illustrations. In this 

book in the Catalan language, the main character 

is a very young artist whom, to his mother’s 

despair, is always able to find inspiration and 

spaces to create his art. To him, his home and the 

whole world are a clean canvas that is constantly 

available. However, mothers don’t always 

understand what children do… 

An exciting book that captivates the reader 

from the very first page. 

Marta Altés sedueix, un cop més, amb les seves històries 

i il·lustracions a lectors de totes les edats. En aquest 

cas el protagonista és un joveníssim artista que, per 

a desesperació de la seva mare, sempre troba motius 

d’inspiració i espais on crear. Per a ell, la seva casa, 

i el món sencer, són un llenç en blanc sempre a la seva 

disposició; però de vegades les mares no entenen allò 

que fan els petits ... Un divertidíssim àlbum que captiva 

el lector des de la primera pàgina. 


7 

Tàssies 

Noms robats [Stolen Names] 

Cruïlla, 2010 • ISBN 9788466126984 

The story of a boy with no name to whom good 

things don’t seem to happen, like the smell of the 

oven, a smile or words being whispered. He is the 

misunderstood one, the rejected, the pursued. 

He looks in the elevator mirror and decides to 

walk up the stairs, leaning on the railing without 

feeling vertigo. A story that cries out for a blunt 

style that Tàssies achieves by using the techniques 

of linoleum and printmaking. 

A work like few others. In the Catalan language. 

Aquesta és la història d’un nen sense nom a qui no 

arriben les coses bones, com l’olor del forn, un somriure 

o les paraules dites en veu baixa. És l’incomprès, el 

rebutjat, el perseguit, que es mira al mirall de l’ascensor 

i decideix pujar a peu, o que s’aboca a la barana de 

les escales sense tenir vertigen. Un relat d’aquestes 

característiques demana a crits un estil contundent, 

que Tàssies assoleix amb escreix servint-se de la tècnica 

del linòleum i el gravat. Una obra com n’hi ha poques. 

8 

Xavier Salomó 

Quin caos d’habitació [What a chaotic bedroom] 

Cuïlla, 2014 • ISBN 9788466136914 

Xavier Salomó presents this picture book which 

is also a book-game. From Monday to Friday the 

alarm clock sets the time and the rush to get to 

school, to work, starts… From outside the room, 

the father reminds our hero of all the things he 

will need for his extracurricular activities, always 

finishing with ‘’you must tidy your room’’. From 

here on, the game starts: in the illustration on the 

right page we must find that which is highlighted 

in the text on the left-hand page. Every day the 

pressure grows and there are more and more 

things to look for in a room that is already a mess. 

But come Saturday, all the stress and the hurry 

happily goes away. The laughter and the games 

start for father and son. A book to read and reread 

countless times. In the Catalan language. 

Xavier Salomó ens ofereix aquest àlbum il·lustrat 

que alhora és un llibre-joc. De dilluns a divendres el 

despertador marca l’hora i comencen les presses per 

arribar a l’escola, a la feina... Des de fora de l’habitació 

el pare va recordant al nostre protagonista totes aquelles 

coses que necessitarà per a les activitats extraescolars 

i sempre acaba amb un “has recollir l’habitació”. A partir 

d’aquí comença el joc: en la il·lustració de la pàgina de la 

dreta hem de trobar allò que està destacat a la pàgina de 

text de l’esquerra. Dia a dia creix la pressió i cada vegada 

hi ha més coses que buscar en una habitació que ja és 

un caos, però arriba el dissabte i feliçment desapareixen 

la tensió i les presses. Comencen les rialles i els jocs entre 

pare i fill. Un llibre per llegir i rellegir infinites vegades. 

9 

Uxía Senlle et al. • Pablo Giráldez Río (P. Pastor) 

María Fumaça [María Fumaça] 

Galaxia, 2012 ISBN 9788498654493 

A collaboration of many musicians and artists, 

who manage to create a festive atmosphere that 

everybody will enjoy. María Fumaça is more than 

a book and will ensure active participation of 

whoever has it in his/her hands, also because it 

has a special way to deal with functional diversity. 

Ao contar coa colaboración de varios músicos e artistas, 

a obra crea unha atmosfera que non lle resultará 

indiferente a ninguén. María Fumaça é máis que un 

libro e asegura a participación activa de calquera que 

o teña nas súas mans, tamén porque ten unha maneira 

especial de abordar a diversidade funcional. 


10 

Paula Carballeira • Sonya Danowski 

O principio [The Beginning] 

Kalandraka, 2012 • ISBN 978848464779 

The Beginning is a tribute to hope framed by the 

worst possible scenario: war. Both the poetry, 

which emerges from the story, of a family starting 

again after a war conflict, and the hyper-realistic 

illustrations included define an album dealing 

with books as tools for peace, the need of an oral 

narrative, and the strength of those children who, 

surrounded by the cruelty of war, fight to live their 

childhood the best way they can. In the Galician 

language. 

A obra é un canto á esperanza enmarcada no peor 

escenario posible: a guerra. Tanto a poesía , que emerxe 

da historia dunha familia que empeza despois dun 

conflito bélico, coma as hiperrealistas ilustracións que 

se inclúen definen o contido dunha obra que aborda os 

libros como ferramentas pacíficas, a necesidade dunha 

narrativa oral e a forza dos nenos e nenas que, rodeados 

da crueldade da guerra, loitan por vivir a súa infancia 

da mellor maneira que poden. 


Books from 

Sweden 

Contact: Ingrid Kallstrom 

ingrid.kallstrom@stockholm.se 

Children’s librarians nominated their favourite titles and a list was made 

of these nominations. Voting was then done by email and the ten titles with 

the most votes became the list from Sweden. 

1 

Gunilla Bergström 

Raska på, Alfons Åberg [Hurry up Alfie Atkins] 

Raben & Sjöström, 1976 • ISBN 9789 12 967 1254 

It is a busy morning. Alfie and daddy are doing 

all the things you have to do before leaving your 

home after breakfast. Hurry up Alfie, says daddy. 

It is time to go to pre-school. But Alfie just has 

to do a couple of things before they can go. 

Hurry up! 

Det är morgon och Alfons och pappa har bråttom. 

Det är mycket som ska göras innan de kan ge sig av 

hemmifrån. Raska på, Alfons, säger pappa. Det är dags 

att gå till dagis. Men Alfons ska bara fixa några saker 

först. Raska på! 

2 

Elsa Beskow 

Sagan om den lilla, lilla gumman [The tale of the little, little old woman] 

Bonnier Carlsen, 1897 • ISBN 9789 16 385 8260 • ISBN 9789 16 381 2675 • ISBN 9789 18 563 3449 

This is one of the classic Swedish picture books. 

The simple story is based on a rhyme the author 

heard as a child. It is about an old woman who 

lives with her cow and her cat. It has easy 

repetitions and a slightly dramatic ending. 

Det här är en svensk bilderboksklassiker. Berättelsen 

är enkel och bygger på en ramsa som författaren fick 

höra som barn. Den handlar om en liten, liten gumma 

som bor i ett liten, liten stuga, med sin lilla, lilla ko och 

sin lilla, lilla katt. Upprepningarna är enkla –slutet är 

lite dramatiskt. 

3 

Lotta Geffenblad 

Astons stenar [The stones of Aston] 

Bonnier Carlsen, 2005 • ISBN 9789 16 384 6052 • ISBN 9789 16 385 5016 • ISBN 9789 17 221 4897 

Aston is a dog. He collects stones. He thinks the 

stones are lonely and cold. He feels sorry for them 

and brings them all to his home. After a while 

his parents think Aston has too many stones. 

It gets too crowded. Here is a task to solve. 

Anton är en hund. Han samlar på stenar. Han tror 

att stenarna är ensamma och kalla. Han tycker synd 

om dem och tar med sig alla hem. Efter ett tag tycker 

föräldrarna att Aston har för många stenar. Det 

har blivit för trångt. Vad ska Aston göra med alla 

stenarna? 

the world through picture books • books from sweden • 189

4 

Pija Lindenbaum 

Gittan och Gråvargarna [Bridget and the grey wolves] 

Raben & Sjögren, 2000 • ISBN 9789 12 965 5087 • ISBN 9789 12 964 8843 

Gittans is taking a walk in the woods with her 

kindergarten. She gets lost and cannot find the 

teachers and the rest of the children. But she 

finds some wolves and makes friends with them. 

Gittan är på utflykt i skogen med sitt dagis. Hon går 

vilse och kan inte hitta varken fröken eller de andra 

barnen. Istället hittar hon vargar som blir hennes vänner. 

5 

Barbro Lindgren • Eva Eriksson, ill. 

Mamman och den vilda bebin [The wild baby] 

Raben & Sjögren, 1994 • ISBN 9789 12 962 8593 

The little baby is wild and doing crazy things 

all the time. He makes up things and is very 

adventurous. His mummy is having a tough time 

taking care of him. The story is written with 

rhymes. 

Den lilla bebin är vild och gör tokigheter hela tiden. 

Han hittar på saker och är full av upptåg. Hans 

mamma har fullt upp att hålla reda på honom. 

Berättelsen är på rim. 

6 

Jan Lööf 

Sagan om det röda äpplet [The story of the red apple] 

Bonnier Carlsen, 1974 • ISBN 9789 16 382 6733 • ISBN 9789 16 386 5329 

A man in a striped suit puts an apple in the 

window. The apple falls out. The book tells the 

story about everything that’s happening to the 

apple and its escapades. 

En man I en randig kostym lägger ett äpple i sitt 

fönster. Äpplet trillar ut. Boken handlar om allt 

som äpplet ställer till med och allt som det får 

vara med om. Roliga äventyr, spännande händelser 

och fantastiska upplevelser. 

7 

Ulf Nilsson • Anna-Clara Tidholm, ill. 

Adjö Herr Muffin [Goodbye, Mr Muffin] 

Bonnier Carlsen, 2002 • ISBN 9789 16 386 4681 • ISBN 9789 16 384 5939 

An old guineapig looks back. He has had a long 

and joyful life. He had a beautiful wife and nice 

children. They were a happy family. In the end 

he closes his eyes and his family arranges his 

funeral. 

Ett gammalt marsvin minns. Han har haft ett långt 

och lyckligt liv. Han hade en vacker fru och söta barn. 

De var en lycklig familj. Nu har marsvinet ont i magen. 

I slutet av berättelsen dör marsvinet och personerna 

som han bor hos ordnar hans begravning. Vackert och 

stämningsfullt. 


8 

Sven Nordqvist 

Pannkakstårtan [The birthday cake] 

Opal, 1984 • ISBN 9789 17 712 3354 

The old man lives in a house in the countryside 

with his cat. The cat is very special. He wants to 

celebrate his birthday three times a year. Here is 

one of those occasions. A lot of preparations have 

to be done. 

Gubben bor på landet med sin katt. Katten är mycket 

speciell. Han vill fira sin födelsedag tre gånger om året. 

Det här är ett sådant speciellt tillfälle. Förberedelserna 

är många. Tur att katten är så påhittig och finurlig. 

9 

Anna-Clara Tidholm 

Knacka på [Knock, knock knock!] 

Alfabeta, 1992 • ISBN 9789 17 712 3354 

Knock on the blue door and enter the house. 

Together we knock on all different doors, open 

them and see what is behind them. Together we 

say hello to the figures we find in the rooms. This 

is a story for young children. 

Knacka på den blåa dörren och kliv in I huset! 

Tillsammans knackar vi på alla de olika dörrarna, 

öppnar dem och ser vad som finns bakom. Tillsammans 

säger vi hej till de olika sakerna som finns i rummen. 

Det här är en berättelse för de allra minsta. 

10 

Stina Wirsén 

Vem bestämmer? [Who is deciding?] 

BonnierCarlsen, 2006 • ISBN 9789 16 385 0905 

The little teddy and the big teddy are having a 

good time reading a story. But soon they start to 

fuss. Who has the right to decide? Small teddy? 

Big teddy? This is a story for young children. 

Lilla nallen och stora nallen har det mysigt och läser 

saga. Plötsligt blir det bråkigt. Vem har rätt att 

bestämma? Lilla Nallen? Stora Nallen? Det här är en 

berättelse för de allra minsta. 


Books from 

Switzerland 

Contact: Ruth Fassbind 

ruth.fassbind@bibliomedia.ch 

The selection of titles from all four language areas in Switzerland was chosen 

by Bibliomedia Switzerland and the Swiss Institute for Children and Youth 

Media, SIKJM. Bibliomedia Switzerland is a nationwide resource library for 

libraries and SIKJM supports libraries by offering courses and projects in the 

area of children’s and youth literature. At the basis of the choice of titles was 

a comprehensive knowledge of the Swiss children’s book literary scene in all 

four national languages as well as a good interconnection with public libraries 

in Switzerland. Both institutions collaborate closely with librarians of all four 

parts of the country. 

Many Swiss authors and illustrators rely on publishers abroad (Germany, 

France, and Italy). Since Switzerland is a small country, there are just very few 

publishers – and an even smaller number of them produce children’s books 

(in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland there is no publisher at all). This 

circumstance is thus reflected in this selection. 

1 

Käthi Bhend • Evelyne Hasler, ill. 

Im Traum kann ich fliegen [In my dreams I can fly] 

NordSüd 2008 • ISBN 978-3-314-01598-4 

Autumn. A grub, two worms, a bug and a 

caterpillar furnish their underground winter 

quarters. Apart from the caterpillar, everyone 

has collected supplies for the winter. “I don’t 

need anything to eat, the only thing I need are 

my dreams” says the caterpillar and pupates. The 

other friends play cards to pass the time and they 

get through the winter safely. If food became 

scarce they would still have the bug’s assets of 

the last resort, a huge onion. Illicitly, the grub 

gnaws at it one day, and the onion breaks in two. 

In springtime, nevertheless, a red tulip grows 

out of the onion and the caterpillar has turned 

into a beautiful butterfly. In my dreams I can fly 

tells a story about underground secrets and the 

awakening of nature in the spring. Illustrator 

Käthi Bhend depicts this world in earthy colours 

and with a delicate stroke of the brush. She 

enriches the stories of the fanciful underground 

animals with funny details and thus invites the 

reader to wonderful voyages of discovery. 

Ein Engerling, zwei Würmer, ein Käfer und eine Raupe 

richten im Herbst in der Erde ihr Winterlager ein. 

Ausser der Raupe haben alle Vorräte für den Winter 

gesammelt: “Ich brauche nichts zu essen, ich brauche 

nur Träume“, sagt diese und verpuppt sich. Die 

anderen Freunde spielen zum Zeitvertreib Karten und 

kommen gut durch den Winter. Sollte das Futter knapp 

werden, ist da ja auch noch die eiserne Reserve des 

Käfers, eine riesige Zwiebel. An ihr nagt der Engerling 

eines Tages verbotenerweise und sie bricht entzwei. 

Dennoch wächst im Frühling aus der Zwiebel eine rote 

Tulpe und die Raupe hat sich in einen wunderschönen 

Schmetterling verwandelt. 

“Im Traum kann ich fliegen” erzählt von Geheimnissen 

unter der Erde und dem Erwachen der Natur im 

Frühling. Käthi Bhend zeichnet diese Welt in erdnahen 

Farben und mit filigranem Strich. Sie reichert die 

Geschichten dieser fantastischen Erdbewohner mit 

witzigen Details an und lädt so zu wunderbaren 

Entdeckungsreisen ein. 

the world through picture books • books from switzerland • 192

2 

Albertine 

Marta et la bicyclette [Marta and her bicycle] 

La Joie de Lire, 1999 • ISBN 978-2-88258-467-0 

Cow Marta is orange instead of black and white, 

but that is not the only difference between her 

and her fellow cows in the meadow. She dreams 

about participating in the next bicycle race. 

However, she needs a bike for that. Persistently, 

Marta pursues her goal, from old parts of metal 

she jury-rigs a bike and starts to exercise. All 

beginnings are difficult but very soon, Marta gets 

more confident and starts to practise her first 

feats. One year later, she enrols for the big bicycle 

race and starts pedalling like crazy. She crosses 

the finish line with a huge head start. Albertine 

is one of the most popular children’s books 

artists in Western (francophone) Switzerland. 

In 1999, she received a “Golden Apple” for her 

first storybook Marta and her bicycle featuring a 

philosophising cow at the Biennale of Illustration 

in Bratislava. 

La vache Marta est orange au lieu de l’habituel noir et 

blanc tacheté. Mais ce n’est pas la seule singularité qui 

la distingue de ses collègues de l’alpage. Elle rêve de 

participer à la prochaine course de vélo. Mais pour cela 

elle a besoin d’un vélo. Marta poursuit obstinément 

son but et bricole de vieilles pièces qu’elle assemble, et 

commence à s’entrainer. Son apprentissage est difficile, 

mais elle prend peu à peu de l’assurance et tente ses 

premières acrobaties. Au bout d’un an, elle s’inscrit à la 

grande course et dès le départ tourne frénétiquement 

les pédales. Et c’est en vainqueur que Marta franchit la 

ligne d’arrivée avec une grande avance sur le peloton. 

Albertine est l’une des illustratrices de livres pour 

enfants les plus connues de Suisse romande. Pour son 

premier album avec sa vache philosophe, Marta et la 

bicyclette, elle reçoit en 1999 une “Pomme d’or » de la 

BIB (Biennale de l’illustration de Bratislava). 

3 

Vera Eggermann, Ulrich Kleb 

Das Buchstabenmonster [The Letter Monster] 

Atlantis im Orell Füssli, 2010 • ISBN 978-3-7152-0433-8 

Mister Dot collects letters and words. If he 

doesn’t know a word, he asks his friend Bird. 

For Bird knows all the letters and all the words. 

One day, however, the Letter Monster appears. 

Its appetite for letters and words of all kind 

is insatiable. It erodes all letters. Mister Dot’s 

collection of words is destroyed and the people 

are left without language. Therefore, new words 

have to be invented and foreign words are 

imported by ships. 

But it is no use, the monster keeps on eroding. 

What can be done? Bird knows the answer: the 

monster has to be tickled in order to spit out the 

swallowed words. Vera Eggermann’s letters are 

acting on a white background. Thus, the black 

letters seems so vivid and whet the appetite for a 

playful discovery of language. 

Herr Punkt sammelt Buchstaben und Wörter. Wenn 

er ein Wort nicht kennt, fragt er seinen Freund Vogel. 

Denn Vogel kennt alle Buchstaben und alle Wörter. 

Doch eines Tages kommt das Buchstabenmonster. 

Sein Appetit auf Buchstaben und Wörter aller Art 

ist unermesslich. Es frisst alle Wörter weg. Herrn 

Punkts Sammlung ist zerstört und die Menschen 

bleiben ohne Sprache. Darum müssen neue Wörter 

erfunden werden, Fremdwörter werden per Schiff 

geliefert. Aber alles nützt nicht, das Monster frisst 

weiter. Was kann man da machen? Vogel weiss die 

Lösung – das Monster muss gekitzelt werden, damit 

es die verschlungenen Wörter wieder ausspuckt. Vera 

Eggermanns Figuren agieren auf weissem Grund, die 

schwarzen Buchstaben erscheinen so lebendig und 

greifbar und machen Lust, Sprache spielerisch zu 

erkunden. 


4 

Lorenz Pauli • Kathrin Schärer, ill. 

Pippilothek??? [Pippilothek ???] 

Atlantis im Orell Füssli, 2012 • ISBN 978-3-7152-0620-2 

This wonderful storybook whets one’s appetite 

for reading. Kathrin Schärer’s expressive pictures 

featuring a mainly red and black background 

tell a fox and mouse tale of a different kind: a 

hungry fox chases after a mouse – into a library. 

To distract the fox, the mouse brings him a 

picture book. The fox delves into the book and is 

all excited. The following nights the fox returns 

to the library, crazy about reading new stories. 

Pippilothek??? humorously portrays the magical 

attraction of a library. It is a declaration of love 

for reading and for places where undisturbed 

reading is possible. 

Lust auf einen Bibliotheksbesuch, aber vor allem Lust 

aufs Bücherlesen macht dieses wunderbare Bilderbuch 

des bewährten Autoren-/Illustratorenduos. Die 

ausdrucksstarken Bilder Kathrin Schärers erzählen 

vor einem vor allem in Rot und Schwarz gehaltenen 

Hintergrund ein Fuchs- und Mausspiel der besonderen 

Art: Ein gieriger Fuchs schiesst hinter einer Maus her 

in die Bibliothek. Um ihn von sich abzulenken, schleppt 

die Maus ein Bilderbuch an. Der Fuchs vertieft sich in 

das Buch und ist begeistert. In den folgenden Nächten 

kehrt er wieder, wild auf Geschichten. «Pippilothek???» 

porträtiert humorvoll die magische Anziehungskraft 

einer Bibliothek. Eine Liebeserklärung an das Lesen und 

an Orte, an denen dieses ungestört möglich ist. 

5 

Nicolas Robel 

Le Tigre bleu [The Blue Tiger] 


Geneva-based comics artist Nicolas Robel 

knows how to tell great picture stories for young 

children. The story about Paul for instance, who 

often feels lonely because his mother works all 

day. He has to share his fears and sorrows with 

his stuffed animals and finger puppets. 

Robel reveals Paul’s power and impotence 

with a constant change of perspective and the 

alteration of the background colours. The reader 

comprehends how strongly Paul relies on his 

puppet friends and what a huge step it is for him 

to let the girl next door take part in his games. 

Another strong point of the book is the fact that 

Paul’s mother supports her son in this maturity 

process, sees through his puppet theatre, but 

still takes him seriously. For Le Tigre bleu, Nicolas 

Robel was awarded with the Swiss Children’s and 

Youth Media Price in 2003. 

L’auteur de bande dessinée genevois Nicolas Robel sait 

s’y prendre pour raconter de belles histoires pour les 

petits. Par exemple celle de Paul, qui se sent souvent 

seul, parce que sa mère doit aller travailler. Paul vous 

fera partager ses peurs et ses angoisses au travers de 

ses animaux en peluche et marionnettes à doigt. Robel 

montre la puissance et l’impuissance de Paul avec des 

changements de perspective et de couleurs d’arrièreplan. 

Il permet au lecteur de comprendre comment 

Paul s’appuie sur ses amies marionnettes et à quel 

point c’est une grande étape pour lui de laisser la fille 

du voisin jouer à ses jeux. La mère de Paul soutient 

son fils dans ce processus de maturation. Son théâtre 

de marionnettes vu à travers lui est toujours pris 

au sérieux. C’est un autre point fort de cet ouvrage. 

Nicolas Robel a reçu pour Le Tigre bleu le Prix suisse 

Jeunesse et Médias en 2005. 


6 

Peter Stamm • Hannes Binder, ill. 

Heidi 

Nagel & Kimche, 2008 • ISBN 978-3-312-00982-4 

Johanna Spyri’s Heidi was published in 1879 and 

has since sold over 50 million copies. Heidi has 

become a film star, a comic figure, and a musical 

performer. 

In a straightforward language author Peter 

Stamm narrates Spyri’s story about the fiveyear-old 

orphan girl who lives on an alp with 

her granddad until she is sent away to Frankfurt. 

Stamm’s Heidi is not a nature girl who suffers 

from living in a big city but a child that gets 

homesick far away from her alp and subsequently 

lapses into silence. With their documental 

approach, Hannes Binder’s illustrations deny 

any idyll. In his pictures, Binder chooses wide, 

broad frames for the mountains, vertical ones for 

Frankfurt, and subdivided spaces to reflect the 

hectic city life as well as Heidi’s inner world. Thus, 

he constantly dissects the well-known, popular 

image of Heidi. 

Johanna Spyris Heidi erschien 1879 und hat sich 

seither über fünfzig Millionen Mal verkauft. Heidi 

ist ein Filmstar, eine Comic- und Musical-Figur 

geworden. Der Autor Peter Stamm erzählt Spyris 

Geschichte um das fünfjährige Waisenmädchen, das 

bei seinem Grossvater Öhi auf der Alp lebt, bis es ins 

Frankfurter Exil verschickt wird, in schnörkelloser 

Sprache nach. Sein Heidi ist kein Naturmädchen, das 

an der Grossstadt leidet, sondern ein Kind, das in der 

Fremde an Heimweh erkrankt und darum verstummt. 

Auch Hannes Binders Illustrationen verweigern sich in 

ihrem dokumentarischen Ansatz jeder Idylle. Er wählt 

für die Bergwelt weite, breite Ansichten, für Frankfurt 

vertikal, in Panels unterteilte Bildräume, die die das 

hektische Stadtleben draussen und Heidis Innenwelt 

spiegeln und schafft so mal um mal Gegenbilder zum 

gängigen, medial kolportierten Heidibild. 

7 

Selina Chönz • Alois Carigiet, ill. 

Uorsin (in Puter Rhaeto-Romanic) / Ursin (in Sursilvan Rhaeto-Romanic) 

[A Bell for Ursli] 

Lia Rumantscha, 1983 

The internationally most renowned Swiss 

storybook tells the story of ‘Bell-Ursli’ and his 

search for the biggest cow bell so he can march 

at the front of the parade and banish winter 

with the ring of his bell at the spring celebration 

“Chalandamarz”. To obtain the biggest cow bell, 

he secretly mounts to his parents’ chalet through 

deep snow and spends a lonely night up there. 

When Ursli returns the next day with his big bell, 

his parents, who were worrying all night, are 

relieved. In 1945, the story of “Uorsin”, written by 

Selina Chönz from Engadine, was published. The 

book that is illustrated by Alois Carigiet has come 

to world fame. Ursli is the hero of this story about 

departure and homecoming, about autonomous 

actions and the proving of oneself. Due to Alois 

Carigiet’s expressive images the story of Ursli and 

his bell is a monument of Swiss artwork in the 

twentieth century. In 1996, the artist received the 

Hans Christian Andersen Award for his storybook 

artwork. 

Il cudesch illustrà svizzer il pli enconuschent sin plaun 

internaziunal raquinta l’istorgia dad Ursin che va a 

la tschertga da la pli gronda plumpa. Quella dovra 

el per pudair star a la testa dal cortegi da primavaira 

«Chalandamarz» che duai cun ses sclingiez stgatschar 

l’enviern. Senza infurmar ses geniturs decida el dad ir 

ad acla. El va tras naiv e glatsch e passenta ina notg 

solitaria en la tegia da culm. Cura che Ursin returna 

l’auter di cun la plumpa, s’allegran ils geniturs che 

n’han da spir quitads betg savì durmir. 

Il 1945 è cumparida l’istorgia dad « Ursin » da la 

scriventa engiadinaisa Selina Chönz ch’è daventada 

grazia a las illustraziuns da l’artist Aluis Carigiet 

enconuschenta en tut il mund. Ursin è l’erox da 

questa istorgia davart il scappar e turnar a chasa, 

l’agir autonom ed il sa cumprovar. Entras ils maletgs 

expressivs dad Aluis Carigiet è l’istorgia dad Ursin in 

monument da la grafica svizra dal 20avel tschientaner. 

Per sias illustraziuns da cudeschs d’uffants è 

l’artist vegnì undrà il 1996 cun il Hans Christian 

Andersen Award. 


8 

Hans Fischer 

Pitschi. Das Kätzchen, das immer etwas anderes wollte. Eine traurige 

Geschichte, die aber gut aufhört. [Pitschi. A kitten who always wanted 

something else. A sad story with a happy end] 

NordSüd, 1993 • ISBN 978-0-7358-2278-8 

Pitschi is not only the smallest of the five kittens 

living in old Lisette’s house, it also wants to play 

something completely different and test new roles. 

Its attempts to be a different animal always fail 

according to the same pattern. These repetitions 

enable children to marvel at Pitschi’s untiring 

courage and, at the same time, they provide them 

with previous knowledge that allows the reader to 

keep a certain distance. Pitschi’s mishaps are not 

simply tales of woe – its deviations from the norm 

and transgression of limits bring fun and humour 

into the story. Pitschi’s story is child-friendly 

because it presents straightforward situations. 

It is also world-encompassing because there is 

an artist who remains true to himself and works 

for a specific audience: his own children. It is not 

a coincidence that a cat is playing the game of 

identity search. Cats are an abiding theme in Hans 

Fischer’s works, he depicts them in numerous 

sketches, etchings, and lithographs. Pitschi, first 

published in 1948, belongs to the classics of Swiss 

picture book writing. Generations of children have 

grown up with it - and still are. 

Pitschi ist nicht nur das kleinste der fünf Katzenkinder, 

die bei der alten Lisette wohnen, es will auch etwas 

anderes spielen, neue Rollen ausprobieren. Seine 

Versuche, ein anderes Tier zu sein, scheitern stets 

nach dem gleichen Muster. Diese Wiederholungen 

ermöglichen Kindern, über Pitschis unermüdlichen 

Mut zu staunen, und zugleich geben sie ihnen das 

Vorwissen, das Distanz erlaubt. Pitschis Missgeschicke 

sind nicht einfach Leidensgeschichten, hier ist der 

Normbruch und das Grenz-Überschreiten auch Anlass 

zu Humor. Pitschis Geschichte ist kindernah, weil 

sie überschaubare Situationen vorführt. Sie ist aber 

zugleich auch welthaltig, weil hier ein Künstler sich 

selbst bleibt und für konkrete Kinder arbeitet, für 

seine eigenen Kinder. Dass eine Katze das Spiel der 

Identitätssuche spielt, ist kein Zufall. Katzen sind ein 

Urthema des Künstlers, das er in unzähligen Skizzen, 

Radierungen oder Lithographien umgesetzt hat. Das 

1948 erstmals erschienene Bilderbuch zählt zu den 

Klassikern des Schweizer Bilderbuchschaffens, mit dem 

Generationen von Kindern aufgewachsen sind – und 

immer noch aufwachsen. 

9 

Azouz Begag • Catherine Louis , ill. 

Ma maman est devenue une étoile [My mother became a star] 


When mother was still alive, she promised her 

little daughter that she would accompany her 

wherever she would go. Now the little girl is sitting 

in church with her father, enduring the funeral 

service for her deceased mother. Both are crying. 

The priest is talking about things the girl does not 

understand. That is why she begins to explain to 

herself what she sees, what she feels, what she 

understands and what she imagines – and she 

manages to find explanations for all the things the 

adults are unable to communicate. “Their eyes are 

reddened and wet. They all have a cold. They won’t 

stop blowing their noses…“. In the girl’s mind, the 

funeral service becomes a fantastic story and her 

mummy becomes a star. At the end of the funeral 

the girl still believes that her mother is going to 

come back. But mummy disappears in a coffin and 

daddy is still very sad. Catherine Louis, an illustrator 

from the French-speaking part of Switzerland, 

illustrates this sad and comical story by the French 

writer Azouz Begag by using colourful, abstract, 

impressionistic pictures that match the girl’s 

imagination: a blotch of colour here, a corner of a 

coffin or a piece of stained glass there. 

Quand maman était en vie, elle a promis à sa fille de 

l’accompagner où qu’elle aille. Maintenant, la petite 

fille est assise avec son père dans l’église et supporte 

avec résignation le service funèbre de sa défunte 

mère. Les deux pleurent. Le prêtre parle de choses 

que la petite fille ne comprend pas. Elle commence 

alors à se raconter ce qu’elle voit, ce qu’elle ressent, 

ce qu’elle comprend, ce qu’elle imagine- et trouve des 

explications pour toutes les choses, que les adultes 

ne peuvent lui donner: « Vos yeux sont rougis et 

humides. Vous êtes tous fâchés. Vous n’arrêtez pas de 

pester … ». Dans sa pensée, la cérémonie funéraire se 

transforme en une histoire fantastique et sa maman 

en une étoile. À la fin des funérailles, la jeune fille 

pense encore que sa maman va revenir. Mais maman 

disparaît dans un cercueil et papa est toujours très 

triste. 


10 

Valérie Losa 

Sapore Italiano. Piccole Storie di Pranzi domenicali 

[A taste of Italy. Little stories about Italian Sunday meals] 

ZOOlibri, 2010 • ISBN 978-88-88254-57-9 

For several months, illustrator Valérie Losa 

visited Italian migrants living in Switzerland. She 

participated in their Sunday meals, she observed 

the families, took photos, and drew the people. In 

the picture book Sapore Italiano she revives these 

meetings. She takes us along to a family home 

where the Sunday meal is being prepared, she 

celebrates cooking traditions, she brings kitchen 

smells alive, and depicts impressively how the 

families are trying to keep strong ties with their 

native country and their country of origin by 

gathering at the table and sharing Sunday meals. 

For the topic of memory, the artist chooses a 

multi-layered sepia-coloured transparent paper, 

a technique that corresponds with the nostalgic 

memories of the migrants and at the same 

time shows their fragility. Losa does not only 

present idylls, however: the daily life in the new 

home country and the often difficult process of 

integration is brought up as well as the fact that 

social changes have taken place both in Italy and 

in Switzerland and little has stayed the same. 

For this topic, Losa uses coloured pen and ink 

drawings that bridge past and present. The only 

consistent things within all these changes are 

the recipes for the Sunday meals that have been 

passed on from generation to generation. 

L’illustratrice Valérie Losa per alcuni mesi ha 

frequentato famiglie di emigranti italiani che vivono 

in Svizzera, partecipando al pranzo domenicale; li ha 

osservati, disegnati, e fotografati. In “Sapore italiano” 

ha raccolto l’essenza di questi incontri. Ci conduce 

in una famiglia intenta a preparare il pranzo 

domenicale: una celebrazione della tradizione culinaria. 

L’illustratrice ci restituisce i profumi della cucina 

attraverso immagini evocative che mostrano come sia 

importante per queste famiglie mantenere il contatto 

con le proprie radici attraverso il rito del pranzo in 

comune. Per valorizzare il ricordo del passato, Valérie 

Losa ha scelto della carta trasparente color seppia 

che ha dipinto con diversi strati di colore. Una tecnica 

che corrisponde appieno ai ricordi nostalgici degli 

emigranti lasciando, nello stesso tempo, trasparire la 

loro fragilità. Losa, però, non ci racconta solo il lato 

idilliaco di queste famiglie. Raffigura anche le loro 

fragilità, la loro vita quotidiana a contatto con la realtà 

di un nuovo paese, il processo a volte difficoltoso 

dell’integrazione e i cambiamenti sociali intercorsi sia 

in Svizzera sia in Italia. Per illustrare quest’aspetto 

l’illustratrice usa la colorazione a china; una tecnica 

che fa da ponte tra passato e presente. Le ricette, alla 

base dei pranzi domenicali di queste famiglie, sono 

tramandate di generazione in generazione e hanno 

trovato posto anche in questo libro.. 


Books from 

Togo 

Contact: Edem K. Adjeoda 

maison_quartier@stejtogo.org 

This choice of picture books was made by all the members of “LIRE Togo”. 

“LIRE Togo” is a network of libraries located in the Lomé – the capital – area, 

and its goal is the promotion of reading in Togo, among children and young 

adults but also among the general public, without any distinction of age, 

sex or religious beliefs. 

“Lecture et Information en Réseau pour l’Education au Togo (LIRE) 

Togo” (liretogo.org) brings together seven libraries : STEJ (Sainte Thérèse 

de l’Enfant Jésus), CKJ (Club Kisito Jeunesse), Étoile, Akplanu, Mytronunya, 

CCL (Centre Culturel Loyola) and Maison des Jeunes of Maison TV5 Monde. 

The list of picture books starts with the most voted for and reflects the 

preferences of young readers of the seven libraries in the network, which 

organized activities so that children could vote. 

Some of the chosen books, such as Le Caïman sacré and Le Bon, la bourse 

et le corrompu, reflect, in a way, Togoleses’ realities, our own realities. 

1 

Folika • Maxime Adoko, ill. 

Akuété mon frère [Akuété my brother] 


Akuété never parts from the statuette of Akuélé, 

his twin brother who is dead. One day, his 

parents take him for the first time to his home 

town, for the harvest feast. But on the way there, 

the statuette mysteriously disappears. After the 

story, information is given on the cult of twins – 

in particular regarding the Kabyè people in North 

Togo – which is widely spread in all the Gulf of 

Guinea. The cult of twins is the theme of picture 

books from Ivory Coast too. 

Akuélé ne se sépare jamais de la statuette de Akuété, 

son frère jumeau aujourd’hui décédé. Un jour, ses 

parents décident de lui faire connaître son village 

d’origine où a lieu la fête des moissons. Mais en cours 

de route, la statuette disparaît mystérieusement. 

Dossier sur le culte des jumeaux, abordé ici plus 

particulièrement chez les Kabyè du nord Togo, mais 

répandu dans tout le golfe de Guinée. Le thème du 

culte des jumeaux est présent également dans des 

albums ivoiriens. 

the world through picture books • books from togo • 198

2 

Koffivi Assem • KanAd, ill. 

Haïti mon amour [Haiti my love] 

Ago, 2012 • ISBN 979-10-91810-00-6 

P’tit Filou, a street child, survives peacefully 

near a big market in Port-au-Prince. After the 

big earthquake on January 12, 2010, P’tit Filou 

is kidnapped by a journalist wishing to offer 

him a chance for a better life, and sent on a 

boat to the USA, together with other children, 

to be adopted. A tragedy occurs that makes the 

journalist understand the cruelty of his actions 

even if they were well-intentioned. The last 

pages of this graphic novel offer information 

on Haiti (geography, history, demographics). 

P’tit Filou, un enfant de rue, survit paisiblement dans 

les environs d’un grand marché de Port-au-Prince. 

Après le grand tremblement de terre du 12 janvier 

2010, P’tit Filou est kidnappé par un journaliste qui 

veut lui donner la chance d’une vie meilleure, et mis 

dans un bateau à destination des États-Unis, afin 

d’être adopté. Mais une tragédie survient, qui pousse 

le reporter à comprendre la cruauté de son action 

pourtant motivée par les meilleurs intentions. Cette 

bande dessinée est suivi d’un dossier documentaire 

sur Haïti (géographie, histoire, démographie). 

3 

Fabrice Alawoé, Koffivi Assem • KanAd, ill. 

Le Bon, la bourse et le corrompu [The Good man, the grant 

and the corrupted man] 

Ago, 2013 • ISBN 979-10-90810-04-4 

Kodjo, a radio presenter, an honest person, has 

obtained a grant for a training course in Candada. 

But when he tries to complete the formalities 

for his trip, he comes across an implacable world 

where bribery is almost mandatory, and then… 

what is wrong with handing out some bank notes 

in order to be well served, and fast? A graphic 

novel about corruption. 

Kodjo, un animateur de radio intègre vient de gagner 

une bourse pour un stage de perfectionnement au 

Canada, Mais quand il veut faire toutes les formalités 

nécessaires à son voyage, il se heurte à un monde 

implacable où les pots-de-vin sont quasi obligatoires, 

et puis... Quel mal y a t’il à distribuer quelques billets 

de banques pour être vite et bien servi ? Une bande 

dessinée sur le thème de la corruption. 

4 

Fousséni Mamah • Kokou Tongnévi, ill. 

Le Soleil et l’Épervier [The Sun and the Sparrowhawk] 

Graines de pensées, Éburnie, 2013 • ISBN 978-2-916-01-44-16 and 978-2-84770-181-4 

The Sparrowhawk agrees to lend money to 

the Sun on the promise that he will be paid 

back when the next moon comes. But the Sun 

does not fulfill his promise. The Cock helps 

the Sparrowhawk to meet the Sun, but the 

Sparrowhawk must promise not to say how he 

knew the exact time when he could meet the 

Sun. Yet another promise that is not fulfilled: the 

Sparrowhawk admits that he was helped by the 

Cock. A story to explain why the Sparrowhawk 

became dangerous to the Cock, but also to say 

that one must go on acting well even when one 

meets with ingratitude. 

Par gentillesse et avec l’assurance d’être remboursé 

à la prochaine lune, l’Épervier accepte de prêter de 

l’argent au Soleil. Seulement ce dernier n’honore pas 

sa promesse. Le Coq donne à l’Épervier le moyen de 

rencontrer le Soleil en lui faisant promettre de ne pas 

révéler comment il a su l’heure idéale de visite. Encore 

une promesse qui ne sera pas tenue : l’Épervier avoue 

qu’il a été aidé par le Coq... Une histoire pour expliquer 

pourquoi l’Épervier est devenu le plus grand danger 

pour le Coq mais aussi pour dire qu’« il faut continuer 

à faire le bien même si on récolte l’ingratitude ». 


5 

Koffivi Assem • KanAd, ill. 

Un intrus dans mon takyiènta [An intruder in my takyiènta] 


On a very hot night, N’Tcha dreams of a strange 

snake. Awakening suddenly he realises that the 

snake is his pillow. The household is soon up in 

arms but N’Tcha’s father welcomes the snake 

in a very unexpected way. A good nocturnal and 

dream-like atmosphere, in ochre tones. The last 

pages are dedicated to the Battãmmariba people 

in Togo and Benin, explaining their way of life, 

their cult of the female snake and their “tatas”, 

earth-built fortresses. 

Par une nuit de forte chaleur, N’Tcha rêve d’un 

étrange serpent… Réveillé brutalement, il réalise qu’un 

serpent lui sert réellement d’oreiller. La maisonnée 

est rapidement sur le pied de guerre mais son père 

accueille le serpent de manière tout à fait inattendue… 

Belle ambiance nocturne et onirique avec des 

illustrations, dans des tons brun. Le dossier final est 

consacré aux Battãmmariba du Togo et du Bénin et 

explique leur mode de vie, leur culte du serpent femelle, 

ou encore leurs « tatas », forteresses en terre. 

6 

Tchotcho Ékué • Kokou Tongnévi, ill. 

Djanta [Djanta] 

Graines de pensées, Éburnie, 2013 • ISBN 978-2-916101-43-9 and 978-2-84770-184-5 

The hero of this picture book is not a conqueror 

king but a lonely lion, no longer young, in search 

of a wife. True, he charms some ravishing females 

– gazelle, doe, hyena, snake, panther… – but 

none of them wants him, and at last he meets a 

young lioness as lonely as himself. In a repetitive 

structure, each stage in the lion’s quest is an 

excuse for speeches, reflections, great ideas 

that meet defiance every time. The author (also 

publisher) uses a lively style, rich vocabulary, 

enumeration, alliteration, and offers an alert 

tale that, through disappointment and regrets, 

is full of wisdom and finally, is crowned by love. 

As the two lions are lonely because their lives 

are threatened, the story highlights the need for 

respect of sacred things, of nature and of the 

species that must be protected. 

Le héros de cet album n’est pas un roi de la savane 

conquérant, mais un lion bien seul, plus tout à fait 

jeune, parti à la recherche d’une épouse. Certes, 

il séduit tour à tour de charmantes femelles – gazelle, 

biche, hyène, vipère, panthère… – mais aucune ne veut 

de lui jusqu’à ce qu’enfin il rencontre une jeune lionne 

tout aussi solitaire. Dans cette structure en randonnée, 

chaque étape de la quête du lion – histoire dans 

l’histoire – est prétexte à discours, réflexions, idées 

formidables chaque fois remises en cause. L’auteure 

et éditrice livre dans un style très vivant, travaillé, 

au riche vocabulaire jouant sur les énumérations, les 

allitérations, un conte alerte, non dénué d’humour qui 

entraîne le lecteur dans un parcours, de déconvenues 

en regrets, qui s’avère plein de sagesse et finalement 

couronné par l’amour. Au passage (nos deux lions 

sont solitaires parce que menacés), il livre aussi 

une réflexion sur le respect des choses sacrées, 

de la nature, la protection des espèces. 

7 

Messan Agbopletou • Adamah Hanvi, ill. 

Le Caïman sacré [The Sacred Caiman] 


Because King Akuamu is very cruel, the Adan 

people decide to find a new homeland. But their 

march is soon stopped by a gigantic river. The 

crossing will be possible thanks to a miraculous 

bridge made of tree trunks – in fact, caymans, 

to which a cult is born, in acknowledgment for 

their help. This legend of the Adan people living 

in South Ghana, Togo and Benin, is completed 

by some pages of information on the cult of the 

sacred cayman. Other titles in this collection 

Cauris d’or, co-published in Togo and Benin, 

provide interesting fiction with a supplement 

on cultural traditions. 

Parce que le roi Akuamu est très cruel, le peuple Adan 

décide de chercher une nouvelle terre d’accueil. Mais sa 

marche est bien vite arrêtée par un gigantesque fleuve. 

Sa traversée sera rendue possible grâce à un pont 

miraculeux de troncs d’arbres - en réalité des caïmans 

auxquels un culte sera rendu, en remerciement du 

passage. Cette légende du peuple Adan, qui vit au Sud 

du Ghana, du Togo et du Bénin, est complétée par 

un dossier sur le culte du caïman sacré. D’autres titres 

de la collection Cauris d’or, co-édité au Togo et au 

Bénin, proposent des fictions intéressantes complétées 

de dossiers autour de traditions culturelles. 


8 

Asim • KamAd, ill. 

À la recherche de ses origines [Looking for his origins] 

Graines de pensées, Ruisseaux d’Afrique, 2008 • ISBN 978-2-916101- 14-9 and 978-99919-63-36-5 

A young boy survives a car accident and is taken 

in by nuns who bring him up with affection. But 

Alfredo, as he is named by the nuns, wants to 

know his origins. He will find them thanks to the 

photograph that was in his small suitcase, of an 

old man with scars on his face. A beautiful story, 

touching but discreet, revealing Togo realities, 

enhanced by illustration. Excellent information 

pages at the end, on scarring practices of the 

Battãmmariba people in North Togo. 

Un jeune enfant rescapé d’un accident de la route 

est recueilli par des religieuses qui l’élèvent avec 

affection; mais Alfredo, comme on l’a nommé, veut 

connaître ses origines. Il les retrouvera grâce à la 

photo qui se trouvait dans sa petite valise, d’un vieil 

homme au visage scarifié. Une belle histoire, touchante 

mais pudique, imprégnée des réalités togolaises, que 

l’illustration très présente accompagne et enrichit. 

Excellent dossier documentaire illustré en fin de 

volume sur les scarifications chez es Battãmmariba 

du nord Togo. 

9 

Fousséni Mamah • Kokou Tongnévi, ill. 

La Lune et le soleil [The Moon and the Sun] 

Graines de Pensées, Éburnie, 2013 • ISBN 978-2-916101-45-3 and 978-2-84770-182-1 

Long, long ago, the Moon and the Sun lived side 

by side, each of them so much attracted by the 

aroma of the other’s cuisine that, as they never 

invited each other, they tasted the other’s meals 

by digging left-overs. This situation lasted until 

one day, the Sun tricked the Moon, emprisoned 

her and bothered her so much that she fled up 

to the sky. Not to be undone, the Sun also went 

up to the sky, but even higher… which explains 

the reason of the position of the Moon and 

the Sun in the sky. 

Dans des temps très reculés, la Lune et le Soleil 

vivaient côte à côte, chacun tellement attiré par le 

fumet de la cuisine de l’autre que, ne s’invitant jamais 

à partager leurs repas, ils les goûtaient en piochant 

dans leurs restes respectifs. Ce manège dura jusqu’au 

jour où le Soleil piégea la Lune, l’emprisonna, et 

la molesta si bien qu’elle s’enfuit haut dans le ciel. 

Pour ne pas être en reste, le Soleil se rendit également 

dans le ciel mais encore plus haut... ce qui explique 

la raison du positionnement de la Lune et du Soleil 

dans l’espace.. 


Books from 

Turkey 

Contact: Muhittin Gurbuz 

gurbuz13@gmail.com 

The co-ordination of the top ten picture books for Turkey was undertaken by 

Muhittin Gurbuz. Initially, information about the project was sent to 12 major 

publishers, the Turkish Publishers Association, the Writers Union of Turkey 

and an author asking them to choose their top ten books. Unfortunately 

the majority did not respond, although a list was received from Bitlis Public 

Library. Then a search for the titles was carried out in bookshops and online in 

order to look at them, to verify if they were eligible, and to check if they were 

in stock. A list of 100 nominated picture books made up from mutiple voted 

titles was drawn up. These were a combination of classics and interesting 

contemporary authors and illustrators. An electronic voting form was sent 

with the information to all librarians who work at university, public, and school 

libraries. The form was also made available across Turkey in discussion-groups 

and posted on the Internet via blogs and Facebook groups. Turkish children’s 

classical books have been the most preferred by librarians. Two books written 

by the same author (Behiç Ak) were choosen for the top ten list. One of the 

books was eliminated and replaced with another book (Bahçıvan Köstebek ve 

Uçan Karınca Kıvırcık), a prize winner in the 2010 Tudem Literature Awards called 

“Write, Draw, Paint. Greeting to the Books!”. The final list consists of titles that 

both met the IFLA criteria and got the largest number of votes. In addition, the 

books included in the top ten list for Turkey were chosen for inclusion because 

they feature Turkey and/or its diverse culture, and also universal values such as 

friendship, love, family, etc. General information has also been included in the 

reviews. The books are listed starting from the highest voted. 

the world through picture books • books from turkey • 202

1 

Melike Günyüz, Buket Topakoğlu • Ceyhun Şen, ill. 

Keloğlan Suskunlar Ülkesinde [Keloglan is in the Land of Silent] 

Sedir, 2013 • ISBN 9786058628403 

Keloğlan is the most famous and the favourite 

person of Turkish children’s tales. Keloğlan is a 

hero who lives with his poor mother and who 

works in order to earn his living. Also he is a hero 

who finds practical solutions to the problems 

and who achieves his goal in the end. Keloğlan is 

hardworking, determined, decisive, active, strong, 

sworn enemy of injustice and the powerful 

defender of nature. He can have an optimistic 

point of view even in the hardest situations. 

He can smile, never stops laughing and singing. 

He never forgets about his mother, always 

helps his friends. In this book, one day Keloğlan’s 

Mother gave a book into his hand. This was the 

only legacy his father had left him before he died. 

Opening the book with curiosity, Keloğlan found 

in it an interesting map and a message as well: 

‘My Son, the book is the only legacy that I could 

leave you. Only to you does this belong. Spend it 

however you please. But take care that you gain 

something as you spend.” Keloğlan read these 

riddle-like words over and over. “Gain something 

as you spend…” The more he pondered, the more 

he wondered… How could you spend and gain 

something at the same time? An entertaining 

fairy-tale about friendship, freedom and kindness… 

Keloğlan, Türk Çocuk Masalları arasında çok sevilen, 

meşhur bir kişidir. O, fakir annesiyle birlikte yaşayan 

ve hayatını kazanmak için çalışan bir kahramandır. 

Ayrıca, sorunlara pratik çözümler bulan ve nihai hedefi 

başarmak olan bir kahramandır. Keloğlan çok çalışkan, 

azimli, kararlı, aktif, güçlü, haksızlığın ezeli düşmanı ve 

doğuştan mücadelecidir. En zor durumlarda bile olumlu 

düşünmeyi elden bırakmaz. Yüzünden gülümsemeyi 

ve şarkı söylemeyi hiç ihmal etmez. Annesini hiç ihmal 

etmez, arkadaşlarına daima yardım eder. Bu kitapta, 

bir gün anası Keloğlan’ın eline bir kitap verir. Bu, 

rahmetli babasından ona kalan tek mirastır. Kitabı 

merakla açan Keloğlan, içinde ilginç bir harita ve bir 

de not bulur: “Oğlum bu benim sana bırakabildiğim 

tek hazine.Onun sahibi sensin. Nasıl istersen öyle 

harca. Ama dikkat et de harcadıkça kazan. “Keloğlan 

babasının bu bilmece gibi satırını tekrar tekrar okur. 

“Harcadıkça kazan, harcadıkça kazan...” Düşünür 

durur kafası olur bir kazan... Hem harcayıp hem nasıl 

kazanır ki insan? Arkadaşlık, özgürlük ve yardımseverlik 

hakkında eğlenceli bir masal... 

2 

Suat Karadağ • Mustafa Koç, ill. 

Karagöz ile Hacivat [Karagoz and Hacivat] 

Damla, 2008 • ISBN 9789753813676 

Karagoz and Hacivat are an integral part of 

Turkish Culture. Karagoz and Hacivat are the 

lead characters of the traditional Turkish shadow 

play, popularized during the Ottoman period. 

The central theme of the play is the contrasting 

interaction between the two main characters. 

They are perfect foils for each other: Karagoz 

represents the illiterate straightforward people, 

whereas Hacivat belongs to the educated class, 

speaking Ottoman Turkish and using a poetical 

and literary language. Karagoz is definitely 

intended to be the more popular character; he 

always outdoes Hacivat’s superior education with 

his “native wit.” He is also very impulsive and his 

never ending get-rich-quick schemes always 

results in failure. Hacivat continually attempts 

to “domesticate” Karagoz, but never makes 

progress. Karagoz is a shadow puppet play, very 

famous all over the world. The book consists of 

six short stories so that children can understand 

about shadow play. 

Karagöz ve Hacivat Türk Kültürü’nün ayrılmaz bir 

parçasıdır. Karagöz ve Hacivat, Osmanlı dönemi 

boyunca halka malolmuş geleneksel Türk Gölge 

Oyunu’nun önde gelen karakterlerindendir. Oyunların 

ana temasını iki temel karakter arasındaki zıtlık üzerine 

kurulan etkileşim oluşturmaktadır. Birbirlerinin işine 

ustalıkla engel olurlar: Karagöz okuma yazma bilmeyen 

ama açık sözlü, buna karşılık Hacivat eğitimli sınıftan, 

Osmanlı Türkçesi konuşan, edebi ve şiirsel bir dil 

kullanır. Karagöz Türk köylü sınıfında daha çok popüler 

olmaya niyetlenmiş olmasına rağmen, aynı zamanda 

patavatsız, daima yenilgiyle sonuçlanan, kandırmaca 

ile dolu entrikalarından hiç vazgeçmez. Hacivat, 

Karagöz’ü ehlileştirmeye devam eder ama bu çabasında 

hiç ilerleme sağlayamaz. Karagöz dünya genelinde 

çok meşhur bir gölge kukla oyunudur. En önemli 

Türk Çocuk Klasikleri arasında yer alan bu kitap, altı 

hikâyeden oluşmaktadır. Gölge oyunu konusunda 

çocukların anlayabileceği hikâyelerle desteklenerek 

rengârenk bir masal kitabı yapılmış. 


3 

Melike Günyüz • Ceyhun Şen, ill. 

Nasrettin Hoca ve Cimri Komşunun Hikâyesi 

[The Story of Nasrettin Hodja and Stingy Neighbour] 

Sedir, 2013 • ISBN 9786058628427 

Nasrettin Hodja is one of the most loved and 

celebrated personalities not only of Turkey but 

of the entire Middle East as well. Ever since early 

childhood, Nasrettin Hodja was reputed to be 

very clever, cunning, as well as humorous. He 

seemed to have an answer for every situation 

that was not only comical but also had a note of 

encouragement. He tried to live a happy life of 

honesty and simplicity. Nasrettin Hodja’s strories 

are told in succinct popular epigrams. It is obvious 

that Hodja was a witty man, had a sense of humor 

and was a good conversationalist. Nasrettin 

Hodja’s tales are one of the most important 

Turkish children’s classics. The book is about a 

man named Nasrettin Hodja and his neighbour. 

Hodja’s front door is opposite his neighbour’s front 

door with a small garden in-between. Therefore 

the neighbour knew whenever anybody visited 

Hodja and every time he had anything delivered 

by somebody. One day a delivery brought food 

to Hodja’s home, but before Hodja had time to 

eat any lunch or dinner his neighbour rang the 

bell. In order to show he was a generous person 

Hodja shared his items and food, and showed 

his neighbour what a stingy person he was. The 

author has written over twenty books, some of 

them were translated into German, Bulgarian and 

Chinese. 

Nasrettin Hoca, sadece Türliye’de değil, aynı zamanda 

Orta Doğu’da da çok sevilen, meşhur bir kişidir. Hoca, 

çocukluğundan beri güldüren kişiliğinin yanı sıra, çok 

zeki ve kurnaz biri olarak da tanınmıştır. O’nun her 

duruma karşı hem komik hem de ders veren bir cevabı 

olmuştur. Dürüstlük ve yalınlık üzerine kurulu, mutlu 

bir hayat yaşamaya çalışmıştır. Özlü sözler olarak dile 

getirilen bu hikâyelerin sonundaki ifadeler, Hoca’yı 

nüktenin ustası yapmıştır. Zekice yaptığı şakalarla iyi 

bir konuşmacı olduğunu da göstermiştir. Nasrettin 

Hoca Masalları, en önemli Türk Çocuk Klasikleri 

arasında yer almaktadır. Bu kitap Nasrettin Hoca ile 

cimri komşusu arasında geçen olayları işlemektedir. 

Hoca’nın bir komşusu varmış. Aynı bahçeye 

bakıyormuş evleri. Bu sebeple Hoca’nın evine giren 

çıkan herkesten ve herşeyden haberi oluyormuş. Hoca 

yeni bir eşya alınca daha kendisi kullanmadan komşu 

kapıyı çalıp ödünç istiyormuş. Eve yiyecek bir şey 

gelince daha Hoca’nın evinde sofra kurulmadan komşu 

kapıyı çalıyormuş. Hoca cömert olduğu için eşyasını 

ve yemeğini paylaşırmış. Sonunda Hoca zekâsıyla 

komşusuna cimriliğini hatırtlatır. Yazarın yirminin 

üzerinde yayınlanmış masal kitabı bulunmaktadır 

ve bazıları Almanca’ya, Bulgarca’ya ve Çince’ye 

çevrilmiştir. 

4 

Fatih M. Durmuş • Fatih M. Durmuş, ill. 

Dede Korkut Hikâyeleri [Dede Korkut Stories] 

Pan, 2011 • ISBN 9786054518098 

The Book of Dede Korkut, also spelled as Dada 

Gorgud, Dede Qorqut or Qorqit ata (Turkish: 

Dede Korkut, Azerbaijani: Kitabi Dədə Qorqud, 

Turkmen: “Gorkut-ata”) is the most famous 

among the epic stories of the Oghuz Turks 

(also known as Turkmens or Turcomans). The 

stories carry morals and values significant to 

the social lifestyle of the nomadic Turks and 

their pre-Islamic beliefs. The epic tales of Dede 

Korkut is one of the best known Turkic destans 

from among a total of well over 1,000 recorded 

epics among the Mongolian and Turkic language 

families by international scholars. In this book, 

which is one of the most important Turkish 

children’s classic, there are 12 collected versions of 

the stories with colourful pictures for children. 

Kitabı-ı Dede Korkut, Dada Gorgud, Dede Qorqut 

veya Qorqit Ata olarak da yazılır (Türkçe: Dede 

Korkut, Azerbaycan: Kitabi Dədə Qorqud, Türkmen: 

“Gorkut-ata”) Oğuz Türkleri (Türkmenler ya da Türko 

olarak da bilinirler) ’nin destansı hikâyeleri arasında 

en meşhur olanıdır. Bu hikâyeler, Göçebe Türkler’in 

önemli ahlaki kurallarını ve değerlerini ve İslam öncesi 

inanışlarını sosyal hayatlarına taşırlar. Uluslararası 

bilim çevrelerince Dede Korkut’un destansı masalları 

Moğolca ve Türkçe diller ailesinde kaydedilmiş toplam 

1,000 üzerindeki destan içerisinde en iyi bilinendir. 

En önemli Türk Çocuk Klasikleri arasında yer alan bu 

kitapta, çocuklar için renkli resimlerle desteklenmiş 

12 adet hikâye bulunmaktadır. 


5 

Fatma Kabadayı • Ayşegül Coşkun, Gülinaz Şafak, ill. 

Evliya Çelebi [Evliya Celebi] 

Şiir Çocuk, 2012 • ISBN 9786054594702 

Evliya Celebi was an Ottoman Turkish gentleman 

adventurer who travelled far and wide for many 

years. His observations on everyday life in the 17th 

century are a unique record of his times. He left 

a record of his wanderings in 10 large volumes, 

the Seyahatname, or Book of Travels. In this 

book, which is one of the most important Turkish 

children’s classics, once upon a time, there is this 

young boy called Mehmet. Mehmet’s father’s 

name is also Mehmet. He likes having a chat with 

his grandfather, uncle and father every night and 

attentively listens to what they tell him. He is quite 

curious about the places they have travelled and 

seen and personally wants to go and see such 

places. He therefore wants to grow up quickly. He 

makes a decision when he is twenty-four years 

old. He says to himself that “I am going to travel all 

around the world and see everywhere!” then says 

goodbye to everyone he cares about. When he is 

about to set off Vakkas Efendi advises him “Don’t 

forget to write down what you see in the lands 

you travel to, make good friends, don’t be friends 

with people with bad intentions! You will become 

a famous traveller of the world”. Celebi makes a 

promise and gets on his horse to set off. 

En önemli Türk Çocuk Klasikleri arasında yer alan 

Evliya Çelebi, uzun yıllar uzaklara seyahat eden 

maceracı bir Osmanlı Türk Beyidir. 17. yüz yılda günlük 

hayatındaki gezip gördüklerini kaydetmesiyle oluşan 

10 ciltlik bir Seyahatnâme ya da Seyahatler Kitabı adlı 

eser bırakmıştır. Bu kitapta, bir zamanlar Mehmet 

isminde genç bir delikanlı varmış. Mehmet’in babasının 

adı da Mehmet’miş. Her akşam dedesi, amcası ve 

babasıyla sohbet etmeyi çok sever, anlattıkları anıları 

dikkatle dinlermiş. Onların gezip gördükleri yerleri 

çok merak eder, kendisi de gidip görmek istermiş. 

O yüzden bir an önce büyümek istiyormuş. Yirmi dört 

yaşına geldiğinde kararını vermiş. “Ben gidip her yeri 

gezeceğim!” diyerek bütün sevdikleriyle vedalaşmış. 

Yola çıkarken Vakkas Efendi “Gezip gördüğün 

diyarlarda gördüğün her şeyi yaz, iyi dost ol, kötülerle 

arkadaş olma! Sen dünyanın seyyahı ve meşhuru 

olacaksın” demiş. Çelebi söz vermiş ve atına binip yola 

koyulmuş. 

6 

Ömer Seyfettin 

Kaşağı [Currycomb] 

Timaş, 2012 • ISBN 9753628647 

The “Currycomb” is one of the most famous 

stories of Ömer Seyfettin, a very well-known 

story writer of Turkish storytelling. Ömer 

Seyfettin wants to tell the reader, especially 

children, in his story “Currycom” how even a 

simple lie can cause a great damage. The book 

tells the tearjerker of Ömer who puts the blame 

of his actions on his brother and it pricks his 

conscience after his death. The book is one of 

the most important Turkish children’s classics. 

Türk öykücülüğü’nün önemli isimlerinden Ömer 

Seyfettin’in en çok bilinen öykülerindendir Kaşağı. 

Ömer Seyfettin, Kaşağı’da okurlara ama özellikle 

de çocuk okurlara, basit bir yalan söylemenin bile ne 

kadar büyük zararlara neden olabileceğini anlatmak 

istemiştir. Kitapta, kendi yaptığı hatanın suçunu 

kardeşine yükleyen ve onun ölümünden sonrada vicdan 

azabıyla hayatı altüst olan Ömeri’in dramı anlatılır. 

Bu kitap, en önemli Türk Çocuk Klasikleri arasında 

yer almaktadır. 


7 

Serpil Ural • Serpil Ural, ill. 

Ali Baba’nın Çiftliği [Ali Baba’s Farm] 

Kök, 2013 • ISBN 9789754990591 

This book is an educational book, that parents 

can share with their children. It tells a story but 

the pictures are only in black and white, giving 

a child the opportunity to colour the pictures in. 

It encourages children to develop their creative 

skills and the end results are that they have a book 

that can be read out loud and has very colourful 

pictures that they would have enjoyed doing. 

In addition, this book which is educational and 

informative has been written to contribute to the 

development of early childhood through story 

and painting. The author of the book obtained 

the 5th place in the NOMA Concours for Picture 

Book Illustration Encouragement Prize (1986), the 

Bank of Children’s Literature Great Award (1997) 

and The First Prize in Rifat Ilgaz Humorous Story 

Competition (1997). 

Eğitsel öyküler dizisi kapsamındaki bu oku-boya kitabı, 

öykü ve boyama kitabı özelliklerini taşımaktadır. 

Kitapta siyah beyaz çizimlere ek olarak tek bir renk, 

yeşil kullanılmıştır. Çocuk diğer renkleri kullanarak 

resimlerin renksiz kısımlarını kendisi boyayacaktır. 

Böylelikle, eline aldığında tek renkli olan öykü kitabı, 

sonunda çok renkli bir kitap olacak, çocuk bir öykü 

öğrenmenin yanı sıra, resimleri boyarken oynayıp 

eğlenecek ve yaratıcılığını geliştirecektir. Ayrıca bu 

kitap, öykü ve boyama yoluyla okul öncesi çocuklarının 

gelişimine katkıda bulunmak için hazırlanmış, öğretici, 

eğitici ve yönlendirici bir kitaptır. Ebevenylerin 

çocuklarıyla sesli olarak okuyabileceği bir kitaptır. 

Kitabın yazarı, Japonya’daki 5. NOMA Uluslararası 

Çocuk Kitabı Resimleme Yarışması’nda teşvik ödülü 

(1986), İş Bankası Çocuk Edebiyatı Büyük Ödülü 

(1997), Rıfat Ilgaz Gülmece Öykü Yarışması Birincilik 

Ödülü (1997) sahibidir. 

8 

Behiç Ak • Behiç Ak, ill. 

Galata’nın Tembel Martısı [Lazy Sea Gull of Galata] 

Günışığı Kitaplığı • ISBN 9789944717656 

Unlike her older brother Emre, Hülya is not 

interested in either the Internet or technology. 

She has a way with animals and even sends 

any messages with pigeons. She becomes very 

worried when she hears that the Galata Tower 

next to her would be renovated and the tower 

would be surrounded with a protective curtain 

for the construction, because there are nests 

of swifts in the gaps between the rocks of the 

tower. The brother and sister join hands to save 

the baby swifts and think of various methods 

to make themselves understood by the city 

hall. What about Murteza, the sea gull of the 

neighbor’s, they wonder if it would make a move 

to save the baby swifts... The author has written 

over twenty children’s books and received many 

awards. 

Ağabeyi Emre’nin tersine, Hülya’nın internetle 

de teknolojiyle de işi yoktu. Hayvanların dilinden 

anlar, mesajlarını bile güvercinlerle iletirdi o. Komşu 

oldukları Galata Kulesi’nde onarım başlayacağını, 

kulenin çepeçevre bir inşaat perdesiyle kapatılacağını 

öğrenince, çok endişelendi. Çünkü, kulenin taşları 

arasında ebâbil yuvaları vardı. Ebâbil yavrularını 

kurtarmak için el ele veren iki kardeş, belediyeye 

dertlerini anlatabilmek için çeşitli yöntemler 

düşündüler. Peki ya mahallenin martısı Murteza, 

yavruları kurtarmak için yerinden kıpırdayacak mıydı 

acaba?.. Yazar, yirminin üzerinde çocuk kitabı yazmıştır 

ve bir çok ödül almıştır. 


9 

Aytul Akal • Eren Dedeleroğlu, ill. 

Annem Neden Çıldırdı? [Why My Mom Went Mad?] 

Uçan Balık • ISBN 9789755871707 

This book can be said to be a study of life itself. 

Making its presence felt throughout the book 

and greeting the reader on the first pages of 

the book, the wicked cat is the evidence of that. 

“Would you make a room in your lives for me?” 

asks the author, who pretends to be this orange, 

cute, high and mighty, and naughty cat to try to 

enter our lives and homes…Ticking vampire clocks 

throughout the night; Turkish coffee that Emel 

fails to have its proper consistency on her first 

working day; flower bulbs shooting out in the pots 

on the balcony; the seat chaos on the speed train, 

and many more… The children will love these 

warm stories. The author has written over one 

hundred books and 32 titles have been translated 

into English, German, Spanish and more… 

Kitap, duygusallığı elden bırakmayan, samimi, 

hayatın içinden bir çalışma olarak nitelendirilebilir. İlk 

sayfalarda okurlarını selamlayan hınzır kedinin, kitap 

genelinde kendini hissettirmesi de bunun en belirgin 

kanıtı. “Bana da hayatınızda bir yer açar mısınız?” 

Yazar kendini bu sarı, sevimli, gururlu ve yaramaz 

kedi yerine koyarak evlerimize, hayatlarımıza girmeye 

çalışıyor adeta... Gece boyunca tik taklayan vampir 

saatleri, Emel Hanım’ın ilk iş gününde kıvamını bir türlü 

tutturamadığı kahvesi, balkondaki saksılarda filizlenen 

soğan çiçekleri, hızlı trendeki koltuk kargaşası ve daha 

niceleri... Gizli kapılardan birbirine açılan, zekâ ve oyun 

pırıltılarıyla bezeli bu sımsıcak öyküleri çocuklar çok 

sevecek. Yazarın yüzden fazla yayınlanmış kitabından 

otuz iki tanesi İngilizce, Almanca ve daha pek çok dile 

çevrilmiştir. 

10 

Aysun Berktay Özmen • Aysun Berktay Özmen 

Bahçıvan Köstebek ve Uçan Karınca Kıvırcık 

[The Gardener Mole and the Termite Kıvırcık] 

Tudem, 2011 • ISBN 9789944695312 

This book was deemed worthy of the grand prize 

in the competition of 2010 Tudem Literature 

Awards called “Write, Draw, Paint. Greeting to 

the Books!” What would you think if a gardener 

mole made butterflies and flowers from cartoon 

and put them on the wall to have a little change 

in its life and what if it decided to bring the 

beauties of the outside world into its home? 

Bringing a small model of the beauty that it sees 

in the outside world into the terrarium, the Mole 

daydreams in front of this small garden. One day, 

the Gardener Mole is woken from his daydream 

by the noise of a whirring termite. Well, how 

could this termite called Kıvırcık manage to get 

into the terrarium with the cork stopper closed? 

This extraordinary friendship of a gardener 

mole and a cute termite will both touch and 

hearten you. The author establishes a warm 

relation with the reader through her story built 

on the concepts of love of nature, friendship, 

working, creativity, freedom and love of animals. 

The author has made a book that will strike 

at the heart of everyone both with expression 

and pictures. She has written fourteen books 

and received the Gulten Dayioglu Illustrated 

Children’s Book Award. 

2010 Tudem Edebiyat ödülleri Yaz, Çiz, Boya Kitaba 

Merhaba! yarışmasında birincilik ödülüne değer görülen 

duygusal bir çalışma. Hayatında biraz değişiklik 

yaratmak için kartondan kelebekler, çiçekler yaparak 

duvarına asan bahçıvan bir köstebek, yeryüzüne 

çıkmaya pek cesaret edemediği için dışarıda gördüğü 

güzellikleri cam bir kavanoz içinde bir bitki bahçesi 

yaparak yuvasına taşımaya karar verirse ne olur 

dersiniz? Yeryüzünde karşılaştığı güzelliklerin küçük bir 

modelini terraryumuna taşıyan Köstebek, gün boyu bu 

minik bahçe karşısında hayallere dalıp durur. Günlerden 

bir gün, yine rüyalara dalan Bahçıvan Köstebek, 

kanatlı bir karıncanın pır pır kanat sesiyle rüyasından 

uyanır. Peki, karşısında beliren Kıvırcık adındaki 

kanatlı karınca, nasıl girmiş olabilir ki kapağı mantarla 

kapalı terraryumuna?... Bahçıvan bir köstebekle, 

sevimli bir kanatlı karıncanın sıra dışı dostluğu 

sizi hem duygulandıracak hem de yüreklendirecek. 

Tabiat sevgisi, dostluk, çalışma, yaratma, özgürlük ve 

hayvan sevgisi kavramları üzerine kurduğu öyküsü ile 

okuyucularıyla sımsıcak bir bağ kuran yazar, gerek 

anlatımı gerekse resimleriyle herkesi kalbinden vuracak 

bir kitap hazırlamış. Yazar on dört masal kitabına 

sahiptir ve Gülten Dayıoğlu Resimli Çocuk Kitabı 

Ödülü’nü kazanmıştır. 



Contact: Eman Mohamed 

eman.m@uaebby.org.ae 

United Arab Emirates 

All the books nominated for this project are from Kalimat Publishing house. 

It is the first Emirati publishing house for children’s books in Arabic and known 

for its good quality in the book making process, from the text to illustration 

and finally production. Kalimat was the only publishing house to respond very 

quickly to our call. Sixteen titles were nominated and a committee of three 

people reviewed, discussed and selected the final list. These were Marwa 

Al Aqroubi, President of the Emirati section of IBBY, International Board on 

Books for Young People, Eman Mohamed, Programs and Award Executive and 

Shada El Sayed, Planning and Development Executive. The selection was based 

on the criteria set by the project. 

1 

Rai 

Abdulal • Sophie Burrows, ill. 

مشلكة صغرية 

Mushkela Sagheera [A Little Problem] 

Kalimat, 2013 • ISBN 9789948202479 

A little girl has a big problem. She is the youngest 

at home and her wish is to become a grown-up 

like everyone around her in her family so that she 

can sit in the front seat of a car, have a bigger 

sum of pocket money, and not get interrupted 

when she speaks. But as she ponders over her big 

problem, she realises that being a grown-up is 

not as much fun as she imagines. A Little Problem 

brings to light a universal problem young children 

experience among their older siblings and 

highlights the advantages of being a young child. 

نص:‏ ري عبد العال | رسوم:‏ صويف باروز 

لدى البنت الصغرية مشلكة كبرية،‏ يه أهنا صغرية.‏ 

لكهنا حني تقارن لك األشياء املثرية اليت بإماكهنا 

القيام هبا ويه صغرية،‏ مبا سيكون علهيا من واجبات 

حني تكرب،‏ تكتشف أن مشلكهتا صغرية،‏ وأهنا سعيدة 

بأن تعيش لك املراحل يف وقهتا 

2 

Cathy 

Khattar • Gustavo Aima, ill. 

دامئا ميع 

Daeman Mae [By My Side] 

Kalimat, 2013 • ISBN 9789948202141 

A little bunny discovers a friend who is always 

by his side. He explains how his friend follows 

him around, gets to places before him, and pops 

out of his shoe. Although the narrator may be a 

little bothered sometimes, he still loves his friend 

dearly and considers him his best friend for he is 

always by his side. By My Side casts the shadow 

of our narrator into a richly illustrated book and 

sheds light on how children may interact with 

their shadows as they start to discover them. 

نص:‏ اكيت خطار | رسوم:‏ جوستافو إمار 

يل صديق دامئًا ميع.‏ مييش أمايم،‏ خليف،‏ إىل 

يساري أو إىل مييين،‏ خيرج من حذايئ أو ينام حتيت.‏ 

يزجعين أحيانًا،‏ لكنه يبىق صدييق املفضل؛ ألنه دامئًا 

ميع.‏ كتاب للصغار يطرح موضوع الظل،‏ املفهوم الذي 

حيري األطفال يف سنوات معرمه األوىل،‏ بشلك ممتع 

وبسيط.‏ 

the world through picture books • books from the united arab emirates • 208

3 

Abir Ballan • Maya Fidawi, ill. 

معاشت الشني 

Ashat Al Sheen [Long Live the Sheen] 

Kalimat, 2013 • ISBN 9789948440598 

Shehab’s favourite letter is the “sheen”. It is the 

first letter of his name and he loves it most. He is 

so attached to the “sheen” that it is the only letter 

that he chooses to eat among all the alphabet 

letters in his noodle soup. He eventually loses the 

letter “sheen” with its ‘sh’ sound and everything 

sounds a little funny. Long Live the Sheen illustrates 

a playful narrative about lisping and how to 

overcome it with practice. 

نص:‏ عبري بالن | رسوم:‏ مايا فداوي 

احلرف املفضل لدى هشاب هو الشني.‏ مرة،‏ يبتلع حرف 

الشني وهو يتناول الشوربة وال يستطيع لفظه بعد ذلك.‏ 

حياول أن يستعيد حرف الشني مبساعدة صديقته 

مشس وأمه اليت تغين معه نشيد حرف الشني.‏ قصة 

ممتعة عن ختيط صعوبات اللفظ 

4 

Fatima Sharafeddine • Rebeca Luciani, ill. 

ما هو لون احلب؟ 

Ma Howa Lawn Al Hobb [What’s the Colour of Love?] 

Kalimat, 2013 • ISBN 9789948202110 

From a little girl’s point of view, love can be 

found in many colours and can vividly remind her 

of the warm and contented moments that she 

experiences. This book takes the reader through 

a tranquil read where the narrator describes 

what each colour reminds her of. What’s the 

Colour of Love? presents vibrantly illustrated, 

heartwarming and colourful pages to express the 

sentiments of the little narrator. 

ما هو لون احلب؟ 

نص:‏ فامطة رشف الدين | رسوم:‏ ريبياك لوسياين 

طفلة تصف احلب من خالل ما تعنيه هلا األلوان.‏ 

فاأللوان تدخل الفرح والدفء إىل قلهبا.‏ ترتيب األلوان 

يف القصة يتبع ألوان قوس قزح،‏ الذي يرتبط معناه 

بامجلال.‏ 

5 

Fatima Sharafeddine • Tarek Kamal, ill. 

ساعيت الزهرية 

Saati Al Zahriya [My Pink Watch] 

Kalimat, 2013 • ISBN 9789948851622 

Farah is ecstatic about her new pink watch! She 

wears it on her wrist everywhere she goes but 

cannot tell time on it. She asks everyone around 

to help her understand the hands of the clock 

but all of the people she asks are very busy and 

cannot help her. She decides to take the matter 

into her own hands and find a smart way to learn 

how to read the time on her own. My Pink Watch 

offers visuals for the reader to learn about time 

and is accompanied by a detachable clock for 

children to practice their skills of learning how to 

tell the time. 

ساعيت الزهرية 

نص:‏ فامطة رشف الدين | رسوم:‏ طارق مكال 

حني ال جتد فرح من يعملها قراءة الوقت يف ساعهتا 

اجلديدة،‏ جتد طريقهتا اخلاصة يف اكتشاف ذلك 

مبفردها.‏ حني تحجن يتفاجأ اللك من حوهلا بذاكهئا،‏ 

ويه تشعر بالفخر بنفهسا.‏ قصة تركز عىل أمهية قوة 

اإلرادة يف تعمل األشياء.‏ 


6 

Kifah Bu Ali & Taqa Al Hamrany • Betania Zacarias ill. 

صندوق جمد 

Soundouj Majd [Majd’s Box] 

Kalimat, 2013 • ISBN 9789948202165 

Majd meets a nameless little boy who has no 

colours and does not speak. She is unsettled by 

this and decides to help the boy revive his colours 

and have an identity. She starts by giving him a 

name and asking him questions. The boy starts to 

interact with her and slowly regains his identity. 

Majd’s Box poetically focuses attention on the 

importance of children’s rights, their freedom 

of expression, educational development and right 

to a proper life. 

صندوق جمد 

نص:‏ كفاح بو عيل،‏ تىق امحلراين | رسوم:‏ بيتانيا 

زااكرياس 

تلتيق جمد بطفل ال لون له وال امس وال صوت.‏ تستغرب 

ذلك،‏ وتقرر مساعداته ليستعيد ألوانه وصوته وتعطيه 

امسً‏ ا جديدًا.‏ كتاب شاعري يركز عىل حق الطفل يف 

التعبري عن ذاته،‏ يف العيش بأمان ويف املساواة مع 

بقية األطفال حول العامل.‏ 

7 

Fatima Sharafeddine • Fereshteh Najafi, ill. 

ال تفتيح هذا الكتاب / | حني أفتح هذا الكتاب 

La Taftahi Hatha al Kitab / Heena Aftah Hatha al Kitab [Do Not Open this 

Book! / When I Open this Book] 

Kalimat, 2013 • ISBN 9789948202103 

This dual book, which contains a story on each 

side, brings together the famous villains of 

classical fairy tales and then unfolds into a world 

of beauty and warmth. The accordion shaped 

book flips between a world where the child sees 

villains and is then asked to be the hero of the 

book and rescue a frightened monster from the 

rest of the villains, and into a world of handpicked 

mint, fresh baked bread, burning incense 

and rose water. Do Not Open this Book! / When 

I open this book is an exciting read for a child 

to trigger his/her imagination and is designed 

so that the two contrasts create a playful read 

for both stories. 

ال تفتيح هذا الكتاب | حني أفتح هذا الكتاب 

نص:‏ فامطة رشف الدين | رسوم:‏ فريشتا جنيف 

هذا كتاب يف قصتني،‏ مت إخراجه عىل شلك 

‏“أكورديون”.‏ يف إحدى جهتيه من جهة قصة بعنوان:‏ 

ال تفتيح هذا الكتاب،‏ ومن اجلهة الثانية قصة بعنوان:‏ 

حني أفتح هذا الكتاب.‏ هيدف ‏“ال تفتيح هذا الكتاب”‏ 

إىل إثارة خيال الطفل باستعادة خشصيات خرافية 

من حاكيات لكاسيكية يعرفها،‏ وإىل زيادة ثقته بنفسه.‏ 

أمّا قصة ‏“حني أفتح هذا الكتاب”‏ توفر للطفل بيئة آمنة 

ومألوفة ترتبط فهيا العطور والرواحئ امجليلة بالشعور 

باألمان والفرح.‏ 


8 

Kifah Bu Ali • Betania Zacarias, ill. 

أحب عاملي 

Ouhibou Alami [I Love My World] 

Kalimat, 2012 • ISBN 9789948163916 

The special narrator in this story tells us about 

his silent world. He explains that he sometimes 

feels lonely and excluded but that there are many 

things that he enjoys in his world. He describes 

his most joyful moments with his cat, parents 

and friends. I Love My World is an intimate story 

introducing the idea of the hearing impaired 

through a warm style of writing and illustration. 

أحب عاملي 

نص:‏ كفاح بو عيل | رسوم:‏ بيتانيا زااكرياس 

الراوي يف هذه القصة املمزية أمص،‏ وقد رسد القصة 

بأسلوب دافئ حبيث يوحض لنا التناقض بني عامله 

الساكن اخلاص والعامل اخلاريج الصاخب.‏ كتاب 

ننصح به لك األطفال يك يتطور لدهيم فهم اآلخر 

بلك اختالفاته.‏ يوصل هذا الكتاب فكرة أمهية المتتع 

واإلستفادة من حواسنا امخلسة جممتعة 

9 

Salma Koraytem • Hassan Zahreddine, ill. 

احلقيبة املسافرة!‏ 

Al Haqiba Al Mousafira! [The Travelling Suitcase] 

Kalimat, 2012 • ISBN 9789948851172 

Something strange is happening at Lina’s home. 

Things disappear around the house and Lina, 

the main character, is nowhere to be found. 

After discovering a trail, her parents find her on 

the balcony trying to close a big suitcase she 

had already packed with items from around the 

house. She has decided to run away because 

her parents are too busy to listen to her story. 

She certainly grabs their attention with this 

episode and is finally able to share her story 

with them. The Travelling Suitcase uncovers the 

strange and comical behaviour children will use 

in order to get attention from their parents, while 

highlighting the importance of being attentive to 

children’s needs. 

احلقيبة املسافرة!‏ 

نص:‏ سملى قريطم | رسوم:‏ حسان زهر الدين 

األشياء ختتيف من بيت لينا هذا الصباح.‏ فلك أشياهئا 

املفضلة،‏ ومهنا فطرية التفاح،‏ أصبحت يف حقيبهتا 

الىت حرضهتا للرحيل.‏ ألن والدهيا مشغوالن عهنا وعن 

مساع قصة تريد إخبارمها هبا.‏ عندما يالحظ والدها ما 

تفعله،‏ ينتهبان هلا ويسمتعان إلهيا.‏ تفرح لينا ألهنام أحبا 

قصهتا.‏ 

10 

Salma Koraytem • Tarek Kamal, ill. 

أطيب من املوز 

Atyab Min Al Mawz [Better than Bananas] 

Kalimat, 2011 • ISBN 9789948160748 

Sammour is a little monkey who loves one thing 

more than bananas and that is making new 

friends. His only concern is that different animals 

won’t befriend him because he looks different 

and so to befriend the peacocks, he attaches 

painted tree leaves on his tail, and to befriend 

the deer he sticks tree branches for antlers. 

His plan to look like elephants fails and teaches 

him that being himself is a better way to make 

new friends. Better than Bananas is a book that 

reinforces the idea of self-love and acceptance 

of identity and how in doing so one receives love 

in abundance. 

أطيب من املوز 

نص:‏ سملى قريطم | رسوم:‏ طارق مكال 

القرد مسور حيب املوز أكرث من لك يشء تقريبًا؛ مفا 

حيبه أكرث من املوز هو اكتساب أصدقاء جدد.‏ وهو 

يظّ‏ ن أنه إذا قام بتقليد احليوانات األخرى فهي ستتقبله 

أكرث.‏ لكنه يكتشف أنه بالفعل،‏ ويك يكتسب األصدقاء،‏ 

لك ما هيلع هو أن يترصف عىل طبيعته.‏ 



Contact: Annie Everall 

annie@alannie.demon.co.uk 

United Kingdom 

The co-ordination of the selection of the top ten picture books for the United 

Kingdom was undertaken by Annie Everall. In order to draw up a list of titles, 

members of the national committee of the Youth Libraries Group of CILIP 

(Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals) were asked 

to nominate titles against the criteria established for the project. 

In addition an article was published in the Youth Libraries Group newsletter 

also inviting nominations from librarians across the UK. 31 titles were 

nominated, although one (Eric Carle – The Very Hungry Caterpillar) was unable 

to be included as it was not first published in the United Kingdom. 

An electronic voting form was sent to all national committee members of the 

Youth Libraries Group and its branch members. It was also sent to national 

committee members of ASCEL (Association of Senior Children’s and Education 

Librarians) as well as to all ASCEL members with a request to forward it on to 

relevant staff in their Authorities. Every delegate at the Youth Libraries Group 

annual conference in September 2011 was given a voting form in their delegate 

pack and asked to complete it and hand it in before the end of conference, 

with two sets of the final ten titles being offered as a prize draw for completed 

application forms. In addition a notice was included in the Youth Libraries 

Group electronic newsletter inviting librarians to request a voting form. 

4,070 votes were received and when analysed the top ten titles for the UK 

are the following: 

1 

Allan Ahlberg • Janet Ahlberg, ill. 

Each Peach Pear Plum 

Puffin • 1978 Viking Kestrel • 1989 Picture Puffin • ISBN 978 0 140 50919 9 Pbk 

Awarded the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 

for an outstanding book in terms of illustration 

for children and young people in 1978. 

Each Peach Pear Plum is a deceptively simple, 

engaging picture book in which Janet Ahlberg’s 

gentle pen and watercolour illustrations 

complement her husband Allan’s text to give 

young children the pleasure and satisfaction 

of using their knowledge of nursery rhymes to 

interact with the book, spot clues and find hidden 

characters… 

The book is very carefully designed to lead 

the reader through a range of settings filled 

with recognisable images from the literature 

of childhood. The reader is led from the opening, 

quilt like view of fields, cottage and an orchard 

of peach, pear and plum trees, into Mother 

Hubbards’s kitchen, up Jack and Jill’s hill and 

out into Robin Hood’s forest. Each double page 

spread follows a simple picture frame format 

with text and a small pictorial clue on one side, 

balanced by a detailed full-frame illustration 

with objects to find on the other… 

There is something very pleasing in seeing the 

domestic lives of familiar characters represented 

in such a witty way. The artists ability to depict 

a happily comfortable world, shown to great 

effect in the final full-page illustration where 

she completes the circular story and reunites all 

the characters makes this a very enjoyable and 

satisfying book. 

Extract of a review from: ‘Image & Imagination 

50 Years of the Kate Greenaway Medal’ by Ian Dodds 

and Sue Roe, CILIP Youth Libraries Group 2007 

13 978 0946 512 52 

the world through picture books • books from the united kingdom • 212

2 

Quentin Blake 

Mr Magnolia 

Random House (Red Fox Imprint) • First published 1980 (Jonathan Cape imprint) 

ISBN 978 1 862 30807 7 Pbk 

Mister Magnolia is the archetypal English 

eccentric dressed in a shabby frock coat, 

enormous bow tie, clashing colours and only one 

boot. This simple and charmingly dotty story, told 

in rhyme, reveals more about Mister Magnolia’s 

flamboyant lifestyle and follows him in his search 

for that elusive second shoe. The liveliness of the 

rhyme is enhanced by the energetic, exuberant 

and humorous illustrations. Mister Magnolia and 

the cast of supporting characters are each drawn 

with confident economy, they are given their 

own quirky personalities through well observed 

arm movements, a flick of hair, a wayward scarf 

or a wonky ear. 

There is no hesitation in Quentin Blake’s 

penmanship and he uses broad sweeps of colour 

to create an immediacy and freshness on every 

page… Quentin Blake is the master of simple line 

and wash illustrations. This book is full of joy, 

wild lines and vibrant colours leap from every 

page, making the whole work fresh, unique 

and memorable. It was awarded the CILIP Kate 

Greenaway Medal in 1980. 

Extract of a review from: ‘Image & Imagination 50 

Years of the Kate Greenaway Medal’ by Ian Dodds 

and Sue Roe, CILIP Youth Libraries Group 2007 13 978 

0946 512 52 

3 

Raymond Briggs 

The Snowman 

Puffin • First Published 1978 (Hamish Hamilton) • ISBN 978 0 141 34009 8 Pbk 

One winters’ night, a snowman comes to life 

and a magical adventure begins for a small boy. 

Narrated entirely through pictures, Briggs’s 

dreamlike illustrations perfectly capture the 

wonder and innocence of childhood and 

the magic of a child’s imagination. Since its 

publication the book has become a world-wide 

phenomenon, being published in 15 countries. 

The film of the book has been shown on TV at 

Christmas for the past 25 years and the musical 

stage version is now into its tenth year. It is a 

book that spans the generations – adults enjoyed 

it as children and are now sharing it with their 

own children. 

4 

Rod Campbell 

Dear Zoo 

Macmillan, 1982 • ISBN 978 0330512787 Hbk 

A child writes to the zoo for a pet. The zoo sends 

a series of unsuitable pets which all have to be 

sent back for different reasons, except for the 

last one which is just perfect. First published in 

1982 and now available in many different formats 

including a delightful pop up version, this book has 

firmly established itself as a classic for the under 

5’s. Bright, colourful illustrations and a simple 

yet engaging text make this a perfect book to 

read aloud and share with young children. The 

board book edition of Dear Zoo is available in dual 

language editions (published by Mantra Lingua), 

in English with Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, 

Farsi, French, Gujarati, Hindi, Panjabi, Portuguese, 

Russian, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, 

Turkish, Urdu, or Vietnamese. 


5 

Julia Donaldson • Axel Scheffler, ill. 

The Gruffalo 

Macmillan, first published 1999 • ISBN 978 0 333 710920 Hbk 

Written in rhyming couplets, this tells the story 

of a mouse’s walk in the woods. He meets various 

animals who would like to eat him but he scares 

them off by telling them he is having tea with 

a monstrous creature called the Gruffalo – but 

what happens when he meets the real Gruffalo!! 

Aimed at children under seven, the richness of 

the text and the exuberance of the illustrations 

combine to create an award winning book. 

It won the Nestle Smarties Gold Award in the 

0-5 category in 1999, the Blue Peter Best Book 

to Read Aloud award., the 2000 Nottingham/ 

Experian Children’s Book Award and was voted 

Best Bedtime Story by BBC Radio 2 listeners in 

2009. Available in multiple formats, it has also 

been produced as an animated film and a stage 

production. A sequel ‘The Gruffalo’s Child’ was 

published in 2004. The author Julia Donaldson 

is the UK Children’s Laureate 2011-2013. 

Translations include Dutch (De Gruffalo), Estonian 

(Grühvel), French (Gruffalo), German (Der Grüffelo), 

Hebrew (Trofoti), Irish, Italian (A spasso col mostro), 

Lithuanian (Grufas), Polish, Russian (Груффало), 

Slovene (Zverjasec), Spanish (El Grúfalo), 

Scottish Gaelic, Swedish (Gruffalon), Turkish 

(Tostoraman), Welsh (Y Gryffalo) and Afrikaans 

(Die Goorgomgaai). 

6 

David McKee 

Elmer 

First published 1968 Dobson Books • 1989 Andersen Press • ISBN 978 1 84270 731 9 Pbk 

Elmer is the first in a series of books featuring 

a colourful patchwork elephant and his friends. 

In this story, Elmer thinks he looks odd, because 

he is patchwork coloured when all the other 

elephants are grey, so he rolls in berries to turn 

himself grey. He soon realizes though that being 

different is a good thing and the elephants love 

him because he is different. Text and illustrations 

full of colourful cheeky humour combine to 

create a modern classic that has become a firm 

favourite with young children all over the world. 

Elmer’s adventures are available in printed 

formats as well as on a variety of digital 

platforms and have been published in more than 

40 languages. They have also been made into 

a TV series. 

7 

Michael Rosen • Helen Oxenbury 

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt 

Walker, first published 1989 • ISBN 978 0 7445 2323 2 Pbk 

A family sets out on a Bear Hunt and find 

themselves wading through grass, splashing 

through a river, squelching through mud, 

stumbling through a forest and shivering through 

a snowstorm, in search of a bear. The surprise 

comes when they reach a cave and discover 

that finding a bear wasn’t quite what they 

expected. The lyrical text by Rosen is perfectly 

complemented by Oxenbury’s watercolour 

illlustrations. The story reads aloud beautifully 

and children can join in with a range of sounds 

and actions to extend the reading experience 

further. A classic book enjoyed by children 

and adults alike. Winner of the Smarties Book 

Prize in 1989, Highly Commended for the CILIP 

Kate Greenaway medal. 


8 

Shirley Hughes 

Dogger 

Random House (Red Fox imprint) • First published 1977 (Bodley Head) • ISBN 978 1 862 30805 3 Pbk 

Dogger is a much loved toy dog owned by a 

little boy called Dave. Although his brother and 

sister have lots of toys, Dave only wants Dogger. 

Disaster strikes when at bedtime Dogger can’t 

be found and appears to be lost, leaving Dave 

very sad indeed. Even a family trip to the school 

summer fair can’t cheer him up, until the mystery 

is solved and his big sister Bella rescues Dogger 

and returns him to Dave. Many families can relate 

to this wonderfully heartwarming and familiar 

story of a lost and found toy. Although Hughes’ 

illustrations beautifully capture a snapshot of 

1970’s life in an English community, they have 

a quality that makes the story timeless. 

The book won the CILIP Kate Greenaway medal 

in 1977 and in 2007 was voted the ‘Greenaway 

of Greenaways’ – the favourite Kate Greenaway 

medal of all time, during the 50 th anniversary year 

of the medal. 

9 

Jill Murphy 

Peace at Last 

Macmillan, first published 1980 • ISBN 978 0 230 53241 0 Hbk 

It’s bedtime and Mr & Mrs Bear and Baby Bear 

go to bed. Mrs Bear’s snoring keeps Mr Bear 

awake and makes him try to find somewhere 

else to sleep. He tries baby bear’s room, the living 

room, the kitchen, the garden and the car but all 

of them have a variety of noises that keep him 

awake. Exhausted he returns to bed but just as 

he is falling asleep the morning alarm clock rings 

to wake everyone up. Jill Murphy’s delightful 

illustrations wittily capture a night time routine 

and Mr Bears’ frustration at being unable to fall 

asleep. Children delight in the repetition within 

the text and the opportunity to join in with the 

night time noises. Highly commended for the 

CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal. 

10 

Martin Waddell Patrick Benson, ill. 

Owl Babies 

Walker Books, first published 1992 • ISBN 978 0 7445 3167 1 Pbk 

Sarah, Percy and Bill wake up in their tree nest to 

find their owl mother gone. “I want my mummy” 

cries Bill, and Sarah and Percy do their best 

to comfort him and each other while waiting 

for their mother’s return. 

An excellent story that demonstrates how 

a book can be used to give children a way 

of understanding situations that might 

be happening to them by putting them into 

a different context. It helps children who may be 

experiencing the anxiety of first time separation 

from their parents due to starting nursery 

or school. It acknowledges the baby owls’ fears 

but at the same time offers reassurance and 

a happy ending with the return of their mum. 

The illustrations empathetically work with the 

text and further enhance the story making 

this a classic book to be read and re-read. 



USA 

Barbara Genco – bagencoconsulting@gmail.com 

Linda Pavonetti – pavonett@oakland.edu 

The United States members of IFLA and IBBY, represented by Barbara Genco 

(IFLA and YALSA, Young Adult Library Services Association) and Linda M. 

Pavonetti (ALSC, Association for Library Service to Children, and IBBY), created 

a survey for ALSC and USBBY members. The goal of our survey parallels that 

which members from other nations have been researching: What books do 

librarians believe are essential as read aloud offerings? We posted a series 

of questions on Survey Monkey and administered by ALSC. All members of 

the ALSC list serve were invited to participate. Additionally, other list serves 

devoted to literature for children were also provided access as were members 

of USBBY. Altogether, there were 171 participants. Only those books submitted 

through the on-line survey were counted. There were 779 individual books 

named, including books that were cited multiple times. Of those books, 

296 titles had an unique vote and 483 were multiple-vote titles. There were 

comments—both informative and insightful—about most of the choices. 

1 

Maurice Sendak 

Where the Wild Things Are 

Harper & Row, 1963 • ISBN 978-0060254920 hardcover • ISBN 978-0064431781 paperback 

Nearing 50 years in print, Where the Wild Things 

Are remains one of the most enduring of 

American picture books. It is an irresistible and 

simple story: after he is sent to bed without 

supper for behaving like a wild thing, Max dreams 

of a voyage to the island where the wild things 

are. By journey’s end, he finds himself safe at 

home with his supper waiting. This book has 

been honored with some of the most significant 

awards in children’s publishing, including the 

1964 Caldecott Medal. Author-illustrator Sendak 

received the Hans Christian Andersen and the 

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. 

2 

Eric Carle 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 

Philomel/Penguin, 1969 • ISBN 9780399208539 hardcover (and many other editions and formats) 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar follows the progress 

of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way 

through a varied and large quantity of food until, 

full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself 

and goes to sleep. Die-cut pages illustrate what 

the caterpillar ate on successive days. This book 

has been translated into over 50 languages and 

has become a favorite worldwide. Carle is the 

recipient of countless honors including the 2003 

American Library Association Laura Ingalls Wilder 

Award for his entire body of work. He founded 

the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art 

http://www.carlemuseum.org 

the world through picture books • books from the usa • 216

3 

Mo Willems 

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! 

Hyperion Books for Children, 2003 • ISBN 078681988X 9780786819881 

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is an ingeniously 

simple story that instantly connects with the 

pre-schooler’s world view. A wily pigeon that 

longs to drive a bus sees a chance to make its 

dream come true when the bus driver takes a 

short break. Funny and exciting by turns, the 

often hilarious child-centric text is perfectly 

matched to the spare yet marvelously expressive 

line drawings and understated earth-toned, 

palette. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! was a 

2004 Caldecott Honor Winner and an adaptation 

won the 2010 US Carnegie Medal for Excellence 

in Children’s Video. 

4 

Bill Martin Jr. • Eric Carle, ill. 

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See? 

Henry Holt, 1967 • ISBN 978-0805092448 hardcover (numerous other editions/formats 

in multiple languages) 

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See? has been 

a touchstone read-aloud for pre-school since 

its publication. Children see a variety of animals, 

each a different—and sometimes whimsical— 

color and finally, a teacher looking back at them. 

The ground-breaking approach of Martin and 

Carle, two picture book masters, is deceptively 

simple and insightful into the world of young 

children. Early childhood educator Martin’s 

repetitive, clearly patterned, and predictive 

question-and-answer text encourages children 

to participate by reading along. Carle’s vivid 

tissue paper collages are fully integrated with the 

text. This book never fails to engage. 

5 

Jules Feiffer 

Bark, George 

HarperCollins, 1999 • ISBN 978-0062051851 

George’s mother is exasperated when he refuses 

to bark like a good little dog. George quacks. He 

oinks. He moos! Finally, Mama escorts George to a 

resourceful vet who reaches deep down inside the 

errant pup, and much to everyone’s surprise, pulls 

out a cat! Then a duck, a pig, and finally a cow. 

Feiffer’s pen and ink line drawings on pastel paper 

reinforce and expand the humorous text. Pulitzer 

Prize-winning cartoonist Feiffer provides one final 

surprise as George and his proud mother greet 

everyone on the street. Preschoolers (and even 

adults) are absolutely delighted! 

6 

Erza Jack Keats 

The Snowy Day 

Viking/Penguin, 1962 

Now 50 years in print, The Snowy Day chronicles 

Peter’s adventures as he explores his urban 

neighborhood. Peter gambols through his 

mysterious yet familiar snow-covered landscape 

experimenting with his footprints, knocking snow 

from a tree, and creating snow angels. Seemingly 

without effort, Ezra Jack Keats integrated 

multi-racial characters into the previously allwhite 

world of American picture books. Keats is 

acclaimed for his bold and brilliant mixed media 

(watercolor, gouache, collage) art as well as his 

impassioned humanism. The Snowy Day, winner of 

the 1963 Caldecott Medal, thrills readers as much 

today as it did when it was first published. 


7 

Margaret Wise Brown • Clement Hurd, ill. 

Goodnight Moon 

Harper & Row, 1947 • ISBN 9780060775858 (and many other formats and editions) 

Goodnight Moon is a deceptively simple story 

that endures as a bedtime favorite. Before going 

to sleep, a little rabbit says goodnight to each 

object in his “great green room”: goodnight stars, 

goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere, and, 

of course, goodnight moon. The stylized paintings 

by Clement Hurd are wonderfully childlike and 

deliciously full of details that complement— 

and extend–the text so masterfully. Although 

the book was initially rejected by the library 

world (The New York Public Library declined 

to purchase it until 1973), Goodnight Moon has 

become one of the best-selling American picture 

books of all time. 

8 

Ed Emberley 

Go Away, Big Green Monster! 

Little Brown, 1992 

Confronting night time fears is part of 

childhood as Caldecott-winning artist Emberley 

demonstrates in Go Away, Big Green Monster! 

Readers construct—then deconstruct—the 

monster starting with page one where diecut 

yellow eyes on glossy black heavy-duty 

pages dominate. Each page turn introduces 

additional ‘monstrous’ attributes from a “long 

bluish-greenish nose” to “scraggy purple hair.” 

Authoritatively, the child proclaims, “YOU DON’T 

SCARE ME! SO GO AWAY… “ Each subsequent 

page subtracts one of the not-so-scary features 

until the final, entirely black page. Emberley 

places control in the hands of the childlistener 

who states, “and DON’T COME BACK! 

Until I say so.” 

9 

Wanda Gág 

Millions of Cats 

G. P. Putnam & Sons, 1928 • ISBN 978-0399233159 (and many other formats and editions) 

Hand-lettered text and strong, curvilinear 

drawings combine to tell the story of a lonely 

couple, searching for a cat. On a far away 

hillside, the husband discovers “...hundreds of 

cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and 

trillions of cats...” After a catastrophic catfight, 

the very old man and his wife are left with only 

an undernourished kitten that grows beautiful, 

nurtured by their love—a satisfying conclusion 

to this immensely pleasing, folk-tale inflected, 

story. The repetitive, rhythmic phrasing entices 

children to join in the telling. Millions of Cats, 

a 1929 Newbery Honor book, is considered to 

be one of the first modern picture books. 

10 

Esphyr Slobodkina 

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business 

Harper& Row, 1940 • ISBN 978-0201091472 (and many other formats and editions) 

A peddler who balances his unusual wares on top 

of his head—bunches of gray, brown, blue, and 

red caps—must outsmart a band of mischievous 

monkeys that steal his caps as he naps under 

a tree. Exasperated when he can’t retrieve the 

caps, the peddler throws his own cap down. 

In a clever take on “monkey see, monkey do”… 

all the monkeys throw down their caps as well. 

Slobodkina, a fine artist and graphic designer, 

created this sure-fire read-aloud from an old folk 

tale and imbued the illustrations with sly humor. 

It has been an American picture book favorite 

for over 60 years. 


A programme of Section Libraries for Children and Young Adults, 

IFLA – International Federation of Library Associations and 

Institutions – in collaboration with IFLA Section Literacy and 

Reading and IBBY – International Board on Books for Young People. 

ISSN 0168-1931

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