Mo Willems (Walker Books) Today is an important day for Nanette: her mother has entrusted her with the responsibility of buying the family’s daily baguette. This is Nanette’s first solo trip to the bakery and she is elated at the prospect. But temptation of the warm fresh bread is too much to bear and Nanette …
France
PICTURE BOOK CAROUSEL: I Love Paris
Two picture books about Paris have really caught my eye this year. They are very different in their storyline, though the theme of journey is at the core of both, and both are esthetically wonderful. Henri’s Walk to ParisLeonore Klein (text) & Saul Bass (illustrations) (Universe) Henri lives in a small town, with all its tweeness, but …
French loot … and musings on the Net Book Agreement
I have just spent a few days back home and no trip is complete without a tour of the local bookshops!Here is my treasure: I could not resist the wonderful Un Livre by Hervé Tullet (published by Chronicle Books here under the title Press Here), the latest volume of my favourite manga series and the wonderfully entitled …
The Rights of the Reader
Daniel Pennac with illustrations by Quentin Blake, translated by Sarah Ardizzone (née Adams) (Walker books) Parents, teachers, librarians,please on no account use these pages as an instrument of torture. These words of caution from the author at the very beginning of the book set the tone of one of my most favourite books. Daniel Pennac is a bestselling French …
No and Me
Delphine de Vigan No et moi, translated by George Miller (Bloomsbury Children’s Books) Lou Bertignac is a high-IQ 13 year-old stuck in a class of 15 year-olds. The only student who deigns speak to her is 17 year-old Lucas, a rebel with a soft heart who she and all the other girls find irresistible (for those who …
Marc Boutavant for ever (1)
If you do not know French illustrator Marc Boutavant yet, you are definitely missing something! He is very famous in France and slowly but surely, his work is starting to get published in the UK. Around the World with Mouk(Tate Publishing)Mouk the little bear decides to sets off around the world on a journey to …