''Now, Now, Markus'' ''or, I Need a Bird'' is a

children's novel Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

by Austrian author Martin Auer, first published in

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

in German as ''Bimbo und sein Vogel''. It is illustrated by German artist Simone Klages. The original was also translated into

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, French,

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, and

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. An American

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translation was published 1989 by

Greenwillow Books HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Corp ...

Plot summary

Markus's parents never really listen to what Markus has to say and instead often react with standard phrases ("Oh my goodness!" said his mother. "Now now now" said his father). So Markus has to attract their attention by dropping dead. When he finally gets them to agree that he can have a bird he comes home with a swan. Of course he is not allowed to keep it, so he decides to live in the woods. There he is eaten by a giant, but his swan saves him. When Markus comes back home and his parents, as usual, do not believe his story, all the beings that have been saved from the giant's stomach march into the house.

External links

New York Times Bookshelf

The Happy Hour Storybook
1988 novels Austrian novels Austrian children's literature Austrian children's novels German children's novels German-language novels Picture books Children's novels about animals 20th-century Austrian novels 1988 children's books Beltz & Gelberg books {{1980s-child-novel-stub