Alfred and Ellenor banging their heads together

The Alfred Books
A Danish Boy’s Guide to Grown-Up Nonsense – Understanding Danish Idioms Through Funny Stories
The English editions are designed to be read together with the Danish Alfred books with the same title.
Side by side, the two books help bilingual children and English-speaking families living in Denmark understand Danish idioms by following the story in English while hearing or reading the original Danish expressions.
The books can also be used the other way around: Danish children who are learning English can read the English version with support from the Danish text. In this case it is helpful to know that the Danish idioms in the English edition are translated literally. This means that the expressions may sound unusual or strange in English. At the back of the book you will find an appendix that compares the Danish idioms with their closest English equivalents and explains their meaning.
Perfect for reading aloud and for curious young readers, The Alfred books invites children and adults to laugh together while discovering the playful magic hidden inside language.
Alfred and Ellenor banging their heads together
This book continues the adventures from The Cave in Alfred’s Head, but it can also be enjoyed on its own.
Alfred lives close to his younger cousin Ellenor, and now it is his turn to explain the strange sayings he learned about before. Together with Alfred’s big sister Jasmin, the cousins spend their summer holiday with Grandpa and Anne - playing games, drinking lemonade, and wondering about the curious things adults say.
What does it mean when someone “skims the cream”? Can you really be “up and running” without sitting in a car? And why would anyone ever “stick their head into a bush”?
With warmth, humor, and colorful illustrations, Alfred shows Ellenor how language is full of funny pictures hidden inside everyday expressions. Children often take words literally - and that leads to laughter, surprising misunderstandings, and thoughtful conversations.
On my website, forlagditindrelys.dk, you can explore the books with illustrations and read several chapters from the Danish editions. You can also find recommendations (in Danish) from both children and adults. (Feel free to use Google Translate )