''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published between 1880 and 1881 by Swiss author

Johanna Spyri Spyri (; ; 12 June 1827 – 7 July 1901) was a Swiss author of novels, notably children's stories. She wrote the popular book ''Heidi''. Born in Hirzel, a rural area in the canton of Zürich, as a child she spent several summers near Chur i ...

, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' () and ''Heidi: How She Used What She Learned'' (). It is a novel about the events in the life of a 5-year-old girl in her paternal grandfather's care in the

Swiss Alps The Alps, Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps, represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main Physica ...

. It was written as a book "for children and those who love children" (as quoted from its subtitle). ''Heidi'' is one of the best-selling books ever written and is among the best-known works of

Swiss literature As there is no dominant national language, the Languages of Switzerland, four main languages of French language, French, Italian language, Italian, German language, German and Romansh language, Romansh form the four branches which make up a l ...

Plot

In the town of

Domleschg Domleschg is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2015 the former municipalities of Almens, Paspels, Pratval, Rodels and Tomils merged to form the new municipality of Domleschg.

lived two brothers. The older wasted the family fortune on drinking and gambling, while the younger ran away to serve in the

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies () was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1861 under the control of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, Bourbons. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by popula ...

's Army in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. Years later the younger brother returns with a son, Tobias. After Tobias serves an apprenticeship to

Mels Mels is a municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of Sarganserland in the Seeztal, canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. History Mels is first mentioned in 765 as ''Maile'' though this comes from a later copy of the original document. ...

, father and son move to Dörfli ('small village' in Swiss German) in the municipality of

Maienfeld Maienfeld () is a municipality in the Landquart Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It is a tourist destination in the Alps, both because of the local wine and because it was the setting of the story '' Heidi''. History Maienfeld li ...

. The villagers spread rumors about the father's life in

. The man becomes known as The Alm-Uncle, as he lives in seclusion on the mountain Alm. Two village girls, sisters Dete and Adelheid, befriend Tobias. Adelheid and Tobias marry and have a daughter, also named Adelheid but affectionately nicknamed Heidi. Soon after, Tobias is killed in a work accident and Adelheid dies of shock. The Alm-Uncle holds this against God and becomes bitter. Heidi is raised by her maternal grandmother and Dete in Maienfeld. Shortly after the grandmother's death, Dete is offered a job as a maid in the big city, and takes 5-year-old Heidi to live with the Alm-Uncle. He resents Heidi's arrival, but the girl's intelligence and cheerful yet unaffected demeanour soon earn his love. Heidi befriends her new neighbours: young Peter the

goatherd A goatherd or goatherder is a person who herds goats as a vocational activity. It is similar to a shepherd who herds sheep. Goatherds are most commonly found in regions where goat populations are significant; for instance, in Africa and South A ...

, his mother Brigitte, and his blind maternal grandmother. With each season that passes, the mountaintop inhabitants, especially Peter and the grandmother, grow more attached to Heidi, and she to them. However, the grandfather refuses to allow Heidi to attend school, quarrelling with the local pastor and schoolmaster when they try to encourage him to do so, and Heidi is illiterate as a result. Three years later, Dete returns to take Heidi to

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

to be a hired

lady's companion A lady's companion was a woman of genteel birth who lived with a woman of rank or wealth as Affinity (medieval), retainer. The term was in use in the United Kingdom from at least the 18th century to the mid-20th century but it is now archaism, arc ...

to a wealthy girl named Klara Sesemann, who is unable to walk and regarded as an

invalid Invalid may refer to: * Patient, a sick person * one who is confined to home or bed because of illness, disability or injury (sometimes considered a politically incorrect term) * Invalid (film), a 2023 Slovak black comedy movie * .invalid, a top-l ...

. Klara is charmed by Heidi's simple friendliness and her descriptions of life on the Alm, and delights in all the funny mishaps brought about by Heidi's naïvety and lack of experience with city life, but the Sesemanns' strict housekeeper,

Fräulein ( , ) is the German honorifics, German language honorific for unmarried women, comparable to Miss in English and in French. Description ''Fräulein'' is the diminutive form of ''Frau'', which was previously reserved only for married women. ...

Rottenmeier, views the household disruptions as wanton misbehaviour, and places the free-spirited Heidi under more and more restraint, forbidding her to talk of the Alps or to cry for home. Soon, Heidi becomes terribly homesick for the Alm, and grows alarmingly pale and thin. Her one diversion is learning to read and write using a collection of Biblical stories, motivated by Klara's grandmother Frau Sesemann who shows her trust and affection, and encourages her to believe in God and to pray. Later Frau Sesemann gifts Heidi the book. Heidi's homesickness leads to episodes of sleepwalking where she goes downstairs and opens the front door, which the household initially takes as the work of ghosts. The family doctor recommends she be sent home before she becomes seriously ill. She gladly returns to the mountains laden with presents for her friends and the book from Frau Sesemann, but finds one of her greatest pleasures is reading hymns to Peter's blind grandmother, who can no longer do so for herself. Her faith in God speaks to something in the Alm-Uncle. One day Heidi reads to him "The Prodigal Son" from a book Frau Sesemann gave her. That night Alm-Uncle prays for the first time in years. He accompanies Heidi to church, and that winter takes accommodation in the village so that she can attend school. Heidi and Klara continue to keep in touch and exchange letters. A visit by the doctor to Heidi leads him to recommend that Klara visit Heidi, believing that the mountain environment and the wholesome companionship will do her good. Klara makes the journey the next season and spends a wonderful summer with Heidi, becoming stronger on

goat's milk Goat milk is the milk of domestic goats. Goats produce about 2% of the world's total annual milk supply. Some goats are bred specifically for milk. Goat milk naturally has small, well-emulsified fat globules, which means the cream will stay ...

and fresh mountain air. Peter, jealous of Heidi's and Klara's friendship, pushes her empty wheelchair down the mountain. He is soon wracked with guilt about what he did and ultimately confesses to it. Without her wheelchair, Klara has no choice but to learn to walk; she attempts to do so and is gradually successful. Her grandmother and father are overcome with joy to see Klara walking again. The Sesemann family promises to provide permanent care for Heidi, if there ever comes a time when her grandfather is no longer able to do so.

Characters

* Heidi: A joyful and free-spirited young girl who is orphaned as a toddler. At the beginning of the story, she is five years old. Heidi loves her grandfather (uncle Alp) and the beauty and fresh air of the mountains. Only Fräulein Rottenmeier calls her by her given name "Adelheid", in some translations "Adelaide". * Grandfather: Heidi's paternal grandfather, a cantankerous loner who lives in a hut high in the mountains. By people other than Heidi, he is called (in some translations) "Uncle Alp". * Adelheid: Heidi's mother, she died from fever soon after her husband Tobias died. It is spelled "Adelaide" in some translations. * Tobias: Heidi's father who was killed by a beam falling on his head when Heidi was a baby. * Dete: Heidi's selfish and insensitive aunt, the sister of Adelheid. Heidi lived with her after her parents died. Dete is related to Grandfather (her and her sister Adelheid's great grandmother and Grandfather's grandmother were sisters). It is spelled "Deta" or "Detie" in some translations. * Peter: A goat herder who lives with his mother and grandmother in a hut up the mountain located between the village Dörfli and the hut where Heidi's grandfather lives. He is eleven years old at the beginning of the story. He is sullen, pessimistic, and fond of Heidi to the point of being insanely jealous of anyone around her more than him. * Brigitte: Peter's mother and spelled "Brigitta" or "Bridget" in some translations. * Grannie: Peter's blind grandmother, Heidi gets attached to her. * Klara Sesemann: A frail girl who cannot walk. Her mother died when she was young. Her father is often away on business trips. She lives in a big household with servants in Frankfurt and is twelve years old when the 8-year-old Heidi comes to live with her. It is spelled "Clara" in some translations. * Herr Sesemann: Klara's father, a successful businessman who travels often. In some translations he is called "Mr Sesemann". * Frau Sesemann: By Klara and Heidi called "Grandmamma", she is Herr Sesemann's mother and Klara's grandmother. She is a kind woman and successfully encourages Heidi to learn reading. In some translations she is called "Mrs Sesemann". * Doctor Classen: Friend of Herr Sesemann. * Fräulein Rottenmeier: The strict and arrogant housekeeper at Herr Sesemann's home who antagonizes Heidi. In some translations she is called "Miss Rottenmeier". * Sebastian: A manservant in the Sesemann household who is kind if dandified. * Tinette: A maidservant in the Sesemann household who is scornful and contemptuous.

Translations

Thirteen

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

translations were done between 1882 and 1959, by British and American translators: Louise Brooks, Helen B. Dole, H.A. Melcon, Helene S. White, Marian Edwardes, Elisabeth P. Stork, Mabel Abbott, Philip Schuyler Allen, Shirley Watkins, M. Rosenbaum, Eileen Hall, and Joy Law. As of 2010, only the Brooks, Edwardes and Hall translations are still in print. The preface of the 1924 English translation was written by

Adeline Zachert Adeline Beth Zachert (November 15, 1876 – August 11, 1965) was a Russian-born American librarian, educator, and clubwoman. Zachert was based in Rochester, New York, for much of her career, but also worked in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and the U. ...

Basis for ''Heidi''

In April 2010, a Swiss scholar named Peter Otto Büttner, uncovered a book written in 1830 by German author Hermann Adam von Kamp entitled ''Adelaide: The Girl from the Alps'' (German: ''Adelaide, das Mädchen vom Alpengebirge''). The two stories share many similarities in plotline and imagery. Spyri's biographer Regine Schindler said it was entirely possible that Spyri may have been familiar with the story, as she grew up in a literate household with many books.

Adaptations

Film and television

About 25 film or television productions of the original story have been made. The ''Heidi'' films were popular far and wide, becoming a huge hit, and the Japanese animated series became iconic in several countries around the world. The only incarnation of the Japanese-produced animated TV series to reach the English language was a dubbed feature-length compilation film using the most pivotal episodes of the television series, released on video in the United States in 1985. Versions of the story include: * ''

Heidi ''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published between 1880 and 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' () and ''Heidi: How She Used What She Learned'' ( ...

'', a 1937

motion picture A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

(now 20th Century Studios) which starred

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

in the

title role The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...

. * ''

'', a 1952 film in Swiss German and German, directed by Luigi Comencini, starring Elsbeth Sigmund (filmed on location in Switzerland), and followed by a sequel, ''

Heidi and Peter ''Heidi and Peter'' (German: ''Heidi und Peter'') is a 1955 Swiss family drama film directed by Franz Schnyder and starring Heinrich Gretler, Elsbeth Sigmund and Thomas Klameth. It is a sequel to the 1952 film ''Heidi'', which is itself an adaptati ...

'', in 1955, directed by Franz Schnyder, also starring Ms. Sigmund. * , a 1956 Austrian film, directed by Hermann Kugelstadt. * ''A Gift for Heidi'' (1958), by George Templeton. * , a 1958 Indian

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

-language family drama film adaptation by A. R. Kardar, starring Baby Naaz in the role of Poornima (Heidi). * ''Heidi'' (1959), music by Clay Warnick, adapted by William Friedberg with

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He received three ...

. * ''Heidi'', a six-part 1959 BBC TV series starring Sara O'Connor in the title role, with

Mark Dignam Cuthbert Mark Dignam (20 March 1909 – 29 September 1989) was an English actor. Born in London, the son of a salesman in the steel industry, Dignam grew up in Sheffield, and was educated at the Jesuit College, where he appeared in numerous S ...

as her grandfather and

Lesley Judd Lesley Judd (born 20 December 1946) is a British former television presenter and dancer, best known as a long-serving host of the BBC children's programme '' Blue Peter'' (1972–1979). Background Born in London, the daughter of Leslie T. Judd a ...

as Klara. * ''

'', a 1965 Austrian film, directed by

Werner Jacobs Werner Jacobs (1909–1999) was a German film director and film editor, editor. He was born in Berlin on the 24 April 1909. He is best known for his contributions to Modebummel (1951), Der Stern von Santa Clara (1958) and André und Ursula (1955). ...

. * ''

'', a 1968

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

which starred

Jennifer Edwards Jennifer Edwards (born March 25, 1957) is an American actress. She came to national prominence for her role in the 1968 NBC made-for-television movie ''Heidi''. Career Edwards's best known role was the NBC made-for-television movie ''Heidi'' ( ...

with

Maximilian Schell Maximilian Schell (8 December 1930 – 1 February 2014) was a Swiss actor. Born in First Austrian Republic, Austria, his parents were involved in the arts and he grew up surrounded by performance and literature. While he was still a child, his fa ...

and

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English actor and filmmaker. Beginning his career in theatre, he first appeared in the West End in 1937. He made his film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's ''The Lady Vanishes'' ...

. This was the version that became notorious for interrupting an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

game that was broadcast the same day (November 17) on NBC. The game between the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...

and the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

was cut off a few minutes before the end of the game when it looked as if the Jets were going to win, but after the cutoff, the Raiders made a comeback and beat the Jets with TV viewers on the east coast missing the conclusion. TV channels displayed the final score (Oakland winning 43–32) during the film, further enraging football fans. This incident led to a policy of not ending coverage of any sports games until after their conclusion. The game has gone down in professional football lore as "The Heidi Game" or "Heidi Bowl". * ''Heidi'' (Disneyland Storyteller Record), a 1968

old time radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...

–style adaptation of the story by Disneyland Records, with music by Camarata, recorded in London and starring Brenda Dunnich,

John Witty John Witty (1915–1990) was a British film and television actor. Witty's distinguished voice appeared extensively on various series and documentary short films. He presented the TV series ''Mail Call'' (1955–56) with his wife Genine Graham. ...

and introducing (to American audiences)

Ysanne Churchman Ysanne Churchman (14 May 1925 – 4 July 2024) was an English actress. She starred and narrated on British radio, television and film for over 50 years, from 1938 to 1993. Churchman gained prominence as Grace Archer, wife of Phil, in the long- ...

as Heidi. * ''

Heidi, Girl of the Alps is an animated television series produced by Zuiyo Eizo and the series itself based on the novel '' Heidi's Years of Wandering and Learning'' by Johanna Spyri (1880). It was directed by Isao Takahata and features contributions by numer ...

'', a 1974 Japanese

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

series directed by

Isao Takahata was a Japanese director, screenwriter and producer. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he earned international critical acclaim for his work as a director of Japanese animated feature films. Born in Ujiyamada, Mie Prefecture, Takahata joined Toei ...

for Zuiyo Eizo (later,

Nippon Animation is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with its headquarters in their Tama, Tokyo, Tama City studio and an administrative office in the Ginza district of Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō. Nippon Animation is known for prod ...

), dubbed into various languages. It was compiled into an English- dubbed film entitled ''The Story of Heidi''. * ''Heidi'', a 1974

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

adaptation starring Emma Blake. * ''Heidi'', a 1978 26-episode Swiss/German television series, starring Katia Polletin as the protagonist, which was dubbed into various languages, including English. * '' The New Adventures of Heidi'' (1978), directed by Ralph Senensky. * (2 record set). Story read by actress Irène Vidy, Heidi theme song sung by Tony Schmitt. Milan Entertainment, a product of Activ-Records,

Altendorf, Schwyz Altendorf is a municipality in March District in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. History Altendorf is first mentioned in 972 as ''Rahprehteswilare''. In 1932, construction started on the '' Etzelwerk'', a hydro-electric power station to g ...

Switzerland, 1980 (SLP 77). * ''

Heidi's Song ''Heidi's Song'' is a 1982 American animated musical film produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and based on the 1881 novel '' Heidi'' by Johanna Spyri. It was directed by Robert Taylor from a screenplay by Taylor, Joseph Barbera and Jameson ...

'', a 1982 American animated film produced by

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...

. * ''Climb a Tall Mountain'', a Christian film from 1987 that uses the story's characters to illustrate a message about the importance of love and forgiveness. * '' Courage Mountain'', a 1990 American adventure drama film and serves as a sequel to Johanna Spyri's novel ''Heidi'', directed by Christopher Leitch. * ''Heidi'', a 1992 video-art project directed by

Paul McCarthy Paul McCarthy (born August 4, 1945) is an American artist who lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Life McCarthy was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1945. He studied art at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, and later continued to ...

and Mike Kelley as a collaboration project. * ''

'', a two-part American television miniseries from 1993, starring

Noley Thornton Noley Thornton is a former television and film actress who was active in U.S. media from 1990 through 1998. In the early 1990s, Thornton was nominated for a Young Artist Award twice. Once in the category of "Best Youth Actress in a TV Miniseries ...

as Heidi. Co-stars included

Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (; 24 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was ...

as Miss Rottenmeier,

Jason Robards Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he gained a reputation as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill. Robards received numerous accola ...

as Grandfather and

Lexi Randall Lexi Randall (born January 1, 1980) is a former child actress in films and television. She appeared in the film The Long Walk Home (1990) and '' The War'' (1994) with Kevin Costner and Elijah Wood. Randall starred in the three television movie ...

as Klara. * ''

'', a 1995 animated film. * ''

'', a 2005 animated film. * ''

'', a 2005 British live-action film directed by

Paul Marcus Paul Coryn Valentine Marcus (30 May 1954 – 13 February 2011) was a BAFTA winning British television director and producer.Obituary '' London Guardian'', 4 March 2011. His most notable success was as producer of the television series ''Prime Sus ...

, starring Irish child actress Emma Bolger in the title role, alongside

Max Von Sydow Max von Sydow (; born Carl Adolf von Sydow; 10 April 1929 – 8 March 2020) was a Swedish and French actor. He had a 70-year career in European and American cinema, television, and theatre, appearing in more than 150 films and several television ...

and

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...

. * ''Heidi'', a 2007 Swiss-French-Spanish-Czech television series set in modern times, starring Élodie Bollée as a teenage Heidi. * '' Heidi 4 Paws'', a comedic 2008 adaptation featuring talking dogs with the voice of

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American actress, producer, and singer. In a career spanning 80 years, she played various roles on stage and screen. Among her numerous accolades wer ...

. * ''

'', a CGI remake of the 1974 anime series developed in 2015, made by

Studio 100 Animation Studio 100 Animation SAS is a French animation studio based in Paris and it is a subsidiary of the Belgian Studio 100 ''group'', the studio specialises in producing TV series and films for children and families. History When parent company Stud ...

, the makers of ''

Maya the Bee Maya the Bee () is the main character in ''The Adventures of Maya the Bee'', a German book written by Waldemar Bonsels and published in 1912. The book has been published in many other languages and adapted into different media. The first Ameri ...

''. * ''

'', a 2015 Swiss live-action film directed by Alain Gsponer. * '' Heidi, bienvenida a casa'', a 2017 telenovela from Argentina * ''Heidi (2024)'', a 2024 US American Christian film, directed by Lynn Moody Two new separate upcoming German-language television productions were announced in 2025 in the context of the upcoming 200th birthday of Johanna Spyri in 2027. Theatre A stage musical adaptation of ''Heidi'' with book and lyrics by Francois Toerien, music by Mynie Grové and additional lyrics by Esther von Waltsleben, premiered in South Africa at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival in 2016. Directed by Toerien with musical direction by Dawid Boverhoff, the production starred Tobie Cronjé (Rottenmeier), Dawid Minnaar (Sesemann), Albert Maritz (Grandfather),

Ilse Klink Ilse Klink (born 4 March 1972), is a South African actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in the popular television serials ''Isidingo'' and ''Inkaba'' and '' Arendsvlei''. Personal life She was born on 4 March 1972, in Cape Town, ...

(Aunt Dete), Karli Heine (Heidi), Lynelle Kenned (Klara), Dean Balie (Peter), Jill Middlekop and Marlo Minnaar. Puppets for the production were created by Hansie Visagie. A stage musical adaptation of ''Heidi of the Mountain'' (music and lyrics by Claude Watt, book by Claude and Margaret Watt) was performed in Sidney, BC, Canada by Mountain Dream Productions, premiering in 2007 at the Charlie White Theatre, and has been performed again several times since then. The 2007 production starred Claude Watt (Grandfather), Margaret Watt (Rottenmeier), Rianne Craig (Heidi) and Katrina Brindle (Klara).

Computer games

There have been two Heidi computer games released for mobile devices, with the most recent being ''Heidi: Mountain Adventures''. Both games are based on the Studio 100 TV series of 2015 and are aimed at young children, with educational elements and a series of

mini-games A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements and is often smaller or more simplistic than th ...

Graphic novel

A graphic novel adaptation is set to be released in March 2025 ISBN 1524886408

Heidiland

Heidiland, named after the ''Heidi'' books, is an important tourist area in Switzerland, popular especially with Japanese and Korean tourists.

is the center of what is called Heidiland; one of the villages, formerly called Oberrofels, is actually renamed "Heididorf". Heidiland is located in an area called

Bündner Herrschaft The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include: * ; * Romansh: ** ** ** ** ** **; * ; * ; * . See also other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton of Graubünden, is one of the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland. I ...

; it is criticized as being a "laughable, infantile cliché" and "a more vivid example of

hyperreality Hyperreality is a concept in post-structuralism that refers to the process of the evolution of notions of reality, leading to a cultural state of confusion between signs and symbols invented to stand in for reality, and direct perceptions of co ...

Sequels

Literary

Between 1933 and 1955, French publishing company Flammarion published a new edition of ''Heidi'' along with a series of new original sequels. Despite being all published under Johanna Spyri's name, this books were neither written nor endorsed by Spyri, but were adapted from her other works by her French translator, Charles Tritten in the 1930s and 1940s, many years after she died, while the last one was written by Nathalie Gala. The series is composed of a total of 7 books, 2 translated from Spyri's works and 5 original. Only two of them were published in English. # ''Heidi. La merveilleuse histoire d'une fille de la montagne'' (1933), translation of the first ''Heidi'' volume (''Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre''). # ''Heidi grandit'' (1934), translation of the second ''Heidi'' volume (''Heidi kann brauchen, was es gelernt hat'') with the addition of an original ending by Charles Tritten, which announces Heidi's further adventures. # ''

Heidi Grows Up ''Heidi Grows Up'' (''Heidi jeune fille''), also known as ''Heidi Grows Up: A Sequel to Heidi'', is a 1936 novel and sequel to Johanna Spyri's 1881 novel ''Heidi'', written by Spyri's French and English translator, Charles Tritten, after a three-d ...

'' (''Heidi jeune fille'', 1936) by Charles Tritten, it follows Heidi's teenage years. # ''Au pays de Heidi'' (1938) by Charles Tritten, the story is told from the perspective of Heidi's village seen by some of its inhabitants. # ''

Heidi's Children ''Heidi's Children'' (''Heidi et ses enfants'') is a 1939 novel, the second of four sequel novels to Johanna Spyri's original ''Heidi'' series, written by Spyri's French and English translator, Charles Tritten. It was originally published in Fren ...

'' (''Heidi et ses enfants'', 1939) by Charles Tritten, about Heidi's adulthood with Peter and their children. # ''Heidi grand'mère'' (1941) by Charles Tritten, about Heidi's later years with her grandchildren. # ''Le sourire de Heidi'' (1955) by Nathalie Gala, a new story set once again during Heidi's younger years. There are some major differences between the original ''Heidi'' and the Tritten sequels. These include: * ''Heidi'', the original story by Spyri, shows the simple life of Heidi imbued with a deep love of children and childhood. Spyri mentioned that the work was "for children and those who love children". The sequels portray Heidi in a different manner, as she grows up and gets married. * Heidi in the first book, ''Heidi'', is described as having "short, black curly hair", when she is around five to eight years of age. In ''Heidi Grows Up'', when she is fourteen, her hair is long, straight and fair. * In some English editions of ''Heidi'' the names of the goats are translated into English (Little Swan and Little Bear), while other editions use their original Swiss-German names, Schwanli and Baerli. In ''Heidi Grows Up'' only the names Schwanli and Baerli are used.

Film

In 1990, screenwriters Weaver Webb and Fred & Mark Brogger, and director Christopher Leitch, produced '' Courage Mountain'', starring

Charlie Sheen Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He is known as a leading man in film and television. Sheen has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award as well as ...

and Juliette Caton as Heidi. Billed as a sequel to Spyri's story, the film is anachronistic in that it depicts Heidi as a teenager during World War I, despite the fact that the original novel (where Heidi is only five years old) was published in 1881.

Reception

Swiss-Commemorative-Coin-2001-CHF-50-obverse

The book has been criticised for black-and-white character portrayals and an idealization of pastoral life.Kari Sønsthagen og Torben Weinreich. ''Leksikon for børnelitteratur''. Branner og Korch, 2003. In Japan, since its first Japanese translation in 1906, the book has been influential upon the general, stereotypical image of Switzerland for the Japanese, especially its tourists, many visiting the Heidi's Village park.

References

External links

* * * (illustrated) * (in German) *
''Heidi's Land''
the official website (in French) for the 1980s television show with Katia Polletin (Heidi) and Stefan Arpagaus (Peter)
''Remembering Heidi: Swiss Pride at its best''
, by Dr. Anton Anderssen

(in German) {{Authority control 19th-century Swiss novels 1880s children's books Literary characters introduced in 1881 Characters in novels of the 19th century 1881 German-language novels German-language children's books Novels set in Frankfurt Children's books set in Germany Novels set in Switzerland Children's books set in Switzerland Alps in fiction Maienfeld Novels set in mountains Children's books set in mountains Novels about orphans Novels about women Swiss novels adapted into films Children's books adapted into films Swiss novels adapted into television shows Children's books adapted into television shows Swiss novels adapted into plays Novels adapted into comics Children's books adapted into comics Novels adapted into video games Heidi books