Table of Contents

Part 1 Introduction Chapter 2 1. Earth Hanging in Infinity: Janusz Korczak's King Matt the First Chapter 3 2. The Taming of the Two: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Little Prince Chapter 4 3. A Misunderstood Tragedy: Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking Books Chapter 5 4. Creating the Eternal Farewell: Tove Jansson's Moomin Novels Chapter 6 5. Blue Train, Red Flag, Rainbow World: Gianni Rodari's The Befana's Toyshop Chapter 7 6. Modernism for Children? Cecil Bødker's Silas and the Black Mare Chapter 8 7. Michel Tournier Retells the Robinson Crusoe Myth: Friday and Robinson: Life on Speranza Island Chapter 9 8. About a Factory-Made Boy: Christine Nöstlinger's Story about Conrad Chapter 10 9. A Neverending Success Story? Michael Ende's Return Trip to Fantastica Chapter 11 10. "We Were a Pair": Peter Pohl's Johnny, My Friend Chapter 12 11. Philosophical Homework or Universal Amazement? Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World Chapter 13 12. What Do We Translate When We Translate Children's Literature? Part 14 Bibliography Part 15 Index Part 16 About the Contributors

About the Author

Sandra L. Beckett is Professor of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Brock University in Canada. She is the author of numerous books, including Recycling Red Riding Hood (2002). Maria Nikolajeva is Professor of Comparative Literature at Stockholm University (Sweden). She is the author of numerous books and articles on children's literature, including Aesthetic Approaches to Children's Literature: An Introduction (Scarecrow, 2005).

Reviews

...essential background reading for librarians and teachers who seek to promote international understanding through children's books.
*School Library Journal, February 2007*

...a top pick for children's librarians or any teacher or parent regularly working with kids....A top pick, especially for college-level children's literature studies collections.
*The Bookwatch, February 2007*

Highly recommended.
*CHOICE, Vol. 44, No. 09 (May 2007)*

Beyond Babar is meant to be used as a text in college courses in children's literature, but with its thoughtful, engaging essays, blessedly free of academic jargon, it should have an appeal far beyond that.
*Green Man Review*

Providing valuable insights into landmark works of European children's literature, this volume will prove a valuable source for scholars, teachers, and librarians.
*Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, Vol. 45, No. 4, 2007*

Beckett (modern languages, literature, and culture, Brock U., Canada) and Nikolajeva (comparative literature, Stockholm U.) present this collection of 12 essays with the intention of expanding the canon of commonlystudied European children's literature to include 11 notable non-English language novels. Of interest primarily to literary scholars and professors of children's literature, and secondarily to librarians and teachers, the essays offer a variety of theoretical perspectives on children's novels from Poland, Norway, France, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, and Denmark. The texts discussed include the Pippi Longstocking series, The Little Prince, The Neverending Story, and the novel-cum-introduction to philosophy's history Sophie's World. In the concluding essay, Nikolajeva discusses approaches, challenges, and lessons of translation into English.
*Reference and Research Book News*