Shortlisted for the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation, awarded biennially since 1996, was founded to celebrate the best translation of a children’s book from a foreign language into English and published in the UK. It aims to spotlight the high quality and diversity of translated fiction for young readers.
Translated by Chantal Wright
A glorious summer holiday is ruined for Anton when he discovers that the campsite has no pool! How can he show off his dive bombing and his swimming prowess? Instead, there is a lake. Unluckily, Anton hates lakes. It will take a miracle to get him into that murky water. Can the miracle happen? How Anton overcomes his prejudice is hilarious and delightful.
OK, so going on holiday with your grandparents is not the coolest thing ever, but it's fine - Anton is planning to spend the summer in the pool. But then disaster strikes ...their holiday camp. Does not have a pool! Instead it has a lake - a lake filled with murky, slimy, dark disgusting sludge - and Anton just can't understand why everybody else is so happy to dive-bomb and swim in it all day long. Baking in the sun and dying of boredom away from the lake and the other young people on holiday, Anton has no idea how he's going to survive the holiday. That is until he meets an unexpected friend...
A funny, quirky new character for boy readers.
Translated by Chantal Wright. Anton and Piranha (Anton Taucht Ab) won the 2011 German Youth Literature Prize.
Milena Baisch studied at the Film Academy in Berlin and has written a huge number of screenplays for film and TV, as well as picture books and stories for young readers. Anton and Piranha won the German Youth Literature Prize.