Lottie and Lisa facts for kids
One of earliest German editions, c. 1949
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| Author | Erich Kästner |
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| Original title | Das doppelte Lottchen |
| Translator | Cyrus Brooks |
| Illustrator | Illustrated by Walter Trier |
| Country | Germany |
| Genre | Children's novel |
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Publication date
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1949 |
Lottie and Lisa is a famous book from 1949 by Erich Kästner. Its original German title is Das doppelte Lottchen, which means "The Double Lottie". The story is about two twin girls who were separated when they were babies. They meet each other for the first time at a summer camp.
The idea for the book first came to Kästner during World War II. He wanted to make it into a movie script. After the war ended, he turned his idea into this very popular book. Many movies and TV shows have been made from Lottie and Lisa. The most famous one is Disney's 1961 movie The Parent Trap. That movie starred Hayley Mills and led to a whole series of films.
Contents
Discover the Story of Lottie and Lisa
How Two Twins Meet at Camp
The book tells the story of two nine-year-old girls. Lisa Palfy lives in Vienna, and Lottie Horn lives in Munich. They meet at a summer camp by a lake. They soon find out they are identical twins. Their parents had divorced and each parent raised one of the girls.
The Twins' Big Secret
The girls decide to switch places at the end of the summer. Lottie goes to live with her father in Vienna. Lisa goes to live with her mother in Munich. Many grown-ups notice changes in the girls. "Lottie" (who is really Lisa) forgets how to cook. She also gets into a fight at school. "Lisa" (who is really Lottie) starts watching the housekeeper's money. She also becomes a very good student. But no one guesses their secret.
A Family Reunited
One day, Lottie (pretending to be Lisa) learns her father plans to marry again. She becomes very sick and stops writing to her sister. Meanwhile, Lottie's mother finds a picture of the two girls at camp. Lisa tells her the whole story. The girls' mother calls her former husband in Vienna. She tells him what happened and why Lottie stopped writing. When she hears Lottie is sick, she and Lisa travel to Vienna right away. The parents are reunited because their daughters asked them to be.
Movies and Shows Based on the Book
The story of Lottie and Lisa has been made into many movies and TV shows. Here are some of them:
- 1950: Two Times Lotte (West Germany)
- 1951: Hilbari's Lullaby (Japan)
- 1953: Twice Upon a Time (United Kingdom)
- 1961: The Parent Trap with Hayley Mills (United States)
- 1965: Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum (India)
- 1966: Letha Manasulu (India)
- 1968: Do Kaliyaan (India)
- 1980: Mischievous Angels (Korea)
- 1987: Pyaar ke kabil" (India)
- 1991: I and Myself: The Two Lottes (Japanese animated TV series)
- 1994: Charlie & Louise (Germany)
- 1994: Dvynukės (Lithuania)
- 1995: It Takes Two with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (United States)
- 1995: Strange Sisters, (Iran)
- 1998: The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan (United States)
- 1998: Minty (TV series), an Australian-British TV series
- 1999: Mania czy Ania (Poland)
- 2001: Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi (India)
- 2002: Cómplices Al Rescate for TV (Mexico)
- 2003: Tur & Retur (Sweden)
- 2007: Das doppelte Lottchen in animation form (Germany)
- 2010: אורה הכפולה a stage play (Israel)
- 2015: Cúmplices de um Resgate for TV (Brazil)
- 2017: Das doppelte Lottchen for TV (Germany)
- 2021: Identical, a British stage musical
English Versions of the Book
See also
In Spanish: Las dos Carlotas para niños
