Päkapikupõnnid

by Elsa Beskow, Carolina Pihelgas (Translator), Hasso Krull (Translator)

Päkapikupõnnid” on lugu väikeste päkapikkude seiklustest, kes elavad oma perega sügaval metsas. Põnnide sõbrad on konn, nahkhiir, oravad, jänesed, mõnikord kohtuvad nad haldjarahvaga ning põgenevad suure kolli eest, kuid alati saadavad nende tegemisi lust ja rõõm.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Classics, Nature, Swedish Literature

36 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1910

About the author

"Så långt jag minns tillbaka brukade vi syskon, liksom nästan alla barn, tycka mycket om att rita. Jag var bara sex år då jag hade klart för mig, att jag helst av allt ville lära mig rita, när jag blev stor, och allra helst rita i sagoböcker. Min bror och jag brukade ofta sitta och rita tillsammans. Han ritade vikingafejder och grekiska hjältestrider, medan jag ritade barn och stugor och landskap. Hans ritningar var säkert mycket bättre än mina. Jag kommer ihåg att jag beundrade dem mycket, fast jag nog tyckte att hans hjältar hade väl korta ben." Så berättar Elsa Beskow om sin barndom "När jag var liten" publicerad första gången i Barnbiblioteket Saga nr 35 (texten ovan tagen ur Solägget 1986) I samma berättelse skriver Elsa Beskow om hur roligt det var att gå i skolan och få lära sig läsa, hennes favoritbok var en tjock Topeliusbok som hon släpade med sig överallt och läste högt ur för sina syskon.

Redan som liten satte hon ihop långa sagor som hon berättade för sin ett år äldre bror, "Vanligen gick det till så, att han släpade mig med sig till en vrå, satte sig själv i vägen för mig, så att jag ej kunde rymma, och befallde: berätta nu! Och jag pladdrade på så gott jag kunde. Ibland tappade jag alldeles tråden i berättelsen och frågade honom bekymrad: 'Vad menar jag, Hans?' 'Kanske menar Elsa så…' föreslog han helt beredvilligt, och så fortgick berättelsen."

Elsa Beskow föddes 1874 på Söder i Stockholm. Hennes familj bestod av mor och far, fyra systrar och en bror. När Elsa Beskow var 15 år dog hennes far och modern blev ensam med barnen. Familjen flyttade till moderns ogifta yngre syskon som bodde tillsammans. Mostrarna och morbrodern blev verklighetens förebilder till Tant Grön, Tant Brun, Tant Gredelin och Farbror Blå.

Under åren 1892-95 utbildade sig Elsa Beskow till teckningslärare vid Tekniska skolan, det var också då som hon började att teckna för barn. 1897 gifte hon sig med Natanael Beskow, präst och konstnär. Paret fick sex söner, vilka många gånger kom att stå modell för barnen i hennes berättelser och sagor. Deras hus och vildvuxna trädgård i Djursholm fick ge inspiration till hennes besjälade blommor och växter. Elsa Beskows stil har jämförts med sekelskifteskonstnärer som Walter Crane och Kate Greenaway, men även Ottilia Adelborg. Första gången hennes bilder, bildberättelser och verser publicerades var 1894 för barntidningen Jultomten.

Barnboksdebuten kom 1897 med bilderboken Sagan om den lilla lilla gumman, en klassiker som de flesta barn känner till ännu idag. Elsa Beskow hade fått ramsan om den lilla gumman berättad för sig av sin mormor och i den första upplagan från 1897 slutar boken abrupt med gummans "Schas katta!" I nästa upplaga tyckte förläggaren på Wahlström och Widstrand att boken skulle sluta med "och katten sprang till skogs och kom aldrig mer igen" för så mindes han ramsan.

Men femtio år senare, i en ny upplaga, skrev Elsa Beskow till raden "Men kanske[br]ändå att han kom hem till slut" då flera barn blivit ledsna över det tidigare slutet.

Beskows bilder dominerade bilderbokskonsten under närmare 50 år och säkert har många av dagens bilderbokskonstnärer påverkats av hennes konst.

1952 erhöll Elsa Beskow Nils Holgersson-plaketten för sin samlade produktion. Det finns dessutom ett pris uppkallat efter henne, Elsa Beskow-plaketten, instiftat 1958 av Sveriges allmänna biblioteksförening.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I do at least somewhat wish that Floris Books' The Children of the Forest, that this English language rendition of Elsa Beskow's 1910 Tomtetobarnen had adhered to the poetry, to the lyricism of the original (and I do own a copy of this, but as my Swedish is extremely rudimentary and entirely self taught, I do not actually understand all that much of Beskow's text except that Tomtetobarnen is definitely penned in poetry), I also can and do very much respect and understand the reasons why translator, or perhaps more to the point adapter, Alison Sage has decided to turn poetry into prose (for it is often very difficult and sometimes even nigh impossible to successfully translate poetry, to keep as close as possible to the lyricism and spirit of the original without resulting textual awkwardness, and I have recently read some rather problematic poetry to poetry translations that have made me increasingly appreciative of good, solid, verbally flowing prose adaptations). And the basic plotline of Children of the Forest is simple enough, but sweet and engaging, showing the four frolicking gnome children's escapades and adventures throughout the seasons, from cavorting with bats and frogs to picking berries and supplies for the winter (not sure if I agree all that much with the rather gratuitous killing of the snake, especially considering that the type of viper depicted is now increasingly rare in Western and Northern Europe and is generally also not considered all that dangerous, but attitudes have changed since 1910, and at that time, snakes were generally speaking still mostly negatively depicted and approached in both culture and lore).

But that being said (and also vaguely familiar with the German language adaptation of Tomtetobarnen, with Die Wichtelkinder), I really do not understand Alison Sage's need to expand the narrative to include personal names (Tom, Harriet, Sam, and Daisy for the four children, Buffo for the frog, Renata for the bat, even the viper has a personal name). For yes, part of the charm and magic of Elsa Beskow's words in Tomtetobarnen (and also in the German translation, in Die Wichtelkinder) is the anonymity of the four gnome like children and their environs (and Sage specifically naming them in Children of the Forest kind of destroys this all a bit for me, kind of annoyingly lessens the magic somewhat). Now the detailed and lush illustrations for Children of the Forest (and in the Swedish original, both text and illustrations are of course by Elsa Beskow) are magical and ethereal, providing not only a sweet and descriptive accompaniment to the narrative, to the text, but also more often than not, expanding on the same. Yes, those four children are simply darling and in many ways also cuteness personified (although I do have to admit that at first, the red and while fly agaric like caps the four children don, did remind me somewhat of the kind of gaudy bathing caps my grandmothers used to wear). But as a bright, caressing and yes sweetly caressing picture book gem, Children of the Forest is highly recommended, with my issues regarding certain aspects of the narrative quite majorly and completely, hugely notwithstanding!

[Manny]

At Foyles' foreign language department the other day, I optimistically picked up two children's books in languages I don't know well, operating on the principle that, if I chose something I already knew by heart in another language, I'd be able to figure it out. It worked fine for Struwwelpeter in German, but this was, alas, a complete failure. My Russian appears to be even worse than I'd thought, and I could hardly understand a word. Damn.

There are really only two things I can tell you about the Russian version of this much-loved Swedish classic. First, the translation seems to be very free; if it were a bit more literal, I'm pretty sure I'd be doing better, and the few lines I can understand are far from the Swedish originals. More interestingly, there is a complete change of metre! In Swedish, it's

DAH DAH-dah DAH-dah DAH-dah

("DJUPT UNder TALLens RÖTTer")

In Russian, as far as I can make out, it's

dah-dah-DAH dah dah-DAH-dah dah-DAH-dah dah-DAH

("gluboKO pod kriVImi kornYAmi sosNI")

This feels very weird! I'm trying to imagine how it can have the same emotional resonances for Russian kids: instead of a cheerful little nursery rhyme, it sounds to me like a tearful lament. But most likely this is just further evidence of my complete ignorance concerning Russian literature.
_________________________________

Our dinner guest last night, a translator at the UN, is fluent in Russian. She looked at this book and read us a few verses.

It sounded much pleasanter than I had expected, but I was also comforted to find that it contained several words she didn't know. Evidently, Russian children's books are trickier than one would think!

[Manny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every small Swedish child is read this classic picture book in verse, about the family of little tomtar (roughly, pixies or leprechauns) who live under the old pine tree. It's so sexist that a line from one of the early verses is often quoted by Swedish people as shorthand for gender stereotyping:

Och far är stark och modig, och mor är blid och rar

- "Father is strong and brave, and mother is sweet and kind". You shudder.

And yet the book is utterly charming, and Swedish kids grow up to be the least sexist people in the world. I wish I could explain the paradox. The issue of non-PC language in children's books isn't as simple as is sometimes claimed.

[Chantal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only has this book beautiful artwork, it also has a cohesive story. The kids are charming and everything it thought of by the writer of this book. Loved it.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original Review: 2008
4.5 stars. 5 stars for the artwork; 4 stars for the story. I absolutely loved the charming Scandinavian style of the artwork and the beautiful forest settings; adorable but also nature-based and realistic--for although I have never seen a small forest family playing games with squirrels or attending a school taught by an owl, Beskow manages to make it seem real. They are cute without being made "cutes-y". The story is nice, too, spanning an entire year for the wee forest family. Definitely worth checking out if only for the artwork!
ETA 2024: Happy we could finally get this from a neighboring library and I could share it with my sons. They enjoyed the story and artwork and I still love Beskow's art. However, do note for children sensitive to animal peril, there is a scene where the father kills a viper and the children pick up and carry off the dead snake. I appreciate that at least this is shown in self-defense and, on the next page, the children start to poke at an ant's nest and the mother reproves them, "Never hurt the creatures of the forest, unless they mean you harm."

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elf Children of the Woods, translated by Zita Beskow.

"Deep under the roots of a pine tree, in the quiet of the woods, there lives a tiny elf with his wife and children. Four chubby wee children there are, and all are dressed in huge red caps with white polka dots." So begins this classic woodland fairy-tale from renowned Swedish children's author and illustrator Elsa Beskow, for whom Sweden's Elsa Beskow Plaque, given to the best-illustrated children's books, is named. What follows is a gentle but enchanting story, in which the four "elf children of the woods" work and play throughout the seasons of the year. Friends with the squirrels, the frogs and the bats, they enjoy games in their own pine tree and at the nearby woodland pool. There are dangers in the forest as well, from the deadly snake their father kills to the ogre whose lair they frequently creep past. They must work to gather mushrooms and berries for their winter food store, and cottongrass to be made into sweaters and blankets. Games with the ethereal fairies, school with Mrs. Owl - these round out their days until winter comes, and they enjoy the beauty of the snowy world. When spring finally arrives again, it brings a rebirth of the woodland world, and an addition to the elf family...

Originally published in 1910 as Tomtebobarnen, this Swedish classic is one I first encountered through the Floris Books edition, Children of the Forest , which contains the Alison Sage translation, originally from 1982. I was therefore quite interested to see what I would think of this 1932 edition, published in New York by Harper & Brothers, and containing a translation done by Zita Beskow. Given the name of the translator, I thought at first it must be a daughter, but as Beskow only had sons (six of them!), perhaps Zita was a daughter-in-law or niece. I find it unlikely that she was no connection at all. Leaving that aside, I found this edition delightful. The story is engaging, with lots of fascinating little details about the elf family's life, and the artwork is (of course!) lovely. When I did a page-by-page comparison with Children of the Forest , I found some fascinating things. Wereas in the Sage translation the children are named at the beginning of the tale - Tom, Harriet, Sam and Daisy - they are not in the Beskow translation, and only two of them - Tommy and Katie - are named later during the course of the story. While in this edition the family are described as elves, in the Sage they are simply called "forest people," and the term 'elf' is not used. These differences are interesting, and in the case of the elf vs. forest people contrast, no doubt indicate the fact that there is no direct English equivalent for the Swedish word (and category of being) 'tomte.' That said, these minor differences don't really effect the story and its overarching tone that significantly, unlike some more significant distinctions later on in the narrative.

The 1932 Zita Beskow translation has a number of descriptions and phrases that feel a little old-fashioned, maybe even outdated, making me wonder whether Alison Sage changed or omitted these elements, to make the tale more palatable to contemporary readers. It's tempting to think the Beskow translation, because it is older, and because it is done by a Beskow, is closer to the original, and a more accurate representation of it than the Sage. As someone with little to no Swedish however, it's impossible for me to say that this is the case with any certainty. Some of the more significant differences include tha fact that the father goes off to actively hunt the snake in the Beskow, but only fights him when he first attacks the children, in the Sage. In the Beskow the children gleefully carry the dead snake to Mr. Hedgehog, whereas in the Sage they are thinking of burying him, when Mr. Hedgehog comes along. More significantly, in the Beskow the boy elves know that one day they will have to hunt the snake, and they practice on the ants, whereas in the Sage they simply poke the ants' nest, with no commentary offered as to why they might have been doing so. When their mother comforts them afterward, in the Beskow she simply binds up their wounds, whereas in the Sage she admonishes them, telling them to "never hurt the creatures of the forest, unless they mean you harm" Where has Sage come by this admonishment? Is it in the original text, or did she add it, in order to add a salutary message to a potentially disturbing incident? If her intention is to depict the elf family as being more at peace with the woodland world, why then, in the next episode involving the ogre, does the Beskow describe the creature as "a kind old thing" that doesn't mean any real harm, when she (Sage) describes him as laughing, because he doesn't have many chances to "give someone a fright"?

These and other differences - notably, in the episode involving gathering mushrooms, the father spanks his children for picking the wrong ones in Beskow, but only gives them a talking to in Sage - make for interesting comparisons, if one has access to both versions. In the end I find both translations appealing, and am curious to see how I will react to the other two English versions with which I am familiar, The Little Elves of Elf Nook , translated by Sonja Bergvall, and Children of the Forest , adapted by William Jay Smith.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children of the Forest, translated by Alison Sage.

This delightful little picture-book fantasy from Elsa Beskow - first published in Sweden in 1910, as Tomtebobarnen ("Tomte Children") - is a celebration of the natural world, and of the seasons of the year, as seen by a family of tiny woodland brownies. Mother, Father, and four children - Tom, Harriet, Sam and Daisy - all live together in a snug little house "under the curling roots of an old pine tree." The four siblings have many adventures in their forest home, playing with their animal friends, attending the school taught by Mrs. Owl, and working together with their parents, to gather the food they need for the long winter. Over the course of one year, these "children of the forest" learn a few lessons - like never harming any creature, unless it poses a danger - and have lots of fun.

With an engaging narrative that blends fantastic and realistic elements - the tomtar may be creatures of myth (or are they?), but the other flora and fauna depicted here are true to life - and charming illustrations, Children of the Forest is the ideal selection for the child who looks for brownies or fairies in the world around them, or who enjoys walking in (and dreaming of) the woods. It is my third book by Elsa Beskow, one of Sweden's most beloved picture-books artists, but it will surely not be my last! Highly recommended to all young fairy-tale lovers, and to anyone who appreciates Beskow's artwork.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is precious, but not in a gooey way.

The illustrations are lovely and amazing. The animals and nature theme are very appealing, as are the children of the forest and their family. I guess kids can have fun speculating about a few things after they’ve reached the last page of the book.

The story is told in an interesting manner. On the left side pages there are black and white drawings and the story text, and on the right side pages are glorious full color illustrations. My favorite illustrations were the color one of the school class with the forest children with all the animals and the black and white one of the forest children feeding the animals during the winter season.

The overall effect is utterly charming, although I do think I’d have been more captivated when I was a small child.

[Tiuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable picture book from 1910 about a miniature family living in the woods. It’s translated from Swedish so the rhythm and rhyme are somewhat messed up, but the pictures are adorable…and the world enchanting. I would have absorbed this as a child. Somehow it very much makes me think of Ronja The Robber’s Daughter by Astrid Lindgren. Perhaps that’s because the imagery of: “the delicate small fairies dwell behind a mossy stone, they come out in the moonlight and dance round hand in hand” brings to mind the murktrolls. That, and the ogre that frightens the children, make you realize the forest is magical and not filled with traditional wild life only. Also, like Ronja, the story is very much focused on the changing seasons and the different joys and adventures each one brings. Delightful.

* upon reviewing of other reader’s reviews I learned there are many different translations where the story’s text plays out differently…sometimes the motives of the characters are even changed. The version I am reviewing here is adapted by William Jay Smith.

[Brianna Bratrud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, realistic illustrations. A world full of tiny details, like pine cone armor and creamy white sweaters of spun cotton grass, makes the children of the forest real and delightful, yet not precious. I never read this as a child but I know I would have loved it, because what child doesn’t imagine little people or fairies in the woods? This is exactly the kind of story I’m looking for to encourage Mary’s imagination as she grows and learns about the seasons and the woods.
I particularly love that the children’s work and play and learning are centered on the home. Without saying so, it’s clear that children are as vital to nourishing the home and the members of its place as mom and dad are.
A bonus: Moses read this as a young kid and lit up at the mention of it.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Little Elves of Elf Nook, translated by Sonja Bergvall.

The eponymous little elves enjoy the beauty of all four seasons in their woodland world in this classic Swedish picture-book, first published in 1910 as Tomtebobarnen. Playing with their forest friends, attending Mrs. Owl's school, helping their father and mother gather winter stores, the little elf children are out and about in the world, working and playing. When the wheel of the year brings them back to spring, they find that their family has increased, and that there is an additional little elf in their number...

There are at least four different English versions of this story, that I am aware of, beginning with the 1932 Zita Beskow translations done for Harper & Brothers, Elf Children of the Woods . Then there is this, The Little Elves of Elf Nook, translated by Sonja Bergvall and first published in Stockholm in 1966. The adaptation done by American poet William Jay Smith, published as Children of the Forest in 1969, was published next, followed by Alison Sage's 1982 translation, also published as Children of the Forest . Of the three versions that I have read - this, the Zita Beskow and the Alison Sage - the Bergvall translation contained here is the first to present the story in poetry rather than prose. It may be that this reflects the format of the original, but as I do not read Swedish and have never picked up a Swedish edition, I am unable to say for sure. What is certain is that this version simply doesn't read well, with an awkward and clunky structure, and a rhyme scheme that feels forced. Consider this verse from the scene in which the elf children play with their fairy friends: "The elves are plump and chubby, the fairies light as air / They tried to play at see-saw, but oh! it wouldn't do. / The fairies were too light to succeed, though they were eight / In balancing the children who were not more than two!"

Unfortunately, the entire text is just as stilted as this, greatly detracting from my reading enjoyment. The artwork is the same as in other editions, so I couldn't really dislike the book, given my delight in Beskow's illustrations, but this is definitely not a version I would recommend. That said, I did find it interesting that the copy I read, which came to me through inter-library loan, was given by William Jay Smith to the library at Hollins University. Smith is, of course, the poet who worked on the 1969 Children of the Forest , the only English-language version of Beskow's classic (that I know about, anyway) that I have yet to read. Perhaps Smith used this version, when working upon his own? Whatever the case may be, this unexpected coincidence has left me all the more interested in picking up Smith's version...

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Children of the Forest, translated by Michael Jay Smith.

The children of the forest work and play their way through the four seasons of the year in this translation of a classic Swedish picture-book. Whether they are see-sawing with fairies or catching a ride with bats, helping to gather mushrooms and berries or listening to their father's stories, the rhythms of the natural world drive all that they do. When a year passes and spring comes again, they find that there is a baby sibling who has enlarged their family circle...

The fourth English translation I have read of Beskow's Tomtebobarnen, originally published in Sweden in 1910, Children of the Forest (not to be confused with the Alison Sage translation of the same name) is the second, after Sonja Bergvall's 1966 The Little Elves of Elf Nook , to be presented in verse. I speculated in my review of the Bergvall that this might reflect the original form of the book, and that idea seems borne out here by the statement on the cover (and title page): "Verse and Pictures by Elsa Beskow." Whatever the case may be, I found the text here to be superior to the Bergvall version, which I thought quite awkward and stilted. The text here still leaves something to be desired, but it is an improvement. I did wonder a bit at Smith's choice, in the scene involving the children playing in the snow, to describe them as "Peter, Tim and Tommy," when one of them is clearly a girl, but leaving that aside, I didn't find much to remark upon in the text. The artwork is beautiful, as always, but I thought the reproductions here were a little drab, compared to the other three versions I have perused.

Having now read all four of the English versions of this original Swedish woodland fairy-tale that are known to me, I can say that overall I preferred the prose versions, done by Zita Beskow and Alison Sage, to the poetic ones done by Sonja Bergvall and William Jay Smith. Of the two prose versions, it is the Sage that is widely available, so I would recommend that version, unless one is intent on comparing translations, as I was.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our whole family loves this book. The pictures are gorgeous, the text is playful, and the intimacy with the natural world that it espouses is definitely appreciated. Elsa Beskow also follows my "Rule Number One" of reading to my four-year-old son: never ever ever mention something interesting in the text that you do not intend to include in the illustration. (It's so frustrating to have him interrupt constantly: "But where's the [fill in the blank]?!") Every animal, object, person, or event she writes about is represented beautifully in the pictures. Hurray!

[Polly Batchelor · Rating 3 out of 5]

47/1001 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

"You must never pick a mushroom unless you know it is good to eat."

[Luisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Positively darling! I can’t believe I just found out about Elsa Beskow - so glad I did!

Originally published in 1910 in Sweden, this is an old children’s classic that I’m happy is still in print, or at least easy enough to find.

The text is rich with description (thank you, good translator) and the illustrations are so dreamy. It’s hard not to gape for long spells; only the call of the next page keeps you going.

Tom, Harriet, Sam and Daisy or people of the woods, and with their parent’s guidance, do all kinds of harvesting, chores and delightful play throughout each of the seasons.

Ages: 4 - 10

Note: it is a little longer than most picture books.

Cleanliness: there is a picture/short scene with a troll (image is slightly scary). Short scene with some fairies.

[Capn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wchaffinches?! What are "wchaffinches"?! (I hate typos... Hey FlorisBooks! I'll work as a proofreader in exchange for books!)
5 stars for any book in which someone dons pinecone armor and slays a viper....

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

En underbar klassiker som förtjänas att läsas om och om igen.

[Natassa · Rating 4 out of 5]

För min bilderbokskurs! Önskar verkligen att jag hade vuxit upp med alla dessa klassiska barnböcker

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

En favorit från barndomen

[a ☕︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

weak translation from the floris books editor, i don’t like that the little gnome children and all the woodland animals were given cutesy english names (renata the bat...why). otherwise beskow’s illustrations are as darling as usual, w silvery fairies, blinking owls, &c., &c.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fell in love with Elsa Beskow's art when I first saw it at an antique show. The colors, the subjects, the children at play in the forest ... everything was enchanting. The original printings of the postcards and books are much nicer than the reprints. Unfortunately, they're rather expensive for use with children. So we read the modern versions ...

Usually, the children are given wise advise about living in a forest. For example:
"Never hurt the creatures of the forest, unless they mean you harm."
"You must never pick a mushroom unless you know it is good to eat."
(And the red caps with white spots that the children and mother wear on their heads are Amanitas, a poisonous mushroom.)

I wonder, ... Does the English translation capture the spirit of the original Swedish text?

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute story. The drawings are very sweet and captivating, and the idea of little mushroom-hatted people living in the forest is absolutely charming.

The only thing to note for sensitive readers, is that there is a dangerous snake that the father kills to defend his family. (that sounds much worse than it comes across though).

If you have the time, this is a delightful little book.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darling illustrations and interesting story. I found it interesting that the children wore caps that looked like the tops of fly agaric mushrooms. This was the kind of story and illustrations that I loved when I was a young child.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic of children's literature in Sweden.
This magical book is sweet and I think might instil a child with the importance of their natural world. Lovely!

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

Беше крайно време знаменитата шведска писателка и художничка Елса Бесков да достигне и до българските деца и всички почитатели на красивата детска илюстрация. Сред най-големите класици в своята родина, Елса Бесков е завещала на поколения читатели един омагьосващ, приказен свят, който вече повече от век продължава да очарова всеки, докоснал се до него. За скандинавската детска литература творчеството на Елса Бесков е това, което са книгите на Биатрикс Потър за англоезичната. Римуваната приказка „Децата на Джуджан, горското джудже“ излиза у нас в прекрасен превод на Анюта Качева и с логото на изд. „Enthusiast”. Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[Markie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An idyllic tale of a family of somewhat magical diminutive people living a quiet life in the forest. But for the ubiquitous gender stereotyping, Children of the Forest is a lovely tale of the seasonal cycles of the year that invites the reader to take a closer look at the world around them and notice how it continues afresh every spring.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My youngest daughter really enjoys this book. We've read it three times this week at her request!

[Jasmine (bokugglor) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Älskade illustrationerna!

[Ken Yuen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice story with timeless art. Read the Japanese version so it was a good way to practice my vocabulary.

[Cécile · Rating 5 out of 5]

ik wil ook met mijn kabouter broertjes en zusjes les krijgen van een mooie uil en vriendjes zijn met kikkers