a German writer and one of the most renowned authors of children's and young adult literature in the world. His books achieved great success because they introduced a fresh tone, moving away from preaching and moralizing. In his stories, children are portrayed as intelligent, independent, self-reliant, cooperative, and free from fear.

Kästner wrote for children and young adults as though he were writing for adults, respecting their intelligence while maintaining his playful educational style. As a result, both young and adult readers were drawn to his novels, especially Emil and the Detectives, which has been adapted multiple times in different countries into films and stage productions, and has been translated into nearly sixty languages.