German children’s book author Janosch has died at the age of 95, bringing to a close one of the most widely loved careers in European children’s literature. He died in Tenerife, Spain, where he had lived since 1980.
Born Horst Eckert on 11 March 1931 in Hindenburg, Upper Silesia, now Zabrze in Poland, Janosch went on to become a household name for generations of young readers. He was best known for the Tiger Duck, known in German as Tigerente, a character who became a symbol of gentle humour and warmth in his stories.
The scale of his success was remarkable. His books were translated into 40 languages and sold more than 25 million copies around the world, carrying his stories far beyond his native Germany and into homes, schools and libraries across continents.
His work also reached television. His series Janosch’s Dream Hour ran from 1986 to 1990, introducing his characters and storytelling style to a new audience of children who may never have picked up one of his books first. The series helped cement his reputation as a storyteller whose appeal crossed formats as well as borders.
Recognition followed in official form too. In 1993 he received the German Federal Cross of Merit, one of Germany’s highest civilian honours, acknowledging a contribution to culture that had already spanned decades by that point.
Remarkably, Janosch kept working deep into old age. His last book was published in 2023, when he was in his nineties, a testament to a creative life that did not fade with time. Few authors maintain such a long and productive career, and fewer still remain relevant to new generations of children while doing so.
What made his work endure is difficult to reduce to a single quality. His stories were simple on the surface, yet they carried a kindness and a sense of wonder that children recognised immediately. Parents who grew up with his books have passed them on to their own children, creating a chain of readership that spans decades.
The Tiger Duck itself became more than a character in a book. It grew into a cultural emblem, instantly recognisable and fondly remembered, associated with a particular kind of storytelling: unhurried, good-natured and quietly funny.
Janosch’s death marks the end of an era for German children’s literature, but his books remain in print and in circulation, and his characters continue to be discovered by young readers. For millions of people, the news will prompt memories of childhood reading, of a small tiger duck and the gentle world its creator built around it.
