Page - 85 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 04/01

Representations of Religion and Culture in Children’s Literature | 85www.jrfm.eu 2018, 4/1, 81–99 they deal with such topics not only in the text but also with plentiful illustra- tions. Their selection is therefore based on both their content and their style. The children’s book Lara Lustig und der liebe Gott (Lara Lustig and beloved God) was published in 2006. The author, Elisabeth Zöller, was a grammar school (Gymnasium) teacher who wrote numerous children’s books, many of which covered “difficult” topics such as death, anger, violence and grief.12 Lara Lustig und der liebe Gott narrates in five chapters how pupils at a primary school get to know each other with regard to faith, religious practices and cultural traditions. The protagonists represent Catholic Christianity, Judaism and Islam and discuss their ways of life in class. The chapter titles are “Cornelius und die Erstkommun- ion” (Cornelius and the First Communion); “Joscha und das Laubhüttenfest” (Joscha and the Feast of Booths); “Bilal und die Blumen des Korans” (Bilal and the Blossoms of the Qur’an); “Tante Berthe und das Beten” (Aunt Berthe and Praying); and “Sternennacht” (Starry Night).13 The book was published by cbj Verlag – which belongs to Random House – a major publisher in Germany. cbj Verlag publishes children’s and adolescent books on topics like friendship, anxi- ety, family and relationships, love, identity and adolescence as well as societal and personal issues.14 The intended readers of Lara Lustig und der liebe Gott are between the ages of eight and ten, and the book aims to inform children about diverse religious and cultural traditions.15 Starke Geschichten für alle Kinder dieser Welt (Strong stories for all the chil- dren of this world), a storybook published in 2016, operates in the same way. In six stories, five authors present religious and cultural traditions of Jewish, Christian and Muslim children from Poland, Turkey, Tanzania, Syria and China. The children meet in German-speaking environments. The anthology comprises the following individual stories: “Levent und das Zuckerfest” (Levent and the sugar feast); “Mwangaza und die Geschichte mit dem Zahn” (Mwangaza and the story with the tooth); “Lena feiert Pessach mit Alma” (Lena celebrates Pes- sach with Alma); “Lili und das chinesische Frühlingsfest” (Lili and the Chinese Spring Festival); “Jana und Teresa feiern Himmelfahrt” (Jana and Teresa cele- brate Ascension Day); and “Huda bekommt ein Brüderchen” (Huda gets a baby brother). Starke Geschichten für alle Kinder dieser Welt was published by Carlsen and is intended for children aged three and up. The publishing house describes the content as follows: 12 http://www.elisabeth-zoeller.de/index.php?id=00000003&SID=488458ec883812f3dc4fcc2b3fd8d682 [accessed 29 January 2018]. 13 All translations of the sources from the German original are by the author. 14 https://www.randomhouse.de/Kinder-und-Jugendbuchverlage-cbj-&-cbt/aid77972.rhd [accessed 29 January 2018]. 15 See back cover, Zöller 2006.