An Rutgers van der Loeff

An Rutgers van der Loeff (1910–1990), along with Annie M.G. Schmidt and Miep Diekmann, is seen as one of the pioneers of postwar children’s literature. With her work, she made an important contribution to the emancipation of the children’s book. Rutgers van der Loeff succeeded in writing fascinating, research-based stories for children on the most diverse subjects. Her work has frequently been translated and in 1967 was awarded the National Prize for Literature for Children and Young People. Rutgers van der Loeff made her debut as a writer of children’s books with De kinderkaravaan (The Children’s Caravan) in 1949. This exciting story immediately became a classic.

The Children’s Caravan

(Ploegsma, 1949, 183 pages)

In 1844, a gang of starving children arrived at a missionary station in Oregon. With their father, mother and a large group of pioneers they had been heading west to try their luck. But fate harshly intervened and their parents died. When the rest of the pioneers wanted to deviate from the original plan and go to California, the children, under the leadership of thirteen-year-old John, decided to fulfil the wish of their parents and to make the journey to Oregon all by themselves.

Author

An Rutgers van der Loeff

The Children’s Caravan

Translations