#janosch

click for better quality & to see the full image. sometimes they get cut off weirdly!

*Venice, and London by Lauren Elkin

**Cover art by Janosch. Published by Reclam. context: (okay some context! for non germans, reclam publishes mostly 'classics', if you had to read a book for school, there is a reclam booklet for it, they are relatively cheap, printed on thin paper, with small letters, and the standart line are all uniformly yellow with the title in black letters and no picture (nowway days there are other color series (red - original language release, orange bi lingual release (original (mostly latin and greek) and german translation)) so a reclam booklet has this reputation of prestige, Janosch is most famous for his childrens books, while Wondrak is meant for adults it is funny and with little text, the title means "Wondrak and the discovery of 'Gemütlichkeit'" Gemütlichkeit is often said to be a untranslateable word it is something like coziness but also 'at your leisure', you can go on a walk in a 'gemütlich' way while i dont think you can do in a cozy way - like a positive laziness, so there is a fun justaposition in the cover mixing high and low class so to speak)

"Mr. Janosch, how does one best say 'I have had enough'?"

"Wondrak turns away and says 'I will go cook a chicken soup.'"

"Mr. Janosch, how does one learn to be alone?"

"One does it like Wondrak, who will sit in the park until everyone else has left. Then he learns to be alone. At least until Luise comes to pick him up."

"Mr. Janosch, how does one regain their composure [/get rid of the tears]?"

"Not at all. One who cries doesn't have to do anything else, that is good. Wondrak takes a bedsheet and cries as long as the tears come."

"Mr. Janosch, how is one supposed to deal with mean colleagues?"

"Wondrak just shoots them to the moon."

"Mr. Janosch, how can one bring some colour and thrill/adventure to their life?"

"Wondrak brings colour into his life by painting the houses in his neighbourhood. It doesn't take long and bam! – everyone is upset."

"Mr. Janosch, how does one stop criticising themselves?"

"Wondrak goes behind his house, walks in circles and says 'Everything is alright about me, everything is alright about me' – until he believes it."

"Mr. Janosch, how does one enjoy the spring?"