Janosch has many faces. It starts with the fact that he is known by a different name in real life. It also stems from his birthplace in Upper Silesia, the border area between Germany and Poland, in Zbrze, which at that time belonged to Germany and was called Hindenburg, and is now Polish again. Here, opposites connect and similarities differ. And those who consider Janosch merely a children's book author are mistaken, as this only captures a small part of the versatility of this artist. The Swiss publicist François Bondy referred to him in 1976 as "probably the most underestimated German author." In fact, Janosch has also written very successful books for adults, such as "Cholonek or the Good Lord from Clay," "Sacharin in Salad," and "Sandstrand." His plays include "Back to Uskow" and "Mother's Happiness or The Child.".