Further to my recent post on Gecko Press and publishing children’s picture books in translation, here is a list of five of my favourite classic children’s books in translation. Like with Nicholas, the transition from the original language into English (and into different English-speaking markets) hasn’t always been straight-forward…
1. The Story of Babar (Jean de Brunhoff)

The appeal of this French elephant was recognised immediately by publishers across the Channel and the Atlantic – first published in France in 1931, it was published in both the UK and the US by 1933. There have been criticisms of the colonialist overtones of the Babar story (Babar’s return causes his elephant community to wear western-style clothing). But this is a delightful series, and it’s easy to become immersed in the utterly believable world created and beautifully illustrated by de Brunhoff. I’m a big fan of the vintage-styled hardback edition, which you can still buy, complete with the cursive script from the original. It makes a beautiful gift. Age 2+
2. Miffy (Dick de Bruna)

Adopted enthusiastically by the Japanese, Miffy is of course Dutch, and was originally called Nijntje, which is the word young people use for ‘bunny’ in Dutch. Her books, created by author Dick Bruna, appeared in the UK and Australia soon after original publication in Holland in 1963. However she wasn’t successfully introduced into the US market until 2003. At that time, her broad appeal to children all over the world earnt her the role of New York City’s Family Tourism Ambassador, in an effort to lure family travellers from Europe and Japan. Despite considerable wealth and success, Dick Bruna continues to work as he always has done, perfecting the deceptively simple outlines and colours of Miffy’s books in his studio in Utrecht, Holland. Age 0+

3. Finn Family Moomintroll (Tove Jansson)

All things Scandinavian seem to be à la mode at the moment. The beautiful sparse aesthetic of Scandanavian interior design in particular… I love it, and I find myself swooning over things here and here. There also seems to have been a resurgent interest in Tove Jannsson’s Moomintroll series from Finland, and in 2006, the author’s comic strip series was published for the first time in North America. This highly imaginative and fantastical series centres on a series of characters, each with a distinctive personality. Funny, poignant and strange, but very appealing for young people and adults alike. Age 8+

4. The Thief Lord (Cornelia Funke)

An established author in Germany, Funke was seeking a publishing opportunity in the UK, when she was approached by Barry Cunningham, the publisher who first realised the potential of J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter. Apparently, the book was brought to the attention of Cunningham by a bilingual German/English reader, who couldn’t understand why her favourite German author wasn’t available in English. Upon publication in the UK it sold out within 10 days, and in the US, it went on to become a New York Times bestseller. Funke’s picture books (Pirate Girl, Princess Pigsty and The Princess Knight) are less well known, and all handle the theme of strong and fiesty female characters. A movie based on her book Inkheart will be released in January 2009. The trailer and cast look pretty amazing!
5. Pippi Longstocking (Astrid Lindgren)

Re-issued in 2007 with illustrations by the fabulous Lauren Child, see Lou’s previous post for a review of this delight.