MORE 'TRANSLATIONS' POSTS
If you wanted more translated children's books here in America, what kinds of concrete proposals would you give to publishers, translators, and non-profits?
They come and they go into our bookstores and libraries and out again without a whisper of awards or significant praise. Yet the true mark of whether or not you are opening up your child to the world is to show them books made internationally. Today we celebrate translations. Even the weird ones. I take that back. ESPECIALLY the weird ones!
Initially I think I was going to call this list “2017 Imports” but that was a bit on the vague side. And was I really going to include all the Australian, British, Irish, Canadian, etc. books I admired this year? Seems a bit much. No, let’s instead offer an homage to the delightful translations of […]
In 2002 I was spending my lunch hour as I usually did: reading through academic children’s literature journals for fun. There was one in particular that dealt with international children’s books that I took a shine to. Called Bookbird, one particular issue presented an article comparing and contrasting different translations of Hans Christian Andersen. I […]
I know it gets confusing but this list is a bit different from the Calde-not list from a couple days ago. The reason is simple. While the Calde-not list looks primarily at books with illustrations so distinguished they could easily win major illustration awards if given half a chance, this is list is more for […]
“If we don’t offer children literature from other languages, we are starving them.” Philip Pullman (TES, 2005) Phew! I’d been planning on doing a round-up of some of the speeches and talks I sat in on at the ALA Conference in Orlando a week or so ago, only to find that I’d lost my notes. […]
Jane the Fox and Me By Fanny Britt Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault Translated by Christelle Morelli and Susan Ouriou Groundwood Books ISBN: 978-1-55498-360-5 $19.95 Ages 9-12 On shelves September 1st Isn’t it strange how few children’s graphic novels are published in a given year? This is one of those phenomena that defy the basic tenets […]
John Jensen Feels Different By Henrik Hovland Illustrated by Torill Kove Translated by Don Bartlett Eerdmans Books for Young Readers $16.00 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5399-8 For ages 4-8 On shelves now There is a lot to be said for a picture book book that is so unapologetically Norwegian that it ends up making you completely (not to […]
Departure Time By Truus Matti Translated by Nancy Forest-Flier namelos $18.95 ISBN: 978-1-60898-009-3 Ages 9-12 On shelves now. Translated children’s novels have a tough row to hoe. In my experience as a children’s librarian I’ll often find that folks react to them in a variety of different ways. Sometimes they like them, but often they’ll […]