History Literature / EmilAndTheDetectives

The novel received a sequel, ''Emil and the Three Twins''. It's been adapted for film, television and the stage, and some well-known creators have worked on the various movie versions; Creator/BillyWilder wrote the screenplay for the 1931 film, while Creator/{{Disney}} produced an adaptation in 1964.

* NiceHat: "Grundeis" wears a bowler hat.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Might be the case: "I thought there was someone playing hide-and-seek with himself!" Also later in the book: "Maybe he [=the villain] is looking under his bed to check whether there's someone playing TabletopGame/{{Skat}} with himself."

''Emil und die Detektive'' is a German children's book by Erich Kästner, of ''Film/TheParentTrap'' fame.

Twelve-year-old Emil, son of a poor single mother, is sent to UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}} for the first time in his life, to bring 140 marks (about a month's income of his mother) to his grandma, for financial support. But when he falls asleep on the train, a man who calls himself Grundeis steals the money from him. Fortunately he meets Gustav with the signal horn, who's the leader of a children's gang and willing to help him catch the guy.

* TallTale: "Grundeis" makes fun of Emil, telling the inexperienced small-city-boy that people in Berlin sometimes leave their brain at the bank, to get a loan.

* PersonWithTheClothing: The narration tends to refer to "Grundeis" as "der Mann im steifen Hut" ("the man in the stiff hat") since he's noticeably inconsistent about what his name is in an "IHaveManyNamesL way.

* TheArtfulDodger: Gustav

* ConMan: What "Grundeis" probably is.

* DayOfTheWeekName: Dienstag (Tuesday)
* DisappearedDad: Emil's. Just like [[AuthorAvatar Erich Kästner]]'s, by the way.
** Not quite. Although Erich Kästner was much closer to his mother, his father was very much alive at the time the book was first published.
** Emil is twelve years old in the story, the book was published in 1929, so it is quite likely that his father died in World War I.

* TheFlapper: Pony Hütchen is a girl version. She wears a fringe haircut (="Pony" in German) which was the fashion at this time, and a little hat (=Hütchen). And she is quite outspoken (not to say: bratty), especially for her time, and challenges Emil to a fight. (Being a NiceGuy who WouldntHitAGirl, and several pounds heavier than her, he declines of course.)
* FreeRangeChildren: Probably nowadays not many people would send a boy to a metropolis to deliver a month's wage of money.

* IHaveManyNames: Grundeis / Müller / Kießling.
* KidDetective: Emil and the titular - well, detectives.

* MommasBoy: Emil himself doesn't like it if people call him this.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Pony Hütchen.
* PersonWithTheClothing: The narration tends to refer to "Grundeis" as "der Mann im steifen Hut" ("the man in the stiff hat") since he's noticeably inconsistent about what his name is (see IHaveManyNames above).
* TheRoaringTwenties

* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: The "professor", one of the boys.
* TallTale: "Grundeis" makes fun of Emil, telling the unexperienced small-city-boy that people in Berlin sometimes leave their brain at the bank, to get a loan.

Twelve-year-old Emil, son of a poor single mother, is sent to UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}} for the first time in his life, to bring 140 marks (about a month's income of his mother) to his grandma, for financial support. But when he falls asleep on the train, a man who calls himself Grundeis steals the money from him. Fortunately he meets Gustav with the [signal] horn, who's the leader of a children's gang and willing to help him catch the guy.

Plot: Twelve-year-old Emil, son of a poor SingleMother, is sent to UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}} for the first time in his life, to bring 140 marks (about a month's income of his mother) to his grandma, for financial support. But when he falls asleep on the train, a man who calls himself Grundeis steals the money from him. Fortunately he meets Gustav with the [signal] horn, who's the leader of a children's gang and willing to help him catch the guy.

* DisappearedDad: Emil's. Just like [[AuthorAvatar Erich Kästner]]'s, BTW.

* TechnologyMarchesOn: Among the families of the boys, only one has a telephone in their home. That's why he has to stay home, as their communication center.
* WriteWhatYouKnow: Believe it or not, but as a boy, Kästner helped catching a con woman who had stolen money from his mother.
** Erich Kästner's mother also worked as a hairdresser, like Emil's.

* RealDreamsAreWeirder: Emil has one in the train. It involves several real people he met in the last time.

The novel received a sequel, ''Emil and the Tree Twins''. It's been adapted for film, television and the stage, and some well-known creators have worked on the various movie versions; Creator/BillyWilder wrote the screenplay for the 1931 film, while Creator/{{Disney}} produced an adaptation in 1964.

''Emil und die Detektive'' is a German children's book by Erich Kästner, of ''TheParentTrap'' fame.

Plot: Twelve-year-old Emil, son of a poor SingleMom, is sent to {{Berlin}} for the first time in his life, to bring 140 marks (about a month's income of his mother) to his grandma, for financial support. But when he falls asleep on the train, a man who calls himself Grundeis steals the money from him. Fortunately he meets Gustav with the [signal] horn, who's the leader of a children's gang and willing to help him catch the guy.

!!Examples:

'''Emil und die Detektive''' is a German children's book by Erich Kästner, of ''TheParentTrap'' fame.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotHeinous: Emil participated in a prank in his hometown. For the record: They put an old hat on a monument of some famous guy, and Emil had to paint the monument's nose red, and add a moustache. After this, he has a bad conscience and becomes afraid of policemen. That's why he doesn't dare to tell the police.

* FilmOfTheBook: Several. The script of the 1931 film was written by a then-unknown BillyWilder.

* KidDetective: Hence the title.

Plot: Twelve-year-old Emil, son of a poor SingleMom, is sent to Berlin for the first time in his life, to bring 140 marks (about a month's income of his mother) to his grandma, for financial support. But when he falls asleep on the train, a man who calls himself Grundeis steals the money from him. Fortunately he meets Gustav with the [signal] horn, who's the leader of a children's gang and willing to help him catch the guy.

----

* AuthorCameo: Kästner later appears in the story to write an article about the boys.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Might be the case: "I thought there was someone playing hide-and-seek with himself!" Also later in the book: "Maybe he [=the villain] is looking under his bed to check whether there's someone playing CardGame/{{Skat}} with himself."