Ein Vogel wollte Hochzeit feiern

About the Book

Good News for Language Teachers, April 8, 2009 By Henry C. Kotzen "reader" (palm desert ca) - See all my reviews Ein Vogel wollte Hochzeit feiern. The story is written in simple, every day German, and as a language teacher I find it an excellent tool for first year students. It is an enjoyable way to acquire information about the birds and animals and scientific names which are woven cleverly into the story. This charming story takes its title from a German folksong and has the simplicity and appeal of a folksong. It is personal and universal at the same time. Personal because it describes the birds and animals in the author´s own backyard. A house finch tells the story as he lands in her garden in Ventura in Southern California. Here he takes his bride and together they discover what a lovely place it is for them to raise a family. We meet other birds, such as the hummingbird and blue jay that visit her garden and learn what they eat and how they live. A raccoon and an opossum frequent the garden and Helga lets the house finch tell us in simple language the history of these interesting animals. The appeal also lies in the fact that von Websky is so positive in her outlook and takes obvious pleasure in the interaction of the birds and animals she observes in her garden. She has turned her hobby of watching and photographing animals into a colorful book that appeals to adults as well as children. The artistic layout shows off her photos to their full advantage.



Book Reviews

This book tells a story, which takes its title from an old German folk song, and it has lots of pictures from the author's garden. It offers lively examples of the German narrative past tense and eases a student into the prose rythm that German people hear when they are reading a story. I hope to scan in the pictures to project them on the screen in the classroom. Helga has recorded the book so we can synchronize the pictures and the sounds to help the students.

David McCarley
Language Instructor
at Ventura College, California

Mit grossem Interesse hat man die schöne Geschichte von Jüpp-Jüpp und Pink-Pink gelesen und man wartet bereits auf eine Fortsetzung.

Traute Schröder
Rübke, Germany

Dein Kinderbuch ist allerliebst. Unserer Enkelin haben es die hübschen Bilder gleich angetan.

Heidrun
Itzehoe - Germany

Sehr niedliches und liebevoll gestaltetes Buch mit schöner Geschichte, das Lesen macht richtig Spaß! Kaufempfehlung!

Gabi und Mark
Itzehoe - Germany

It's a lovely book. We bought ten for our libraries.

Lori Karns
Principal Librarian
and Youth Services Manager
Ventura, California

About the Author

Helga von Websky – 1939 in Oldendorf/Schleswig Holstein geboren. Aufgewachsen mit funf Brudern auf dem Bauernhof von Hans und Emmy Schroder. Vater verstarb 1948. 1968 nach Amerika ausgewandert. Seit 1985 mit ihrem Ehemann Egmont sesshaft in Ventura, Kalifornien – USA Mein Hobby ist es, Tiere zu beobachten und zu fotografieren. Die Bilder von meinen Gartenfreuden gaben mir die ldee, die kleinen Tiere selber sprechen zu lassen. Ich mochte mit diesem Buch dazu beitragen, die Tradition des Erzahlens fortzusetzen.