Oh, wie schön ist Panama

One of my favorite stories growing up is a book called "Oh, wie schön ist Panama", an adorable children's book by Janosch.

The story revolves around two best friends: Baer and Tiger (I don't think I have to translate what kind of animals those are :-P) who live together and work together for their daily food. One day, Baer discovers a crate from Panama, and the two friends embark on a journey to what they believe is the land of their dreams. Along they way, they encounter other animals and all sorts of adventures, until one day they come across their own house! The surroundings have changed while they were gone-- plants overgrown, house in disrepair, so they don't realize it's their original house, and happily settle in.

I loved the story because it was a cute plot and because the illustrations are amazing. They so vividly captured the spirit of the characters, made them especially loveable. See for yourself:

Baer and Tiger set off on their way, leaving a sign post pointing in the direction of Panama

The pair interrupts a fox's dinner to ask for directions

Even when it rains, they manage to look on the bright side of things, grateful for the shelter they're able to construct

Happy dance! They've found Panama!

It's fairly obvious now that the "moral" of the story is that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, that it's all down to your frame of mind, your perception and acceptance of your current situation. As evidenced by the rainy scene above, even when their situation was glum, Baer and Tiger always remained positive and upbeat, choosing to focus on what they can be grateful for, rather than grumbling about what's going wrong. And clearly they were thrilled to be in "paradise" when they returned to their own home, because even though they weren't in Panama, they believed they were, and appreciated their surroundings with that frame of mind.

But as a kid, that lesson just flew over my head, yet I was still enchanted by the story and by the characters. Loveable Baer and Tiger and Tiger's wooden striped duck, aka Tigerente.

So you can imagine my squeal of delight when I discovered this little gem in the Nuremberg Toy Museum:

 

A plush Baer and Tiger!!

Maybe not an exact replica of how they're drawn in the books, but wow, did that bring back a flood of memories! And now I want a stuffed Baer and Tiger! :-D

How about you? What are some of your favorite childhood books? 

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!