Esel und Bärin

Donkey and Bear - a well-behaved picture book duo that draws pious lessons from small adventures? Far from it! When the two indulge in blueberry pie without restraint and cry blackberry-red tears from bellyaches, they only pause to start all over again. And when they encounter a crocodile by the river, one can feel a bit of sympathy for the reptile, which the pair defeats with unpleasant smells. Yet Donkey and Bear can also be gentle, taking turns hatching an egg that they didn't even lay. Sometimes, tenderness and robustness blend together, as one strikes powerfully at the mosquito sitting on the other's nose. Aby Hartog's little stories sound spontaneously conceived. Sometimes funny and crude, with "Splash" and "Ouch" and "Boink," sometimes touching and told with a fine punchline. But they are unmatched.