Erich Kästner, geb. 1899, gest. 1974

Erich Kästner was a German author whose influence stretched way beyond Berlin. My American husband told me about his favorite kids film – Parent Trap – and I had to tell him it wasn’t originally from Disney, it was from Berlin and Erich Kästner: Das Doppelten Lottchen.

Erich Kästner war ein deutscher Schriftsteller, Kabarett-dichter, Drehbuchautor und Publizist. Er hat nachhaltigen Einfluss nicht nur in Berlin und Deutschland hinterlassen. Mein amerikanischer Mann hat mir von seinem Lieblings-Kinderfilm erzählt, „Parent Trap“. Ich: „Aber das klingt doch nach der Geschichte vom Doppelten Lottchen!“ Seht selbst!

About this book:

Luise has ringlets. Lottie has braids. Apart from that they look axactly the same.

But they are sure that they have never set eyes on each other in their lives.

When the two girls meet in at a summer camp and discover the secret behind their similarity, they decide to switch places...

`Walter Trier´s deceptively innocent illustrations are as classic as Kästner´s words; I never tire of them` Quentin Blake