Swedish children's books

[kattahj]

Being a school librarian, I like children's books quite a lot. (Well, there's the question of cause and effect there...) And in Sweden, a lot of children's books tend to be Swedish. Sure, we get the Anglo stuff, and some German and Danish and French stuff, and very occasionally some non-European, non-Anglo stuff (apart from the manga) that makes me

Comments

[maddeinin]

This entry is a thing of beauty and is making me want to go raid my parents' and grandparents' bookcases for all the stuff I loved as a child. I'm going to link to it if you don't mind?

Also, ages ago I found this article on Moomin - sadly the end is missing from the site now, but what there is just makes me want to hug the author of it and go YEEEES!

[kattahj]

Thank you! I hope you do raid the bookcases, that was kind of my intention. And of course I don't mind a link!

That article was interesting, but I can't say it made me go "YES!" Not "NO!" either, just... well, one way of looking at it.

[kattahj]

Yes, they're nice - I have some at my parents' place and am very fond of Linnéa in Monet's Garden. Lena Anderson's illustrations are very likeable too.

Sweden is so full of talented children's authors, and it's hard to appreciate them properly until one has tried to find children's literature in, say, Pashto.

[irmelin]

Ok, this might become the longest comment ever, but how could I resist! What a magnificent list! Swedish children's literature is very good. I was thinking about it when I browsed the Yuletide list of fandoms, there are so many Anglo children's books there, and I've read so few of them. But I almost only read Swedish stuff, and it's not like I suffered because of it. :) It was all wonderful, and I never ran out.

Selma Lagerlöf

I've never even tried reading Nils Holgersson, it always struck me as so incredibly boring. Haven't read her short stories in ages, but they are wonderful.

Elsa Beskow

I had this one book by her that was the most gorgeous thing ever... I can't rememember the name, but it took place in a garden, and there were apple people and pear people and cabbage people and all sorts of people and I loved it so much. Hattstugan scared the shit out of me, though. The children were so naughty their house burnt down! It was horrible! Farbror Blå was also rather intimidating.

Astrid LindgrenToo much praise can still

[irmelin]

(Way to close the tag up there, Sofie...)

Gunilla Bergström

I never had any imaginary friends as a child, and I was always slightly jelous of Alfie who had Mollgan. :) My dad use to say that the "ska bara" book was really written about me.

Viveca Lärn / Sundvall

I loved the books about Tekla and Mimmi (that was a lovely tv-series, too), but I don't think I ever read the ones about Eddie. You've definitely made me want to read them now, though.

Sven Nordqvist

I have a big postcard with an illustrated recipe for pannkakstårta on my kitchen wall. :) All the little creatures in his books are so wonderful.

As for the rest of the authors, I have no idea. :( This might be the only time in my life I've lamented the fact that I have no kids close at hand.

[kattahj]

You've definitely made me want to read them now, though.

Yeah. They're good. *Starts re-reading Eddie och Maxon Jaxon.*

As for the rest of the authors, I have no idea. :( This might be the only time in my life I've lamented the fact that I have no kids close at hand.

Don't lament! That's why I wrote this post, so people can find new things! And the upside with kiddy lit is that it doesn't take long to read. :-)

[kattahj]

I've never even tried reading Nils Holgersson, it always struck me as so incredibly boring.

I found myself turning two leaves at once and barely even noticing. I started reading her autobiographical stuff and short stories when I was 11 or so, and I fell in love entirely, but Nils Holgersson never worked for me.

I can't rememember the name, but it took place in a garden, and there were apple people and pear people and cabbage people and all sorts of people and I loved it so much.

Hm, sounds like it might be either Lasse liten i trädgården or Blomsterfesten i täppan.

I was never as fond of Pippi as everyone else seemed to be.

I felt a bit overfed on Pippi as a child. By the time I got around to reading the books, "Pippi" was already this whole concept in my head and no fun at all.

Vem Ska Trösta Knyttet?. So gorgeous.

It really is. I'm trying to convince my brother and his gf that they should take the nephew to see the theater play that's showing next week.

Not sure I've even heard of her. My library have a few of her books

[go_back_chief]

There are no translations of Agnes Cecilia? That's my favourite Gripe-book.

[kattahj]

My apologies - yes, there are. It's available on Amazon and everything.

I like Agnes Cecilia, but somehow I'm not quite in love with it.

[wee_warrior]

Ronja Räubertochter is awesome! I always liked Pippi, too, though. And Kalle Blomquist. I was fond of detective stuff from a very early age.

Forget the pastel-coloured, sugar-coated Moomintrolls you've seen on TV

Sugar-coated? The friggin' monster they had scarred me for life! :P

[kattahj]

Sugar-coated? The friggin' monster they had scarred me for life! :P

But the pastel colours and cheerful songs are so... cute. And Jansson isn't cute. Her illustrations use black and purple and red and mustard, and the original songs are quirky and weird. (That video is in Finnish, though, which always comes off as weird to me.)

[wee_warrior]

But the pastel colours and cheerful songs are so... cute.

I was five when I watched it, and I definitely didn't perceive it as cheerful or cute. I got nightmares from it.

[kattahj]

Well, imagine then the nightmares you would have gotten if the Moomin world had looked like this. :-)