There is a little village deep in the countryside of Alsace in France.... To find it, get off the train at a small station decorated with flowers, and walk down a narrow road between some orchards. In the distance, you’ll see the church spire rising above the wheat fields ...  This is not a made-up village―it really exists. It was the village where Jean-Jacques Waltz, known through his books and drawings as “Hansi,” lived, and he loved the place more than any other on Earth. When he wrote My Village, Alsace was occupied by Germany following the Franco-Prussian War, and Hansi used his skills as an illustrator to poke gentle fun at the German authorities.  The beautiful, colorful, and meticulous pictures in this book show Alsatian adults and children in their traditional dress, going about their traditional lives in harmony with their surroundings. They are patriotic, kind, and always smiling, despite their difficult circumstances, and they honor the values handed down through the generations. In contrast, Hansi portrays the Germans as brash and self-indulgent, imposing petty laws on the villagers and trying to impose German culture. Hansi’s satire, however, is always humorous, and the book is a joy throughout. Sharp-eyed readers will enjoy spotting the subtle references in his illustrations. The text is suitable for children from about eight years old, but adults will appreciate it, as well.

My Village

HANSI

Children's Books

Floris Books

<p>Alsace is a region in the east of modern-day France which changed hands four times between France and Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries. When Jean-Jacques Waltz ('Hansi') was born in 1873, it was two years since the Prussian army had marched into Alsace, and the province remained under German annexation until the end of the First World War. Hansi remembered his years at the German school in Colmar as among the worst of his life. Above all, he hated the history lessons in which the teacher forced the French pupils to learn about Prussian conquests and the defeat and humiliation of Alsace. Nothing was ever said about the glorious and happy past when Alsace was a free land, joined to the ancient region of Gaul with its Celtic races. In 1912, Hansi decided to write his own History of Alsace for children. He wanted to show them how much pride they could have in their past, and to hear the story from their own side. The first edition was published in Paris and was a great success, thoug</p>

My Alsace

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

HANSI MON VILLAGE-REEDITION

LA NUEE BLEUE

L'Histoire d'Alsace racontée aux petits enfants par l'Oncle Hansi

Huen

HERSCHER

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by HANSI. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by HANSI