Barna Hedenhös (English: The Hedenhös Children) is a Swedish series of children’s books created by author and illustrator Bertil Almqvist in the late 1940s and popular throughout the 1950s. The stories are set in a whimsical version of the Stone Age and follow the fictional Hedenhös family—father Ben, mother Knota, their children Sten and Flisa, and their dog Urax—who embark on a series of humorous adventures across Sweden and the wider world.
Publication history
The series began with Barna Hedenhös: bilder från stenåldern (1948) and continued with titles such as Barna Hedenhös reser till Egypten (1949), Barna Hedenhös upptäcker Amerika (1950), and Barna Hedenhös i världsrymden (1955). Over the course of more than a decade Almqvist produced a total of twelve main books, often blending historical references with fantastical elements; the family frequently invents or discovers modern inventions and cultural practices anachronistically, suggesting they were the originators of contemporary customs.
Adaptations and related media
In addition to the books, Almqvist oversaw a limited animated television series that aired on Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT in 1972. The characters also appeared in comic form, initially in the children's comic Tuff och Tuss during the 1950s and later in the Pelle Svanslös comic book series in the 1970s. In 2013 the series was selected as the feature for SVT’s annual Christmas calendar, titled Barna Hedenhös uppfinner julen (“The Hedenhös Children Invent Christmas”).
Controversy and revisions
Some of the original books have been criticized for containing racial stereotypes, particularly in depictions of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, who were described using terms now considered offensive. In 2013, publisher Bonnier Carlsen temporarily halted the re‑release of Barna Hedenhös upptäcker Amerika and issued revised text for the passages involving Native American characters to address these concerns.
Cultural impact
Barna Hedenhös remains a notable part of mid‑20th‑century Swedish children’s literature, recognized for its humorous take on prehistory, its distinctive illustrations, and its influence on subsequent Swedish media for young audiences. The series is frequently referenced in discussions of Swedish literary history and the evolution of children’s publishing standards.