Reiner Zimnik was born in Poland and began drawing—horses and knights, mostly—at the age of five. At the end of the Second World War, he and his family left for the West, settling in Germany. After apprenticing as a cabinet-maker, Zimnik studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, and has since written and illustrated many books for children, including The Bear on the Motorcycle and The Crane. About himself he says, "I love nature, the simple life, and ordinary people. I like eating and drinking, and have a tendency toward idleness and daydreaming." »

The Crane

Written and illustrated by Reiner Zimnik

In an ever-expanding city, one young man claims the job of his dreams, operator of the tallest crane around. Since others envy his position, he never leaves his crane, always eager for the day—and work—to begin.

As the seasons pass, man and machine almost become one. "The crane was a giant with iron sinews, and the craneman was its heart." Then people begin to hoard their goods, grinning ravens multiply throughout the land, and war is at hand. But the craneman never falters, remaining at his post even when the land is flooded, ready for reconstruction to begin.

Reviews

Humor and sadness in Zimnik's books derive from the same source: a perceptive look at life (reminiscent of Thurber). In The Crane, the essential innocence of the characters, their instinctive response to people and events, is moving in its simplicity.
— Signal

A profound, deeply moving allegory that will linger in the minds of readers of all ages. It is a mixture of sheer poetry, religious feeling and all things good and bad, humorous and tragic in life.
— Louisville Courier-Journal and Times

A parable of war and peace ... [Zimnik is] an imaginative storyteller with the ability to combine wisdom and humor in both text and illustrations. Do not be fooled by Mr. Zimnik's simple style: his books successfully bridge the gap between the child and adult world—a rare quality indeed.
— Publishers Weekly

Also see:

The Little Bookroom By Eleanor Farjeon Illustrations by Edward Ardizzone Afterword by Rumer Godden "Eleanor Farjeon is a master at presenting the world as romance. Yet there is bite in it. Her worlds of imagination are no simpering constructions, all syrup and sugar, with fairies uprooted from their antique and awesome lineage. They are shadowed with weeping now and then, but the strongest note is affirmation, an exuberance of joy." —The Horn Book

Jenny and the Cat Club Written and illustrated by Esther Averill In Greenwich Village an orphaned black cat lives happily with her master, a sea captain. Still, the gentle Jenny Linsky would like nothing more than to join the local Cat Club, whose members include Madame Butterfly, an elegant Persian, the high-stepping Macaroni, and stately, plump Mr. President.

The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily Written and illustrated by Dino Buzzati Dino Buzzati's classic tale chronicles the terrible winter that sent the starving bears down into the valley in search of food, as well as their struggles with an army of wild boars, a wily professor who may or may not be a magician, snarling Marmoset the Cat, and, worse still, treachery within their own ranks.

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