Abeltje
Encyclopedia
For the 1998 film, see The Flying Liftboy
Abeltje is a children's book by celebrated Dutch
author Annie M. G. Schmidt
, originally published in 1953 by De Arbeiderspers
. It was one of Annie M. G. Schmidt's first children's books, and such an instant success that it was already in its fourth edition when the sequel, De A van Abeltje, came out in 1955. Since 1988, the book is published by Querido with illustrations by Thé Tjong-Khing
. Abeltje has been translated from Dutch
into Danish
, Finnish
, French
, German
, Hebrew
, Norwegian
, Spanish
, and Swedish
.
The story of Abeltje has some similarities with the plot of Roald Dahl
's Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
(1972), in which the main characters also fly around the world in an elevator.
Abeltje was also broadcast in the Netherlands in the 1950s as a radio play. In 2002, Abeltje and the sequel De A van Abeltje were published together in 2002 under the title Abeltje en de A van Abeltje. In 2008, a four-CD talking book
of Abeltje was published, read by Schmidt's zoon Flip van Duyn.
A film of the book, also called Abeltje (English title: The Flying Liftboy
), was released in cinemas in late 1998. The film won the Golden Calf
for best film in 1999. It was adapted into a seven-part television series that was broadcast in the Netherlands in 2000. The film largely follows the story of the book, although it was modernised in places. For instance, Abeltje has a skateboard and an earring in the film. His neighbour Laura is his girlfriend in the film, and his mother works in a flower shop in the book but owns her own garage in the film. Also, Abeltje accidentally encounters his lookalike Johnny in the book, but in the film he goes sleuthing to find Johnny.
Sharing his fate with him are mothball salesman Jozias Tump; vocal coach Miss Klaterhoen, and the aforementioned Laura. They fly across the ocean and eventually arrive in Central Park, New York City. Continuing his liftboy-skills Stateside, Abeltje gets mistaken for a the long lost son of a rich couple (Mrs. Cockle-Smith appeared on a talk show to tell how her Johnny was abducted by the natives from a banana-republic called Perugona). They leave New York and fly to Perugona; while Abeltje goes out to rescue Johnny (with whom he swaps clothes to fool Laura), Tump is made president after his moth-balls appeared to be a cure for the No. 1 public disease. But as soon as the mothballs run out he outlaws cider and becomes subjected to a coup just like his countless predecessors. Once again the foursome manage to escape with their elevator.
The Flying Liftboy
The Flying Liftboy or Abeltje is a 1998 Dutch film directed by Ben Sombogaart. The film was based on the 1953 Dutch children's book Abeltje by Annie M. G. Schmidt.-Cast:*Victor Löw ... Schraap*Elleke Vervat ... a friend of Laura...
Abeltje is a children's book by celebrated Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
author Annie M. G. Schmidt
Annie M. G. Schmidt
Anna Maria Geertruida "Annie" Schmidt was a prolific Dutch writer, especially cherished for her children's books—"the most versatile and most talented children's book author in the Netherlands." She is called the mother of the Dutch theatrical song and the queen of Dutch children's...
, originally published in 1953 by De Arbeiderspers
De Arbeiderspers
De Arbeiderspers is a Dutch publishing company. The company was started in 1929 as a socialist press, and was housed in the building that also housed Het Volk, the newspaper of the Dutch Social Democratic Workers' Party. Currently it is part of a larger media conglomerate, the Weekbladpersgroep,...
. It was one of Annie M. G. Schmidt's first children's books, and such an instant success that it was already in its fourth edition when the sequel, De A van Abeltje, came out in 1955. Since 1988, the book is published by Querido with illustrations by Thé Tjong-Khing
Thé Tjong-Khing
Thé Tjong-Khing is a children's book illustrator based in The Netherlands.He was born in Purworedjo, Java to a large Chinese Indonesian family. As a child he was interested in the Tarzan comic strips of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Thé attended the Seni Rupa institute in Bandung...
. Abeltje has been translated from Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
into Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
, Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
, French
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
.
The story of Abeltje has some similarities with the plot of Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
's Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator is a children's book by British author Roald Dahl. It is the sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, continuing the story of young Charlie Bucket and eccentric candymaker Willy Wonka as they travel in the Great Glass Elevator.Charlie and the Great Glass...
(1972), in which the main characters also fly around the world in an elevator.
Abeltje was also broadcast in the Netherlands in the 1950s as a radio play. In 2002, Abeltje and the sequel De A van Abeltje were published together in 2002 under the title Abeltje en de A van Abeltje. In 2008, a four-CD talking book
Audio book
An audiobook or audio book is a recording of a text being read. It is not necessarily an exact audio version of a book or magazine.Spoken audio has been available in schools and public libraries and to a lesser extent in music shops since the 1930s. Many spoken word albums were made prior to the...
of Abeltje was published, read by Schmidt's zoon Flip van Duyn.
A film of the book, also called Abeltje (English title: The Flying Liftboy
The Flying Liftboy
The Flying Liftboy or Abeltje is a 1998 Dutch film directed by Ben Sombogaart. The film was based on the 1953 Dutch children's book Abeltje by Annie M. G. Schmidt.-Cast:*Victor Löw ... Schraap*Elleke Vervat ... a friend of Laura...
), was released in cinemas in late 1998. The film won the Golden Calf
Golden Calf (award)
The Golden Calf is the award of the Netherlands Film Festival, which is held annually in Utrecht. The award has been presented since 1981, originally in six categories: Best actor, Best actress, Best film, Best Short film, Culture Prize and Honourable mention...
for best film in 1999. It was adapted into a seven-part television series that was broadcast in the Netherlands in 2000. The film largely follows the story of the book, although it was modernised in places. For instance, Abeltje has a skateboard and an earring in the film. His neighbour Laura is his girlfriend in the film, and his mother works in a flower shop in the book but owns her own garage in the film. Also, Abeltje accidentally encounters his lookalike Johnny in the book, but in the film he goes sleuthing to find Johnny.
Plot summary (movie version)
Abeltje gets a job as a teenage-liftboy in a department store. His boss tells him not to press the elevator's (top) green button under any circumstances, but eventually he does so after being chased by his ex-girlfriend Laura. Consequently the elevator shoots out of the building and flies off.Sharing his fate with him are mothball salesman Jozias Tump; vocal coach Miss Klaterhoen, and the aforementioned Laura. They fly across the ocean and eventually arrive in Central Park, New York City. Continuing his liftboy-skills Stateside, Abeltje gets mistaken for a the long lost son of a rich couple (Mrs. Cockle-Smith appeared on a talk show to tell how her Johnny was abducted by the natives from a banana-republic called Perugona). They leave New York and fly to Perugona; while Abeltje goes out to rescue Johnny (with whom he swaps clothes to fool Laura), Tump is made president after his moth-balls appeared to be a cure for the No. 1 public disease. But as soon as the mothballs run out he outlaws cider and becomes subjected to a coup just like his countless predecessors. Once again the foursome manage to escape with their elevator.