Der Buchstabenbaum

Leo Lionni has such a gentle, magical way with words. In Der Buchstabenbaum, a flock of letters lived in a tree and they happily jumped around, without rhyme or reason, until one day a storm came up and blew them around. They were very scared until a "Word-Bug" showed them how to form into words so the wind wouldn't blow them away. They made words like Baum (tree), Wind, and Hut (hat).

They were very happy again and when the next wind rose up, they stayed firmly together. Sometime later, a caterpillar came by and suggested they form meaningful sentences instead of just random words.

"Was für ein Durcheinander", sagte die Raupe, als sie die Wörter auf so vielen verschiedenen Blättern sah. "Warum tut ihr euch nicht zusammen und bildet Sätze und seid endlich etwas von Bedeutung?"

Translation: "What a mess," said the caterpillar, as she saw the words on so many leaves. "Why don't you put yourselves together and make sentences and be meaningful at last?"

So they did and they end with a wonderful message for the world.

Since I had a reluctant reader, I am always on the lookout for books that address the process of reading and writing in a low-pressure way.

This new edition from Beltz Verlag is a sweet testament to the power of words.

Der Buchstabenbaum by Leo Lionni
Original title: The Alphabet Tree

Review: So schoen wie der Mond

Balloons, tea parties, and a sweet little girl - what's not to love in this adorable book.

Akiko gets a balloon in the market and when she brings it home, Mama ties it onto a spoon so it won't fly away. Since it's just about the same size as Akiko, she imagines it becomes her friend and they play together in the garden and have tea. But alas, the wind comes and blows the balloon high into a tree. Mama can't reach it! Akiko has to go in to dinner without it. She's very sad. Just when she's lost all hope, she looks out the window and sees it in the light of the moon and suddenly she imagines it back with her.

My two-year-old understood every word of this sweet, simple book. The childlike drawings are more sketches than full illustrations which somehow makes the book a bit wistful. This made a lovely, gentle bedtime story for us tonight.

So schoen wie der Mond, by Komako Sakai, translated from Japanese into German, available from Alphabet Garten

Alle lieben Knut (Everyone loves Knut)

In my previous post about books with animal photos, I got the recommendation to order a book about Knut, the little polar bear at the Berlin zoo. I now have Alle lieben Knut in stock and boy, is it adorable!


When Knut was born, he was too small and his mother couldn't take care of him. He was adopted by a human and raised at the zoo. Knut loves to play with balls, take an icy dip in his polar swimming pool, and like all busy little ones, ends up in a heap for a nap.



My two year old son goes crazy over this book. I guess there's something about polar bear cubs that is irresistably cuddly. I also like the big print in this book - great for beginning readers.

I highly recommend Alle lieben Knut for the bear-lovers in your family.

Wo ist Hawaii?

Wo ist Hawaii? We were on a journey tonight to find out. I was lucky enough to spend some time today interviewing Ulrike Rylance, mother to 2 bilingual girls and author of the new bilingual book, Wo ist Hawaii? (Check back next week for the interview itself.)


My 4 year old saw me posting the book on the homepage and immediately wanted to hear it himself. He loved the flowly ocean-y illustrations and rhyming text. I love the mini geography lesson built into the story and the CD which will allow him to listen to it over and over and over. He likes to do that - hmm - maybe I should keep two...

Ulrike has posted the full version on YouTube - how cool is that?

So my work tonight is complete. Max? He's drifted off to sleep to sounds of Wo ist Hawaii?

Wo ist Hawaii? is available in paperback and as a book /read-along CD combination.

Wunderschöne Tiergeschichten (Beautiful Animal Stories)

Kids love stories with real photographs in them and this sweet book, Wunderschöne Tiergeschichten (Beautiful Animal Stories), totally delivers. Follow Rika, the fawn as she goes on an outing in the woods. Fips, the little squirrel, has a birthday. Lasse, the little fox, likes to play. And Flocke, the little foal, has a human friend.



Four short stories make this sturdy hardcover a great value.
Recommended for beginning German speakers ages 4 and up.

Wunderschöne Tiergeschichten by Kerstin Hug

Alle seine Entlein - the unusual story of a fox and his ducks

What a funny story this is! Konrad, a very hungry fox, plans to "get to know" a duck sitting on an egg in her nest. The duck manages to escape in a flutter of feathers and quacking and Konrad is left with the egg. He decides to take it home to make scrambled eggs. Just as he's getting ready to eat, a little duckling hatches out of the egg. So begins a long and unusual friendship.

"Ich hab's!"
Vor Freude hob Konrad das Entchen hoch, das sich nitfreute.
"Dich fress ich später, wenn du dick und rund wie ein Luftballon bist."
Und weil er gerade an luftballons dachte, warf er das Küken hoch und fing es wieder auf, was dem noch mehr gefiel.

At first, Konrad decides to wait until Lorenz, the duckling, is a bit bigger - if he eats it right away, he'll feel terrible and he'll still be hungry. But of course he grows to love the duckling and finds he can't bear to eat it. When the duck gets a bit older and falls in love with a duck named Emma, Konrad decides he will wait until Emma is a bit bigger (and juicier). Lorenz and Emma are sure to have a fight and then Konrad can eat Emma without breaking Lorenz' heart. So Emma moves in with them and they all grow to love one another as it should be in a family. A sweet story, sometimes funny, sometimes bittersweet, and with a peaceful ending.

Colorful illustrations with tons of personality bring Konrad and the ducks to life. While some pages do have quite a bit of text, beginners in German should be able to get by with a bit of extra explanation. You may find it helpful to read the book in 2 sittings if it proves too long.

Recommended for German speakers, beginner level and up, ages 4 and up.

This book has been nominated for and won several prizes:
Nominiert für den Deutschen Jugendliteraturpreis 2008 (German Youth Literatur Prize)
Empfehlungsliste des Katholischen Kinder- und Jugendbuchpreises 2008 (Recommended List of Catholic Children and Youth Book Prizes)
LUCHS der ZEIT
Die besten 7 Bücher für junge Leser.

Alle seine Entlein by Christian Duda and Julia Friese

More Christmas Titles - Der Grinch

Note: this post was first published in 2007.

Have you seen the Grinch? Since The Cat in the Hat went out of print, this is one of the few Dr. Seuss titles in German remaining and a classic for Christmas. Oh, why didn't I stockpile Der Kater mit Hut when I had the chance? Oh well, at least we still have that stingy old Grinch to entertain. The translation is excellent and the rhyming is perfect.

An excerpt:

Der Grinch rief: "Hü hott!"

Dann ging's in die Tiefen

Zu den Häsern in der Stadt,

Wo die Hus friedlich schliefen.

Wie der Grinch Weihnachten gestohlen hat

If you have wiggly kids, then you need this German book without words

My littlest guy, J, is busy. When you're almost 2 years old, there's no time to waste; bunkbeds are waiting to be explored, forbidden scissors are beckoning, and cats begging to be chased :) He doesn't calm down willingly when playtime is over. So it is with much relief that I have been pulling out our Winter Wimmelbuch at naptime.


J doesn't normally have much of an attention span for stories but this book has held him spellbound for several weeks now. Each extra large page spread has a multitude of tiny details to observe and a story waiting to be discovered. Only there are no words, just a wintry city scene on each page which progresses as you move through the book. Each time we look at it, we see different things. The story of the characters is slowly unfolding for us. Maybe that's why J likes it so much - he can look and look and doesn't have to listen to any words to see what's going on. He enjoys pointing and naming the things he knows - Vögel (birds), Autos, Schneemann (snowman), etc.

Amazingly, this book never fails to calm J down and by the end, he's either sleeping or very relaxed and ready for his nap.

If you're looking for books with a German storyline to read aloud, this is not the one. However, if you want a book to help a wild and wiggly kid settle down, you can't go wrong with the Winter Wimmelbuch!

The author, Rotraut Susanne Berners won the 2006 Sonderpreis from the Deutscher Jugendliteratur Preis for her entire collection.

Continue to Berners Winter Wimmelbuch or browse the entire Alphabet Garten Books for German Learners website.

Die Geschichte vom Löwen, der nicht schreiben konnte

My 4 year old son is a perfectionist. He wants to do everything his big brother does and he wants to do it just as well. When he doesn't succeed, he gets mad. Super boiling mad. A bit like the lion in this story who doesn't get what he wants.

"Neiiiiiin!" brüllte der Löwe.
"So was hätte ich doch nie geschrieben!"
("Noooo," roared the lion. I would never have written this!")

The lion is mad because he wants to write a letter to a lioness. Since he doesn't know how to write, he makes the other animals write for him, and the letter doesn't turn out the way he wants. The lion gets madder and madder, roaring and eating a few of the unfortunate letter-writers along the way, until he finally yells out with utmost eloquence what he wants to say and the lioness overhears him. She is smitten and all is well. The story ends with the lioness teaching a now-gentle lion how to write.

My own little lion just came and confiscated his book back. Maybe the lioness is making an impression on him, too :)

Die Geschichte vom Löwen, der nicht schreiben konnte - a sweet story about patience and perseverance for preschoolers and beginning readers.

Deutscher Jugendliteraturepreis Winners are Here

The 2008 Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreisträger (award winners) were recently announced and I have added many of them to our catalog. These are such exciting, beautiful books!

I will be reviewing them over the next couple weeks and will take you on a tour. For now, here is a brief list:

Der weiße und der schwarze Bär

Ente, Tod und Tulpe

Wann kommt Mama?

Alle seine Entlein

was wäre wenn

Trauriger Tiger toastet Tomaten

Ein Bild von Ivan

Alphabet Garten Favorites - at your fingertips

Announcing two new collections - the Little Kid Favorites Collection and the Big Kid Favorites Collection. Each set has 10 of our very favorite German books and 1 or 2 CDs for your budding bilinguals.



So many of you have contacted me to ask for recommendations of appropriate German books for your kids. These collections were created in response to your requests. You can still use the buying guide which lists several excellent choices by age group, but if you want a quick and easy purchase option, these collections have everything you need for that little bilingual in your life. Viel Spaß beim Lesen!

A big book! Erste Bilder, Erste Wörter

 

First Puzzles - Wilde Tiere

 

Pixi Wissen - Packed with Info

I was so excited to learn about the new series of Pixi books, Pixi Wissen (Wissen means knowledge). We love the Pixi format - pocket-sized books with full length stories. I keep several in my purse for entertainment when we're stuck waiting somewhere. Think long car rides and doctor's waiting rooms. Now we can enjoy non-fiction Pixis as well. I have ordered 3 titles to start - Pferde und Ponys (Horses and Ponies), Das Meer (The Ocean) and Die Erde (The Earth).

The books provide information like "Wie groß werden Pferde?" (How big do horses get?), a page on prehistoric horses and horses in mythology. Also included are puzzles, a maze, a quiz, and a glossary. Each book has about 30 pages packed with pictures and short facts. Here's a sample page:



The Pixi Wissen series is best for kids with intermediate to advanced German knowledge, although beginners will enjoy browsing through just for the pictures.

At $4.50, these books are a great deal!

Ein kleines Fingerspiel

Zwei Zappelmänner

Zwei Zappelmänner

aus dem Sack!

Der eine heißt Schnick,

der andre heißt Schnack.

Schnick hat 'ne Mütze

und Schnack hat 'nen Hut,

und alle beide vertragen sich gut!

Hand movements: Hold the fists together, with thumbs hidden. At "aus dem Sack" the thumbs come out of their hiding place and are stretched up in the air. Then first the left thumb (Schnick) and then the right thumb (Schnack) bow to each other. Then, alternately wiggle the thumbs. Finally the thumbs touch each other gently. This game is also good with painted fingernails or little finger puppets.

This game comes from Fingerspiele, Klassiker und neue Ideen für Babys und Kleinkinder (the translation is mine). Viel Spaß beim Spielen!

Learning about Emotions

Being the mom of a kid with Asperger's syndrome and sensory integration dysfunction, I am always on the look-out for ways to discuss emotions and how to deal with them with my son. Asperger kids often have a low tolerance for frustration and a tendency toward perfectionism. His feelings frequently get the better of my son and using lots of stories and role-playing help him practice appropriate responses when he is unhappy, agitated, or just plain mad. The book, Ich und meine Gefühle, is a great resource for this topic.



The book reads:

Wenn ich traurig bin, muss ich manchmal weinen.
When I'm sad, sometimes I cry.

Wenn ich meine Gefühle kenne, kann ich oft auch die Gefühle von anderen verstehen. Es ist schön, zu spüren, dass ich anderen helfen kann.
When I know my own feelings, I can often understand the feelings of others. It is nice to know, that I can help others.

The book has a dynamic flow to it - large, vivid illustrations and short statements on each page. It might be a good book to read only a few pages at a time, allowing the child to discuss and digest the message of the book. All of us struggle with difficult emotions at times and reflecting on them can help us to master them instead of them mastering us. Every kid can benefit from discussion about feelings.

My special kid has come a long way since I first wrote about some of his unique challenges. This book will be an aid for him as he continues on the path to adulthood.

Ich und meine Gefühle. Emotionale Entwicklung für Kinder ab 5 from Alphabet Garten

A read-along adventure: Winnie Puuh

A story of a rainy, windy day in the Hundred Acre Wood where Puuh and Ferkel (Piglet) are blown about by gusty breezes and Puuh rescues Ferkel from a flood.


The pace and length of this story is just right for my 4 year old - a few sentences per page with accompanying sound effects and different voices for the characters. The page-turn signal allows him to listen without assistance from me and he can listen to the whole book in under 10 minutes. We particularly like the sweetly classic Pooh illustrations and gentle colors.

Winnie Puuh und das Hundewetter (storybook with audio-CD) from Alphabet Garten

New Titles in the Baby Boardbook Set

I'm very excited to announce the new titles in the Baby Boardbook set. With this collection, you receive Im Kindergarten, Auf dem Spielplatz (At the Playground), Bei uns Zuhause (At our House), and Beim Einkaufen (Going Shopping). The books are a bit bigger this time, 7 inches square, with lots of detail to look at in each double-page spread. The sturdy boardbook pages will withstand much loving from their readers!

This set is one of the top 5 items in the store - it's great for kids ages 1-4. If you don't speak German, you will find this is an easy choice for a gift - a great collection all ready to go.

Zum Geburtstag, viel Glück...!

My baby is 1 year old today! With 2 big brothers, he certainly doesn't need any toys or clothes. In fact, we have been trying to weed out all the extra stuff in the house. So I had no problem turning to my favorite indulgence, books! Or specifically, Bücher! And there was so much to choose from!

Have you seen Groß und Kleine - Wilde Tiere? It is the cutest book - perfect for my little guy who expects a book to have more than a story - it needs to do something. This book has a large puzzle piece with a wild animal baby on every other page and a picture of the baby and it's mama on the opposite side. The book is about 5 inches square, a bit on the chunky side, perfect for little hands and the boardbook pages are extra-thick and durable. I recommend loosening the pieces before giving it to the anxious recipient.

The new Max und Mini series is also a big hit - cut-outs in every page let you peek through to the next page. J is enjoying Max und Mini lernen die Gegensätze (opposites).

This last book isn't really for babies but the story is so sweet, that I decided to add it to our collection anyway. J has just started sitting still for short books so we'll work up to this one - Das kleine Blau und das kleine Gelb. In this story in verse, das kleine Blau (blue) and Gelb (yellow) play together and get all mixed up when they discover they can make green! When they go home, their parents don't recognize them until they separate again. With only a line or two on each page and large text, this is a great book for beginning readers. A fun way to talk about colors and friendship.

An excerpt:

Doch in der Schule, wie man sieht,
Sitzt alles brav in Reih und
Glied.

Kaum aber ist die Schule aus,
Geht's wie der Wirbelwind nach
Haus.

Happy Birthday, J!

Review: Geschichten vom Fussballplatz

Four short stories about Ole and his soccer team aimed at beginning readers. The stories are interesting, employing soccer specific vocabulary that will keep your young sports fan engaged and challenged. With pictures replacing main words in the text, and a glossary at the end of each story, it is a good way to introduce new vocabulary and longer words that might discourage a beginning reader. Part of the first level of the Loewe Reading l Ladder series, this Bildermaus book is targeted to beginning readers age 5 and above.

Geschichten vom Fussballplatz $14.20