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| Author | Astrid Lindgren |
|---|---|
| Original title | Jul i stallet |
| Illustrator | Harald Wiberg |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
| Publisher | Rabén & Sjögren |
Publication date | 1961 |
Published in English | 1962 |
Christmas in the Stable (original title: Jul i stallet) is a 1961 children's book by Astrid Lindgren, illustrated by Harald Wiberg.
A mother tells a story about the very first Christmas to her child. Although it had happened a long time ago in a distant land, the child imagines that it had happened on his parents' farm.
A man and a woman are very tired after a long journey and want to sleep, but there is no light in the courtyards around them. Therefore, the two travelers go into a stable. When the couple is in the stable the animals walk around the woman and warm her up. A short time later, the woman gets a baby. All stars suddenly light up, one is particularly bright and stands directly above the stable. The shepherds in the fields wonder why there is a star above the stable. When they see the newborn child, they realize that the star is shining for the child. Since there is no bed, the woman puts her child in a crib. The child sleeps and is watched by the shepherds and animals. The poinsettia is shining in the sky above the stable.
The book was first published in 1961 in Sweden, by Raben & Sjogren. The text had been written by Astrid Lindgren and the book was illustrated by Harald Wiberg. The story has been translated into many languages, including English, German, [1] Low German, [2] and Frisian. [3] In Sweden and Germany a new edition of the book with pictures from Lars Klinting has been released in 2002. [4] This edition has not been published in English.
Stiftung Lesen thinks that the Christmas story is "simple but wonderfully beautiful". [5] Kirkus Reviews adds that the story is told without mentioning religious symbols. It is a "fine introduction to the meaning of Christmas for the child who (...) nestles in mother's lap to discover it". [6]
According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Astrid Lindgren is telling Christmas story in a simple way, so that the imagination can find its own pictures. Harald Wiberg illustrates the story from a dreamier, but at the same time more distant perspective than Lars Klinting. [7]
According to t-online.de Lindgren's book is already suitable for very small children. The Christmas story is told in ancient, mysterious and yet new, timeless manner, and Harald Wiberg's illustrations are wonderful. [8]
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren was a Swedish writer of fiction and screenplays. She is best known for several children's book series, featuring Pippi Longstocking, Emil of Lönneberga, Karlsson-on-the-Roof, and the Six Bullerby Children, and for the children's fantasy novels Mio, My Son; Ronia the Robber's Daughter; and The Brothers Lionheart. Lindgren worked on the Children's Literature Editorial Board at the Rabén & Sjögren publishing house in Stockholm and wrote more than 30 books for children. In 2017, she was calculated to be the world's 18th most translated author. Lindgren had by 2010 sold roughly 167 million books worldwide. In 1994, she was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for "her unique authorship dedicated to the rights of children and respect for their individuality." Her opposition to corporal punishment of children resulted in the world's first law on the matter in 1979, while her campaigning for animal welfare led to a new law, Lex Lindgren, in time for her 80th birthday.
Pippi Longstocking is the fictional main character in an eponymous series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Pippi was named by Lindgren's daughter Karin, who asked her mother for a get-well story when she was off school.
Brenda Brave Helps Grandmother is a 1950 story by Astrid Lindgren about a young girl named Brenda (Kajsa) in Sweden. The book about the character has been translated into many different languages.
"Tomten", also known as "Midvinternattens köld är hård", is a poem written by Viktor Rydberg, and originally published in Ny Illustrerad Tidning in 1881. While outwardly being an idyllic Christmas poem, the poem asks about the meaning of life.
Never Violence! or Never Violence is the title of a speech made by Astrid Lindgren in 1978, when she received the peace prize Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels. It is one of the most well-known and influential speeches by Lindgren. Astrid Lindgren speaks against corporal punishment of children. A year later, in Lindgren's home country Sweden, a law was released that forbid corporal punishment of children. In 1978, the speech was first published as a book under the German title Astrid Lindgren: Ansprachen anlässlich der Verleihung des Friedenspreises des Deutschen Buchhandels . Later the book was also published in many different languages. In 2009, a German short film called Never Violence had been published at Children's Day. It was based on the story mentioned in Lindgrens speech.
Tomte Tummetott and the Fox is a 2007 German film directed by Sandra Schießl and based on the novels The Tomten and The Tomten and the Fox by Astrid Lindgren.
The following is a list of books published by Astrid Lindgren, a Swedish author of children's fiction.
A Calf for Christmas is a children's book by Astrid Lindgren.
Harald Wiberg was a Swedish writer, artist and illustrator. He was best known for his illustrations in the books about Tomten and of Astrid Lindgren.
The Red Bird is a children's book written by Astrid Lindgren.
The Day Adam Got Mad, also Goran's Great Escape is a children's book written by Astrid Lindgren.
I Don't Want to Go to Bed is a children's book written by Astrid Lindgren.
Mirabelle is a children's book written by Astrid Lindgren.
I Want to Go to School Too is a children's book written by Astrid Lindgren. It is about Peter and his sister Lena, who previously appeared in the book I Want a Brother or Sister.
I Want a Brother or Sister, also That's My Baby is a children's book written by Astrid Lindgren. It is about Peter and his sister Lena, who later appeared in the book I Want to Go to School Too.
If I were God is a poem written by Astrid Lindgren.
The Tomten books are two children's books written by Astrid Lindgren. They are based on poems by Viktor Rydberg and Karl-Erik Forsslund.
Astrid Lindgren's plays are a number of theater plays written by Astrid Lindgren in the 1940s to 1970s. Part of the plays are based on her books, other stories were only written for theater. Since almost all of Astrid Lindgren's works have been staged for theater, this page only deals with the plays, whose scripts were written by Astrid Lindgren. Many of these works were published in the Swedish books Sex Pjäser för barn och ungdom (1950), Serverat, Ers Majestät! (1955) and Praeser för barn och ungdom. Other Samlingen (1968). Most of these works have not been translated into English. These include stories about well-known characters such as Kalle Blomquist or Pippi Longstocking, which were only written for the theater and were not published as prose.
Lotta on Troublemaker Street is a Swedish novel and picture book series by Rabén & Sjögren, which is written by Astrid Lindgren.
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