Heidi

Story

Heidi is the story of an orphan whose aunt can no longer look after her. Heidi is sent to live with her lonely grandfather in the Swiss mountains. She learns to love him and her new life deeply. But what happens when her aunt takes her back to live in the city? Will Heidi ever be able to return to her beloved mountains? This is a story of friendship, joy and kindness.

Why we chose it

A heart-warming classic story.

Where it came from

Johanna Spyri (1827-1901) was a Swiss author who wrote over 50 books for children. As a child herself, she spent several summer holidays in a town surrounded by the beautiful Swiss Alps. It was these mountains that probably gave her the idea of the setting for Heidi.

Where it went next

Heidi was originally written in German but was soon translated into over 50 languages and became well-known all over the world. There have been many adaptations of the story over the years, including the film Heidi (1937) directed by Allan Dwan and starring child actress Shirley Temple and TV movie (1968) directed by Delbert Mann. More recent adaptations include the computer game Heidi: Mountain Adventures. This is based on the Studio 100 TV series (2015) directed by Jérôme Mouscadet.

Associated stories

Johanna Spyri did not write any more books about Heidi, but the man who translated her work, Charles Tritten, wrote Heidi Grows Up: A Sequel to Heidi (1938) and Heidi’s Children (1939).