Fig.2:Das Land der Ecken ( Austria )

www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc

As there is such a diversity of problems within Europe, often making it difficult to find peace and understanding, this book in its simplicity suggests a possible harmony within the differences that exist. In the country of corners everything has corners. A ball is going to disturb the system. Only the child is able to understand the message.
www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc/EN/books/dasland.asp

Discuss:

Why do the adults reject the ball?
Why can the child accept something round?
Are there times when you feel 'different' and people do not always understand you?
Do you have a special friend who helps you to talk about it?
Try to find other European stories on the internet that show ways in which children accept different things about each other.
Do children throughout the world need to consider the acceptance of 'others'?

Comparisons can be made with:

Fig.3: Peau noire, Peau blanche (France)

www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc

Issam, lives in Marseille with his French mother and Senegalese father. Unfortunately, his father cannot find work here so the family moves to another French town. Once there, Issam finds it very difficult to cope with all the changes that turn his world up-side-down - everyday he has to face the violent reactions of other children because his skin is not the same colour as theirs. Time passes, and the decision is made to return to Senegal. Here, the situation for Issam becomes easier, but now it is his mother who feels 'the outsider' ... and Issam helps her to become part of their new society. www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc/EN/books/httpwww.ncrcl.ac.ukepbcENbookspeau.asp

Fig.4: Gregory Cool (UK)

www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc

Reluctantly, Gregory leaves England to spend some time with his grandparents in the Caribbean. Initially, he feels very uncomfortable with the strangeness of this new world but gradually, when this 'cool' city boy meets the warmth of the Caribbean, he begins to accept the new branch of his family and realises that it's 'cool' to be here too.
www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc/EN/books/httpwww.ncrcl.ac.ukepbcENbooksgreg.asp

In order to help children to understand that there are many similarities between languages, and to find out why this might be, present them with short extracts from the texts of 6 European picture books and ask them to look for:

typical combination of letters:______________________

words similar in your language:____________________

words you  understood:___________________________

Language A

En eftermiddag när Berra och jag gungar på vår hemmagjorda gungbräda säger jag att jag ska till min morfar. Jag ska dit och äta tårta. För att han fyller år den kvällen.
- Då får jag fem kronor, säger jag.
- Får du pengar när han fyller år? säger Berra förundrat.
- Ja, säger jag. Det får jag varje gång som jag träffer honom.
- Oj då. Han är visst snäll han? säger Berra.
- Ja, nickar jag. Och han ska få en stor cigarr av mej.

Language B

Safai bachgen ar y clogwyn yn gwrando ar gri yn y gwynt. Chlywodd e mo'r Brenin Gwyddno yn marchogaeth tuag ato. Ffrwynodd Gwyddno'i geffyl a gwylio'r dieithryn â gwên. Does ryfedd fod y bachgen wedi ei swyno, meddyliodd. Caiff pob teithiwr blin ei swyno gan gyfoeth Cantre'r Gwaelod, fy ngwlad brydferth i sy'n ymestyn o odre'r graig tuag at y gorwel.
'Fachgen,' meddai'r brenin o'r  diwedd, 'o ble doist ti?'
'Fe ddois i o'ngwely,'sibrydodd y bachgen. 'Fe glywais i gri ac fe'i dilynais.'

Language C

A Bruno non piaceva fare il bagno.
Preferiva salire sugli alberi, trovare passaggi segreti e masticare chewing gum. Tutto questo gli metteva addosso una fame spaventosa. Allora correva a casa e faceva merenda con otto fette di pane e cioccolata, tre bicchieri di aranciata, sette pacchi di biscotti, un vasetto di maionese e tre acciughe.
Ma non sempre in quest'ordine.
- Bruno! - gli urlava allora la mamma.
- Ma lo sai che sei un bel maiale?
Scommetto che non ti sei neanche lavato le mani! Bruno si guardava le mani e ricominciava a mangiare.

Language D

Ήταν μια φορά κι έναν καιρο ο
Παραμυθάς,
που χάρη στο μαγικό του γελεκάκι μπορούσε να πετάει.
Μια μέρα λοιπόν, που πήγαινε βολτίτσα, άρχισε να βρέχει καραμέλες. Μάλιστα, καραμέλες!
- Καραμέλες, ειπε κι ο Παραμυθάς με μπουκωμένο στόμα κατενθουσιασμένος, γιατί κι αυτός, Εέρετε, τρελαίνεται για καραμέλες.
ΠέταΕε λοιπόν, να δει ποιο ήταν αυτό το παράΕενο σύννεφο που έβρεχε καραμέλες.

Language E

Toutes ses nuits, Groucho les a passées sagement dans son lit.
Mais cette nuit, poussé par une force mystérieuse...
Groucho franchit la lucarne et sort, seul.
Ses parents s'y attendaient.
- Ça y est. Je l'entends. Il sort.
- Oui, chérie, je le vois. C'est pour cette nuit.
Tous les parents chats attendent avec angoisse cette nuit-là : la nuit où leur enfant sort pour la première fois seul.

Language F

Lotje is jarig vannacht. Ze wil dolgraag een tart toveren, maar het lukt haar niet.
"Ach," zucht Lotje, "dan ga ik er toch gewoon eentje kopen in Heksendorp."
"Kijk eens, Poes!" roept Lotje als ze thuiskomt. ”Is dit geen pracht van een taart?"
Maar Poes is nergens te zien.
Lotje pakt vlug haar bezem en vliegt terug naar Heksendorp.
Misschien is Poes in de taartenwinkel, denkt Lotje.
Ze zit vast nog te smullen van al het lekkers dat de heksen voor haar hebben getoverd.

Discussion:

Which languages look similar?
Can you think of reasons for this?
Are any emotional responses elicited by certain languages?
Can you explain this? 
Is there a link between language and national identity?

Now try this with some other websites. For example: www.martinauer.net ( Austria ) or www.republika.pl/annaonichimowska ( Poland ).

Fig.5: Vem ska trösta Knyttet? (Finland)

www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc

Knyttet is alone and afraid. As the story progresses and he finds a friend, Knyttet realises that it is difficult to be happy by yourself; and learns that happiness has to be shared with others. www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc/EN/books/vemska.asp

Discussion:

Where might Knyttet live?
Why is he frightened/lonely?
How do we know? How does the artist help us by using visual codes ie colour; size; shape; line; position; frame?
Where might Knyttet live?
Does his name help us?

You might like to consider:
The effect of climate on an individual's character.
The influence of geographical location on the language/s spoken in European countries. For example, a number of national languages are spoken in Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

You can now apply these questions, and more, to characters in books on other children's literature websites:

 

Fig.6: What's down that hole? ( South Africa )

http://www.ibby.org

Fig.7: Medved in miška (Slovenia)

 www.zupca.net

Who do you think lives in this room?
What clues does the illustrator give you?

Fig.8: Treizième Avenir (France)

http://www.bookfair.bolognafiere.it

Who is this guy?
Where is he going?
How does he feel?
How do you know?

The way things in the home are organised in European picture books can tell us quite a lot about different styles of living in Europe. Within any unfamiliar culture, there are likely to be some things that are easy for us to accept and others that are more difficult.

Using these books:

Fig.9: Katie Morag and the new pier (Scotland)

http://www.ncrcl.ac.uk/eset/documents/culture1sheet.pdf

Fig.10: Un jour mon Prince viendra (Belgium)

http://www.ncrcl.ac.uk/eset/documents/culture1sheet.pdf

Fig.11: Une nuit, un chat... (France)

http://www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc

Fig.12: El guardián del olvido (Spain)

http://www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc

List the things that you can see on each page.
Highlight familiar things in one colour and unfamiliar things in another.
Are any of these similar to the things you have in your home?

Now do the same with other EPBC books, and picture books from other websites, especially www.editorialjuventud.es/14-ailus.htm .

Fig.13: Wer ist der Grosste? (Greenland)

Fig.14: Rainbows in the dark (Nova Scotia)

Fig.15: My name is Yoon  ( Korea )

Fig.16: Spinkis och Blixten ( Sweden )

Fig.17: Und Papa seh ich am Wochenende (Germany)

Fig.18: Yaci y su muñeca (Brazil)

Can the visual representation of 'home' in picture books from a variety of cultures help to promote tolerance and respect for cultural diversity?

Fig.19: Jez (Hedgehog) (Poland)

http://www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc

A couple cannot have their own child and their world is sad, so they decide to adopt a little boy. The problem is that the boy is very shy and covered in prickles like a hedgehog. The new parents are not afraid of him; they love him, touch him and hug him in spite of his prickles. This tenderness and care changes the little boys' way of thinking and, very slowly, his prickles begin to fall off! www.ncrcl.ac.uk/epbc/EN/books/httpwww.ncrcl.ac.ukepbcENbooksjez.asp

Discussion:

Why do you think that the book is called Hedgehog?
Is there anything that gives you a clue on the title page?
Might the conker on the first page (prickly on the outside but smooth on the inside) have anything to do with the little boy?
How has love and being accepted into a family affected the little boy?
In English, if people are 'prickly', it means that they are difficult to be near and can get upset very easily.
Is there an expression in your language that means something similar?

Look at other children's literature websites and discuss:

The importance of love and friendship
The need for patience, tolerance and understanding towards people who are different
The need to integrate them into our society.