Favourite books in translation

Leilong is a brontosaurus, but he’s a dinosaur with a difference: this brontosaurus carries children to school. His long neck is a perfect slide for children living on the top floor of a block of flats, and there’s plenty of room on his back for everyone.

Mrs Pepperpot has an unfortunate problem: she shrinks at the most unexpected moments. And one of those moments comes while she has agreed to look after Roger, the neighbour’s baby.

A two-year-old girl loses her hearing as a result of illness. At first, little MiLi feels frustrated, tearful and cross. Then one day she realises that ​“sound” is not just something you hear – it can be touched, seen and felt within the body. A thought-provoking and multi-faceted depiction of deafness. 

’ In the great forest, a litle elephant was born. His name was Babar…’

Flap books are nothing new, but Perrin’s use of multiple flaps-inside-flaps makes this book a real immersive adventure. A perfect book for a 4 to 5 year old who will love the mystery and the magic of the illustration.

Moomintroll is cheerful and chubby and lives in the magical Moominvalley with his mother, Moominmamma, his father, Moominpappa and all of their friends.

Follow Pippi Longstocking on her amazing adventures as she moves into Villa Villekulla with a horse, a monkey, and a big suitcase of gold coins.

In a tiny corner of Brittany, one small village of indomitable Gauls hold out against the almighty, all-conquering Romans.

The Pinchers are a family of thieves who are very excited to visit a local diamond exhibition. This hilarious crime caper is full of eccentric characters and accompanied by colourful, quirky illustrations.

Look out! Three fearsome monsters are coming to gobble you up! Hide inside the houses of the three little pigs, Hansel and Gretel and Sleeping Beauty. With 40 flaps to lift, this large format picture book is lots of fun for all ages.

An air pilot makes a forced landing deep in the Sahara Desert. There, he makes a mysterious Little Prince, who tells him a series of wise and enchanting stories.

Elise gets a secondhand mongrel to keep her company – and turns out, the dog’s name is McAddudi and he’s from Scotland. Elise and McAddudi soon grow to become best friends. A quirky and original book that is full of laughs and heart.

12-year-old Meggie and her father, Mo, a bookbinder, both love reading, but since the disappearance of Meggie’s mother, they no longer read together. One night a stranger knocks at their door, prompting Mo to reveal his awful secret.

An oil-soaked gull asks an unsuspecting cat to look after her egg and protect the baby inside. The cat must find a way to teach a helpless seagull to fly – and in the process, they become a family.

When Oskar makes a toy phone from a piece of wood, he is astounded when he discovers he can use it to call objects in and around Grandma’s house. Set in Estonia and translated into English, this quirky chapter book celebrates the power of imaginative play.

Nine-year-old Mafalda has a degenerative eye condition. She starts to keep a list of all the things she’ll miss when her sight goes, but also the constants that surround her. Tender and thought-provoking, with a powerful but unforced message.

When Cate visits Mrs Kano’s cinema, she is transported into a world beyond her wildest dreams. This wonderfully imaginative time-travel adventure beautifully explores the nature of grief, guilt and loneliness.

Ten-year-old Emil is excited to be taking the train to Berlin on his own for the first time – but he doesn’t like the look of his fellow passenger, the man in the bowler hat.

During his week’s holiday, Sam had expected football on the beach but instead finds himself ballroom dancing, holding a funeral for a canary and hatching a plan to help Tess meet her father; a father who doesn’t even know she exists.

Twelve-year-old Yeva’s diary from the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian war, showing how war affects ordinary people.

A fantasy thriller to take your breath away. Packed with beautifully imagined details that build a spellbinding world of magic, threat and terrifying danger, it will have you on the edge of your seat right to the last page.

The Oksa Pollock series has legions of fans all over the world, and this first installment leaves us in no doubt why.

When Parker discovers her beloved dog Alaska – who she had to give away last year – now belongs to Sven, she’s determined to steal her back. Of course, that’s much easier said than done… A heartfelt story about understanding others.

It’s 1938 and siblings Shura and Tanya are good Soviet citizens and comrades. But there are spies and enemies everywhere. Gripping and at times quite surreal, the book – which is popular in Russia – is inspired by true events from the author’s family past.

Thirteen-year-old Marnus finds himself at the centre of a protest when he and a girl named Leila camp out in a tree to prevent it from being cut down by developers. This is the perfect feel-good book from one of South Africa’s top children’s authors.

In Calcutta in 1916, after the deaths of both their parents in bizarre circumstances, two babies are separated at birth.

Vinga is happy to spend the summer on a tranquil Swedish island with her beloved Grandpa, leaving her troubles behind in the city. This translated novel beautifully captures the transition from childhood to young adulthood, and explores the complex emotions surrounding parental separation, bereavement and first love.

Elin’s mother has a very special job – caring for the magical Toda which protect their kingdom. But when something goes wrong, Elin must flee and discovers an astonishing talent for communicating with creatures. A sophisticated fantasy that will have teen readers gripped.