Пук и Чук

by Thorbjørn Egner

Какво се случва, когато ядеш много лакомства и не си миеш зъбките?

Чернокосият Пук и червенокосият Чук са две бактерии, които се чувстват много уютно в устата на Антон – четката за зъби не ги обезпокоява, получават лакомства в изобилие и са си издълбали великолепни къщички в зъбките на момченцето. Двамата дръзки пакостници са много колоритни...

Вадете четката и пастата за зъби, приятели, предстои ви близка среща с Пук и Чук!

Genres: Childrens, Classics, Fiction, Picture Books, Humor, Scandinavian Literature, 20th Century

42 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

Thorbjørn Egner (1912 – 1990) was a Norwegian playwright, songwriter and illustrator known for his books, plays and musicals for children.

He perhaps best remembered for Karius and Bactus, a children's book about proper tooth care.

Reviews

[Mir]

This is a pretty obviously "message" book -- the message being to brush and not eat sweets. For that type of book it was reasonably well done. Even I, a dentalophobe, was not too icked out. Frankly, I found the cavity-dwelling troll-like brothers slightly more sympathetic than bland boy Erik. If you are a cavity reading this book, the message for you is don't be more overt than you can help! Start prodding your host for giggles and you'll end up being filled by a demonic dentist with no whites to his eyes.

[Manybooks]

I only vaguely remember the specific details and storyline of Thorbjørn Egner's 1958 Karius und Baktus from when I was a child (which I read in German translation at around the age of eight or so, the original being in Norwegian and titled Karius og Baktus). And while both Egner's text and his accompanying images never did all that much appeal to me as a child reader (and still do not really), they did indeed (post my childhood perusal) manage to encourage me to regularly brush my teeth (which I guess is the purpose behind Karius und Baktus, behind their exploits, and to show how a constant diet of sugary treats and little to no dental hygiene has caused young Jens/Erik's mouth to basically be utterly invaded by the pair of painfully mischievous imps, until a visit to the dentist and multiple uncomfortable fillings make an end of this and permanently expel both Karius and Baktus from there, from Jens/Erik’s mouth).

But while an important and yes even an essential message regarding basic oral hygiene is indeed presented in and with Karius and Baktus, it is also and frustratingly one that in my opinion could have been (and really should have been) presented with somewhat more elegance and subtleness (and yes, less strangely creepy accompanying illustrations, but then again, it was likely the creep-out factor of the illustrated Karius and Baktus which made me as a child so eager or at least increasingly eager to regularly brush my teeth, as well as retain a lifelong aversion to strangely coloured red punk-style hairdos).

Two and a half stars, but yes rounded up to a slight and low three star rating (simply because Karius und Baktus did manage to achieve its goal for my childhood self, did manage to encourage me to embrace and follow good and propter basic dental hygiene, which I do both appreciate and much respect with regard to both Thorbjørn Egner’s text and image combination). And while I do realise that Karius und Baktus is seemingly also available in English, as I have never read the book in English, I am also both unwilling and unable to make any comments regarding the English language version (and specifically, whether the message of good, of the importance of adequate oral hygiene is as statically and as in my opinion preachily presented as in the German rendition I read as a child).

[nettebuecherkiste]

Kindheitserinnerung, hatte die MC 😄

[Atefeh]

سال‌های دور این کتاب را از کتابخانه کانون پرورش فکری امانت گرفتم و خواندم. احتمالا کلاس دوم دبستان بودم!
عجیب است که هنوز داستان، شخصیت‌ها و تصویرسازی‌ها را به خاطر دارم.
موضوع کتاب در خصوص بهداشت دهان و دندان است که به زیبایی و خارج از ژست نصیحت و توصیه روایت شده است.

[Mylina]

Ich musste den Kindern in der Kita das vorlesen 😭

[Ida]

Hør den på lydbog uden at blive lidt creeped out over Sprogøe og Passer, I dare you 😂😂

[Габриела Манова]

Днес се подсетих за една от любимите си детски книжки. Кой знае кога съм я чела... 6–7-годишна. ♥

[Amalie Vågene]

Må legge til at jeg leste boken på norsk 🤣

[Ragnar Númi Gunnarsson Breidfjord]

Icelandic review:

Frábær saga með góðan boðskap

[Joy]

Norwegian children's book about "Plaque and Bacteria" that live in the mouth of a boy named Jens. They build their homes by hacking holes in his teeth. All goes well for the 2 little fellows as they eat the sweets left behind and never have to worry about him brushing. Then one day his tooth starts to hurt and he goes to the dentist. Karius and Baktus' beautiful homes are destroyed and they are swished down the drain and out to sea. There they wait for another mouth to move into of a kid that only eats sweets and doesn't like to brush.

[سیده فاطمه مطهری]

داستان درباره دو تا میکروب دندونه!
میکروب؟ نه! هیچ جای داستان اشاره ای به اینکه این دو تا موجود بامزه و انسان چهره، میکروب یا کرم دندون هستند که دندونا رو خراب میکنن، نمیکنه
به قول نویسنده تو صفحه آخر، شاید بچه دلش براشون بسوزه حتی چون بی خانمان میشن ولی ....
در کل داستان با مزه ای بود از اینکه شیرینی و مسواک نزدن باعث خراب شدن دندون میشه

[Krasimira Stoykova]

Майка ми я купи като бях малка и си спомням много добре, че непрекъснато я четях. Истински вярвах, че човечетата съществуват и даже си въобразявах, че ги усещам из зъбите си хахахха Много ми харесваше книжката! Бих я прочела отново, ако ми попадне под ръка, да си я припомня.

[Петя Иванова]

Любими герои от моето детство.

[Elen]

Barndomsminnena ger den här fyra stjärnor. Jag vet inte om berättelsen om vad som händer i munnen på Jan när han inte borstar tänderna fick mig och min bror att borsta bättre, men det var alltid något smått magiskt med den här boken när vi var små.

[Mati Rachamim]

A trip back to my childhood alongside my boy Liam .
Although it is 61 years old I think this short story is still enjoyable for kids and able to push forward the moral of the importance of teeth care with a fun and humor .

[Triin Soom]

See õnnis hetk kui 4-aastane tuleb lasteaiast ja ütleb, et tal on "Sööbikut ja pisikut" vaja ja me peame raamatukokku minema. Tundub, et järgmine raamatukogu fännide põlvkond on siiski peale kasvamas. :)

[Maya Yankulova]

Ех тези Пук и Чук - аз толкова ги харесвам, обаче те правят само пакости на зъбките.

[Oskar Jonsson]

"A quarter of all human suffering is toothache" - Thomas De Quincey

[ale]

I think it would be better if the children would not get protective of caries

[Heleri Inno]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)

Väga tore, lühike ja õpetlik lastejutt.

[Martin Wengstrom]

Denne boken, og tilhørende filmatisering, skremte vannet av meg da jeg var liten. Skulle ønske jeg slapp den som barn

[M]

یکی از بهترین کتاب های کودکی من خاطران خوشی با این کتاب دارم.

[John-Arne]

Som barn syntes jeg alltid synd på Karius og Baktus. De var sultne - og til sist ble de jaget ut av huset sitt. Som voksen gjør jeg det ikke. Tvert om. 😊

[Miia]

kui palju ma teie pärast olen end halvasti tundunud:’(

[Birgit Alsinger]

Mega uhyggelig !! Og jeg fattede den ikke som barn, synes kun det var synd for Karius og Baktus, ikke for Jens og den onde, onde tandlæge:-)

[Randi Annie Framnes]

Viktig del av norsk barnekultur. Vil du lære barn om hvor viktig det er med tannpuss. Dette er boken for deg!

[Atiyeh]

Karius and Baktus is a charming and imaginative children’s book that turns the simple act of brushing teeth into a memorable story. Thorbjørn Egner introduces two tiny characters, Karius and Baktus, who live inside a boy’s teeth and enjoy creating holes by eating leftover food. Through this playful fantasy, the book teaches children about dental hygiene in a way that feels entertaining rather than instructional.

What makes the story so effective is Egner’s ability to transform an everyday lesson into an adventure. Karius and Baktus are mischievous and funny characters, but their actions also show children the consequences of neglecting basic self-care. The arrival of the toothbrush and the dentist creates a clear message about the importance of taking care of our teeth.

The illustrations and simple storytelling style give the book a timeless quality. Although it was first published many decades ago, its combination of humor, imagination, and education continues to appeal to young readers.

Karius and Baktus is more than just a story about cavities; it is a creative reminder that healthy habits can be learned through curiosity and fun. A delightful classic that has entertained generations of children while teaching an important lesson about caring for ourselves.

[Jarmo Larsen]

En artig bok om de to kjente tanntrollene Karius og Baktus som har blitt frontfigurer i det som går under tannhelse i dag. Jeg har lest boken flere ganger i skolesammenheng med elevene mine og hatt det som et vellykket tema i norskfaget. Dette var engasjerende og givende for dem. Et eventyr som ikke går av mote og har kanskje forhindret noen hull her og der opp igjennom de siste 75år. Det er ikke ofte jeg velger å anmelde slike korte bøker, men denne har sin plass også her. Derfor denne lille notis og fem stjerner.

[Sanna lukee lapselle]

Tykkäsin itse lapsena tästä kirjasta äänisatuna todella paljon ja näyttää toimivan edelleen nykyajan lapsillekin. Tämän sadun ansiosta lapsi uskaltautui harjaamaan hampaansa joululahjaksi saadulla sähköhammasharjalla, jonka ääni tuntui aluksi liian pelottavalta. Nyt ei enää pelota, koska pääasia on että Möö ja Paa saavat kyytiä eivätkä pääse rakentelemaan taloja hampaisiin! Plussaa siitä, että tarina ei silti ole liian paasaava, vaikka hampaiden harjaamisen tärkeys tuleekin hyvin selväksi.

[John]

The book is a classic, but it should have been updated languagewise for modern children. We do not yearn white bread with syrup anymore as much as Jens in the book, and explaining to my kid what those mean takes away from the story. There are other phrases and words used here that show its age, but all in all it is a good book teaching children about the importance of brushing their teeth.