Erich Kästner was a renowned German writer, poet, screenwriter, and satirist, celebrated for his humorous and socially astute poems. He is best known for his children's books, including Emil and the Detectives and Lisa and Lottie. Kästner was a stout pacifist and democrat, who was expelled from the national writers' guild during the Nazi era, with many of his books being burned in public. Despite these challenges, he continues to be regarded as one of Germany's most prolific and beloved children's book authors.

In 1960, Kästner received the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award for his autobiography Als ich ein kleiner Junge war. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature on six separate occasions, highlighting his significant contribution to literature.