Storytime is my absolute favorite time of the week in the library. I love discovering weird, wonderful, beautiful, baffling books and then getting to share them. And I've found that some of the weirdest, wonderfulest, most beautiful and baffling books are those that have made their way into English via translation from another language. I'm excited to share some of my recent finds with you!
A Most Mysterious Mouse written by Giovanna Zoboli, illustrated by Lisa D'Andrea, translated by Antony Shugaar
From Italian. An industrious cat spends all his time thinking of mice: a mouse with a spot, a mouse on stilts, a mouse who knows all about airports. But there is one, most mysterious mouse, that he just can't wrap his mind's eye around, no matter how hard he tries...
Check the CatalogSun & Moon Sisters written and illustrated by Khoa Le
From Vietnamese, via French. A fable about sibling rivalry, the Sun and Moon Sisters decide to switch places in order to find out which of them is more important.
Check the CatalogDuck, Death and the Tulip written and illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch, translated by Catherine Chidgey
From German. Heartbreaking, but sweet, a duck befriends and spends a year with Death, learning a lot about life in the process.
Check the CatalogQuestions Asked written by Jostein Gaarder, illustrated by Akin Düzakin, translated by Don Bartlett
From Norwegian. Through a series of deep, philosophical questions and dreamy illustrations, a young boy ambiguously dealing with a profound loss explores what it means to be alive and to grow up and to think big thoughts.
Check the CatalogThe Tea Party in the Woods written and illustrated by Akiko Miyakoshi
From Japanese. Red Ridinghood-like, a girl sets off into the woods on a snowy day to bring a pie to her grandmother, but instead stumbles upon a magical house where the forest animals have gathered for a tea party.
Check the CatalogThe Queen of the Frogs written by Davide Cali, illustrated by Marco Somà, translated by Lyn Miller-Lachmann
From Portuguese. One day, in a pond where not much ever changes, a frog finds a crown and is declared queen. The frogs have never had a queen before and must navigate their new social order.
Check the CatalogThe Bureau of Misplaced Dads written by Éric Veillé, illustrated by Pauline Martin, translated by Yvette Ghione
From French. Searching for his dad, a young boy discovers a government office dedicated to looking after misplaced fathers until their children come to claim them. Though they have a crazy cast of kooky dads on hand, none of them are his dad...
Check the Catalog
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
These looks delightful! Can't
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