Emil and the Detectives facts for kids

Emil and the Detectives (German: Emil und die Detektive) is a famous children's book written by Erich Kästner from Germany in 1929. Walter Trier drew the pictures for the book. It takes place mostly in Berlin. This book was Kästner's first big success. It was also one of the few books he wrote before 1945 that was not banned during a difficult time in Germany. The book became popular very quickly, selling two million copies at first. It was first published in English in 1931 and has been translated into at least 59 languages. You can still find it in print today!

This novel is still Kästner's most famous work. What made it special for its time was that it was set in the real world, in a busy Berlin, with characters who felt very real. It wasn't a fantasy story. The book also didn't try to preach or tell readers what to do. Instead, it let the characters' actions show what was right or wrong. Emil was the first name of Kästner's own father.

What Happens in the Story

The story starts in a small German town called Neustadt. This is where 12-year-old Emil Tischbein lives. His father has passed away, and his mother works as a hairdresser to raise him. Emil's mother sends him to Berlin to stay with his aunt and grandmother. She gives him 140 marks, which she saved up over several months from her earnings. Emil is very careful with the money. He pins it to the inside of his jacket using a sewing needle so he won't lose it.

The Train Journey and a Missing Mystery

On the train ride to Berlin, Emil shares his seat with a strange man wearing a bowler hat. The man introduces himself as Herr Grundeis. Emil accepts some chocolate from him and then falls asleep. When Emil wakes up, his money is gone, and so is Herr Grundeis! Emil gets off the train at a different station in Berlin than he planned. He then spots Grundeis in the busy station and decides to follow him. Emil is determined to get his money back. He doesn't want to call the police because a policeman in his hometown saw him paint a monument's nose red. Because of this, Emil feels like he's "a kind of criminal" himself.

Emil Meets the Detectives

While Grundeis is eating lunch in a restaurant, Emil meets a local boy named Gustav. Emil tells Gustav about his problem. Gustav offers to help and gathers a group of local children. They call themselves "the detectives."

Catching the Thief

Emil and the gang follow Grundeis to a hotel and watch him all night. The next day, they follow the thief to a bank. Grundeis tries to exchange the stolen money for smaller bills. One of the young detectives follows him into the bank and tells the bank teller that the money is stolen. Emil then goes in and explains his story. He proves the money is his by describing the small holes left by the needle he used to pin the bills to his jacket.

Grundeis tries to run away, but the detectives hold onto him tightly until a police officer arrives. Emil's cousin, Pony Hütchen, had alerted the police. Once Grundeis is arrested, the police discover he is part of a gang of bank robbers!

Emil and his new friends become local heroes. Emil even receives a reward of 1000 marks for helping to catch Grundeis. After everything is sorted out, Emil's grandmother shares a lesson from the story: "Never send cash – always use the postal service."

The Sequel: Emil and the Three Twins

In 1934, a sequel to the book was published called Emil and the Three Twins [de]. In this book, Emil and his friends have many fun adventures on the Baltic coast. This happens two years after the events in Berlin. Part of this story is based on Kästner's own memories of a wonderful holiday in the same place during the summer of 1914. That holiday was cut short when World War I began. He wrote about it in his autobiography, "When I was a Little Boy."

The second book didn't become as famous as the first. This was mainly because it was written shortly before a certain political group came to power in Germany. At that time, Kästner's books were not allowed to be published in Germany, and some existing books were even destroyed. However, the first Emil book was so popular and seemed harmless enough that it was not banned.

Film and Stage Adaptations

The story of Emil and the Detectives has been made into movies several times.

• An early German movie from 1931 had a screenplay written by a young Billy Wilder. Rolf Wenkhaus played Emil. This film was very successful and many people think it's the best movie version.
• Other movies were made in 1935 (United Kingdom), 1954 (West Germany), 1964 (United States, made by Walt Disney Productions), Emiler Goenda Bahini (Bangladesh, 1980), and 2001 (Germany).
• There was also a British television series in 1952 that told the story in three 35-minute episodes.

The Red Earth Theatre created the first stage play of Emil and the Detectives in the UK. They worked with MAC (Birmingham) to put on the show, which toured England from September to November 2013. Wendy Rouse and Amanda Wilde adapted and directed it, and Laura McEwen designed the sets.

In December 2013, Carl Miller's play version opened on the main Olivier stage at London's National Theatre. Bijan Sheibani directed the play, and Bunny Christie designed it.

Impact on Children's Books

Emil and the Detectives played a big part in starting a new type of children's book: detective stories for kids! It showed groups of children working together to solve mysteries and catch criminals. This type of story became very popular in English books, especially through the writings of Enid Blyton.

See also

In Spanish: Emilio y los detectives para niños