Milada Krautmann

During my recent visit to the Swiss Alps, I found myself in a state of unfamiliar elation. Why am I so giddily happy?? And then I realized it was due to ‘Heidi’, specifically – ‘Heidi, Girl of the Alps’, a 1974 Japanese anime. Many adults have a childhood story or a book that they are particularly fond of. Unbeknownst to me or perhaps lost in memory, ‘Heidi’ was mine. This anime had me and my sister glued to the TV. My much younger self would never have imagined seeing the Alps in person and triggering memories of a time long gone. Finding this particular book in Mürren, Switzerland was a small miracle. The store owner procures different variations of the ‘Heidi’ book to sell in her shop. She said the anime was also available in Switzerland and was quite popular, ignoring the high pitch anime voice of Heidi. Lol.

Onwards to the book:
This particular ‘Heidi’ story book was published in Germany, utilizing the artwork and the plot from the Japanese anime. Flipping through the 83 pages is indeed a trip down memory lane. Heidi, Grandpa, Joseph the Saint Bernard, goats, chalets, and rolling green mountains unfold in the pages. If you’re super loyal to the anime version, this is a score. But I honestly don’t recommend this version to any other fans of ‘Heidi’. A major plot line was changed in this version, which is quite a downer for the adult me. I am on the hunt for the full ‘Heidi’ novel with illustrations, and there are SO many versions to choose from.

3 stars for the book
+0.5 start for bringing back happy memories… (mais)