Emil and the Detectives [Hardcover]

Erich Kästner (Author), Walter Trier (Illustrator), Maurice Sendak (Introduction), J.D. Stahl (Translator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Originally published in 1929, Erich Kastner’s engaging tale has delighted readers young and old, for generations. It’s Emil’s first train ride alone and he’s excited, and a little nervous.On the train, his fellow passengers are impressed with how polite and grown-up Emil is, and the man in the bowler hat offers him some chocolate—but Emil keeps checking his coat pocket, where he’s pinned the money that he is taking to his grandmother. Soon, though, Emil finds himself getting sleepy . . . and the next thing he knows, the man in the bowler hat is gone— and so is the money! With the help of some new friends Emil becomes a detective and tracks the thief through the city. With its enduring themes of leadership, courage, and teamwork, there are many lessons to be learned by the grownups and the children, alike, and the delightful illustrations by Walter Trier make this rollicking, heartwarming tale come alive. AUTHOR BIO: Erich Kastner (1899-1974) was one of the best-known international children’s authors of the twentieth century and was awarded the American Library Association Mildred L. Batchelder Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Emil and the Detectives was his first book and he was also the author of The Little Man,The Flying Classroom, and Lisa and Lottie, among others. Walter Trier was the celebrated illustrator of many children’s books. He illustrated several other of Erich Kastner’s children's books, including The Flying Classroom, Emil and the Three Twins, and Lisa and Lottie, among others.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Erich Kastner was born in Dresden in 1899, the son of a saddle maker and a maidservant. He was drafted into the army in 1917, and his experiences there were to influence his later pacifism. He published Emil and the Detectives in 1928 to great success. A sequel, Emil and the Three Twins, appeared in 1933, but soon afterwards his books were labelled "contrary to the German spirit" and burned in public by the Nazis. He was interviewed by the Gestapo several times, but remained in Berlin until 1945, when he fled the city to avoid the Soviet assault. After the war he continued to write and remained committed to anti-war movements until his death in 1974. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 220 pages
• Publisher: Overlook Hardcover (November 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585675865
• ISBN-13: 978-1585675869
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #327,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars New Translation A Little Too Fresh, November 28, 2010

By 

Eric Kelly (San Rafael, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Emil and the Detectives (Hardcover)

There is a lot to like about this new edition of the classic story: the binding is handsome, the charming original illustrations are included, and the introduction by Maurice Sendak provides some historical perspective. The story itself is a terrific example (and perhaps the original) of the ever popular genre of children's literature in which kids, through their natural resourcefulness and wits, triumph over the bumbling adults.

However, I can't recommend this edition, for two reasons, both having to do with the text of the new translation. First, some of the proper names are "translated" into English, e.g., Emil Tischbein becomes Emil Tabletoe, the town of Neustadt becomes New Town, and so on, although most geographical locations and some characters' names remain in German. According to the translator, these lighthearted and absurdist names (Truegut, Groundsnow, Crumbagel) are true to the spirit of Kastner's original text. However, the effect -- particularly when mixed with proper German names -- is jarring. This misstep would have been forgivable, however, were it not for a worse problem: all of the children in the story speak in a jumble of late 20th/early 21st Century slang. The setting of the book, the illustrations, and the storyline all clearly belong to an earlier time, and the rest of the text is clean and straightforward, so having characters regularly spout lines like "Get outa here!", "You dork!", "Berlin parents are so cool!" is gratingly anachronistic. This may pose no problem for children who have grown up on modern animated films, where characters who are ostensibly Vikings may talk like California surfers, but for an adult reader with a sense of history it just doesn't work. The text doesn't benefit from this "modernization" any more than Little Women would be improved by having characters greet one another with "What's hanging, Dude?".

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An exciting and breathtaking advnture, February 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Emil and the Detectives (Lythway Large Print Children's Series) (Hardcover)

This book is an exciting and breathtaking adventure.I loved this book because the main character reminded me of me. It was one of the best books I ever read. There were character descriptions under every picture. This helped me to see what the characters looked like and helped me keep them straight in the story. I felt like Emil was a one of a kind character. I never read any books with a character like him. He was really smart the way he solved the myster.The professor was also a really good character. He really acted like a professor even though he was a kid. I reccomend this book to any kids who like adventures!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is delightful!, July 21, 2000

By 

LifeboatB (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Emil and the Detectives (Paperback)

I always avoided "Emil & the Detectives" when I was a kid because I thought it would be scary. I finally read it in my twenties, and kicked myself for missing it before. The story and characters are completely engaging, and the writing style is so humorous. May Massee's translation is a bit dated in regard to slang--it was done in the twenties--but she captures a wonderfully droll sensibility that I hope really exists in the German original. I am so mad that this book is out of print, because I want to buy it for my little cousin, who's a big Harry Potter fan, and I know would love this book too. If you can, try and find a version that has Kastner's hilarious introduction, in which he discusses the difficulty of finding a good idea for a story, even when you're lying on the floor under the dining room table.