Reading Around the World #2 | children's books
These books are all children's books or books for a younger audience, so they are books that I read a really long time ago but never really paid attention to the fact that they were translated or by authors from other countries. Some of them also just happen to be some of my favourite books in general.
FINLAND
The Moomins and the Great Flood by Tove Jansson translated
The Moomins are some of my favourite ever characters and the books and illustrations that Tove Jansson created are just simply magical. They are children's books but I would recommend them to anyone who is after something simple and magical with these curious beings. The Moomins and the Great Flood is the first book and then are about 5 or 6 more books that all involve such lovely stories.
GREECE
Talking to My Daughter: A Brief History of Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis
Varoufakis was the Minster of Finance for Greece for some time so knows a thing or two about capitalism and economics. I was curious about how capitalism works and why it's the system the world decided to adopt. This book answered all my questions and didn't push me to think capitalism was a good or bad thing, however, the knowledge the book gave me helped me to realise that I don't like capitalism. It's written for his daughter, so for a younger audience and I read it when I was in my teens and would happily give it a re-read now.
NIGERIA
Dear Ijeawele: A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
(or We Should All Be Feminists)
These two mini-books are wonderful and should be essential reading for every teenager, whatever their gender. We Should All Be Feminists is an essay adapted from Adichie's TEDTalk and does what it says on the tin with examples and brilliant writing. Dear Ijaewele is the concept of writing to a daughter about how to live her life as a girl and a feminist and is also wonderful.
These two mini-books are wonderful and should be essential reading for every teenager, whatever their gender. We Should All Be Feminists is an essay adapted from Adichie's TEDTalk and does what it says on the tin with examples and brilliant writing. Dear Ijaewele is the concept of writing to a daughter about how to live her life as a girl and a feminist and is also wonderful.
SWEDEN
No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
This book is a collection of speeches given by the famous Swedish climate activist and they are brilliant. She is a wonderful speaker and her age and bluntness help to highlight the most important things about the climate crisis that world leaders are still ignoring. If you need to give yourself some hope about the climate crisis, read this book because it will remind you that these are the people who will be in power soon.
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren translated
Pippi Longstocking is a character created by Lindgren for a set of children's books that I loved as a child. I have this beautiful edition as pictured which is illustrated by Lauren Child which just makes it even more special. Pippi is unconventional, strong and adventurous, taking after her father and the little adventures she goes on are just magical and I highly recommend them.
This book is a collection of speeches given by the famous Swedish climate activist and they are brilliant. She is a wonderful speaker and her age and bluntness help to highlight the most important things about the climate crisis that world leaders are still ignoring. If you need to give yourself some hope about the climate crisis, read this book because it will remind you that these are the people who will be in power soon.
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren translated
Pippi Longstocking is a character created by Lindgren for a set of children's books that I loved as a child. I have this beautiful edition as pictured which is illustrated by Lauren Child which just makes it even more special. Pippi is unconventional, strong and adventurous, taking after her father and the little adventures she goes on are just magical and I highly recommend them.
SPAIN
The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón translated
This is a YA story by Zafón who is most famous for writing The Shadow of the Wind, an adult book that I have yet to read. This book, however, is a spooky story about a boy who moves with his family to an old house on the coast and strange things start happening. This genuinely spooked me a little bit, probably because I get so engrossed in books but also because my tolerance for the scary is minimal at best.
This is a YA story by Zafón who is most famous for writing The Shadow of the Wind, an adult book that I have yet to read. This book, however, is a spooky story about a boy who moves with his family to an old house on the coast and strange things start happening. This genuinely spooked me a little bit, probably because I get so engrossed in books but also because my tolerance for the scary is minimal at best.
FRANCE
The Little Prince & Letter to a Hostage by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry translated by T.V.F. Cuffe
This story is absolutely wonderful. Like a lot of children's stories, the characters don't want to grow up but the reasons behind it in this story and the relationships with adults, as a result, are so wonderful. I also watched the film of this book which I think is on Netflix and I LOVE IT. The story is about a man flying a plane across the desert who crash lands and meets a little prince. This little prince tells him all about his adventures in space and the little planet from which he comes. I highly recommend the book and the film and the audiobook.
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