Emil and the Detectives Paperback – Illustrated, April 3, 2014

This translation by W. Martin was very disappointing. We wanted to hear a book written about a German boy in 1929. Instead it sounded like a disrespectful modern American kid. Multiple times he uses the Lord's name in vain. I wish I could have read the "Translator's Note" before I bought the book. It says:"This is at least the third translation of Emil and the Detectives into English, and the first to be commissioned for a twenty first century American reader. To that end I have attempted to render the story - which is as universal as it is local - into contemporary, colloquial American idiom. It was at times quite challenging, given that the language and details of the original are so tightly woven into the fabric of everyday life in German in the 1920s. So if sometimes the characters do things that seem odd, keep in mind that they were doing them over seventy years ago."Yuck! I wanted us to learn something about German culture. So much of the value of literature is to help us get out of my own heads and into someone else's. Translations like this don't help at all. They render the book useless to confer that benefit and they change it completely as a work of art. There was no "Herr" So and So. It was Mr. and Mrs. There was even a reference to 30 cents. Did Germans use US currency then?Very frustrating since the first time when I borrowed this book from the library the translation that I got included all those wonderful German details and that oldest child learned so much.

Though I thought the story was charming, I was very disappointed in the translation, which uses modern terms such as "awesome" "cool" and others which the children in the book wouldn't have used. The worst was Pony referring to her father as a Dork...again something a child would never have said (not just the actual word but also that sentiment) in a story from that era. I wish the translator had left the book alone and not tried to make it hip and modern...it was a classic which didn't need his so-called improvements.

Sadly inferior translation of this German classic. Poor grammar "looked out the window"; modern Americanslang; clumsy constructions. The illustrations are the wonderful ones by Walter Trier, the introduction by Sendak is fine, but which child will care about the introduction? All in all a disappointing way to introduce a child to Emil and his adventures. I found myself paraphrasing sentences as I read aloud to a seven year old, because I found them so awkward and unpleasant. Too bad.

Horrible Americanized translation. Adorable names like Pony Hutchins and Dienstag are translated into English, and while English speaking kids wouldn't get the German name jokes, it becomes charmless. Stick to the older, original translation that has been delighting American children for generations!

After seeing several writers mention this as a favorite book from childhood, I decided to see what it was about. For a modern adult reader, it won't be particularly satisfying. But it's easy to see the appeal for boys (and the 'detectives' are ALL boys). It's the boys who take the initiative and get things done. Also easy to see why so many adult women remember Nancy Drew as a pivotal book in their own childhoods.

There is a lot to like about this new edition of the classic story: the binding is handsome, the charming original illustrations are included, and the introduction by Maurice Sendak provides some historical perspective. The story itself is a terrific example (and perhaps the original) of the ever popular genre of children's literature in which kids, through their natural resourcefulness and wits, triumph over the bumbling adults.However, I can't recommend this edition, for two reasons, both having to do with the text of the new translation. First, some of the proper names are "translated" into English, e.g., Emil Tischbein becomes Emil Tabletoe, the town of Neustadt becomes New Town, and so on, although most geographical locations and some characters' names remain in German. According to the translator, these lighthearted and absurdist names (Truegut, Groundsnow, Crumbagel) are true to the spirit of Kastner's original text. However, the effect -- particularly when mixed with proper German names -- is jarring. This misstep would have been forgivable, however, were it not for a worse problem: all of the children in the story speak in a jumble of late 20th/early 21st Century slang. The setting of the book, the illustrations, and the storyline all clearly belong to an earlier time, and the rest of the text is clean and straightforward, so having characters regularly spout lines like "Get outa here!", "You dork!", "Berlin parents are so cool!" is gratingly anachronistic. This may pose no problem for children who have grown up on modern animated films, where characters who are ostensibly Vikings may talk like California surfers, but for an adult reader with a sense of history it just doesn't work. The text doesn't benefit from this "modernization" any more than Little Women would be improved by having characters greet one another with "What's hanging, Dude?".

This book is known as one of Germany's best children's books and I have to agree with that. It's a wonderful story of a young man getting what is right with the assistance of many other children. Beautifully written for sure.

This story tells of a young boy who lives with his hairdresser mother and one day takes the train to visit his grandmother in Berlin. It was a short train ride, but Emil loses the money he had to give his grandmother, or rather, it was stolen. In Berlin, a gang of boys, with great organization and leadership skills, helps him recover the money. There is anticipation, anxiety, anger, excitement, and laughter in the narrative, not only for the young reader but for the adult as well. Emil's thoughtfulness towards his mother tops off the happy ending to the adventure.I read this book to my 7-year old grandson, who enjoyed it immensely.

I was really delighted with the reaction my 10 and 8 year old gave this book. They didn't like the look of the "weird chubby boy" on the cover, but once I started reading it to them they couldn't get enough of it! It's an exciting, interesting and funny story, not difficult or outdated.

My wife and I both remembered this for our junior schooldays in the 60's. Though it's thought of as a children's book my wife wanted it to read during these lockdown evenings. She thoroughly enjoyed it and I'll be reading it too.

Need it for English course. The teacher decided to work on this book so bought it otherwise I wouldn't buy because I feel it's more for children aged 6-16.

My mother read this to me when I was young, I later read it for myself. 55 years on Santa has agreed to pop a copy in my 5 year old grandson’s sack, provided he has been a good child of course.

Our 6 year old enjoyed this as a bedtime book. It's quite old fashioned and took a while to get going (at first he said it was boring) but turned into an exciting adventure.