by Pictures

	Jim Knopf und die Wilde 13 02 September 2010 When I read recently that The Neverending Story had been voted the most favourite German book of all time I was surprised. Not because I was expecting something by Goethe or Hesse, but because I didn't know The Neverending Story was German. And so began a wonderful series of discoveries – the kind of connecting the dots that I enjoy so much. My trip down memory lane (with obligatory visits to youtube) led me to discover the author, Michael Ende had earlier written stories about Jim Knopf and Lucas the Engine Driver. And of course, wouldn't you know it, one of those books was already sitting on my shelves. Unlike everyone else in Germany, I had absolutely no idea that it was a well-loved and famous book. I simply picked it up because of the fabulous (yet rather questionable in this day and age) illustrations.
	The more I read the more I loved. My favourite character is Tur-Tur who is lonely because he seems to be a giant from the distance, despite the fact that he is actually normal sized when you are right next to him. In this book he is gainfully employed as a lighthouse. But there is someone here for everyone – pirates, mermaids, a monarch called King Alfred the Quarter to Twelve and the polite bowler-hat-wearing Mr Sleeve. As if that wasn't enough, you can also watch Jim and Lucas as marionettes (with very inventive plastic sheeting waves). I'm sure to find Jim at every turn now that I know who he is. It's his 50th birthday this year after all.

Pictures by

Franz Josef Tripp

Story by

Michael Ende

Published by

K Thienemanns, 1962

Found in

Berlin

	Bottersnikes and Gumbles 15 May 2010Time for an Australian classic: Bottersnikes and Gumbles. Bottersnikes (the mean looking ones) are the "laziest creatures, probably, in the whole world" and live in rubbish heaps along roadsides in the Australian bush. Gumbles, on the other hand, are cheerful and giggly "squashy things" who play a cat and mouse game with the Bottersnikes. Over and over, their friendliness leads them to be captured, forcing them to think their way out of enslavement. My favourite Bottersnike is Smiggles whose can dream up real things, and the winning Gumble is Tinkingumble who tinks up very good ideas. These images come from a three box set featuring Bottersnikes and Gumbles (1967), Gumbles on Guard (1975) and Gumbles in Summer (1979). Unlike other loved Australian stories like Blinky Bill and Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, these have not (as far as I know) been reprinted. Maybe it will take another generation before they are fully appreciated.

Written by

S.A. Wakefield

Pictures by

Desmond Digby

Published by

Collins Lions, Sydney
1967-1982

Found in

Sydney

	Der Zauberring 03 December 2009The Magic Ring is a Russian fairytale and although this book has been translated into English, my copy is in German (and lovingly dedicated "von deinen Bruder Frank"). It is filled with vibrant watercolour illustrations - their graphic style and composition furthered by the geometric elements throughout. They come into their own on the black "pixelated" end pages.

Pictures by

Michael Romberg

Published by

Artia, Prague
1972

Found in

Berlin

	Dogs 26 October 2009I used to be a cat person. But you wouldn't know it now. Today I'm admiring a well dressed chap on a Japanese new year card celebrating the arrival of the year of the dog, 1910. (Japanese Antique Post Cards for Greetings, Published by Graphic-Sha, 2003)
	My Czech favourites join us in a drunk conversation (by Jiří Trnka from Slunecni Prsten, Albatros, 1976)
	And share their healthy love of bones (by Adolf Born from Bilderbuch der Verführungskunst, Eulenspiegel Verlag Berlin, 1979).
	Despite my switch in allegiance, I still am not a fan of poodles. Though, this trouble-making Russian is a start. (by Vladimir Konashevich in Look how Absent Minded! 1931 from Russian Children's Picture Books in the 1920s and 1930s, Tankosha Publishing, 2004)

Pictures by

Various Artists

Published by

Graphic-Sha
Albatros
Eulenspiegel
Tankosha

Found in

Tokyo and Prague

	Art of the People: Hands of God 19 October 2009 We returned from our 2007 journey to Mexico with suitcases overflowing with Folk Art – embroidery, wood carvings and beadwork. But cradled in my arms, and too large and heavy for the suitcase, was the catalogue of the Museo de Arte Popular. This impressive tome is as great as the museum's collection itself – a feast of skeletons in their very best finery, monsters, masks and delicately painted grasshoppers. The fact that the text was in Spanish was irrelevant with 600 pages of spectacular folk art at stake. But, as of last night, I can read the book. No, I did not learn Spanish. Nor did I buy an English edition. No. Our Argentinean friends Laura and Christian carted their English edition of the book all the way from Buenos Aires to Berlin. And we swapped. And now they're on their way back home – hauling the Spanish version back across the ocean. Trust me. This book is worth it. But maybe you can get hold of it without so much heavy lifting.

Published by

Landucci/Oceano
Mexico City, 2007
ISBN 978-968-5893-69-5

Exhibition

Museo de Arte Popular

Found in

Mexico City

	En Grønsagsmand fra Grønsagsland 1 October 2009When I was little my favourite brand of Orange Juice had a photograph of an orange on the front with a drawn on face. I loved him so much that I always drew faces on my oranges. If I had read this book when I was that age I would have immediately started making a Vegetable Man in a Vegetable Land (which is what the title of this book translates as). In fact, I still plan to. I love how lo-fi these photographs are. You can see the fishing line holding things in place and the glue holding everything together. It has creases and crustiness, the vegetables aren't perfect and the colours aren't adjusted. There really was something lovely about a pre-photoshop world. This book is by the same publisher who brought us Min Katte abc and Min Hunde abc and was found at the same bookstore in Copenhagen.

Pictures by

Birgit Erup

Published by

Lademann,
Copenhagen, 1970

Found in

Copenhagen

	Abenteuer rund ums schachbrett 24 September 2009This book was originally published in 1980 in Romanian as Aventurile Sahului (Chessboard Adventures) and it's heavy uncoated pages are filled with vibrant watercolour illustrations by Val Munteanu. He is cited as an influence by many Romanian artists, designed the grand curtain of the theatre "Maria Filotti" in Brăila, and seems best loved for his Pinocchio illustrations. I hope he passes my way again soon.

Written by

Mihail Sadoveanu

Pictures by

Val Munteanu

Published by

Ion Crenga Verlag,
Bukarest, 1984

Found in

Berlin

	Der Verkaufte Traum 5 August 2009This is a collection of "fairytales from the people of the Soviet Union" and although the original was produced in Czech, my copy is in German. Until I started scanning just minutes ago I hadn't noticed the beautiful gold embossed cover hidden under the very damaged dust jacket, despite having had this book on my shelf for the past 5 years. Given that decorated hard covers are such an obsession of mine, I am quite surprised at myself.

Pictures by

Ferdinand Hloznik

Published by

Mladé letá, 1977

Found in

Berlin

	Petja in der Krähenschule 15 July 2009My sister (who can speak German) gave this book to me (who cannot speak German) when she was here in Berlin. We joked that it was a good place for me to start learning. I'm ashamed to say that, a few years on, while I can work out what is going on I certainly can not read it convincingly. Nevertheless, Petja and his puppy Tomka are handsome indeed. And I love that this book was a library book and has the stamps and stickers to prove it.

Pictures by

Herbert Lentz

Story by

E.I. Tscharuschin
translated from the Russian
by Hans Baumann

Published by

George Bitter Verlag,
Recklinghausen, 1969

Found in

Berlin

	Ovoce, Ovoce na nasí zahrádce 26 June 2009 The title translates as "Fruit, The Fruit of our Garden" and this little book has such bright intense colours - the pinks particularly pop. I think the illustrations are collage with painted tissue paper. If you do a you google search on the illustrator Lubse Loskotova you'll see many delightful pictures. They obviously know and love her work in Japan!

Pictures by

Libuse Loskotova

Story by

Jan Carek

Published by

SNDK, 1962

Found in

Prague