Friday, 4 September 2009

Diddily Dee Dot's Dreamland for Children Everywhere : Blog

Diddily Dee Dot's Dreamland for Children Everywhere : Blog
 STRUWWELPETER



Or, Merry Stories & Funny Pictures.


         It
was my birthday on the 1st of September and as I'm sure you all know my
passions are; my wonderful husband Peter, then books and music, not
forgetting my huge family and all the pets.
      So you can imagine my
delight when I open the wrapping paper and there is a scruffy board backed book called "Struwwelpeter" oh my goodness, I was so happy.
      The book
was written first in 1846 and my copy was printed in the early 1900's
without having a date or Author listed just Blackie who were the publishers.
      I hope to put
all the pictures and stories between this web site and Seligor's Castle.
     They are not the nicest of stories I must admit, but if your
good and kind then I'm sure you will be alright.




The gentleman who wrote the book is , I shall let Wiki tell you;
Der Struwwelpeter (1845) is a popular German children's book by Heinrich Hoffmann. It comprises ten illustrated and rhymed stories, mostly about children. Each has a clear moral
that demonstrates the disastrous consequences of misbehavior in an
exaggerated way. The title of the first story provides the title of the
whole book. Literally translated, Struwwel-Peter means Shaggy-Peter.

Hoffmann, a Frankfurt psychiatrist, wanted to buy a picture book for his son for Christmas in 1844. Not impressed by what the stores had to offer, he instead bought a notebook and wrote his own stories and pictures. Hoffmann was persuaded by friends to publish the book anonymously as Lustige Geschichten und drollige Bilder mit 15 schön kolorierten Tafeln für Kinder von 3-6 JahStruwwelpeterren

(Funny Stories and Whimsical Pictures with 15 Beautifully Coloured
Panels for Children Aged 3 to 6) in 1845.


It was not until the third
edition in 1858 that the book was published under the title Struwwelpeter.
The book became very popular among children throughout Europe, and,
writes author and researcher Penni Cotton, the pictures and characters
showed a great deal of originality and directness.Struwwelpeter has been translated into several languages.The first English translation appeared in 1848. Mark Twain's English translation of the book is called "Slovenly Peter."


This is the book cover, a bit scruffy but I don't think it would have bothered our Struwwelpeter very much, just look at those finger nails. (I hope he never tried to pick his nose! Smile

In 2006, Fantagraphics Books published the first completely digital version of Struwwelpeter, reinterpreted and illustrated by Bob Staake.

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