Elle Kari facts for kids
| Author | Astrid Lindgren |
|---|---|
| Original title | Elle Kari |
| Illustrator | Anna Riwkin-Brick |
| Country |  Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
| Series | Children's Everywhere |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Rabén & Sjögren |
|
Publication date
|
1951 |
|
Published in English
|
1952 |
| Followed by | Noriko-San: girl of Japan |
Elle Kari is a special book for young readers. It was written by Elly Jannes and features amazing photos by Anna Riwkin-Brick. The book first came out in 1951 in Sweden. It was the very first book in a popular series called Children's Everywhere.
Many famous authors later wrote for this series. These included Astrid Lindgren and Leah Goldberg. The series shared stories about children from all around the world.
Contents
The Story of Elle Kari
Elle Kari is a young girl, almost four years old. She lives in a place called Lapland. This area is in the northern part of Sweden. In winter, Elle Kari lives in a house. But in summer, her family moves to a special hut. This hut is made from logs and peat.
Elle Kari has a best friend, her father's dog, Tjappo. She loves Tjappo very much. One day, Tjappo disappears. Elle Kari feels very sad when he is gone.
Her mother explains what happened. Tjappo and her father are spending the summer in the mountains. Her father works to protect the baby reindeer from wolves. When autumn arrives, Tjappo comes back. He returns with all the reindeer. Elle Kari is so happy to see him!
At night, when Elle Kari falls asleep, Tjappo watches over her. He dreams of going back to the mountains. But he only wants to go if Elle Kari can come too.
About the Book and Its Impact
Elle Kari was the first of 15 books in the Children's Everywhere series. The story is based on real events. However, some parts were changed for the book.
The idea for the book started with Elly Jannes and Anna Riwkin. They wanted to create a photo book about the Sámi. The Sámi are the native people of northern Europe. This project was part of a bigger plan by UNESCO. UNESCO is an organization that promotes peace and education.
Anna Riwkin took many photos for this project. She also photographed a little girl named Elle Kari. When Elly Jannes saw these pictures, she had an idea. She suggested making a children's book with Elle Kari's photos.
The book was published in 1951. It was Anna Riwkin-Brick's first photo book for kids. It was also the first Swedish photo book to show a child's daily life in a story. The book became very popular right away. It was translated into 18 different languages. In Germany alone, over 25,000 copies were sold.
The real Elle Kari became famous after the book came out. Newspapers and magazines wrote about her for many years. Even when she was a teenager, people were still interested in her story. Later, in the 1970s, a Swedish film was made about Elle Kari's own daughter.
The Book's Popularity in Israel
The Children's Everywhere series was very successful in Israel. This was partly thanks to the poet Leah Goldberg. She helped translate the books into Hebrew.
In 2014, an Israeli director named Dvorit Shargal made a documentary film. It was called Where is Elle-Kari and what happened to Noriko-san?. This film was very popular. Because of the film, many books from the Children's Everywhere series were printed again in Israel. Elle Kari was one of them.
In the documentary, Dvorit Shargal visits the real Elle Kari at her home. Elle Kari talks about her life in the film. The director also interviews the daughter of Elly Jannes. She was named after Elle Kari, showing how much the book meant to her family.
Different Editions of Elle Kari
- Elle Kari, Rabén & Sjögren, 1951, Swedish Edition
- Elle Kari, 1952, US-american Edition
- Elle Kari, Methuen, 1962, British Edition
- Elle Kari, Oetinger Verlag, 1952, German Edition
- Elle Kari - Lapin tyttö, Otava, 1962, Finish Edition
- Elle Kari, Gylsendal, 1962, Norwegian Edition
- Elli Kári, Sámi girjjit, 1994, Northern Sami Edition
- Elle Kaari, Sámi girjjit, 1994, Northern Sami Edition
- Elle Kari - historien om en lille pige fra Lapland, Høst og Søns, 1956, Danish Edition
