You may have noticed that some of the children’s books that I present here were originally written in German. I didn’t start out to do this intentionally, but some books are so popular that they have been translated into many different languages all over the world, and some of these books were ones that I read as a child without realizing at first that they were originally written in another language.

For the moment, I’m focusing on books written by German authors, not books written in German in other countries, like Switzerland or Austria. Henry Winterfeld is a bit of a gray area because he was originally German and went to live in the United States in 1940 to escape World War II. I counted some of his books written after 1940 because they were originally written in German. There are other authors that I’ve included who were in similar positions, going to live in other countries. I’ve decided to count those authors who were born in Germany and actually wrote their books in German even when living elsewhere. As another note, I’ve listed the first two books in Winterfeld’s Roman mysteries series, but I think that there is a third book in the series that has not been translated into English. In that book, I understand that Caius has to fake his death because he is accused of trying to kill the emperor, and his friends have to prove that he did not.

I’m somewhat limited as to what I can discuss in German children’s literature because I cannot speak or read in German (beyond a few words that I can recognize because I’ve seen them before or they are very close to the English words). However, I’ve decided to make a list of what I know about German children’s books from different periods. Most of what appears here will have to be something that was eventually translated into English or at least something that can be explained in English so that I can explain it here. As always, more will be added later. (Feel free to let me know if there’s anything else I should add.)

For the purposes of this site, I usually consider “vintage” to be from the 1950s or earlier because of the cultural shifts taking place in the United States around the middle of the 20th century, particularly with the Civil Rights Movement and changing standards for what was allowed to be discussed in children’s literature. However, German history is different, and different periods of history are important. When talking about vintage children’s literature in Europe, it’s important to consider the impact of the World Wars. During the World Wars in Europe, people still tried to go about their daily lives as best they could, and children still needed books to read. However, the war had a direct impact on what was being published at the time, what was available to read, and what children were allowed to read. The influence of war permeated everything. Propaganda, censorship, and the feelings of authors regarding what was happening around them entered children’s literature. This is true in every country during the war years, with the degree to which it was done and the types of messages being transmitted varying by location. I’m not into propaganda literature, really. What I find more interesting is the children’s literature in the years before the World Wars, the period between the World Wars (Weimar Republic Germany), and after the World Wars. I find the transition points to be the most fascinating.

Post-World War II Germany was also a divided country, separated into the capitalistic West Germany and communist East Germany. The city of Berlin itself was cut in half, and people who attempted to cross the Berlin Wall could actually be shot and killed for doing so. This was a divide that was not present in the United States, and it lasted until the late 1980s.

Below, I have the books grouped by time period with notes about the breaks between time periods. More will be added later.

19th Century

Fantasy

The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales (1812)

A collection of German folktales, originally titled Children’s and Household Tales or Kinder- und Hausmärchen in German, in spite of the fact that most of the stories weren’t really appropriate for children. Some aspects of the stories were toned down in later reprintings. By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816)

On Christmas Eve, young Marie and her siblings receive special presents from their godfather, Drosselmeyer, including a clockwork castle and a fancy nutcracker.  Later that night, Marie sees them come to life and helps the nutcracker to battle the seven-headed Mouse King.  By E.T.A. Hoffman.

Picture Books

Max and Moritz (1865)

Full title: Max and Moritz: A Story of Seven Boyish Pranks. In German: Max und Moritz – Eine Bubengeschichte in sieben Streichen.

A story about two mischievous boys who play a series of pranks, told in rhyme. This book helped to inspire later comic strips, including the American comic strip Katzenjammer Kids. It’s a dark comedy that pokes fun at German theater of the time, including the way that dramas were always given subtitles beyond the main title (seen in the full title of the book). Horrible things happen to the boys and others around them after each prank, including the deaths of the boys themselves.

Struwwelpeter (1845)

A German children’s book. In English, “shock-headed Peter” or “Shaggy Peter.” Peter has very wild, shaggy hair. Accord to Wikipedia, the book’s original title was Lustige Geschichten und drollige Bilder mit 15 schön kolorierten Tafeln für Kinder von 3–6 Jahren (“funny stories and whimsical pictures with 15 beautifully coloured panels for children aged 3–6”). In the book, exaggeratedly horrible things happen to various people because of their misbehavior. For example, a girl who plays with matches burns to death, and a boy who won’t stop sucking his thumb gets his thumbs cut off by a traveling tailor. This book was influential on later literature. By Heinrich Hoffman.

20th Century, Vintage

These books were published between 1900 and 1945. I’ve divided them into smaller groups around the World Wars.

Before World War I (1900 to 1913)

Adventure

The Adventures of Maya the Bee (1912)

A young bee who wants adventure leaves her hive and learns about bravery and duty.

World War I (1914 to 1918)

Weimar Republic (1919 to 1933)

Mystery

Emil and the Detectives (1929, 1930)

After he is robbed on a train, a boy sets out to find the thief who stole his grandmother’s money, recruiting a lot of other boys to help him. Although it doesn’t say exactly when the story takes place, the sequel establishes the year as 1912, two years prior to the sequel. Originally written in German. By Erich Kastner.

Picture Books

A Day at Bunny School (1924)

In German: Die Häschenschule. A classic story for Easter.

A young bunny goes to school to learn how to be an Easter Bunny. By Albert Sixtus.

Nazi Germany/World War II (1934 to 1945)

Even children’s books were subject to censorship and book-burning in Nazi Germany if they appeared to be pacifistic in theme or critical of the Nazi regime. Some of these writers had to flee Germany during the war or maintain a low profile to stay safe.

Adventure

The Outsiders of Uskoken Castle (1941)

A group of homeless children take refuge in a supposedly haunted castle in the Yugoslavian countryside (modern Croatia), living like bandits. By Kurt Held (Kurt Kläber).

This book is set contemporary to when it was written, during WWII. Its author was a Jewish Communist who fled Germany during the war.

Mystery

Emil and the Three Twins (1934)

The lesser-known sequel to Emil and the Detectives. The reason why it’s lesser-known is that Erich Kastner was a well-known pacifist and opponent of the Nazis and many of his books from this period were burned. Kastner remained in Germany during the war, but he was questioned by the Gestapo more than once, and for a time, he was forbidden to publish any new works. (This video explains more about the book burnings and Kastner’s burned works.)

Emil, the boy from the first book, has adventures on a trip to the Baltic Sea. At the end of the book, Emil’s trip ends abruptly because of the outbreak of World War I. This part of the book was based on real events from Erich Kastner’s youth and explain part of his anti-war feelings. By Erich Kastner.

20th Century, Modern

Post World War II/Cold War (1946 to 1989)

This was Cold War Germany, divided in half between the world’s competing philosophies of capitalism and communism. The reason why Germany was divided was because, opposing forces moved into Germany in the final days of World War II, capitalistic Britain and the United States coming from the west and taking the western half of the country and communistic Russia moving in from the east. The two groups met in Berlin at the close of the war, each ending up taking about half the city and claiming it as their territory. The Berlin Wall was built to clearly delineate where each group’s territory ended, and the divide was strictly enforced. People could be shot for trying to cross it. This divide remained in place until the late 1980s, when the Cold War began winding down.

General Fiction

Lisa and Lottie (1949)

A set of twins who were separated by their divorced parents and haven’t seen each other since they were babies meet again at a summer camp.  This was the basis for the Disney movie The Parent Trap.  Originally written in German.  By Erich Kastner.

Mystery

Detectives in Togas (1956)

A group of boys in Ancient Rome investigate a case of vandalism that is part of a plot of political intrigue. The sequel is Mystery of the Roman Ransom. Originally written in German.  By Henry Winterfeld.

Mystery of the Roman Ransom (1969, 1971)

The sequel to Detectives in Togas. A group of boys in Ancient Rome attempt to stop an assassination plot that threatens one of their fathers.  By Henry Winterfeld.

Fantasy

The Neverending Story (1979)

In German: Die unendliche Geschichte. People who were kids in the 1980s will remember this book because of the movie version from 1984. I still get the theme song stuck in my head!

A lonely boy named Bastian hides in an old bookshop in order to escape from some bullies. He finds a strange book called The Neverending Story. It’s so fascinating that he steals the book from the shop and takes it to the attic of his school to read. As he reads, Bastian literally becomes part of the story.

Picture Books

Alarm in the Puppet Theater (1958)

In German: Alarm im Kasperletheater. This book was from East Germany. Takes place in a puppet theater. The puppets chase a small devil that stole the pancakes from Grandma’s birthday party. This book was also made into a short film.

Around in My City (or All Around My City) (1968)

In German: Rundherum in meiner Stadt. This is the first in a series of hidden-picture books, similar to Where’s Wally?/Where’s Waldo?, but older. There are crowded, detailed scenes for “readers” to study and spot the details, but there are no words to read. The pictures are often humorous, with some people fighting or doing mildly inappropriate things.

Little Ghost (1966)

A little ghost who lives in a castle and only comes out at night wants to see what happens during the day. One day, he wakes up at noon and sees a class of schoolchildren visiting his castle. A sunbeam strikes the ghost and turns him black instead of white. Trying to get away from the children and the sun, he jumps into the castle well and gets lost in the sewer system. He needs help to get back to the castle and his usual night routine, but it involves resetting the town hall clock. By Otfried Preußler (Preussler).

Little Witch (1957)

A young witch (only 127) is too young to join the annual assembly of witches. When she tries to sneak into the assembly anyway, she is caught and punished. The witches tell her that she can’t join the assembly until she proves that she is a good witch. She thinks that they want her to do good deeds, but that’s not what they really had in mind. The author created the story as a bedtime story for his daughters to help them not to be afraid of witches. By Otfried Preußler (Preussler).

The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew It Was None of His Business (1989)

Also known as The Story of the Little Mole Who Went in Search of Whodunit (German: Vom kleinen Maulwurf, der wissen wollte, wer ihm auf den Kopf gemacht hat).

Basically, a mole gets pooped on by another animal just when he’s coming out of his hole. The mole searches for the perpetrator, and when he finds the culprit, poops on his head to get even. Along the way, the book describes the different ways animals poop as the mole tries to figure out who pooped on him. By Werner Holzwarth and Wolf Erlbruch.

This is one of the oddest children’s books I’ve seen, but it’s considered a classic. It has been translated to English, and you can hear this book read aloud on YouTube.

End of the Cold War

These books were published between 1990 and 1999. The Berlin Wall had only recently come down, at the end of 1989, and Germany was becoming one country again.

21st Century

Fantasy

The Thief Lord (2000)

A pair of orphaned brothers try to hide out in Venice, joining a gang of other orphaned children. They discover a magical merry-go-round that can make old people younger and young people older, changing the lives and destinies of some irresponsible adults and a boy who needs to take responsibility. By Cornelia Funke.

Series

The Inkheart Trilogy

By Cornelia Funke. 2003-2008.

Resources

More about German children’s literature.

10 Classic German children’s Books

12 German children’s books classics you can read in English

German Language Books from Austria and Switzerland

Just as many children’s books are published and known in multiple English-speaking countries, German-speaking countries also share children’s literature because of their shared language.

Switzerland

The Swiss Family Robinson (1812)

When a family is shipwrecked on a deserted island, they must learn how to be self-sufficient and use the wreckage of their ship to build a magnificent tree fort!  By Johann D. Wyss.

I’m not sure if this book was originally intended for children or not, but it was later made into a Disney movie.

Austria