Torbjørn Egner (1912-1990)

Caries and Bacties

Karius og Baktus

Genre: Children And Young Adults
Category: Picture Book/Novel
Publisher: Cappelen Damm
Year: 1958
Pages: 41
English translation available

This is the story about two tiny folks, Caries and Bacties, living in the teeth of a boy called Jens. As long as he only brushes his teeth every fortnight and eats white bread with syrup, the trolls are enjoying their happy days in the teeth. They even build a new house with an underground tunnel to the old house. Suddenly they hear Jens cry out in pain. He has a terrible tooth ache. Caries and Bacties can hear Jens’ mother insist on him brushing his teeth, and the happy days are threatened. Then one day Jens goes to the dentist…

Thorbjørn Egner (12 December 1912 – 24 December 1990) was a Norwegian playwright, songwriter and illustrator known for his books, plays and musicals for children. He grew up in the working class neighbourhood Kampen in Oslo and his breakthrough was on the nationally broadcast children’s radio show Barnetimen for de minste in the beginning of the 1950s.
Egner is particularly known for his books Karius og Baktus (1949), Thorbjørn Egners lesebøker (1950–1972), Klatremus og de andre dyrene i Hakkebakkeskogen (1953) and Folk og røvere i Kardemommeby (1955, translated 1976). The latter two were made into successful musicals. He also illustrated his own books.

Thorbjørn Egner received the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1972 and the Cappelen Prize in 1979. He also won three Spellemann awards (Spellemannprisen): in 1975 for Ole Brumm og vennene hans, in 1977 for the album Folk og røvere i Kardemomme by and in 1982 for Beste Egnerviser, a collection of his songs.

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Caries and Bacties

Karius og Baktus

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