When the soldiers are sent to supply Allied troops in Italy, Voytek takes his place helping to move live artillery shells, when he's not stealing food from the cook or sliding up and down cranes like an acrobat, stopping traffic as soldiers stopped to cheer him on. Tak writes about the soldiers and their animal friends with such good humor that I found myself laughing out loud at their antics, especially touching in the middle of a war. But that wasn't the whole menagerie that followed the soldiers around there was also a dog named Stalin, who Kaska liked to hitch rides on, and a dalmatian who loved to romp around with the bear. But of course, cute little cubs soon grow big, and Voytek soon is getting into plenty of trouble, especially with the resident monkey, Kaska, who loved to throw stones, sand, or whatever she could find at poor Voytek's head. As the soldiers journeyed through Iran and Iraq on their way to their assignment in Palestine to join their Brtish allies, even the officers softened at the adorable teddy bear of a cub. The mischievous bear cub was named Voytek (smiling warrior) by the soldiers. With Negen open armen Lindelauf published his first novel for children (12+, Querido) translations of this novel will or have been published in Africa, Germany, France, Italy, England, Australia, U.S., Korea and the Czech Republic.In this charming novel for children, Dutch author Bibi Dumon Tak fictionalizes the true story of an orphaned Syrian brown bear cub who's adopted by a group of Polish soldiers during World War II, eventually becoming the unit's beloved mascot. There was also an honorable mention for another originally Dutch title: Nine Open Arms, by Benny Lindelauf, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova, translated by John Nieuwenhuizen, and published by Enchanted Lion Press. Aan overview may be found in our Translators database. Soldier Bear, published in Dutch as Soldaat Wojtek, won the 2012 Batchelder Award.īoth books by writer Bibi Dumon Tak and illustrator Philip Hopman, and translated by Laura Watkinson, are published in English by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers the original, Dutch editions are published by Querido.Ĭhildren’s books (6+) by Bibi Dumon Tak have been translated (with the support of the Dutch Foundation) into more than ten languages, including Chinese, German, Japanese, Spanish, and off course English. Dumon Tak, Hopman and Watkinson have the pleasure of receiving this prize - given to the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States - for the second time. Mikis and the Donkey by Dutch author Bibi Dumon Tak and illustrator Philip Hopman and translated by Laura Watkinson is the winner of the 2015 Mitchelder L.

Soldier Bear by Bibi Dumon Tak