We’ve come to my last post of “favorites” and I can’t give you a concrete way to connect these four books other than the fact that I adore them. So without further ado…
By: Kenneth Steven
Illustrator: Oyvind Torseter
Translated by: Kenneth Steven (see notes about Steven below for explanation)
When we discussed folktales and mythology, I noted that one of the reasons these types of stories have a global appeal is because many cultures each have their own unique version of a singular story. Consider creation, for example. Many cultures have their own version of how it all began. The destruction of that creation, very often by water, is another common story.
Using the story of Noah and the ark from the book of Genesis, which is part of the Jewish Torah and the Christian Old Testament, Scottish born, Norwegian based author Kenneth Steven pairs with Norwegian illustrator Oyvind Torster (who you may remember from My Father’s Arms Are A Boat), build in an additional element to teach us Why Dogs Have Wet Noses. The story (mostly) follows along with the familiar telling for the majority of the book until the ark springs a leak! For lack of a better option, Noah calls on his faithful canine companion for help by sticking his nose in the hole to plug the leak. Uncomplaining, the dog does his job for forty days and forty nights until the ark and all its contents arrive safely. From this saving act came the reason why Noah’s dog and all his offspring then have wet noses.
This type of story, known as a pourquoi story, is a branch on the folktale/fable/mythology tree. I would venture to guess that Steven isn’t the first person to pen a similar story about the noses or dogs or an animal that “saved” the ark, but I found this one unique mostly because of its illustrative aspects. I made no qualms about my appreciation for Torseter’s work before, in part because of this book.
My favorite element is his use of thumbprints as part of the illustrations. It is most notable in Noah, where he uses a pink thumbprint to give a flesh like appearance to the character’s face. While it is strictly my own interpretation it made me wonder if it was Torseter’s way of signifying the hand of God in creation. The thumbprint ONLY appears as part of human or animals, not any manmade elements. It made me think and has led to rather extensive conversations with those I have shared the book and my theory with.
I also appreciated the human elements woven into the pictures. For example, Noah has tattoos. Some of the animals wear clothes and hats. They eat what we would probably consider human choices such as lollipops and fried chicken. Wine also flows freely during their long sea voyage. The use of build supplies to make the letters of the title and the first letter on each page are also small but insightful touches.
I’d also be remiss to not note something I completely missed on my first reading. Though she’s never named or directly mentioned, an observant reader may spot Noah’s wife throughout the book. What’s unique is how she changes in subsequent illustrations, suggesting that more life left the ark than boarded it. You’ll have to read the book yourself to see if you can spot it and let me know what you think it means. This take on creation earns a thumbs up from me.
Illustrated by: Laurent Cardon
Translated by: Elisa Amado
Wolf Wanted, by Brazilian author Ana Maria Machado, was one of the first translated books I read when I started this project. After nearly a year, this one still remains near the top of my list, primarily because I have an immense amount of respect for the creativity and research that must have gone into this book’s creation. That being the case, I will readily admit that this book might not be for everyone. I can also easily see it being labeled as one of those “weird” translations. So allow me to make a case for why I honestly believe this is one worth checking out.
An ad appears in a newspaper, stating “Wolf Wanted. A good-looking adult, with experience, for a responsible position” which is accompanied by instructions to send a letter and CV (a resume to us Americans!) to the newspaper. Looking for work, Manny Wolf applies only to learn that the ad wasn’t looking for a human with the last name Wolf, rather they are in need of actual wolves. Impressed with his writing skills, the company hires him to read and respond to the other letters they have been receiving. Well-read, Manny starts to notice a theme in the letters, as they are all from wolves written about in literature around the world.
The pages that follow are letters penned in the voice and style of literary wolves you may or may not recognize. I will be the first to admit that this book made me do my homework (or rather sent me googling) as I was not familiar with a number of the letter writers. While you may expect appearances by Red Riding Hood’s nemesis and The Big Bad Wolf of Three Little Pigs fame, Machado digs deeper to include characters from around the world. She pulls from the depths of Roman mythology to include Romulus and Remus, the friend of Francis of Assisi, the Wolf of Gubbio and even the wolf who torments Peter, Sasha, Sonia and Ivan in the Russian work set to music by Sergei Prokofiev, to name just a few.
It turns out the original ad was a mistake, as it was intended to help find real wolves to shoot a film documentary. Manny places a clearer ad and the realistic responses appear on a world map as the final two pages of the book. Breeds of wolves, short descriptions and photographs mark the map, adding even more information to this jam-packed book.
I realize the story may not appeal to everyone, and I did think some of the writing was a little clunky, or that perhaps it didn’t flow as smoothly as I am used to encountering (which as we’ve noted could be author or translator related, there’s no way for us to know unless we speak Portuguese…). But the unique and creative presentation made that easy to ignore in my opinion. The text is lengthier, so I’d recommend this more for a slightly older crowd that picture books are normally aimed at. Either way, it’s a must as far as I’m concerned.
One last thing, if you have a few extra minutes, I strongly suggest reading this interview with author Ana Maria Machado, especially in regards to her views on her works being translated and how they’re received (specifically in the United States). I found it extremely insightful, though it is a rather old interview, dating back to 2000.
(Interesting note, the cover of the book has the author listed as “Samuel Markshak” but I’ve included the correct spelling of his name here)
Translated by: Richard Pevear
I know that I suggested “proceeding cautiously” when it comes to translated poetry, but this book by “the father of Russian Children’s Literature,” Samuil Marshak, is one worth doing so for. Originally penned in 1927 by Marshak, this tribute to the journey of a piece of certified mail around the globe in prose form was translated in 1990 by Richard Pevear and then also illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky for publication in the United States.
On its journey to find its intended recipient, a man by the name of John Peck, the piece of mail travels from New York to Boise, Idaho, to Zurich, Switzerland, to Brazil and then back to New York, always ones step behind the globe-trotting Peck. Short poems saluting the intricacies of mail from postage to carrier are interspersed between stops at each of the aforementioned destinations. Upon finally returning to New York where the letter finally reaches Peck, he greets it with disbelief at the methods and terrain it traveled to reach him, many of which have been depicted on the previous pages. The story ends with praise for mail carriers around the world with “And all that, thanks to those who go/ Through dusty heat and freezing snow/ Glory to them, I say and hail/ To their heavy bags that bring the mail.”
How often do we stop and think about just what it takes to get a piece of mail from Point A to Point B? In our modern world of e-mail and text message, the importance of what the postal service does is probably overlooked even more so. (Well, perhaps not at this time of year…) I liked the reminder that this book provided and its global perspective in doing so, even if it may be a little outdated. While I’m slightly skeptical of the rhyme scheme’s authenticity and found parts of it problematic if you attempt to read it aloud, they actual rhyme did make the book even more fun to read and the inclusion of location names from around the globe added a realistic element to the letter’s travel. Radunsky’s illustrations add a special nuance to the poem, especially of stamps and hand-addressed envelopes, something that may not be readily recognizable to some young readers. They were filled with beautiful details, with particular detail paid to make the specifically mentioned locations recognizable.
The uniqueness of the poetry and its praise for an often forgotten and under-appreciated profession is what earned it a spot in my favorites category. Also, I wish I had a ton more post space to dedicate to Marshak. He is incredibly fascinating, especially his extensive work in translation. If you’re interested you can read more about him here or here about how outside of Russia he is really only known for his work in children’s literature, though his career spanned different genres, or in either or the links from earlier in this section.
Translated by: Karen Coeman
I have pondered endlessly the “best” way to share this book because I don’t want to give it away. I went into my first reading of it with absolutely zero knowledge or expectations and “gobsmacked” is the best word I’ve come up with to describe my feeling as I turned the final pages. What now strikes me on subsequent readings as painfully obvious completely caught me off-guard the first time. I would hate to take that experience away from anyone.
But, this is not an easy title to get your hands on. A quick search on Michigan’s library site shows that there are only three copies available in our whole state! On Amazon, a new copy sells for nearly $90 currently. Months ago, after my first reading, I knew I had to add a copy to my own library. Through searching many second-hand book websites (I personally love Discover Books and Better World Books if you’re trying to track down rarer used titles) I finally was able to (reasonably) purchase my own copy. If you’re local-ish and want to borrow it, let me know! If you can find a copy on your own – do it! If you can’t, or you don’t mind a spoiler, read on below. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…
A fly, eagerly prepares for a day at the beach. He packs up everything he needs from beach ball to sunscreen and sets out on his way. After delicately dipping his toe in the water, finding it not too hot and not too cool, he dives in for a swim. Suddenly, the sky darkens and the day takes an unexpected turn. The world shakes and something begins to fall from the sky…
(Last chance to turn back…)
The large brown object drops from the sky, splashing water everywhere, sending the fly sailing out of the toilet bowl he’s been swimming in!
Yes, that’s right – the toilet bowl he’d been swimming in one someone had come along and taken care of business. The illustrations show a young boy leaving the bathroom (shouting “All done, Mom!”) with a very disgruntled fly in a puddle on the ground. Yes, I’d say his perfect day had turned nightmarish…
I mentioned before that after that first reading, it seemed so painfully obvious where the fly was on later readings and that is largely in part due to Gusti’s illustrative style. On closer inspection, a reader might notice that the backdrop in one scene looks strikingly similar to those stark white block titles often seen in a bathroom. Or that the “shoreline” of the where the fly dips his toes in curves suspiciously like a porcelain throne. But if you weren’t looking for them, they would be easy to overlook. It was the combination of how duped I felt by the story and the illustrative techniques Gusti uses, combining paper with easily identified objects, that still makes this one of the ones that I absolutely love to share with unsuspecting readers. I can’t claim that it’s “quality literature” – it’s a book about a fly swimming in a toilet after all – but I found it highly entertaining and still do every time I read it.
My kids loved it so much that we ended up tracking down one of Gusti’s other books, Half Of An Elephant. This one may be a little easier to find a copy of and my daughter especially absolutely loves it. The story of what happens when the world suddenly splits in two combined with similar illustrative techniques as seen in The Fly: How A Perfect Day Turned Into A Nightmare would make this one I would definitely suggest checking out.
As before, I have a few to add to the Honorable Mention category:
If you like Super Heroes, this is one to check out from French author Olivier Douzou. Henry, is on a mission to determine what exactly a superhero is and it leads to some humorous situations.
When 999 tadpoles hatch, Mom and Dad frog realize their pond is no longer big enough to hold their family. The family goes on quite the adventure to find a better space. All those tiny frogs were just too cute! There are additional “999” titles available as well by Japanese author Kimura.
Translated by: Daniel Hahn
This is one of those books that there is so much more there than we often give credit to a picture book being able to deliver. There’s a great synopsis here. But what I want to point out is that the book was actually written by Dreis, but was re-written in verse form by translator Daniel Hahn, so he is credited for the text on the cover (and mistakenly listed as the author on many places online that you may go searching for books), but it originally appeared as A Felicidade é uma Melancia na Cabeça. Also interesting to note, is that Dreis was born in Bulgaria, lives in Germany, but it was Brazil where the title was first published in Portuguese.
Well, there you have it. Some of my favorites out of everything that I’ve read. Interestingly, one thing that I’ve noticed as I’ve been writing the past three posts is without any conscious intention to, I have really covered titles from across the globe, perhaps more so than I was able to do with any other post or category. I’m not sure what that says about my personal taste, but given how strongly weighted the translation market is with European titles, I found it extremely interesting that my favorites were much more eclectic.
And with that note, we’re down to the wire! I have two more posts left to share before the end of the semester, Friday I’ll be sharing some insight on what the translated market in the United States currently looks like as well as the “why” behind choosing translated titles. Then I’ll be back in a week to wrap it all up, and maybe finally make a decision to dive down one of those rabbit holes I’ve been mentioning…
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