Nathan the Wise Series: World Literature for Children Title: Nathan the Wise Original Author: Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Narrator: Barbara Kindermann Artist: Maren Briswalter Extent: 36 pp, 4/c throughout Format: 220. x 300 mm Pub. price: EUR 15,50 Pub. date: Autumn 2003 German ISBN: 978-3-934029-15-6 Ages: 8 and up

Material available: German review copy

THE STORY:

Written in 1779 by the German author G.E. Lessing, this play is a convincing appeal for more humanity and more religious tolerance - and is today as topical as ever. Nathan´s wisdom helps people of three religious faiths (Jews, Christians and Islamites) to find together. Using child-adequate language, Kindermann succeeds in conveying to the young audience the central message of Nathan´s famous ring parable in a gripping way.

THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR:

G.E. Lessing (1729-1781) was one of Germany´s greatest poets during the Age of Enlightment. After breaking off his studies of theology, he became an author, worked as a textwriter for journals and finally as a librarian. Writing Nathan the Wise was Lessing´s way of dealing with a debate he had with an orthodox vicar, whose dogmatic and intolerant views he had criticized in several publications. Today Lessing´s dramatic call for a tolerant humanism is more important than ever.

THE ARTIST:

Maren Briswalter, born 1961 in Dresden has studied painting arts. In 1980 she came to West-Germany and began studying visual communications in Offenbach. Since her graduation 1987, Maren Briswalter has been illustrating books for children and teenagers. She also draws sketches for TV-shows. Today the artist lives with her family near Mainz.