Matti from Finland
Matti from Finland (original title: Matti bor i Finland ) is the title of a book by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren , with photos by Anna Riwkin-Brick . In 1968 the book was published by Rabén & Sjögren . A year later, the Oetinger Verlag published the book in Germany.
content
Matti lives on a farm in Finland. He has a girlfriend named Merja. Merja has a nice grandfather, whom Matti also likes to visit. Merja also owns a dog named Kari, which Matti is very fond of. Matti would love to have his own animal, but he doesn't get it.
When Merja falls into the water one day and threatens to drown, Matti can save her. The two promise not to tell each other anything about this event.
Some time later, Matti's father comes to the farm with a little calf. He tells Matti that the calf can be his calf until further notice. From then on, Matti deals with the calf every day and constantly visits it on the meadow.
One day Merja's grandfather buys Matti's father's calf. He wants to slaughter the calf for his birthday dinner. Matti is heartbroken, but Merja's grandfather does not compromise and when Matti's father wants to buy the calf back, he refuses.
Merja sees how desperate and sad Matti is and decides to talk to her grandfather. She asks him how much she is worth to him. Her grandfather says she is worth all the money in the world to him. Then she explains that her grandfather can then give Matti the calf. Because Matti saved her and she would no longer exist without Matti. Only now does the grandfather realize how important Matti the calf is and give it to him. After all, everyone celebrates grandfather's birthday together, but without the roast veal.
background
Matti from Finland was first published in 1968 as Matti bor i Finland by the Swedish publisher Rabén & Sjögren . It is the thirteenth of a total of 15 books in the Children of Our Earth series . It is the last book that Anna Riwkin-Brick and Astrid Lindgren collaborated with . The book is now out of print and can only be purchased second-hand.
The book has been translated into many other languages, such as German, English and Hebrew. In Israel, the Children of our Earth series , which also includes Matti from Finland , was a great success. The latter was also based on the translations of the poet Leah Goldberg .
History of origin
The book differs from the other Astrid Lingren works in the series in that in this book it was not Riwkin-Brick who first took the photos for the book and Astrid Lindgren then wrote the text, but here it was the other way around.
Lindgren wrote to Riwkin-Brick that the book should become a kind of Bullerby photo book. It should be about a seven to eight year old, sweet, Finnish farm boy. Its everyday life at work on the farm and while playing should be shown.
Lindgren also wrote a manuscript detailing the photos Rivkin was supposed to take of Matti. She should feed him with pigs, pick berries, collect twigs in winter, etc. In the first version of Lindgren's story, Matti saves another boy's life. When he moves away, the boy gives Matti his dog. Matti is not accepted by the dog as the new owner, which makes him very sad. Matti's mother explains to him that he should be patient. After Matti has been busy with other things during the day, the dog has also got used to the new surroundings. He takes Matti as his new master. In the last picture you should see a cheering Matti jumping around with the dog. In close collaboration with Rivkin, Lindgren wrote several versions of the story, which Rivkin used for her photos. Lindgren kept changing her text in connection with the photos until the last and current book version was created.
reception
Kirkus Review praises the wonderfully fresh country and landscape scenes. In addition, the story has sweet innocence, which is rare these days.
Readingastrid thinks that, unlike many others from the Children of Our Earth series , the book has remained surprisingly up-to-date. The book focuses on a struggle that almost all children face over wanting a pet. The idea that someone wants to buy and eat this animal, of all things, creates an exciting atmosphere for children that encourages them to continue reading. In addition, the children would be able to empathize with the main character's feelings, such as his / her anger.
expenditure
- Matti bor i Finland, Rabén & Sjögren , 1968, Swedish edition
- Matti Lives in Finland, The Macmillan Company, 1968, US edition
- Matti from Finland, Oetinger Verlag, 1969, German edition
Individual evidence
- ^ Matti bor i Finland .
- ^ Matti from Finland .
- ↑ This is how children used to live in other countries .
- ↑ Dov Alfon: Opinion. The Boy Who Taught French Jewish Kids to Love Israel. .
- ^ Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer: Lost in nostalgia. Images of childhood in photobooks for children. In: Elisabeth Wesseling: Reinventing Childhood Nostalgia: Books, Toys, and Contemporary Media Culture. Studies in Childhood, 1700 to the Present , Routledge, 2017, ISBN 9781317068464 limited preview in Google book search
- ↑ Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer: The view of the foreign. Astrid Lindgrens and Anna Riwkin-Bricks photo picture books .
- ^ Matti Lives in Finland .
- ^ Matti Lives in Finland .