Der kleine Tiger braucht ein Fahrrad.

This blogpost will be about two things. Books by Janosch with main point on the book Der kleine Tiger braucht ein Fahrrad and about my (new) bike. They go a bit hand in hand.

Have any of you read anything by the German children book author Janosch?

No? Then you're missing something. I mostly read his books about the little Tiger and the little Bear. I think, pretty sure, that he's most known work is Oh wie schön ist Panama, which is about the little Bear and little Tiger that find a wooden box (probably a banana box) on the shore with the text Panama on it. They start to wonder where Panama is and think is a wonderful place that always smells like bananas. They decide to go there. Pack a few things and start walking.
There are different version of this story, a TV show was made and so on. In Germany it's well known. I don't know how know is it outside Germany. It is translated to English but not to so many other languages.
    I read this book 2008. I feel in love with it. The little Tiger and the little Bear are the best of friends, they live in a house in close to the woods and the sea. The little Tiger likes to go to the woods and pick mushrooms and the little Bear takes his boot and goes fishing a lot. I knew about Janosch before I read this book since there is a Swedish punk song about the story (Charta 77- Lilla björn, lilla Tiger). Me and former room mate and good friend Anna identify as the little Bear and the little Tiger, me being the Tiger and she the Bear.
Now that I live in Germany I decided to read more about the little Tiger and the little Bear. There are more stories about them that I was excited to read when the books came in the post. The little Tiger and the little Bear are, like written, the best of friends. The little Tiger has the bigger personality and when something goes wrong for him he gets really dramatic and doesn't want to live anymore. The little Bear is more organised. He cooks, fishes and sees that the little Tiger is doing well. The little Bear takes care of the little Tiger when he get's sick in Ich mach dich Gesund, sagte der Bär and doesn't complain when the little Tiger doesn't do what he's suppose to in Guten Tag kleines Schweinschen. The little Bear has a lot of patience with the little Tiger and does anything to make him happy.

And now we come to the book Der kleine Tiger braucht ein Fahrrad. (The little Tiger needs a bicycle.)
This book is of course about when the little Tiger gets a bike. The book begins with the little Tiger says to the little Bear that he urgently needs a bike. The little Tiger gives he's reasons why. There are three.
1. He wants to go acrobatics in the streets.
2. He wants to explore foreign lands.
3. He wants to be able to visit his fiancé.
The little Bears says that not going to happen because biking is to dangerous and the little Tiger not careful enough to have a bike. He could die.
Now of course, since the little Tiger doesn't get his way, he doesn't want to live anymore and the little Bear is such a good friend he asked the big forest Bear what he thinks.
The big forest Bear says that the little Tiger should have a bike as long as he bikes it careful, so they get the little Tiger a bike and the little Tiger is happy again. He visits his fiancé the Maya Papaya, and goes on a bike ride to town. On the way to town they learn all traffic rules and how to bike good. So children will know the rules.
This book has been read close to a million times in this household, since both me and Oskar(one of the children take care of) love it. He now quotes it quite often and if he's biking he always wants go on the bike line, since he has learned that is what he's suppose to do.
Since I got my wonderful bike (a old lady bike from the 60's or 70's without any gears) a couple weeks ago I also always go on the bike line if there is anything. And I explore new parts of Berlin and feel so free by having a bike. I think about this book almost every time I'm on my bike. 
Having a bike in Berlin is something I highly recommend to everyone. Specially now when the public transport is going so-so due to many reparations on many lines. Berlin is a really bike friendly city and it is easy to find the way. If I knew that having a bike would be this good and easy before I would have gotten one a long time ago. It's so nice to just be able to go anywhere anytime instead of waiting for the u-bahn or night bus. The plus part is the exercise. I'm always tried in my legs now but it is so worth it.
Everything feels so close with a bike and when I'm biking it feels like I can go anywhere and just bike on.
I too, like the Tiger like to be a bit acrobatic in the streets and explore. I have no finacé to visit but friends. Jake also has a bike so we bike together sometimes, since we live close to each other, and it's really nice to have a bike friend to talk routes with and so sing with while we're biking. Oh having a bike is schön. I feel like I know the city a lot better now and find parks or other things that I don't think I would find otherwise. Other bikes look a extra second at me since I still have my dresses while biking, and biking with a big petticoat and high heels works way better then I thought. Berlin feels more like a small town when it comes to biking because it's so easy to get by. I remember biking in Stockholm and being terrified of the other bikers that seam angry and passes you faster on the wrong side. Here I feel safe in traffic and other bike riders are polite.

So my recommendation in Berlin is to get a bike, at least for a day and explore. You will see new things, maybe find a favorite spot or something that you else wouldn't see. Try it. At least once.
And if you know German, read a book of Janosch about the little Bear and the little Tiger as culture study or just for fun. I think they are good with both morals and fun.