15 Great German Children’s Books for Beginners

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Nick Schäferhoff August 18, 2014

There’s a huge mistake that new language learners tend to make.

Do you know what that is?

We try to run before we can crawl.

Unreasonably high expectations about language progress lead to unnecessary failure, disappointment, frustration.

They’re a major reason why some people abandon their language studies.

Newcomers to the German language should not expect to tackle the collected works of Goethe in the first weeks and months. Rather, dial down your
expectations and give children’s books a chance!

Why Children’s Books are Great for German Learners

It is all too common to find language learners trying their skills out with material which is not made for their level. Sure, they may be feeling confident after
learning German idioms, slang, and proverbs. They may be well on their way to German fluency, but there is no real “fast lane” to master German
literature. Instead of gradually increasing comprehension, they attempt to read Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” after two weeks half-hardheartedly studying
vocabulary.

If you are just getting started and select reading material which causes your to reach for the dictionary at every second, you will get exhausted and
unwilling to continue reading practice. A much smarter approach is to progressively increase the difficulty by using material which is just a little above
what you know.

For this reason, children’s books are an awesome place to start for most new German learners. While they might not be what you would usually read,
there are a number of advantages to reading books intended for a much younger audience:

1. They are easy

Books for children are intended for a group of people who just started out learning the language. Think you can identify with that? As a consequence
these books use easy vocabulary and simple language so as not to overwhelm first-time readers.

2. They are meant for native speakers

Children in Germany actually grow up with these books. This is where they get some of their early words and sense of word order from. If it works for
them, it can’t be bad for you, right?

3. They are meant to be read out loud

Especially the ones for the really young are intended to be read out loud by parents. You can take advantage of this and read them out loud to yourself.
That way you combine working on your reading skills with pronunciation exercise.

4. They are often very repetitive

Books for younger children frequently repeat sentences over and over. This is good news for beginners as it means you will automatically practice the
same words and grammatical structures again and again like you would with a rote repetition study approach.

Where to find children’s books in German

The big question is where to find these books. If you are not living in a German-speaking country, you won’t always find a library carrying children’s books
in your target language. Luckily there are a number of online resources where you can even score some for free.

1. Amazon.de – The German version of Amazon carries a wide range of books for young people, from toddlers to teenagers. International shipments
make it possible to purchase them outside of Germany. Many are also available in electronic form, so if you own a Kindle you can have books
delivered within seconds anywhere in the world. Plus, there is even a number of e-books available for free.
2. Cildrenslibrary.org – The International Children’s Library is a foundation which provides access to the best children’s literature from around the
world. As of this writing there are 80 German books available on the site which you can read online right away.
3. Gutenberg.org – Project Gutenberg collects books with expired copyrights or which have become part of the public domain for others reasons and
makes them available in e-book form. While the site itself is not entirely easy to use, German newspaper “Der Spiegel” started their own collection of
Gutenberg-certified works. You can find the fairy tale section here.
4. ChildrensBooksForever.com – This is a site by children’s books author Hans Wilhelm. He provides out-of-print editions of his and other books as
free downloads in PDF form. What’s more, since his books have been translated into multiple languages, you can read the English and the German
versions side by side.
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Now that you know how to find them, below is a list of children’s books in German which are excellent for learners in order of difficulty. You can move from
one level to the next and gradually ramp up your reading skills.

Not all of these books are actually by German authors but all of them are have been translated and become an integral part of growing up for children in
Germany. Therefore if you read these books, you get a cultural education at the same time.

1. Die kleine Raupe Nimmersatt

Recognize this colorful little character? This book is the German version of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle. It is a classic in waiting rooms of
pediatrician offices. Due to the very repetitive content, it is most suited for people who have just started out learning German. In my opinion the German
title is actually better than the original. Nimmersatt (“never satiated”) is definitely a great word to drop in front of a German friend who won’t stop eating.

2. Das kleine Ich bin ich

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This book is the story of a nameless animal and its search for an identity. Since its publication in 1972 it has sold almost a million copies and has been
translated into many other languages. While it uses very easy vocabulary, the book is told in the form of rhymes, presenting a bit more of a challenge to
readers.

3. Oh wie schön ist Panama

The books by author Janosch are favorites among children and adults alike. The stories are heartwarming, the illustrations adorable, and the books
contain more text than the examples above. There was also an accompanying TV series of which many episodes can be found on YouTube.

4. Petterson und Findus

The book series of farmer Petterson and his cat Findus by Swedish author Sven Nordqvist has been translated into 44 languages, German being among
them. So far there are nine stories about the pair, which are slightly more elaborate and therefore told in longer text passages. Ideal for learners with a
basic understanding of German.

5. Der Räuber Hotzenplotz

I know Hotzenplotz is a hard word to pronounce, but don’t be put off by that. This story is another classic of German literature for children and has been
turned into several movies. While it still contains a lot of illustrations, it is the first book on this list which does not rely on imagery for storytelling but
instead would also work as a text-only version.

6. Eine Woche voller Samstage

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The stories about the Sams, a wondrous and loud creature which can grant wishes, and its adoptive father Herr Taschenbier is in the same category as
“Räuber Hotzenplotz.” Images enhance the understanding, however, this is a real book. If you can finish it, you are probably ready for German middle
school. And if you like it, there are six more books where this one came from.

7. Das kleine Gespenst

Otfried Preußler is the author of several successful books for children of various ages. Two of his works made it on this list. “Das kleine Gespenst”
describes the story of little ghost who wants to see daylight but can’t seem to stay awake. It is a very cute story which was also turned into a movie in
2013.

8. Die kleine Hexe

The eponymous little witch wants to earn the respect of the other witches so she will be allowed to fly with them on Walpurgis night. Although the story
might sound infantile to grown-up ears, the language is actually quite demanding and should not be underestimated. The book, also by Otfried Preußler,
has been translated into 47 languages and made it to TV screens even in Japan.

9. Der Wunschpunsch

The full name of this book “Der satanarchäolügenialkohöllische Wunschpunsch” features the probably longest adjective ever invented in the German
language. It was written by Michael Ende and tells the story of a cat and a raven who try to prevent a pair of evil magicians from creating a potion which
grants wishes (Wunschpunsch) for their evil purposes. The story takes place entirely on New Year’s eve from about 5:00 P.M. to midnight. Definitely
worth reading!

10. Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer

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Now we are getting into the realm of what can be considered as children’s novels. The stories about Jim Knopf and his friend Lukas are among the most
successful books for young people in Germany. Millions of children have read about them and watched the accompanying TV series. Written in post-war
Germany, the book contains a lot Nazi imagery turned on its head and comments on such issues as English colonialism.

11. Pippi Langstrumpf

Astrid Lindgren’s novels about Pippi Longstockings are as popular in Germany as they are allover the world. Generations have grown up with the
adventures of the world’s strongest girl and her friends. Apart from “Pippi Langstrumpf,” Lindgren authored a wide range of other books for children which
make for equally good reading material.

12. Momo

This is the second book by Michael Ende on this list (the other one being “Jim Knopf”). “Momo” is a fantasy novel about the concept of time in modern
societies. The book criticizes consumerism and the stress of modern life. Published in 1973, it foreshadowed the time deprivation which is reality for most
people today. It is also a darn good read.

13. Emil und die Detektive

No list of German literature for children would be complete without author Erich Kästner. The story of Emil and his detective friends is set in pre-war
Berlin, offering an interesting glimpse into German history. Kästner’s works are classics in Germany’s youth literature and several of them have been
turned into movies.

14. Tintenherz

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The “Inkheart” trilogy is among the most contemporary books on this list. It is the story of a girl whose family has the gift to make characters from stories
come alive by reading books out loud. It is a love letter to words and writing and their ability to create entire worlds for the reader. The book was also
turned into a major motion picture.

15. Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the story of the young English wizard is one of the most popular children’s books in Germany. It is enjoyed by young
and old alike. If you have graduated to reading an entire book of this series, you are well on your way to mastering German. Plus, the fact that you
probably have already read the series makes it easier to get into.

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