Die Familie Grünschnabel

Written by: Elisabeth Bond & Christine Dancey

Illustrations: Richard Duszczak

This book was written for people beginning to learn German – whether at school or adult evening classes. The book consists of four stories which focus around the day-to-day life of the (somewhat eccentric) Grünschnabel family in a village in North Germany. The language used is the sort of modern informal language used by people in everyday life. The book is written in the present tense, in very simple sentences with no subordinate clauses and very few modal verbs. The excellent illustrations by Richard Duszczak support the reader in the process of understanding. These stories can be read for pleasure without the need to repeatedly refer to the dictionary. Elisabeth Bond was born in Germany but now lives in Suffolk, England. She has a wealth of expertise in teaching German. Christine has been learning German since 1997, and therefore knows first-hand what it’s like to learn the intricacies of the German language!