Elsa Beskow

Elsa Beskow (née Maartman; born February 11, 1874 in Stockholm, Sweden, † June 30, 1953 in Djursholm, Sweden) was a Swedish children's book author, painter and illustrator.

Life

Elsa Beskow was the daughter of businessman Bernt Maartman (1841-1889) and the teacher Fahlstedt Augusta (1850-1915) was born. She had five younger siblings. When the father went bankrupt and died shortly thereafter (1889 ), the mother moved with her children in the household of her sisters. This initiated a pre-school in terms of educational reform. The aunts were later portrait of Elsa Beskows book Aunt Brown, Aunt Green and Aunt Lila.

Elsa Beskow studied from 1890 to 1895 drawing at the Konstfack in Stockholm, where she learned Natanael Beskow, whom she married in 1897. The couple had six sons, including Bo Beskow.

From 1894 Elsa Beskow published in the children's magazine " Jultomten ", which at that time reached a very high circulation and contributed significantly to an incipient awareness of the work Elsa Beskows. In 1897 she published her first book, Sagan om the lilla, lilla Gumman / The Tale of the small, little woman; more than 30 books should follow, which have been translated into numerous languages.

Work

Elsa Beskows style was the works of Hans Christian Andersen and Zacharias Topelius connected. Her numerous children's books she has illustrated himself. Therefore, it is regarded as Sweden's first picture book author. All books are appropriate for children in an imaginative way, but not very realistic. Many of them belong to the classic Swedish children's literature and will continue to read. The names of some characters are known everywhere in Sweden and incorporated as terms in the Swedish vocabulary. Examples are: " Tant Gron, Tant Brun och Tant Gredelin " ( Aunt Green, Aunt Brown and Aunt Lilac ).

Many books are written in poem form, and some have the children find themselves the perfect " rhyme " of the second line, as in in " Hattstugan " ( Huthäuschen ). Such word games are bad, of course transfer into another language. However, other books are also known in Germany, for example, " Puttes äventyr i blåbärsskogen " ( Johnny in the blueberry forest ) which was published in 1903 in German translation. In many books small elf or gnome children and others say nature occur.

Awards

List of Works

• From 1894 various contributions to the children's magazine " Jultomten "
• Sagan om the lilla, lilla Gumman / The Tale of the tiny, tiny woman. (1897 )
• Barney på Solbacka. (1898 )
• Puttes äventyr i blåbärsskogen / Johnny in the blueberry woods. (1901 )
• Mors lilla Olle. (1903 ), illustrations, text by Alice Tegnér
• Blommornas bok. (1905 ), illustrations, text by Jeanna Oterdahls
• Gnällmåns. (1905)
• Olle skidfärd / Olle's trip to King Winter. (1907)
• Tummelisa / Thumbelina. (1908 ), illustrations, text by Hans Christian Andersen
• Blonde girl in flower. (1908 ), illustrations, text by Georg Lang
• Tomtebobarnen / The Imp children. (1910 )
• Pelles nya kläder / Pelles new clothes. (1912 )
• Blomsterfesten i Täppan / Flower Festival. (1914 )
• Göran bok. (1916 )
• Tant Gron, Tant Brun och Tant Gredelin / Aunt Brown, Aunt Green and Aunt Lila. (1918 )
• Muntergök / Jester. (1919)
• Lasse liten i trägården / small Lasse in the garden. (1920 )
• Lillebrors segelfärd. ( 1921)
• Bubbelemuck. ( 1921)
• Borgmästar Munter. (1922 ), illustrations, text by Alice Tegnér
• Sagan om lilla the hinden / The Tale of the little deer. (1924 )
• Tant Bruns födelsedag. (1925 )
• Årets saga. (1927 )
• Petter och Lotta på äventyr. (1929 )
• Hattstugan. (1930)
• Solägget / The Sonnenei. (1932 )
• Lands Långthärifrån. (1932 )
• Sagan om Abborren the nyfikna / The curious little fish. (1933 )
• Sessalätts äventyr / Lissy's adventure. (1934 )
• Ocke, Nutta och Pillerill / mischief Wichtelwald. (1939 )
• Duktiga Annika / Annika. (1941 )
• Farbror Blås nya båt / uncle blue new boat. (1942 )
• ABC Resan. (1945 )
• Petter och Lotta July / Christmas with Peter and Lotta. (1947 )
• Mr. Peter. (1949)