This document summarizes 4 children's books from different countries: 1) UK4 - The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, about a clever mouse who survives in the forest by tricking other animals. 2) ES5 - La banda de Vilancendoi by Xulio Gayoso, about a small village brought together by their music band. 3) IT1 - Pinocchio by Roberto Piumini, a simplified telling of the classic story about a puppet who wants to become a real boy. 4) CZ1 - Jak krtek uzdravil Myšku by Hana Doskočilová, about a mole

1. UK4
United EuroLib Book Presentation
Kingdom
Book No UK4 Country UK
Name of Book The Gruffalo Name of Book (EN) The Gruffalo
Author m/f Julia Donaldson, f Illustrator m/f Alex Scheffler, m
Published MACMILLAN 2000 Language English
No of Pages 27 Cost in Euro 6.66 €
Story summary
A mouse walks in a forest and could become dinner for the other animals, but he
survives thanks to a brilliant strategy.
Review
A mouse is walking in a deep dark forest and the other, larger animals, want to eat
him. How can he survive?nYou will see that he is very, very smart: he tells all the
animals that he meets that he has an appointment with a hungry Gruffalo, right
where they are now talking. The mouse describes the Gruffalo as a huge terrifying
beast, extremely frightening. The mouse describes the Gruffalo so well that the
animals believe that such a creature exists and run away. So the mouse continues
to walk happily in the forest. But what happens when he actually does meet the
Gruffalo? Ha, ha...the mouse is a genius....
About the author
Julia Donaldson is one of today's most popular writers. Although she is best-
known for her picture books, Julia also writes longer novels, plays and songs. She
lives in Glasgow, Scotland.
Axel Scheffler has achieved worldwide acclaim for his children’s book
illustrations, and his books have been translated into over twenty languages. Born
in Germany, Axel now lives in London.
Subject Fiction
Subject How intelligence can be stronger than physical strength.
description

2. ES5
Spain EuroLib Book Description
Book No ES5 Country Spain
Name of Book La banda de Name of Book (EN) Vilacendoi’s band
Vilancendoi
Author m/f Xulio Gayoso, m Illustrator m/f Xulio Gayoso, m
Published Ediciones Language Spanish
Kalandraka 2006
No of Pages 48 Cost in Euro 12.00 €
Story summary
The music band of Villacendoi, a small village in the countryside, was the
backbone, the strength and the glue that held the village together.
Review
Vilacendoi is a small village in the countryside and the local band has always been
the unifying force of the community. But over time people leave the beautiful
village to move to the cities resulting in disappearance of the band. But then new
people move in, from all over the world, with different ideas and customs. They
look different, peculiar, but soon Vilacendoi is alive again, the same as it was
before, full of life and happiness. And the band is playing again.
About the author
Xulio Gayoso from Lugo, 1954. Is professor of drawing in the education center of
Cambados (Pontevedra). Although the illustration is his preferred field, he has also
made paintings, ceramics and illustrations for magazines.
Subject Fiction
Subject Racism, integration, nature, society values, cultural diversity
description

3. IT1
Italy EuroLib Book Presentation
Book No IT1 Country Italy
Name of Book Pinocchio Name of Book (EN) Pinocchio
Author m/f Roberto Piumini, m Illustrator m/f Lucia Salemi,f
Published Edizioni EL 2009 Language Italian
No of Pages 32 Cost in Euro 9.90 €
Story summary
The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi originally appeared in 1887 and is the
story of a wooden puppet that dreams of becoming a real boy. This is a simplified
version of the classic story.
Review
Once upon a time, in a small Italian village, there was a poor carpenter whose
name was Geppetto. One day he found a beautiful piece of wood, and decided to
make a wooden puppet. “I will call It Pinocchio” he said, working away. “It will be
a puppet that will jump, and speak!”. And so it was! When completed Pinocchio
came to life. Pinocchio begins his life and goes through many emotions,
disappointment, love, amusement, lies and till he finds the truth and learns not to
lie. He has many adventures with diverse characters such as Mangiafuoco, The cat
and the fox, The whale, the cricket - who is his conscience - and The beautiful
fairy. But will the fairy make his dream come true... becoming a real boy?
About the author and illustrator
Roberto Piumini was born in 1947. He lives in Milan and Tuscany in Italy. He has
been a teacher, conductor, actor. From 1978 he has written poems, fairy tales,
stories, novels, songs and plays, translations and subjects for cartoons and film,
both for children and adults. He still produces shows of fairy tales with poetry and
music, for children and adults. Many of his books have been translated.
Lucia Salemi was born in Bologna in 1968, her father is the painter Michele
Salemi. She has been illustrating children's books for eight years. She lives near
Bologna with her husband and her daughter Benedetta.
Subject Fiction - Classic
Subject Clear explanation of the meaning of life specifically addressing
description who we are and why we’re here.

4. CZ1
Czech EuroLib Book Presentation
Republic
Book No CZ1 Country Czech Republic
Name of Book Jak krtek uzdravil Name of Book (EN) How the Mole
Myšku cured the Mouse
Author m/f Hana Doskočilová, Illustrator m/f Zdeněk Miler, m
f
Published Albatros 1993 Language Czech
No of Pages 87 Cost in Euro 8.80 €
Story summary
There is nothing better than having a friend and the Mole has one, the Mouse.
But one day the Mouse falls ill. Her friend sets out on a long journey across all
the world to find her medicine.
Review
The Mole lives in a deep forest and his best friend is a little grey Mouse. But
one day the Mouse doesn´t come to play, because she is ill. The Mole asks for
advice from wise Owl, the forest doctor, who says that the best medicine is
Matricaria chamomilla. But where does this plant with such a strange name
grow? Nobody in the forest know and the Mole set out on a long journey to
find it and cure his friend. On his the journey around the world he meets
different animals and visits many places. Do you want to know where he finally
finds the medicine? Read the book to find out what is Matricaria chamomila
and cure the Mouse!
About the author and illustrator
Hana Doskočilová (Jihlava, 1936), is one of the most popular Czech authors
for children amd their parents.
Zdeněk Miler (Kladno, 1921), is a Czech animator and illustrator best known
for his Mole character and its adventures. Miler made about 70 films for
children and in approximately 50 of them, the hero is his most famous
creation, the small Mole (Krtek in Czech) and his animal friends.
Subject Fiction - Local classic
Subject description Power of friendship, being unselfish, learning about other
cultures and lifestyles

5. FI1
Finland EuroLib Book Presentation
Book No FI1 Country Finland
Name of Book Tatun ja Patun Name of Book (EN) Tatu and Patu’s
Suomi Finland
Author m/f Aino Havukainen (f), Illustrator m/f Aino Havukainen, f,
Sami Toivonen (m) Sami Toivonen, m
Published Otava 2007 Language Finnish
No of Pages 47 Cost in Euro 23,30 €
Story summary
Brothers Tatu and Patu are alien children. They set out to explore Finland and its
culture. In their own funny way they explore the country looking at its nature,
history and culture and turn up lots of fascinating information.
Review
Brothers Tatu and Patu are from Outola (Weirdworld) and are curious about a
country called Finland. First the brothers explore its animals and nature, then they
look into Finnish history. They start from the very first people who lived in Finland
after the Ice Age and continue right up to the 21st century. The brothers also
investigate strange and wonderful Finnish inventions, food and habits, like saunas,
rye bread and spending midsummer in a cottage. They are introduced to famous
and important Finnish people, including Santa Claus and also ordinary Finnish
families that live in flats in the town. In fact, Tatu and Patu visit an ordinary Finnish
family and get to know the everyday life of a Finnish family. Tatu and Patu complete
their exploration of Finland with the decision that it has been a great success, so
much so that they feel that they are almost Finnish themselves.
About the authors
Aino Havukainen (born 1968) and Sami Toivonen (born 1971) are a couple who
work together as children’s book writers, illustrators and graphic designers. With the
book Tatu and Patu’s Finland, they won the Finland Junior-prize in 2007. Tatu and
Patu books have been sold internationally in 10 countries. The couple currently lives
in Sastamala and they have taken part in Kirjaset, which is an event that revolves
around children’s and youth literature. Kirjaset is held in Sastamala once a year and
the aim is to encourage children and youth to read and write.
Subject Historical, fiction
Subject Cultural knowledge, getting to know other cultures and
description lifestyles, humour, culture specific information about nature,
animals, people and habits

6. TR 4
Turkey EuroLib Book Presentation
Book No TR4 Country Turkey
Name of Book Nasreddin Hoca Name of Book Jokes from Nasreddin
Fıkraları: Ağaçtan öte (EN) Hodja; there is a way
yol var ahead the tree
Author m/f Anonymous (Prepared Illustrator m/f Sinem Zenginçelebi, f
by Gamze Alıcı, f
Publisher Timaş 2008 Language Turkish
No od Pages 31 Cost in Euro 1.50 €
Story summary
There are actually three Nasreddin Hodja stories told one after another. In the first
story, Nasreddin Hodja helps people find a way to save a man from drowning. In
the second story, children want to play a trick to Hodja and take his shoes away,
but Hodja realises their trick and tells the children a witty answer. In the last story,
Hodja falls off the roof, but he still makes people laugh with his witty words.
Review
As Hodja is walking with his donkey, Karakaçan, he sees some people trying to
save a man from drowning. They tell the man to give his hand. But the man
refuses to give his hand. Hodja intervenes in saying “He never likes giving. Tell him
to grab your hand”. At the end, they manage to save the man. Then, Hodja meets
some children. They want to play a trick on Hodja. They are planning to take
Hodja’s shoes away when he takes his shoes off to climb up a tree. But Hodja
realises the children’s trick and attempts to climb up the tree with his shoes put in
his pockets saying “Maybe, I can find a way ahead of the tree”. In the final story,
when Hodja falls off while trying to repair the roof, he asks the crowd to find a man
who has fallen off a roof before as only that person can understand his pain.
About the hero
The people in Turkey are very familiar with the jokes and stories of Nasreddin
Hodja. They are part of the Turkish culture. The whole thing began with a man
called Nasreddin Hodja who has lived in central Turkey, in a small town called
Aksehir in the 13th century. He was a man with great humor, he was very clever
and had an answer to almost all the problems and the dilemmas of his time. The
jokes were part of his daily life and even today, about 600 years after, people in
Turkey still laugh and think about his tricks, common sense, anecdotes and
ingeniousness. His wellknown image is riding his donkey in a reversed way which
symbolises seeing things from different perspectives.
Subject Fiction
Subject Culture, selfishness, empathy.
description