Leatherstocking Tales
Offterdinger is particularly known for his paintings with scenes from fairy tales and illustrations of literary works such as The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Till Eulenspiegel, Robinson Crusoe, fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm, the Leatherstocking Tales, and Gulliver's Travels. In 1874, he illustrated the first edition of Theodor Storm's novella Pole Poppenspäler in the journal German youth.