Advice to Little Girls

by Mark Twain, Vladimir Radunsky (Illustrator)

Tzim Tzum Books a pregătit pentru voi o cărticică semnată de însuși marele povestitor american și tradusă în română de Florin Bican: Sfaturi pentru fetițe. Un text obraznic, nu tocmai pe placul părinților, cu ilustrații pe măsură, semnate de Adelina Butnaru.

Așa cum marele general chinez Sun Zu a scris Arta războiului, Twain a scris Sfaturi pentru fetițe. Dar nu trebuie să fii neapărat fetiță pentru a profita de sfaturile lui Mark Twain — ele sunt la fel de valabile și pentru băieți. Vă avertizăm însă că punerea lor în aplicare poate fi riscantă. Reclamațiile ulterioare se vor adresa direct autorului.

Foarte important, pentru cine are pereți prea albi și uși prea serioase — supracoperta cărții se transformă în afiș!

Contraindicații: nu se recomandă celor sensibili la ironie. Cartea se adresează oamenilor cu vârste peste 6 ani, până la 100+, dar neapărat cu simțul umorului. Este potrivită atât pentru părinții care știu să treacă cu vederea greșelile copiilor, cât și pentru copiii care pot să treacă cu vederea seriozitatea părinților și lipsa spiritului ludic.

Mark Twain — „Sfaturi pentru fetițe” este câștigătoarea Marelui Premiu la concursul național de design de carte „Cele mai frumoase cărți din România” ediția 2017.

Autor: Mark Twain
Traducere și text supracopertă: Florin Bican
Redactor: Ioana Gruenwald
Design: Faber Studio — Adelina Butnaru, Radu Manelici, Dinu Dumbrăvician
Ilustrații: Adelina Butnaru
Editura: Tzim Tzum Books, Bucureşti, 2017
Tipografia: Fabrik, București





Tzim Tzum Books has prepared for you a little book, signed by Mark Twain and translated into Romanian by Florin Bican: Advice to Little Girls.
A naughty text, not exactly to parents' liking, with illustrations to match the text, done by Adelina Butnaru.

Attention please!
You don't have to neccessarily be a little girl to take advantage of Mark Twain's advice — they are valid for little boys as well.
We warn however that putting these into practice can be risky.
Any subsequent complaints should be addressed to the author directly.

Mark Twain — Advice for Little Girls is the winner of the Great Prize at the national competiton 'The Most Beautiful Books in Romania 2017'.

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Childrens, Classics, Nonfiction, Short Stories, Family

24 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 1867

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your mother tells you to do a thing, it is wrong to reply that you won’t. It is better and more becoming to intimate that you will do as she bids you, and then afterward act quietly in the matter according to the dictates of your best judgment.

Yeah, that was always my strategy.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little-known Twain is Clemens at his sly, seditious best. Perhaps the first feminist how-to book for 19th century girls, Twain comes across as the favorite uncle whispering advice in your ear that will doubtless land you in trouble but you eat up nonetheless.

[Laura Leaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressively short. Strangely interesting. I can almost see Twain leaning down and whispering this advice to his own daughters. I love how the advice seems to advocate behaving, but underneath suggests rebellion.

"Good little girls always show marked deference for the aged. You ought never to 'sass' old people unless they 'sass' you first."

Vladimir Radunsky's illustrations rock!

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very witty and funny, but I have to admit I really hated the artwork.

[Afaf Ammar · Rating 4 out of 5]

نصائح ناعمة وجميلة للفتيات الصغيرات الطيبات بطريقة مرحة ومبهجة ،
جعلت قلبي يبتسم من الفرح مع الرسومات اللطيفة،
أحببتها جدًا،
أنا ممتنة جدًا لأن الأشياء اللطيفة في العالم
تعرف دائمًا كيف تجدني وأجدها 💕💕

"You ought never to take your little brother's "chewing-gum" away from him by main force; it is better to rope him in with the promise of the first two dollars and a half you find floating down the river on a grindstone. In the artless simplicity natural to this time of life, he will regard it as a perfectly fair transaction 😄

If your mother tells you to do a thing, it is wrong to reply that you won't. It is better and more becoming to intimate that you will do as she bids you, and then afterward act quietly in the matter according to the dictates of your best judgment.
You should ever bear in mind that it is to your kind parents that you are indebted for your food, and for the privilege of staying home from school when you let on that you are sick. Therefore you ought to respect their little prejudices, and humor their little whims, and put up with their little foibles until they get to crowding you too much.
Good little girls always show marked deference for the aged " 

More love~ 💕💕

14.11.2021

[Emtiaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

কোন উপদেশটা সবচেয়ে ভালো লেগেছে সেটা ঠিক করতে গিয়ে কয়েকবার গল্পটা পড়ে ফেললাম। তারপর চিন্তা করলাম যেহেতু ছেলে সেহেতু, তুমি তোমার পিচ্চি ভাইয়ের চুইঙ্গাম কেড়ে নিবেনা আর ভাইকে উচিৎ শিক্ষা দিতে গিয়ে কাঁদা ছুঁড়ে মারবেনা; এই দুটোই। :3 :v

যাইহোক, আমার কাছে সবচেয়ে ভালো উপদেশটা হচ্ছে মা কিছু করতে বললে কি করতে হবে সেটা।

ইলাস্ট্রেশন সুন্দর। পারফেক্টলি চাইল্ডিশ। কিন্তু আমি একটা বিষয় চিন্তা করছি, বইটা কত বছরের বাচ্চার প্রতি খেয়াল রেখে টোয়াইন লিখেছিলেন?

[Sve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Винаги съм харесвала Марк Твен.
Тази книга е прекрасна с шеговитите си съвети, така добре илюстрирани от хартиените пластики на Капка Кънева.
Цялата поредица на Издателство "Лист" - Детски шедьоври от велики писатели си струва вниманието.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is less a children's book than a teen or adult title, though it is shelved in the Children's Section. It is gloriously, uproariously, deliciously manipulative instructions given by someone with a wealth of experience, learning from children themselves, I expect.

How to achieve power over a younger sibling, how to humor one's parents, how to steal that doll you crave from your friend--this is the advice from the sage elder. Accompanied by the most gorgeous drawings ever, and a mere fifteen pages or so, this is a sweet treat for parents to soothe their souls: probably your clever child hasn't figured out all the tricks yet.

[Neva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Една звездичка за текста на Марк Твен, от когото бих очаквала мнооого повече, една отгоре за текста на български и за цялата поредица + една специално за великолепните, смешни и живи илюстрации на Капка Кънева, които правят от книгата бижу.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know that Mark Twain wrote a satirical essay (not a short story, as advertised) lampooning the expectations for young ladies, as they would have been called in 1865, but it remains a great read. Absolutely loved the essay and Mark Twain’s intimate knowledge of the nature of intelligent, self-aware girls of any era.

You can read this short essay for free here: https://americanliterature.com/author...

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Twain's advice for little girls, as sardonic as you would expect it, and feminist and funny. Too short, wanted more. I liked the Vladimir Radunsky, which includes what first appear to be defacing art done by little girls reading it, which is also funny. I liked it, I just wanted it to be more from Twain, more of his advice…. But if you like Twain, I would check it out...

[John of Canada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful Twain humour.Not sure I would want a daughter to read it.They're smart enough as it is.

[Lize · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so eeeeeeeevil, and I mean that in the best way possible.

"You ought never to take your little brother's 'chewing gum' away from him by main force; it is better to rope him in with the promise of the first two dollars and a half you find floating down the river on a grindstone. In the artless simplicity natural to this time of life, he will regard it as a perfectly fair transaction. In all ages of the world this eminently plausible fiction has lured the obtuse infant to financial ruin and disaster."

I snagged it from the library in a nearby village well-known for its snootiness, where it's shelved in the Early Readers section (?!?), and while I'm sure the tiny hot-housed and genetically-engineered village denizens can manage the vocab, some of the behaviors described would definitely warrant a 'teachable moment,' at least for ordinary mortals.

It's vintage Twain, and a total delight, including the wonderful illustrations by Vladimir Radunsky. The only drawback? It's so short!

[K. Anna Kraft · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have arranged my thoughts into a haiku:

"An art on its own,
A lot of thought goes into
Fighting like a girl."

[Antoaneta Kostovska · Rating 1 out of 5]

Не харесвам и текста и илюстрациите. Някои от илюстрациите са страшни за децата -старицата например. А и децата герои са грозни.

[Lalectora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta ha sido mi tercera lectura para este bimestre de repesca del @clubclasicosjuveniles .

Es un libro un tanto peculiar, ilustrado por Vladimir Radunsky, en el que Mark Twain da ciertos consejos "políticamente incorrectos" a las niñas que, como siempre, sufrían más restricciones que los niños y las desafía a pensar por ellas mismas.

Es un texto muy breve, el libro en su mayoría son ilustraciones, así que se lee en un ratito.

Me ha hecho pasar un buen rato. El señor Twain no deja de sorprenderme. Os dejo con uno de sus consejos:

《Si tu madre te pide que hagas algo, no está bien decirle que no. Es preferible y más conveniente darle a entender que harás lo que te ordena, y después proceder con discreción según los dictados de tu sabio criterio》.

[LISA · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tongue in cheek guide to a societal uprising of good girls in 1865. Advocation of autonomy over blind obedience is quietly and completely suggested to “Good Little Girls”. I’m sure Mr. Twain had daughters.

[Briauna Mckizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best thing I have ever read in the history of all my days.

[Aneesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better a gift for someone else's kid than for your own.

[Vaishali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short! Would liked to have seen him write a companion book, titled "Advice to Little Boys."

[Змей · Rating 5 out of 5]

Цялото ревю на български тук: http://knigozavar.com/the-original-fe...

In "Advice to Little Girls" Mark Twain practically urges little girls to use manipulation, harassment, and elegant deviant practices to get what(ever) they want. He does it slowly, methodically and with the tone of an expert but as skillfully as someone who has already taken advantage of his own advice.

If your mother tells you to do a thing, it is wrong to reply that you won’t. It
is better and more becoming to intimate that you will do as she bids you, and
then afterward act quietly in the matter according to the dictates of your best
judgment.

The language Twain uses is interesting: his text is filled with shoulds, do-nots, nevers and always'. Meanwhile, his words whisper of rebellion where a young lady is expected to be only delicate and obedient.

I can not say a thing about the art in the original language editions but I can assure you all the text accompanying paper sculptures of Kapka Kaneva in the Bulgarian edition are lovely. L-O-V-E-L-Y. I honestly cannot say which one I like the most.

We could argue for who that book is - whether for the little girls or for adults who could catch the irony dripping from each and every sentence.
In any case, I would not recommend it to kids under the age of 5-6 and to adults under 30.

[Prince Rokaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

" If your mother tells you to do a thing, it is wrong to reply that you won’t. It is better and more becoming to intimate that you will do as she bids you, and then afterward act quietly in the matter according to the dictates of your best judgment."

" Good little girls always show marked deference for the aged. You ought never to ‘sass’ old people unless they ‘sass’ you first."

[NeDa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Много хубави илюстрации!

[Nenúfares ☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

qué lindos los libros infantiles los quiero tooodooos❤️

[Jackie Ostrowicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whimsical illustrations bring Mark Twain's tongue-in-cheek book to life. This is advice you wouldn't want your little girl to follow, but is certainly delightful to read.

Perhaps read this in tandem with Tales for the Perfect Child, which also tells stories of children you wouldn't want yours to emulate--also tongue in cheek.

The illustrator, Vladimir Raduniky, has illustrated many other wonderful children's books, including On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein, which carries on this great style, received six starred reviews and was picked by Kirkus Reviews as the Best Book of 2013.

Raduniky has published more than thirty books for children. Many of them were translated and published in France, the U.K., Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, and Japan. The books received numerous awards in the United States and in Europe, among them the New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year, and have been on the New York Times bestseller list.

[LauraW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Choosing shelves for this book is the first challenge in writing this review. I had thought the book would be in the children's section of the book store, but it was shelved in adult fiction. It could equally have been in the humor section of the book store. But, it is, due to the short length, also mainly a picture book. Thus, a rather weird set of shelves.

The main disappointment with this book for me is that it is WAY too short - thus the 4 stars instead of 5. But both the text and the illustrations are great. I suppose the vocabulary is beyond that of most children and the book store is probably correct in shelving it in the adult fiction section. But the tongue-in-cheek text would also be very comfortable in the humor section.

The illustrations, though, exquisitely bring the humor to life. They are absolutely wonderful - and it is unusual for me to gush like this over illustrations.

This is an irreverent book, make no mistake, but it is also immensely fun.

[Pensieve Thoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This notes can also be read here . I love this book. I love the classic take on children’s literature. I love the humor. The sarcasm. The wit. I love the truth in his story. On the other hand, there were some parts that I think is not appropriate for the tender minds of young children, but the story and advice can be read and heeded by children who are big enough to know the right from wrong or those having a grasp of what the book really means. Better yet, read it to your kids. Let’s see which advice they paid attention to (wink, wink).

[Beverly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no idea what to make of this book. First of all, I am amazed to find it on the mock Caldecott list, because the illustrations are downright ugly. They look like the drawings of an untalented child. The vocabulary in the book is (unfortunately) way too sophisticated for pre-school children and even primary children: words like retaliation, peculiarly, aggravated, circumstances, plausible, obtuse, inculcating, etc. The subtle hints to the children in the book to subterfuge in several situations may be mildly humorous to adults, but will go right over the heads of children.

[Rahma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cheeky inversion of the usual moralising stories about the goody-two-shoe princesses came as such a shock to my six-year-old girl that she initially didn't get it. But once I had explained all the difficult vocabulary and 19th century phrasing, she really enjoyed the subversive advice and quirky illustrations. Nice as a collector's item and for it's unusual content, but not the kind of captivating story you'll read to your child over and over again.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Deb for this recommendation! A piece of book art, with quotes from Mark Twain and pictures by Vladimer Radunsky, my only complaint is that there isn't more of it. Advice from the inimitable Twain: "Good little girls always show marked deference for the aged. You ought never to "sass" old people unless they "sass" you first."