A new, beautifully illustrated translation of Felix Salten's celebrated novel Bambi-the original source of the beloved story. Most of us think we know the story of Bambi-but do we? The Original Bambi is an all-new, illustrated translation of a literary classic that presents the story as it was meant to be told. Jack Zipes's introduction traces the history of the book's reception and explores the tensions that Salten experienced in his own life-as a hunter who also loved animals, and as an Austrian Jew who sought acceptance in Viennese society even as he faced persecution. With captivating drawings by award-winning artist Alenka Sottler, The Original Bambi captures the rich emotional meaning of a celebrated story.

The powerful original novel that inspired the classic animated film—a story of nature, loss, survival, and becoming an adult. This moving and eventful story, translated from the original German by David Wyllie, opens with the birth of a fawn in a thicket. Little Bambi rises to his feet immediately, as an overly talkative magpie marvels over this beautiful newborn. We then follow his journey through the innocent joys of youth into experiences of love, loss, and the complexity and danger of the wider world—where humans pose a mortal threat to his kind—and on to his years as an older and wiser prince of the forest. Bambi is a tale of beauty and allegorical depth that brings the realities of nature to vivid, emotional life.

The adventures of a young deer growing up in the forest.

Text copyright 1939 by The Bobbs-Merrill Company.

The adventures of a youg deer growing up in a forest.

"He came into the world in the middle of the thicket, in one of those little, hidden forest glades which seem to be entirely open but are really screened in on all sides." So begins one of the most beloved nature stories. Felix Salten wrote Bambi: A Life in the Woods in 1923.It was translated into English in 1928, becoming a Book-of-the-Month Club hit. Though not originally written for children, the film rights were sold to the Walt Disney studios and the animated movie was released in 1942. Taken directly from the first chapter of Salten's original tale, Bambi's First Day depicts the early moments of the fawn's life in the safety of a forest glen and the shelter of his mother's embrace. Lush oil paintings by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen showcase the beauty of the natural world and tenderly bring to life the heartfelt devotion and love of a mother for her child.Felix Salten is the pen name for Austrian writer Siegmund Salzmann who wrote short stories, plays, novels, and essay collections. Artist Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen has illustrated more than 20 books with Sleeping Bear Press, including the bestselling The Legend of Sleeping Bear; Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot; Friend on Freedom River; and his popular Hazel Ridge Farm stories. Gijsbert lives in Bath, Michigan, with his wife, Robbyn. They both travel to schools in the Great Lakes area.