About GermanTales

GermanTales collects German fairytales and tells them back in very simple English for little kids ages 3 to 4. Pick a tale, snuggle up, and read it aloud. The words are short, the sentences are small, and most tales finish in under five minutes — long enough for a story, short enough for a sleepy head.

Tips for reading aloud

• Keep it short Three to five minutes is plenty. Stop while your little one still wants more.
• Use your voices Give the wolf a growl, the princess a higher voice, the frog a deep croak. Kids love it.
• Ask questions What do you think happens next? Would you go in the woods? Why not?
• Make it routine Same tale, same time, every night. Familiar stories help little ones feel safe.

Where the tales come from

The tales come from public-domain German-language sources, retold for the smallest listeners. The classic Brothers Grimm are at the heart of it, with Wilhelm Hauff, E. T. A. Hoffmann, the Romantics, and folk collections from Austria, Switzerland, Alsace, Transylvania, and beyond.

Languages

The tales are translated into over 50 languages using automated translation. The English source is hand-written and reviewed; translations may read a touch machine-like for some of the rarer legends. If a translation sounds off, the English version is always available.