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“That’s his name: Dreadful Spiller. He remembers his mother saying it one day, at table. ‘A Dreadful Spiller, that’s what you are,” she said, ‘aren’t you?’ It’s about all he does remember about his mother.”

Mary Norton, The Borrowers Afield

This place was, of course, a paradise for a boy to be in. The Wart ran about it like a rabbit in its own complicated labyrinth. He knew everything, everywhere, all the special smells, good climbs, soft lairs, secret hiding-places, jumps, slides, nooks, larders and blisses. For every season he had the best place, like a cat, and he yelled and ran and fought and upset people and snoozed and daydreamed and pretended he was a knight, without stopping. Just now he was in the kennel.

T. H. White,
The Once and Future King

“Now,” shouted John, “before they load again. Swallows for ever!” The four Swallows were up and halfway across the open space in a moment. The red-capped Amazons leapt up out of the tents to meet them. But they pointed their bows to the ground. “A parley,” shouted the one who seemed to be the leader.

Arthur Ransome, Swallows and Amazons

Foreign Editions of The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Two Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy......

Czech coverGreek cover
The Greeks made Batty blond and Hound very small and not black, while the Czechs changed the Penderwicks' last names to Penderwickovi and Jeanne’s last name name to Birdsallova. 

The British asked David Frankland, who had done the art for the originaGreat Britian coverl version, to change the atmosphere a bit for their cover. And look who he put on the back: Jeffrey!

Japanese cover

 

 





The Chinese print their books backwards from how we print ours. This cover is on what we consider to be the back of the book.

Dutch edition front and back cover


The Dutch added little leaf sprigs to the cover design. And on the back, they put a picture of Jeanne with Peta the rabbit.

 

 


Italian edition Batty in urnItalian edition sisters in dressesThe Italians included wonderful drawings in their version of the book. Here are two of them: Skye hiding from Mrs. Tifton in the urn, and the four sisters all dressed up for Jeffrey's birthday party. Notice how nervous Batty looks about meeting Mrs. Tifton!

German edition front cover

 

For their cover, the Germans created a bright landscape that would be more likely in the Alps than in the Berkshires.  But isn’t it beautiful?