Ignacy Krasicki (1) (1735–1801)

Said to be the first Polish novel (written in 1776), this reminded me of nothing so much as Candide. A Polish nobleman goes various places both real and fictional (including the island of Nipu) where he learns what is important to being a good person and a good citizen. An excellent translation and a good sense of the social fabric of the period in Poland and France. (Krasicki himself turns out to be a fascinating, quite accomplished gentleman.)

Not a particularly successful set of translations of Krasicki's wonderful little poems. I much prefer the work of Christopher Kasparek, which can be found on Wikipedia at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fables_and_Parables . The drawings by Barbara Swidzinkska might be enjoyed by a number of children.