Kafka and the Doll

• 二十世紀最偉大的作家之一 卡夫卡真實故事改編

 
　　1923年，卡夫卡在柏林公園遇見一個哭得傷心的小女孩，原來小女孩的娃娃史普希不見了。卡夫卡告訴小女孩，娃娃沒有不見，只是去旅行了。他還為娃娃寫了一封信給小女孩：「我去環遊世界了，請不要難過，我會寫信告訴你我的經歷！」
 
　　接下來，卡夫卡以史普希的身分為小女孩寫了許多封信，雖然真實的信件與小女孩的身分已經淹沒在歷史裡，但在《Kafka and the Doll》書中，作者為娃娃賦予了更多冒險歷程。在真實的世界中，卡夫卡罹患了肺結核，他選擇讓史普希結婚，結束這段旅程；但在這本書裡，作者將史普希送到南極探險，留給讀者更大的想像空間。
 
　　孩子們可能不認識卡夫卡這位文學大師，但卡夫卡與洋娃娃的傳說，數十年來一直吸引著世人無限的想像，因為這讓人們看見這位以探索黑暗與沉思聞名的大師，內心柔軟而又富有童趣的那一面。繪者Rebecca Green以帶有復古筆調的插畫，為全書營造出詩意一般的氛圍。

Based on a true story about Franz Kafka

Inspired by a true story, Kafka and the Doll recounts a remarkable gesture of kindness from one of the world’s most bewildering and iconic writers. In the fall of 1923, Franz Kafka encountered a distraught little girl on a walk in the park. She’d lost her doll and was inconsolable. Kafka told her the doll wasn’t lost, but instead, traveling the world and having grand adventures! And to reassure her, Kafka began delivering letters from the doll to the girl for weeks.

The legend of Kafka and the doll has captivated imaginations for decades as it reveals the playful and compassionate side of a man known for his dark and brooding tales. Kafka and the Doll is a testament to living life to the fullest and to the life-changing power of storytelling.

Larissa Theule holds an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is the author of the picture books Born to Ride: A Story About Bicycle Face, A Way with Wild Things, and How Do You Do? She lives in Pasadena, California.

Rebecca Green is the author and illustrator of How to Make Friends with a Ghost and the illustrator of many other celebrated picture books. Originally from Michigan, she currently lives in Osaka, Japan.