It’s a strange pleasure to be handed a book that you have written, but cannot read.
Since The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness first came out in 2003, it’s found numerous audiences around the world. My publisher, Algonquin, tells me that it appeals to foreign language publishers because of the folktales from around the world that open each chapter.
Below you can see the original United States hardcover, which inspired several of the foreign editions. Other covers are original, and I love how different they are. Some, like the Russian and Korean, have illustrations, and I’ve included samples of these. There’s even a bootleg copy in Persian! Though my publisher tells me we’ll never see payment from Iran, I hope someone’s enjoying it. And it’s got a great cover.
Finally, the book has inspired some art students and illustrators around the world, so I’ve included some of their work as well. Enjoy!
Joel ben Izzy
Book Covers
First US Edition, Hardcover
Spanish
Dutch
German Hardcover
German Paperback. Herder, the publisher, came up with the “raking the fallen stars” cover, and we liked it so much we used it for the American paperback.
German Audiobook
Japanese
Chinese – note the spelling of “Begger,” which carried over into other Asian editions.
Thai
Korean
Illustration from Korean Edition – Chapter 2 – “The Cricket Who Jumped to the Moon.”
Another illustration from the Korean edition, portraying someone from Chelm, the mythical Jewish town of fools.
Hebrew
Turkish
Romanian
Russian edition, with illustrations by the Georgian artist Rezo Gabriadze – theater and film director and puppeteer.
Gabriadze Illustration for “The Lost Horse”
Gabriadze illustration for Chapter 7, “The Appointment.”
Bootleg Persian Edition.
This and the following came from an illustrator in Thailand named Nutpina Boonsombut. There are more on their web site.
“The Cricket Who Jumped to the Moon”
Solomon’s Ring
Here’s a suggested cover illustration by an artist in Hamburg, Germany, named Zarah Fee. https://zarah_fee.artstation.com
One of her celestial illustrations – including that cricket again!
and, finally, what Zarah thinks I’d look like on the cover of the New Yorker.
