Lisa and Lottie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lisa and Lottie

One of earliest German editions, c. 1949
Author	Erich Kästner
Original title	Das doppelte Lottchen
Translator	Cyrus Brooks (United States and Canada since 1962) Anthea Bell (United Kingdom and Australia since 2014)
Illustrator	Walter Trier
Country	Germany
Genre	Children's novel
Publication date	1949
Published in English	c.1962 as Lottie and Lisa c.1969 as Lisa and Lottie c.2014 as The Parent Trap

Lisa and Lottie, also known as The Parent Trap, is a popular children's book from Germany. It was written by Erich Kästner in 1949. The story is about two identical twin girls who were separated when their parents divorced. Years later, they meet by chance at a summer camp. They then come up with a clever plan to switch places!

The idea for the book actually started during World War II. Erich Kästner first thought of it as a movie script in 1942. However, the Nazi government stopped him from working on it. After the war ended, Kästner turned his idea into the book Das doppelte Lottchen. It featured lovely drawings by Walter Trier.

Das doppelte Lottchen became a very successful novel. It has been made into many movies and TV shows. The most famous adaptations are Disney's 1961 film The Parent Trap, starring Hayley Mills, and its 1998 remake, starring Lindsay Lohan.

The book was first translated into English in 1962 by Cyrus Brooks. This version was called Lottie and Lisa. A newer translation by Anthea Bell came out in 2014. This version is called The Parent Trap and is more like the original German story.

The Story of Lisa and Lottie

This section tells you what happens in the book, chapter by chapter.

Chapter One: A Surprising Meeting

At a girls' summer camp in Germany, two nine-year-old girls, Luise Palfy and Lottie Körner, are amazed. They look exactly alike! Luise has curly hair and is a bit cheeky. Lottie has two braids and is shy. The camp leaders are also surprised. Luise lives in Vienna, and Lottie lives in Munich. They have never met before.

The camp staff makes them sit and sleep together. At first, Luise is a bit rude. But soon, she starts to like Lottie. They become friends.

Chapter Two: Discovering the Truth

Luise and Lottie quickly become good friends. One day, they both show up with braids, making everyone guess who is who! They go to the village, where a photographer takes their picture. They want to send the photos home.

Then, they learn something amazing. They were both born on the same day, October 14, in the same city, Linz! Luise and Lottie realize they are identical twin sisters. A camp assistant also finds this out. But the head of the camp tells her not to say anything. She thinks the girls already know. When they get back to camp, Lottie gives Luise a photo of their mother.

Chapter Three: The Big Plan

Instead of sending the photos home, Luise and Lottie tear them up. They throw the pieces into the lake. The sisters figure out they lived together until they were two and a half years old. That's when their parents got divorced and separated them. Their mother, Luiselotte, even split her own first name to give them their names!

Luise asks her father to send her a photo of him. She then gives it to Lottie.

Chapter Four: Switching Places

For weeks, Luise and Lottie secretly exchange notes. They are planning to pretend to be each other! They want to spend time with the parent they've never known. When it's time to go home from camp, they put their plan into action.

Luise (pretending to be Lottie) braids her hair and takes the train to Munich. Lottie (pretending to be Luise) curls her hair and takes the train to Vienna.

Chapter Five: New Homes, New Challenges

Luise is now living in Munich with her mother, Luiselotte Körner. Her mother works as an editor for a newspaper.

Lottie is living in Vienna with her father, Ludwig Palfy. He is a Music Director at the Opera House. He also has a housekeeper named Resi. One night, a paediatrician named Dr. Strobl visits with his dog, Peperl. The dog sniffs Lottie and seems to know she isn't the real Luise! At home, Resi is surprised by "Luise's" sudden interest in housework.

We also learn that Luise's mother secretly goes to Ludwig's concerts in Munich. She knows he's not happy, even though he's successful.

Chapter Six: Adjusting to New Lives

In Munich, Luise tries to cook like her sister. She makes a mess! But her mother happily helps her. She calls Luise her "little housewife", which was her nickname for the real Lottie.

In Vienna, Lottie watches her father conduct an opera. A woman named Irene Gerlach sits next to Lottie. Lottie thinks she might be her father's new girlfriend. That night, Lottie has a bad dream. She dreams that Miss Gerlach is an evil witch who breaks up their family.

Chapter Seven: School and Secrets

When school starts, "Luise" surprises her teachers. She becomes a model student! The dog, Peperl, now accepts Lottie as a friend. Lottie also helps Resi with many chores. Meanwhile, Ludwig tells Irene he plans to write his own children's opera.

In Munich, "Lottie" surprises everyone by slapping a bully named Anni Habersetzer. Lottie's teacher tells her mother about this change. Her mother thinks "Lottie" is stressed from doing housework. So, they go on a short holiday to the Alps. They both enjoy the trip very much.

Chapter Eight: A Shocking Announcement

In Vienna, Lottie becomes friends with her neighbor, an artist named Anton Gabele. One day, Ludwig tells Lottie that he and Irene are getting married. Lottie is shocked! She begs both her father and Irene to call off the wedding. But they both refuse. Irene even plans to send "Luise" to a boarding school after the wedding. Lottie becomes very ill, which worries Dr. Strobl and Ludwig.

Chapter Nine: The Truth Comes Out

In Munich, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper shows Luiselotte the photos of her daughters. Even though the twins tore up their copies, the photographer had printed more. He was amazed by how much they looked alike. Luiselotte is shocked by the pictures. She goes to Miss Linnekogel, the teacher. She tells her about the twins being separated. She also says she thinks the twin living with her is actually Luise. The teacher tells Luiselotte that the twins' happiness is what matters most.

The twins have been secretly writing letters to each other. Luise knows about her father's relationship with Irene. She gets worried because Lottie suddenly stops sending letters. When Luiselotte comes home, she calls Luise by her real name. Luise then tells her mother everything.

Chapter Ten: A Family Reunited

Luiselotte and Luise call Ludwig on the phone. They tell him about the switch. When they hear Lottie is ill, Luise and their mother fly to Vienna. Even after the truth is out, Luiselotte and Lottie decide to stay with Ludwig and Luise for a while. Ludwig tells Irene what happened. She gets angry and leaves him. She thinks Luiselotte is trying to get Ludwig back. Even though he loses Irene, Ludwig finds inspiration in his daughters to write his children's opera.

Chapter Eleven: A Birthday Wish

Still together in Vienna, the two families celebrate Luise and Lottie's tenth birthday. Their parents ask them what they want for their birthday. The twins wish for their parents to be one family again. Ludwig and Luiselotte think about this. They realize they still care for each other and fall in love again! Their daughters are delighted.

Chapter Twelve: A Happy Ending

Ludwig and Luiselotte get married again! Their wedding is witnessed by Luise, Lottie, Mr. Gabele, Dr. Strobl, and the dog Peperl. After the wedding, the Palfy family goes to Luise's school. They enroll Lottie as herself. The headteacher finds the story amusing. He says it reminds him of two twin brothers who pretended to be one boy to go to school.

Luise's classmate, who was at the camp, tells the whole story to the other students and teachers. The Palfy family takes a taxi home. They even pass Irene on the way. Resi asks Luise and Lottie if they want a baby brother or sister now. They say they wish for both brothers and sisters, and that they are also twins!

Different English Versions

The book has been translated into English more than once. In 2014, a new English version called The Parent Trap was published in the United Kingdom and Australia. This version is very true to the original German story. It uses the names Luise Palfy and Lottie Körner. The older English version, called Lottie and Lisa, is still published in the United States and Canada.

Movies and Shows Based on the Book

The story of Lisa and Lottie has been so popular that it has been made into many films and TV shows around the world. Here are some of them:

• 1950: Two Times Lotte (Germany)
• 1951: Hibari no komoriuta (Japan)
• 1953: Twice Upon a Time (United Kingdom)
• 1961: The Parent Trap (United States)
• 1965: Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum (India, Tamil language)
• 1968: Do Kaliyaan (India, Hindi language)
• 1991: The Two Lottes (Japan), an anime TV series
• 1994: Charlie & Louise (Germany)
• 1995: It Takes Two (United States)
• 1995: Strange Sisters (Iran)
• 1998: The Parent Trap (United States)
• 2001: Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi (India)
• 2007: Das doppelte Lottchen (Germany), an animated film
• 2016: Das doppelte Lottchen: Ein Comic (Germany), a graphic novel
• 2017: Das doppelte Lottchen (Germany), a television film
• 2022: Identical (United Kingdom), a musical

See also

In Spanish: Las dos Carlotas para niños