German Kidlit Words, English is Long Overdue for

I am a native German-American writer, translator, and proofreader. I have been fascinated with languages since the fifth grade when we studied Latin as our first foreign language. The ancient history and culture of Rome, Pompeii, the aqueducts, and architecture intrigued me. I was hooked. Diving deep into this ancient time, culture, and way of life was truly captivating. Of course, cramming new vocabulary words every week was also tedious. So, when we finally started learning English in the seventh grade, a language that felt much more vibrant than Latin (a dead language), I was excited. I could read more contemporary texts and later books and magazines like Time and Newsweek. That made me feel very grown-up and mature.

As I got deeper into the English language, I read wider and different genres and recognized a few fully naturalized German words. 

Kindergarten, literally “children’s garden,” is essentially Preschool in Germany. It was introduced to English in the 19th century. Kindergarten began in the nineteenth century with German educator Friedrich Fröbel, who built on child‑centered ideas from Pestalozzi and Rousseau. In the 1830s and 1840s, he promoted music, nature work, storytelling, playful learning, and the iconic kindergarten circle time. He established the first Kindergarten in Blankenburg in 1837. 

The idea reached the United States in 1856, when Margarethe Schurz founded a German‑language kindergarten in Wisconsin. Her work inspired Elizabeth Peabody to open the first English‑language kindergarten in Boston in 1860. By the late nineteenth century, kindergarten had become established nationally.

A Doppelgänger “double walker” is a ghostly or uncanny double. It was first used by the 18th-century German writer Jean Paul. He actually invented the word and used a footnote to explain it. When the book was translated into English a little later, the word was left untranslated, and so it came into English.

Then there is Rucksack, or backpack, used especially for hiking. Lots of kids take their Rucksack, Knabberdose (Snack or Bento-style box), and water bottle to school and Kindergarten every day.

Soon, I discovered that many German words have no equivalent in English. When you come across them in translation, you have to set the scene differently to evoke the specific emotions that these German words hold. They carry whole worlds in one small, lovely bundle, and make young readers giggle, wriggle, or smile because they name something they’ve always known but never had a word for. A lot of them are also fun to say out loud. 

How about Kuschelecke? A perfectly cozy snuggle‑nook with fairy lights, full of pillows and stuffed animals, where stories are so much more fun. Your dream reading nook, with maximum coziness factor.

Quatschkopf (a lovable goof with endless potential for silliness) is an endearing term for kids who love being silly. I remember those after‑dinner moments when the laughter got so big my brother and I collapsed under the table, tears streaming down our faces. We could not stop. Every time I looked at him, I started again.

Silly goose is probably the best match and also holds the same lovable endearment. 

Fingerspitzengefühl (the gentle, intuitive touch that children use when handling beetles, sharing secrets, or forming new friendships). Some people possess more of it than others. It is definitely a sign of emotional intelligence and empathy when you know how to handle fragile matters or people with care. What a word! I know it’s long, but with a little phonetic help, it should be no problem!

These German kidlit terms are more than words. They’re tiny clues to how Germans view and understand childhood, play, coziness, and emotions. Part of their charm is the emotion they spark, and part comes from the way they sound. 

Zappelphilipp

TSAP: like the word "zap"
el: like "el" in "elephant"
FIL: similar to "fill"
ip: like "ip" in "ship"

“Wiggle‑Phillip” first appeared in a 1920s story collection called Der Struwwelpeter and is the story of a boy who could not sit still and caused huge chaos at the dinner table.  

It is used for the joyful, unstoppable wiggle-energy of a child who simply cannot sit still.

Dreckspatz,

Phonetic Breakdown: DREK-shpahts,

literally means “dirt sparrow”. A child who always ends up dusty, muddy, or delightfully dirty, a lovable mess-maker. I was that girl who returned home just in time for dinner, covered in mystery dirt. You get the picture. My parents lovingly called me Dreckspatz a lot growing up, because we spent a lot of time outside and in nature, exploring big time!

Tohuwabohu means complete chaos, utter confusion, or a wild, disorderly mess. 

It originates from the Biblical Hebrew phrase tohu va‑vohu, meaning formless and void, used in Genesis to describe the primordial chaos before creation. Some fun English equivalents that capture the noisy or frantic nature of kid-induced chaos include "hullabaloo" and "ruckus."

Sorgenfresserchen,

Phonetic Breakdown:
ZOR-gen-fres-er-shen

This adorable “little worry-eater” is the perfect companion to help ease your fears and worries. It’s very soft and cuddly, too.

You write or draw whatever bothers you on a small piece of paper, feed it to the Sorgenfresserchen, zip it up, put it under your pillow at night, and voila, your worries are gone, and you are ready for sweet dreams.

Believe it or not, I still have mine for all the ridiculous, never-ending worries that pop up way too much. Keeping my little monster fed gives me a sense of control. It helps me dump everything, so I can move on. It reminds me a lot of South American worry dolls.

Last but not least is Schnickschnack.

Pronounced SHNIK-shn-ah-k,
shnik (short 'i' sound, like in "stick")
shnahk (open 'ah' sound)

It is a term for charming, unnecessary decorative little extras, a little bit like knick-knacks. Another word that has a great English equivalent and captures the playful sound of the German expression. Kids love Schnickschnack; they endlessly collect things, those sparkly bits and bobs, and all sorts of random stuff they find. I definitely did. When I was growing up, my town collected and recycled unwanted household items twice a year. My friends and I could not wait to hunt for treasures and rummage through all the boxes that our neighbors put out the night before pickup. It was almost like Christmas! I always found something special that ended up on my bookshelf for display, or in my treasure box. One year, my friends and I (six of us) built an elaborate Smurf mansion from all the Schnickschnack we gathered. We worked on it for a week. It was a masterpiece! Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of that. 

I hope you enjoyed this short list of my favorites. English children's literature could really use some of these German imports because each one carries us into a familiar emotional space that children recognize instantly. I think it is time for some of these to make an appearance in the books we write. What do you think? Do you have a favorite?

Karin Redclift is the Translation Coordinator for SCBWI SF South. She is a

German‑born creative writer, translator, and proofreader, raised in Southern

Germany. Her passion for children's books started in pre-school and deepened

when she began teaching. She specializes in writing and translating kidlit, loves

playing with words (German and English), and dreams of making the world a better

place, one sentence at a time. She is bridging cultures and generations through

storytelling, with publications including the German translation of Emily of

New Moon by L.M. Montgomery and an updated version of the German classic

Maya the Bee. Her flash fiction appears in the Bolts of Fiction anthology.

She also enjoys reading, knitting, drawing, Tai Chi, gardening, hiking, and chasing

her little rescue dog, Charlie. 

Find her at www.KarinRedclift.com (sign up for the monthly newsletter).

Follow @karinredclift on Instagram.

Awards and Grants: Volemos Grant

Volemos Grant

Submissions open June 1 through June 30.

This award is open to authors and illustrators of Hispanic/Latinx/Ibero-American heritage who are early in their career (1-3 traditionally published books) or not yet traditionally published.

Award info

Sponsored by Illustrator Angela Dominguez and author Meg Medina, this award is open to writers and illustrators of Hispanic/Latinx/Ibero-American heritage. Each year, one writer and one illustrator will be selected. The winners will each receive $500 along with a one-year SCBWI membership, and a coaching session to further their creative career. 

La beca está abierta a escritores de ascendencia latinx e iberoamericana al inicio de su carrera (que tienen de uno a tres libros publicados de manera tradicional, no autopublicados) o que todavía no han publicado de forma tradicional. La persona que gana recibirá $500 así como un año de membresía en la SCBWI y una sesión de tutoría para dar impulso a su carrera.

Congratulations to our 2025 winner, Melanie Wick Singer for "La Canción of Apartment C".


For submission guidelines and eligibility, visit the Awards and Grants page HERE!

Why Creative Community Matters When the World Gets Loud

When the world feels like it’s coming apart at all the seams and everything becomes unbearably loud, I feel myself shrinking, wanting nothing more than to retreat into a quiet place. I just want to detach and disappear. It has nothing to do with giving up or vanishing forever—it’s my instinct to find some stillness where I can breathe deeply, and calm down. In that small, sheltered space, I can gather the scattered pieces of myself and remember who I am beneath the chaos. Sometimes hiding is the only way I can survive. It’s good to be a writer and translator who works from home. But it’s lonely. Stepping out of my comfort zone and moving towards community is the absolute opposite. 

Find out what happened when I went against my instincts, joined the SF South Regional Team as Translator Coordinator, organized and attended our local in-person conference, and what I learned about myself during Golden Gate Fest 2026. This is a plea for courage, connection, and community.

I am an introvert, even though my family insists that I am the resident extrovert. There is a good chance you are more introverted, too. Lots of writers and creatives are. 

When a gathering includes more than three unfamiliar faces, I am usually drained and exhausted when it’s over. Occasionally, I get a migraine on top of that. The idea of organizing a local conference and voluntarily facing 140 people was horrifying. That is way too many strangers! But if you read my Golden Gate Fest 2026 Recap blog post, you know it was quite magical. If you haven’t read it, I recommend doing that first. I felt energized and happy all day and was still buzzing a few days later. 

How is that possible? 

There is a massive difference between a random get-together with acquaintances and attending a local SCBWI event. I met people whose hearts beat for children’s books just like mine. And that is highly contagious. It opened me up to conversations with strangers. Passion connects and enhances creativity in a way that can’t be achieved alone. Being immersed in a sea of kidlit people in such an invigorating atmosphere, listening to inspiring talks, working on my craft during workshops, and going deep was amazing. Sharing imposter syndrome, writer’s block, and other obstacles was refreshing and wonderful. Getting new ideas and learning new techniques charged me with tremendous energy. I know the feeling was mutual. Everyone I talked to responded with such a warm, positive spirit; I was blown away.

It was a weekend of making many new connections, and I was especially excited to meet Wanhsiang. She is a fellow SCBWI translator from my virtual monthly translator meet-ups. I could not wait to meet in real life. Getting together in person, having in-depth conversations and exchanges, and talking shop with like-minded kidlit peeps all day felt special, effortless, and natural. It fed the part of my soul that I usually nourish alone in my office (a desk in the bedroom's corner) while translating, writing, or drawing. Being around my creative SCBWI friends was so uplifting and exciting that I forgot all my troubles for a day. It made it easy to focus on my craft and creativity. 

When our presenters shared their personal and professional struggles, it made it easier for me to accept that writing is a tough business. Most of us don’t do it because of money, but because we love kidlit. We want to make a difference in children’s lives. We want every child to be heard, seen, and accepted. Particularly, the most precious and vulnerable groups in our society. Discussing our ideas, intentions, and motivations with others was both humbling and energizing. Sharing creative journeys unites and connects us, and sparks new inspiration, resulting in more creative momentum.

I definitely had some eye-opening moments while attending NY Times bestselling author-illustrator Marla Frazee's workshop, All the Markings of You. 

She blew us away with her knowledge and insights. First, she handed out all kinds of different-sized and colored scrap paper. Then she told us to keep doodling while listening. And to let go of all expectations, just let the hand do the work while the ears are doing their thing. I haven’t really doodled since I was in college, or when I am on the phone for a long time to pass the boredom. Marla suggested practicing this while watching a very familiar series or movie, too. It tricks your brain, or more specifically, keeps the inner critic occupied by the movie. 

She was showing examples of different picture book art, focusing on style, color palette, and other elements. Some examples were simplified, flatter, and consisted of only 3 colors; others were rich and very intricate. 

I was doodling the entire time she was speaking, and most of the other people were, too. Because my dog Charlie was on my mind, inspired by the story of Little Brown by Marla Frazee, I started drawing him over and over. 

I really like how Charlie looked after 45 minutes of doodling. The curly mustache represents his proud sassiness and character and makes me smile.

After Marla was done with the presentation, she checked in with us and our doodles. Many people were surprised by their results. 

Someone created a wonderful pattern maze, which she confessed wasn’t her typical style. She didn’t think it was very good. Marla interjected and questioned this. Interestingly, many creatives don’t think that anything they completed quickly, easily, or imperfectly is as valuable as really thought-out projects because we think easy can’t be good. But maybe it could! Boom! That’s it; trust yourself to just do your thing. In the spirit of play vs. doing everything perfectly.

Sharing wisdom in this quiet solidarity builds resistance. Standing up in community and naming your purpose out loud is powerful. We all love what we do, and the world, especially our children, needs more hope, stories, and reasons to push ahead. It’s our job to show them a world that is worth living in.

Practicing craft exercises in a community and hearing feedback and honest industry perspectives is insightful. Receiving reality checks that both challenge and support us, along with learning how much stick-to-itiveness we all need to make it in this business, is way easier to face in a creative community. This sense of connection is truly the heartbeat of a day like this. It's unfortunate that we only organize these local conferences every two years. If you're curious about the reasoning behind this, feel free to revisit my recap of the Golden Gate Fest 26. 😉 My main takeaway: Attend more local events of our SCBWI sister regions and other creative events in the SF Bay Area.

Karin Redclift is the Translation Coordinator for SCBWI SF South. She is a

German‑born creative writer, translator, and proofreader, raised in Southern

Germany. Her passion for children's books started in pre-school and deepened

when she began teaching. She specializes in writing and translating kidlit, loves

playing with words (German and English), and dreams of making the world a better

place, one sentence at a time. She is bridging cultures and generations through

storytelling, with publications including the German translation of Emily of

New Moon by L.M. Montgomery and an updated version of the German classic

Maya the Bee. Her flash fiction appears in the Bolts of Fiction anthology.

She also enjoys reading, knitting, drawing, Tai Chi, gardening, hiking, and chasing

her little rescue dog, Charlie. 

Find her at www.KarinRedclift.com (sign up for the monthly newsletter).

Follow @karinredclift on Instagram.

Remembering Jane Yolen

REMEMBERING JANE YOLEN

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and the children’s book world, is saddened by the news that author, mentor and friend, Jane Yolen, has died. She was 87 and her loss cannot be measured.

For the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, her passing is especially poignant. She was with us at our founding in 1971 and played a significant role in our development.

We first met Jane through Sue Alexander, another early member. Sue had seen Jane speak at a children’s book event in Colorado and wondered whether she would be willing to keynote our very first conference, even though we were expecting only about 50 attendees. Without hesitation Jane replied YES! Over the next half century, despite her busy schedule, she supported the organization, mentored members, and became a warm and faithful friend. We mourn her passing.

In retrospect, it seems that Jane was bound for a career in the arts from an early age. At seven years old, she once told a biographer how she and her younger brother, Steven, would print up and distribute a weekly newsletter to their friends and relatives in their New York neighborhood.

Following high school, Jane moved to Massachusetts and enrolled in Smith College. It was there that she discovered her love for the written word. Most of her early work was in poetry, and her poems were so moving that year after year she won the award for best poetry.

After college Jane moved to New York and found work as an editor at a respected publishing house. Although she was a good editor, poetry remained her real passion. That was until one day, on a whim, she switched gears and wrote a children’s book titled Pirates in Petticoats.

Proud of the story, she sent it off to a publishing house. One wintry day in February, she received a letter from the publisher informing her that they wanted her book! The good news called for a double celebration, as it was also her birthday. She was turning twenty- two.

Coincidence? Maybe? But, in any case, the rest is literary history.

Jane went on to write more than 400 books across nearly every category. These books were not assembly line tales cranked out featuring cookie cutter characters and tired plots. No matter the genre, Jane's books were penned with the utmost concern for the child who might someday pick them up and devote their time to reading the words she wrote.

This is something we might all aspire to do.

Jane’s books have won countless awards including a Caldecott Medal, two Christopher Medals, two Nebula Awards, three World Fantasy Awards, a Regina Medal, and many more. If you wish you can find a complete list online.

There is one accolade that does not carry with it a trophy, a certificate, or a medal. Instead, it is a simple celebration of her work, bestowed upon her by her many peers:

THE MODERN DAY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

Along with her loving children, Heidi, Jason, and Adam, and her husband, Peter, we mourn her loss. We know her books will live on for generations to come.

Written by Stephen Mooser

SCBWI Conference planning. What I learned as a 1st-time organizer of the SCBWI SF South Golden Gate Fest 2026

I cannot believe it’s been over a month since SCBWI San Franciso South’s Golden Gate Fest 2026. As a total newbie, I officially stepped into the role of SCBWI Translator Coordinator at the end of 2025. I was excited and overwhelmed by this daunting task and all the unknowns ahead. The first major challenge was stepping into an organizing role. There were so many documents, spreadsheets, surprises, and more “learning moments” than I can list here. Below you find the reflections of a newbie who jumped in with enthusiasm, learned on the fly, and gained a whole new appreciation for event planning and teamwork. I was pretty scared at first, but fear moves mountains, right? Being part of a fantastic leadership team made it all possible. Getting to know the team in the process made us closer, stronger, and unstoppable. You'd better watch out!

What a ride! This is how it went down. We (the Regional Team) kicked into high gear in January, working to get this fabulous event underway. Who knew December flies by like that! If you are planning an event, be aware of all celebrations and distractions; life can throw you for a loop at any time. If unexpected challenges arise, communicate with your teammates and allow them to help you. Remember to divide and conquer!

Fortunately, we secured a beautiful venue that we had successfully used for our previous one-day conference. The Farallon Room of Skyline College is located on a cliff in Pacifica, California. Its huge floor‑to‑ceiling windows offer sweeping views of the Pacific and the hills just below. Absolutely stunning and accessible, with easy and free weekend parking. The massive glass windows and high ceilings let in lots of natural light, which was invaluable and helped me avoid a migraine that day. We had quiet tables set up in one corner for people to unwind and relax during breaks.

 

Portfolio table set up in the morning.

Bookstore and Registration table at the entrance. 

I led a Walk-and-Talk activity in the afternoon. A chance for people to get outside, move, and connect. And an opportunity to let everything settle, get a little break from the noise, and tune in with nature. There are some fun hiking trails around the college. Even though it was windy and rain was looming, we were a pretty sizable group, had fun exploring, and even saw a Banana Slug on the trail. Yes, they’re real; even for the non–Nor-Cal folks who thought we made them up. But I am getting ahead of myself…

View from outside the huge glass front window in the main room.

Love that so many kidlit creatives joined me for the little hike, even though the weather wasn’t great!

Once we found and signed our amazing faculty, featuring the legendary Marla Frazee as keynote speaker, Danielle Collins (Beach Lane Books), Esther Hernandez (Knopf Books), Sasha Illingworth (Little Brown Books), Sophie Sheumaker (BookEnds Literary), and Sarah Stephens (Red Fox Literary), we had to put together the schedule, and fine-tune the presentations, craft sessions, workshops, panel discussions, and roundtable pitch clinics.

Sophie Sheumaker, Danielle Collins, Sarah Stephens, Marla Frazee, Esther Hernandez, Sasha Illingworth

Then we developed advertising content. I have never written so much promo copy in my life, but it was fun. We built the website, wrote more content, and then spread the word to as many SF Bay Area kidlit people as possible. Advertising was crucial! Reaching out to colleges from sister regions and college students helped us make our numbers. For a while, it really was touch and go! But thanks to determination, hard work, and advertising on a few different platforms, we actually made a small profit. 

There are so many minute details I wasn’t even privy to (thank goodness). Our Co-RAs Anita and Emily took care of many venue items, tech, food choices (including food sensitivities), all faculty expenses, and so much more. 

I had no idea how many day-of elements there are to running a conference. Thankfully, we work well as a team. Everyone was on top of their tasks. We had many wonderful volunteers who helped with set-up, registration, writing activities, portfolio and bookstore set-up, clean-up, and more. It made this event super smooth. I stepped in to help where I could, and the conference went off without major problems.

Marla Frazee’s keynote was incredible (hire Marla if you want to experience a perfectly written and executed presentation). She made us cry, only to have us laugh right after! Genius. 

Marla’s keynote and workshop were fantastic! You can read more about it next week.

During the day, I was mainly mingling and checking in with attendees to ensure everyone had a positive experience and enjoyed themselves. Catching up with quite a few write-in friends was fun, and I was super-excited to meet a fellow translator from my monthly meetups for the first time. Unfortunately, I was too busy for longer, deeper conversations, but I’ve since followed up with quite a few people. It was a long, exhausting day, and it was magical and energizing to be among all these creatives at the same time. We chose our conference theme, FINDING COURAGE: CREATING THROUGH RESISTANCE, for a reason. Feeling hopeful and accepted, and being with so many like-minded folks, is invaluable and more important than ever. It is reassuring to know so many creatives live close by. It makes getting together and catching up in person easier. Our event showed how much power and positivity in-person events offer. I will definitely meet with my new writer, translator, and illustrator friends more often and try to catch up with some old ones who could not attend the conference. We already planned some future hiking adventures. 

We provided our participants with a day filled with community, creativity, hope, and many tools to overcome challenging times. The atmosphere was infectious. There was a lot of laughter, and I saw many smiles. If that’s not proof that in-person meetings, human connections, and personal exchanges are essential, I don’t know what is. Adrenaline definitely fueled me all day. Strangely, I wasn’t exhausted afterward. It was just amazing and uplifting to be in the company of all these like-minded people and learn more about our craft. I guess that’s what happens when you find your people. 

The bottom line: it was a lot of work and took a village (all of us) to meet our budget constraints and pull off this wonderful event for our community. It definitely brought the team together, and I am very proud and grateful to be a part of the SCBWI SF South Regional Team. 

Susan Cabael, Seina Wedlick, Karin, Anita Tran, Danielle Heitmuller, Emily Jiang, Anastasia Kleckner

My key takeaways: stay flexible, be open-minded, and surround yourself with a team that celebrates, supports, and strengthens each other and the SCBWI community.

Karin Redclift is the Translation Coordinator for SCBWI SF South. She is a

German‑born creative writer, translator, and proofreader, raised in Southern

Germany. Her passion for children's books started in pre-school and deepened

when she began teaching. She specializes in writing and translating kidlit, loves

playing with words (German and English), and dreams of making the world a better

place, one sentence at a time. She is bridging cultures and generations through

storytelling, with publications including the German translation of Emily of

New Moon by L.M. Montgomery and an updated version of the German classic

Maya the Bee. Her flash fiction appears in the Bolts of Fiction anthology.

She also enjoys reading, knitting, drawing, Tai Chi, gardening, hiking, and chasing

her little rescue dog, Charlie. 

Find her at www.KarinRedclift.com (sign up for the monthly newsletter).

Follow @karinredclift on Instagram.

Registration for SCBWI Virtual Summer Conference Opens June 11th!

Registration for the SCBWI Virtual Summer Conference opens Thursday, June 11th, at 10am Pacific /1pm Eastern!

The conference is the perfect place to pitch agents and editors, get your art in front of industry professionals, and grow your skills as a writer, illustrator, or translator. Register before July 6 to lock in early bird pricing!

Click HERE for the conference schedule, session descriptions, and registration information.

This year’s event features inspiring keynotes, industry panels, a special look at how AI is affecting our industry, plus twenty-three breakout sessions. There are sessions specifically for illustrators, novelists, nonfiction writers, graphic novel creators, picture book writers, and more!

The career-launching portfolio showcase offers illustrators an opportunity to get their art in front of art directors, agents, and editors, while writers can pitch their books directly to acquiring agents and editors. For those who crave the networking opportunities present at in-person events, the Virtual Coffee Lounge is a place where attendees can meet one-on-one or in small groups.

Attend from anywhere in the world! If you can’t attend live, each attendee will have access to video recordings of all sessions through September 13th.