Who's scaring Alfie Atkins?

Alfons Åberg #10

by Gunilla Bergström

English (translation)Original Swedish

Genres: Childrens, Swedish Literature, Picture Books

27 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Manny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good example of how hard translation can be. Alfons is afraid of ghosts, and Gunilla Bergström, speaking though Dad, gives him a really useful charm for exorcising them. You say

Stick du stygga spöke, för du finns inte!

My kids, like most Swedish children, learned how to say this before they were five. It literally means "Go away you nasty ghost, because you don't exist!" which is unfortunately just lame in English.

In the original, it's pronounced roughly

STICK dew stiggah sperkeh, fuhrrew FINNS inteh!

Try saying it a couple of times. Doesn't it sound suitably powerful? I'll send a free Alfons book (in English or Swedish, you choose) to anyone who can come up with an equally funky translated version.

[Jenny E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Det är en söt berättelse om att spöken kan vara skrämmande för en 5-åring.

[Tú · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Stick du stygga spöke, för du finns inte", the awesome swedish tongue twister for kids to shake off their fear of ghost. :-)

[madziar · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Zgiń, przepadnij, wstrętny duchu, bo cię przecież nie ma!" - takiego magicznego zaklęcia nauczył Alberta tata, który pomaga mu poradzić sobie z lękiem przed ciemnością.

[Grevinnen av Gral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blei litt skjelven av denne

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alfons simply never disappoints! Funny, sweet, pedagogical, subtle, great to read out loud to a group of students.

[Frans Kempe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alfons funderar om det finns spöken.

[Jvermeersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gullig och positiv.
Försöker hitta en bra översättning av ramsan till mitt eget språk. Mina barn skulle ockå vilja ha något emot spöken.
Kanske...
(Dutch) Spook ga WEG jij bent niet ECHT!
(English) Be GONE you ghost for you're a FAKE!
Barnen tyckte om den, i alla fall.

[Marie Andersson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Läste den här tillsammans med mina två syskonbarn.:-)