Jindra Čapek

Joel had never seen such a star, nor such travelers as the three which approached his hut through the snow. Welcoming these kingly visitors, he hears from them the tale of a special young child whose birth the star above heralds, a special child destined to become a king for both the rich and the poor. Unable to forget the story, once the travelers leave, Joel sets out in pursuit, determined to see this unusual king for himself, and to offer the only gift he has - the playing of his flute. show more Along the way he encounters a number of people, each of whom question him about his journey, and give him gifts in exchange for his beautiful music. When he finally arrives at his destination, and meets the child, he gives everything he has - both the gifts he has collected along the way, and his music - to the babe...

Originally published in German as Ein Kind ist geboren, this lovely holiday picture-book is styled, in the translation I read, as being "from an old Christmas legend," leading me to suppose that there is some folkloric antecedent or source for the tale. Unfortunately, no further information as to source or origin is given, which is a keen disappointment, as I had a strong sense of recognition whilst reading, and would have liked to know more about the story's background. Not only does A Child Is Born remind me of such stories as The Legend of Old Befana, which also features a protagonist (female, in that case) who runs after the Three Kings, after an initial delay, but it also strikes me as being akin to the story of The Little Drummer Boy, in which a young drummer likewise follows after the Magi, and just like Joel, offers the Christ Child his music. I know that this song, written by American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941, is supposed to be based upon an unknown Czech carol, and given the fact that Jindra Čapek is Czech, it made me wonder whether this book too was based upon the same unnamed unknown carol. Sadly, no further information is given here, leaving me unable to pursue that line of thought.

Leaving aside issues of source material and attribution, A Child Is Born is still a very appealing Christmas story, one which pairs an engaging "following the Magi" story-line with fascinating artwork. Čapek's illustrations strike me as one part medieval (in perspective and proportion), one part surrealist, and all parts engrossing. Recommended to anyone looking for central European (is this Czech? Is it German? Neither? Both? I have no idea...) Christmas stories. show less

Un cuento breve y entretenido. No llega a lo mejor de Ende pero es agradable y me gusta especialmente que no idealice a la protagonista si no que muestre que sus motivos son un tanto mezquinos.

I had read other books of [a:Michael Ende|15619|Michael Ende|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1315886645p2/15619.jpg] and like them very much but this one is a little bit disappointing. The story is not that interesting and after that yo do not feel the satisfaction of reading a nice book, is like reading a magazine that give you some information but is not going to make you think about it twice. The other books had their magic every time I think on them there are parts I remember and smile show more or have some feeling about it. I can't say the same about this book. show less

Wenn Eltern immer meinen, sie müssten das letzte Wort haben und entscheiden, dann ist das nicht einfach für Kinder.
Auch Lenchen hat Schwierigkeiten mit Ihren Eltern, denn wenn sie einen Zeichentrickfilm sehen möchte, will der Vater Nachrichten schauen. Auch ihre Mutter putzt ihr nicht die Schuhe, sondern ist der Meinung, dass Lenchen alt genug ist, um das selbst zu machen. Der Urlaub soll in den Bergen verbracht werden, dabei möchte Lenchen viel lieber ans Meer. Lenchen will endlich show more etwas ändern und sucht nach einer Fee, die ihr dabei hilft. Die Fee muss aber auch erst länger überlegen, bevor sie eine Lösung findet. Jedes Mal, wenn die Eltern nun nicht gehorchen werden sie um die Hälfte kleiner. Je kleiner die Eltern werden, umso mehr kann Lenchen ihre Wünsche durchsetzen. Da gefällt ihr zunächst, doch es bringt neue Probleme mit sich.
Dieses Kinderbuch von Michael Ende ist sehr schön. Die Illustrationen passen gut zu der Geschichte und sind kindgerecht.
Die Figuren gefallen mir gut. Lenchen ist ein Kind wie viele andere. Sie hat Wünsche und einen festen Willen. Doch das Leben ist nun einmal so, dass einem nicht immer alle Wünsche erfüllt werden. Das führt bei Kindern oft zu Frustration und Trotz. Lenchen aber sucht nach einer anderen Lösung. Die Fee sieht aus wie eine normale Frau und hat kein Bling-Bling und keinen Zauberstab.
Wird Lenchen wieder ihre Eltern in voller Größe zurückbekommen? Lasst euch überraschen.
Uns hat dieses wundervolle Kinderbuch gut unterhalten. show less