SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: HERE COMES RHINOCEROS
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1960
WEBSITE:
CITY: Vienna, Burgenland
STATE:
COUNTRY: Austria
NATIONALITY: Austrian
LAST VOLUME: SATA 267
http://www.literaturfestival.com/bios1_3_6_298.html
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1960, in Güssing, Austria.
EDUCATION:University of Vienna, degree (German literature and journalism).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Children’s book author and journalist. Ö-1 Redakteur (radio station), recording engineer and editor of series “Menschenbilder,” beginning 1982.
MEMBER:Grazer Autorenversammlung.
AWARDS:Federhasenpreis, 1996, for Benni und die sieben Löwen, and 2000, for Zack Bumm!; Österreichischer Förderungspreis, 1998; Kinderbuchpreis (Vienna, Austria), 2004, for Schenk mir Flügel, 2005, for Herr Jemineh hat Glück; Deutschen Jugendliteraturpreis nomination, Bologna Ragazzi Award, Auswahlliste Österreichischer Staatspreis for children’s literature, and Buch des Monats prize, Instituts für Jugendliteratur, all 2006, all for Rote Wangen; LesePeter August award, 2006, for Ein Haus am Meer; Katholischer Kinder-und Jugendbuchpreis, Deutschen Bischofskonferenz, 2010, for Wie war das am Anfang; Österreighische Staatspreis Kinderbuchpreis, 2013, for Rita illustrated by Ingrid Gogon; Schweizer Kinder-und Jugendedienpreis, 2013, for Ich ging in Schuhen aus Gras illustrated by Hannes Bilder.
WRITINGS
Author’s works have been translated into several languages, including Basque, Catalan, Chinese, Dutch, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.
SIDELIGHTS
Heinz Janisch, an Austrian-born author of books for both children and adults, is known for his skill as a storyteller as well as for the lyricism he brings to his picture-book texts. Many of Janisch’s tales for young children feature familiar objects made strange; in Ich schenk dir einen Ton aus meinem Saxofon, for example, a house with a headache moves to the country and a frog decides to travel to Africa. In Prinzessin auf dem Kürbis he turns the tables on the traditional story about the princess and the pea, while Zack bumm! finds a young bird compelled to croak a strange, meaningless phrase after a fall from its nest until it finds help from a wise rabbit. Janisch’s books, which are beloved by children around the world in translation, have also received awards in the author’s native Austria as well as internationally. Among his stories available in English translation are The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel, Noah’s Ark, Heave Ho!, and Why Is the Snow White?
Born in Güssing, Austria, in 1960, Janisch studied German literature and journalism at the University of Vienna, then hired on as a program engineer at Ö-1 Redakteur radio. His picture book Mario, der Tagmaler was published in 1989, beginning his prolific career as a writer. One of Janisch’s early works, a retelling of classic German folktales that was published in translation as The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel, was described by a Publishers Weekly reviewer as “distinctly quaint and European.” This book is also notable for its illustrations by Hans Christian Andersen medalist Lisbeth Zwerger and is one of several collaborations between author and illustrator.
Also illustrated by Zwerger, Noah’s Ark shares Janisch’s adaptation of the well-known biblical story. Rather than focus on Noah’s construction of the ark and his welcoming of Earth’s animals two by two, this version posits a God who is openly upset about the wickedness of Man and determined to erase all these creatures from the Earth. Noting that Janisch’s version is “far more ominous” than other retellings for children, Horn Book reviewer Lauren Adams nonetheless concluded that Noah’s Ark “effectively maintains the awesome and reverential tone of the original” bible version.
Animals return in Heave Ho!, a humorous outing that features cartoon artwork by Carola Holland. Within only a dozen sentences the author tells an animated tale about a cat, mouse, and dog. According to a Kirkus Reviews writer, the tale’s “clever concept” effectively communicates “a subtle message of teamwork.”
In The Fire: An Ethiopian Folk Tale Janisch joins with noted Mexican illustrator Fabricio vanden Broeck to retell an African story with universal meaning. Author and illustrator met during an International Board on Books for Young People congress where Janisch told the story to rapt audiences. Vanden Broeck, attending as an award finalist, agreed to create paintings to illustrate the tale. The Fire focuses on a loyal slave who has worked for his master for many years. When the slave requests his freedom the unappreciative master agrees to the request only if the man performs a seemingly impossible task: climbing to a frigid, snow-topped mountain peak and spending the night there with neither clothing nor shelter. Fortunately, a wise friend comes to the slave’s aid, leading readers to a conclusion that Hazel Rochman deemed “elemental” and “powerful” in her Booklist review.
First published as Warum der Schnee weiss ist, Janisch’s Why Is the Snow White? comes to life in artwork by Silke Leffler, a German illustrator and textile artist whose work enhances several of the author’s picture books. In Why Is the Snow White? a father and daughter are enraptured by a fairy tale in which Father Snow decides to give his icy creation its own special color. When he asks for help from a garden of flowers, they refuse to share their own bright hues. It is only after one small flower agrees to share its tint—white—that the snowdrop got its name and snow became the fresh, clear blanket of white that now freshens the winter landscape. Calling Janisch’s story “pretty and unusual, Kara Dean had special praise for Leffler’s illustrations in her Booklist review of Why Is the Snow White?
Another collaboration between Janisch and Leffler, “I Have a Little Problem,” Said the Bear presents a wry view of people’s willingness to offer solutions to others’ problems … even before they learn what the problem is. For Janisch’s character Bear, the titular phrase is usually enough to elicit advice or a tangible cure, but the best cure comes from Fly, who takes the time to listen to Bear explain what exactly his “little problem” is. “The simple text reads aloud well,” noted Booklist critic Carolyn Phelan in appraising “I Have a Little Problem,” Said the Bear, the critic predicting that the titular phrase is something young listeners will enjoy interjecting at the appropriate time in the story. As a Kirkus Reviews critic noted, “Take time to listen” is the message in Janisch’s “slight but sweet” audience participation story.
(open new)In 2015 Janisch published The King and the Sea: 21 Extremely Short Stories. A young ruler finds that having power does not mean all that much. Across twenty-one stories, the stout king engages a number of challenges and scenarios, ranging from sea adventures to playing the trumpet. As he navigates these stories, he learns that the natural world is indifferent to his crown but values him personally as a piece of the greater picture. A contributor to Publishers Weekly commented that “this is a treasure box of curious ideas for a thoughtful child.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews opined that “this gem’s childlike warmth, whimsy, and wisdom bring to mind The Little Prince.” Writing in School Librarian, Jane Loder exclaimed: “A great little book with stunningly simple illustrations that leaves the reader with much food for thought.” In a review in School Library Journal, Mary Jean Smith reasoned that “the economy of the stories is matched by the masterful use of white space and the placement of collage images.”
In The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel, the titular Till Eulenspiegel is a fabled fourteenth-century trickster of German folk legend. With his cunning, he outwits everyone from kings to common thieves across eleven brief stories. Writing in Horn Book, Martha V. Parravano remarked that even though the costumes and setting are medieval, “the book feels very modern indeed.”
In 2018 Janisch published Here Comes Rhinoceros. Rhinoceros is self conscious about his bent horn. He longs to be as free as a snowflake. The animals who live with him, though, let him know that they need him for their protection due to his size. When a bad storm comes, he does just that by giving shelter to the smaller animals. Despite calling the book “an elegant artistic statement,” a contributor to Kirkus Reviews lamented that “readers looking for a story on self-esteem will be disappointed.”(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, October 1, 1997, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Noah’s Ark, p. 323; December 15, 2002, Hazel Rochman, review of The Fire: An Ethiopian Folk Tale, p. 764; December 15, 2008, Carolyn Phelan, review of “I Have a Little Problem,” Said the Bear, p. 52; July 1, 2010, Ian Chipman, review of The Fantastic Adventures of Baron Munchausen, p. 59; December 1, 2012, Kara Dean, review of Why Is the Snow White?, p. 71.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, December 1, 1997, review of Noah’s Ark, p. 115; February 1, 2003, review of The Fire, p. 239.
Canadian Review of Materials, November 15, 2002, Denise Wier, review of The Fire.
Horn Book, March 1, 1991, Ethel L. Heins, review of The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel, p. 210; March 1, 1998, Lauren Adams, review of Noah’s Ark, p. 213; November 1, 2016, Martha V. Parravano, review of The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel, p. 113.
Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2006, review of Heave Ho!, p. 844; December 15, 2008, review of “I Have a Little Problem,” Said the Bear; April 15, 2010, review of The Fantastic Adventures of Baron Munchausen; April 15, 2011, review of Good Night Giants; October 1, 2012, review of Why Is the Snow White?; June 15, 2015, review of The King and the Sea: 21 Extremely Short Stories; October 1, 2018, review of Here Comes Rhinoceros.
Publishers Weekly, November 16, 1990, review of The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel, p. 56; May 10, 2010, review of The Fantastic Adventures of Baron Munchausen, p. 41; June 22, 2015, review of The King and the Sea, p. 137.
School Librarian, September 22, 2015, Jane Loder, review of The King and the Sea, p. 166.
School Library Journal, June 1, 1991, review of The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel, p. 94; November 1, 1997, Kathy Piehl, review of Noah’s Ark, p. 84; February 1, 2003, Grace Oliff, review of The Fire, p. 134; November 1, 2006, Teresa Pfeifer, review of Heave Ho!, p. 97; March 1, 2009, Laura Stanfield, review of “I Have a Little Problem,” Said the Bear, p. 116; August 1, 2010, Kathy Piehl, review of The Fantastic Adventures of Baron Munchausen, p. 90; December 1, 2012, Sara Lissa, review of Why Is the Snow White?, p. 92; November 1, 2011, Laura Stanfield, review of Good Night Giants, p. 100; July 1, 2015, Mary Jean Smith, review of The King and the Sea, p. 63.
ONLINE
Berlin International Literaturfestival website, http://www.literaturfestival.com/ (August 10, 2007), “Heinz Janisch.”
Heinz Janisch website, http://www.heinz-janisch.com (January 1, 2019).
Heinz Janisch was born in Austria in 1960. He was nominated for the 2009 Lindgren Memorial Award and the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Award.
Janisch, Heinz: HERE COMES RHINOCEROS
Kirkus Reviews. (Oct. 1, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Janisch, Heinz HERE COMES RHINOCEROS Fitzhenry & Whiteside (Children's Fiction) $18.95 11, 1 ISBN: 978-1-55455-448-5
Rhinoceros is not sure about his looks and wishes he were someone else, but his friends and one experience leave him feeling better.
"Here comes Rhinoceros. / Beautiful as a mountain. / A tiny bird settles on his back, / gentle as a snowflake." Rhinoceros is sad because his horn is crooked and wishes he were "free like that snowflake," in his imagination flying around with different sets of wings and even balloons. His fellow animals tell him they need him to protect them, and when the storm comes, he shelters the tiny bird with his mighty body, leaving him feeling better. The animals, which are lightly anthropomorphized (the meerkat carries a red umbrella), are drawn with great attention to texture on largely blank pages and in earthy colors accentuated in red, giving the illustrations a collagelike and contemporary art feel. However, the elliptical text does not live up to the quality of the artwork, and many readers will find the language disjointed and prose forced (possibly as a result of the translation from German). Moreover, some of the similes will most likely escape the comprehension of younger readers ("Curious as a mountain"?), who will likely also find the storyline--the rhino laughs as the bird is blown off his back before returning off-page--difficult to follow.
An elegant artistic statement, but readers looking for a story on self-esteem will be disappointed. (Picture book. 5-8)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Janisch, Heinz: HERE COMES RHINOCEROS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A556118999/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=2c3f59c0. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A556118999
The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel
Martha V. Parravano
The Horn Book Magazine. 92.6 (November-December 2016): p113.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 The Horn Book, Inc.. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.hbook.com/magazine/default.asp
Full Text:
The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel
by Heinz Janisch; illus. by Lisbeth Zwerger;
trans. from the German by Anthea Bell
Primary, Intermediate Minedition 32 pp.
9/16 978-988-8341-14-6 $12.20
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
This collection of eleven stories about the fourteenth-century German peasant trickster Till Eulenspiegel, first published in 1990 (rev. 3/91), is as fresh and bracing as ever; its reissue is especially welcome given the dearth of collected folklore currently published for children. We see the wandering peasant clown outwit thieves, kings, and scholars: he's an equal-opportunity mischief-maker. The language is brisk, sprightly, and concise; each tale tells a whole episode but takes up just one page of a double-page spread. Zwerger's accompanying illustrations capture each story's essence in a rich, bright palette. Although the setting and costumes are medieval, the compositions are so lively and the human foibles on display so relatable that the book feels very modern indeed.
Parravano, Martha V.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Parravano, Martha V. "The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel." The Horn Book Magazine, Nov.-Dec. 2016, p. 113. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A469755442/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=2fddfa4b. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A469755442
The King and the Sea
Publishers Weekly. 262.49 (Dec. 2, 2015): p23+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The King and the Sea
Heinz Janisch, illus. by Wolf Erlbruch. Gecko Press USA, $16.99 ISBN 978-1-8775-7994-3
What does it mean to have power, to be a king? Not much, finds a small, stout fellow in a robe and crown. Janisch draws the king with soft, crayoned lines; his stumpy profile recalls Crockett Johnson's cigar-chomping fairy, Barnaby. The king finds the natural world unimpressed with him. "Buzz off," he tells a bee. "Don't you know I'm the king?" "And I'm the queen," the bee retorts, stinging him on the nose. The king isn't a bully, though; he's often open to negotiation, open-mindedness, and contemplation. He sees, as the stories draw to a close, that his place in the world has little to do with his crown, and he learns a bit about the essential nature of each of his counterparts as well. With something of the philosophical bent of The Little Prince, this is a treasure box of curious ideas for a thoughtful child. Ages 7-up.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The King and the Sea." Publishers Weekly, 2 Dec. 2015, p. 23+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A436234016/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=51c4f3e2. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A436234016
The King and the Sea
Publishers Weekly. 262.25 (June 22, 2015): p137.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* The King and the Sea
Heinz Janisch, illus. by Wolf Erlbruch. Gecko Press USA (Lerner, dist.), $16.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-8775-7994-3
What does it mean to have power, to be a king? Not much, finds a small, stout fellow in a robe and crown. Janisch (Why Is the Snow White?) imagines the king in a series of encounters with the sea, the rain, a dog, a trumpet, and many more in 21 fragmentary stories. Erlbruch (Duck, Death, and the Tulip) draws the king with soft, crayoned lines; his stumpy profile recalls Crockett Johnson's cigar-chomping fairy, Barnaby. The king finds the natural world unimpressed with him. "Buzz off," he tells a bee. "Don't you know I'm the king?" "And I'm the queen," the bee retorts, stinging him on the nose. The king isn't a bully, though; he's often open to negotiation, open-mindedness, and contemplation. He sees, as the stories draw to a close, that his place in the world has little to do with his crown, and he learns a bit about the essential nature of each of his counterparts as well. With something of the philosophical bent of The Little Prince, this is a treasure box of curious ideas for a thoughtful child. Ages 7-up. (Sept.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The King and the Sea." Publishers Weekly, 22 June 2015, p. 137. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A419411686/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=b0892f1d. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A419411686
Janisch, Heinz: THE KING AND THE SEA
Kirkus Reviews. (June 15, 2015):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Janisch, Heinz THE KING AND THE SEA Gecko Press (Children's Picture Books) $16.99 9, 1 ISBN: 978-1-8775-7994-3
The titular king, a smallish character made of paper and featuring crayoned features and crown, converses with many creatures and inanimate objects in a series of double-page "chapters," each title beginning, "The King and...." Humorous yet elegant collages perfectly complement tiny tales that will sometimes elicit conversation, sometimes a knowing smile or an outright laugh, and occasionally a shrug of incomprehension. There is no violence or even unpleasantness, save one bee sting. Reading the book from beginning to end produces the satisfaction of bonding with the very human king as he engages in learning and in bettering himself. His conversations often begin from the double traits of pride and ignorance, then end with his humble acceptance of an improved interpretation of the world. The least subtle tale is the funny "The King and the Dog," during which the red-faced king shouts a series of commands--including "Stop! Fetch! Heel!"--to a calm, intransigent pup across the gutter. "I am the king!" is part of the tirade. The final sentence: "Then he ran off after the dog." The youngest readers will love the king's blissful, sleeping countenance after his losing battle against sleep. Occasionally the king finds his own capability, as when he lights a candle to solve an impasse with the night. This gem's childlike warmth, whimsy, and wisdom bring to mind The Little Prince. (Picture book. 7 & up)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Janisch, Heinz: THE KING AND THE SEA." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2015. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A417619432/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c5c8c3ed. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A417619432
Janisch, Heinz and Erlbruch, Wolf: The King and the Sea
Jane Loder
School Librarian. 63.3 (Autumn 2015): p166.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 The School Library Association
http://www.sla.org.uk/school-librarian.php
Full Text:
Janisch, Heinz and Erlbruch, Wolf
The King and the Sea
Gecko, 201 5, pp48, 9.99 [pounds sterling]
978 1 877579 94 3
The King and the Sea is one of 21 extremely short stories making up this amusing yet deceptively serious book. It can of course be enjoyed simply through observing the silly arrogance of the King, but with older readers it should be read with consideration and perception.
In each of the stories, often only a few sentences long, the King, full of his own self importance, gradually becomes wiser and understands his relative insignificance within the world through his various encounters with forces of the natural world. He cannot control the sea, nor can he compete with the sun's warmth or the power of the rain. There are greater and more important crowns than his and his ability to run and do headstands is of little importance. He finally realises that all are 'kings' in their own right and with this realisation he somehow sheds his burden of power and delights in his freedom. A great little book with stunningly simple illustrations that leaves the reader with much food for thought!
Loder, Jane
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Loder, Jane. "Janisch, Heinz and Erlbruch, Wolf: The King and the Sea." School Librarian, Autumn 2015, p. 166. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A431446203/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=40d61831. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A431446203
Janisch, Heinz. The King and the Sea: 21 Extremely Short Stories
Mary Jean Smith
School Library Journal. 61.7 (July 2015): p63.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
JANISCH, Heinz. The King and the Sea: 21 Extremely Short Stories, tr. from German by Sally-Ann Spencer, illus. by Wolf Erlbruch. 48p. Gecko Pr. Sept. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781877579943.
K-Gr 3--In 21 very short stories told on as many spreads, a little king wearing a gold crown examines what it means to be a king, interacting with one subject in each simply titled story. In "The King and the Cloud," he urges the cloud to linger over his kingdom with its green hills and loamy soil, but the cloud moves on. He does handstands and headstands to impress a squirrel, and he loses his temper when a disobedient dog will not sit, lie, or come at his command. When he tells a bee to buzz off because he is the king, she tells him she is the queen and stings him on his nose. "What are you good for," he asks a star who disappears briefly and then lights up the night sky. When the sky gives him a blanket of snow, he gazes in wonder at the dazzling landscape and says "Thank you." The first and last stories are about the king and the sea. In the first he stands quietly listening to the woosh of the waves, and in the last he leaves his crown on the sand and leaps joyfully into the water. The economy of the stories is matched by the masterful use of white space and the placement of collage images. Together they offer a thoughtful look af the king finding his place is his little world. VERDICT This collection of quiet, open-ended stories is a solid choice for most libraries.--Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN
Smith, Mary Jean
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Smith, Mary Jean. "Janisch, Heinz. The King and the Sea: 21 Extremely Short Stories." School Library Journal, July 2015, p. 63. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A420435482/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=affd7707. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A420435482