France
112
Aprile, Thierry (text)
Place, François (illus.)
Sur les traces de ... Aladdin
(On the trail of ... Aladdin)
Paris : Gallimard Jeunesse, 2001. - 125 p.
(Sur les traces de ...)
ISBN 2-07-054598-9
Islam - Aladdin - Coming of age - Arabian Nights – Fairytale
This popular fairytale from the »Arabian Nights« delineates how, with the
help of a magic lamp and his own courage and cleverness, Aladdin, the son of a
poor tailor, manages to marry the Sultan's daughter. The mixture of a fictitous
initiation tale and real information, of myths and historical documents, makes
this an exceptional book. Each chapter is followed by a two-page appendix,
informing the readers about the Arab-Muslim civilisation: It covers its
political organisation at those times, speaks of the importance of the Arab
scholars and of religion, and concludes with information about women's life
style. Coloured illustrations by the well-known French artist complement the
wonderful deeds of Aladdin narrated in this small-format, (and in more than one
sense of the word) shining book. (12+) <>
113
Bernard, Fred (text)
Roca, François (illus.)
Jeanne et le Mokélé
(Jeanne and the Mokélé)
Paris : Albin Michel Jeunesse, 2001. - [40] p.
ISBN 2-226-11904-3
Africa/1920 - Natural scientist - Expedition - Adventure
Jeanne Picquigny misses her father, a scientist, who disappeared somewhere
in Africa when she was a child. Therefore, at twenty-one, she decides to go
searching for him. Together with a guide, who is quite arrogant at first, she
defies the dangers of the savannah and discovers her father's secret: For years,
he has been following and filming a rare Brontosaurus. The adventure's tragic
outcome at least saves the worshipped animal from the nosy public. This is a
picture book full of suspense that invites the readers to explore Africa in the
1920s. Naturalistic pictures in different shades of sepia immediately catch the
reader's attention. The poetic telegram-like text provides the calm background
voice. (7+)
114
Blake, Stéphanie (text/illus.)
La fille qui voulait être
un garçon (The girl who wanted to be a boy)
Paris : École des Loisirs, 2001. - 38 p.
(Mouche)
ISBN 2-211-06055-2
Death - Loss of the mother - Father - Daughter - Communication -
Self-discovery
Ten-year-old Gretchen has lost her mother and now lives with her father and
her six brothers. As she has noticed that her father seems only happy when
playing football with his sons, she tries to behave like a boy. Yet, neither as
tomboy, nor as »proper« girl with make-up and lipstick, does she get any
attention from her father. When, above all, he makes fun of her, she runs away
to her mother's grave. This short tale, written in simple language, demonstrates
how the death of a beloved person can cause communication problems and even an
identity crisis. The austere black-and-white illustrations emphasise the
father's despair and the daughter's pain, until the end when they are finally
reconciled. (7+)
115
Bondoux, Anne-Laure
Le destin de Linus Hoppe (Linus Hoppe's fate)
Paris : Bayard Jeunesse, 2001. - 264 p.
ISBN 2-747-00058-3
Coming of age - Friendship - Family - Social integration - Social order –
Fate
Linus' world is divided into strictly separate hierarchical spheres. Only
if Linus passes the big exam, in which the »Great Disposer« determines his IQ,
will he be able to reach a leading position later. But Linus cannot get used to
this social system. He and his friend Chem, an informatics genius, start
searching for a way to make his fate take a different course. The plot of this
multilayered science fiction novel is told in a thrilling style. The author
convincingly presents the protagonist's psychological development, starting with
thoughtfulness and leading to non-conformist behaviour, and, eventually, to a
new life independent from his family. This novel persuasively encourages the
readers to question social conventions. (11+)
116
Charpentier, Olivier (illus.)
La poésie médiévale :
petite anthologie (Medieval Poetry : a small anthology)
[Paris] : Mango Jeunesse, 2001. - [44] p.
(Collection »Il suffit de passer le pont« : Album Dada)
ISBN 2-7404-1156-1
Poetry - Middle Ages
This selection of nineteen poems, translated into modern French, allows
readers to explore the rich poetic heritage of the Middle Ages, such as »Chansons
de toile« and »Chant d'amour« (i.e. love poems by women to their adored and
vice versa) or the ballads by Villon. This poetry, which deals with timeless
topics, offers a whole gamut of styles: It is sometimes crude or cunning,
sometimes satirical or lyrical. Two pages in this large-format book's appendix
introduce the readers to the various genres and make them familiar with the
respective authors. Remarkable, highly artistic wood-cuts in black, dark red,
and blue, which appear almost frightening, transport the readers back into
former times and convey the mentality of people in those days. (12+)
117
Clausener-Petit, Magali
De l'Europe à l'Euro (From Europe to the Euro)
Paris : Milan, 2001. - 32 p.
(Les essentiels Milan Junior ; 16 : Société)
ISBN 2-7459-0294-6
Europe – Currency
The preparations for the introduction of the Euro, the common European
currency, were recently among the most important issues discussed. Magali
Clausener-Petit, a journalist who also writes articles for youth magazines,
describes in simple words how Europe's institutions work, what aims they pursue,
and what difficulties they face, when developing a common European industrial
law. The text is written in a clear, colourful, and exciting language. A map of
Europe and a glossary complement the basic information; a bibliography and a
selection of Internet pages invite readers to further research. The author also
introduces the first successful European projects, such as the exchange of
pupils and students. With this book, she strives to increase European awareness.
(10+)
118
Comte, Hubert (text)
Arthus-Bertrand, Yann (photos)
Giraudon, David (illus.)
La terre racontée aux
enfants (The earth described for children)
Paris : De La Martinière Jeunesse, 2001. - [74] p.
ISBN 2-7324-2793-4
Journey around the world - Environmental awareness
After the great success of »La Terre vue du ciel« (»The earth seen from
the sky«), travel photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand has now published a book
for children. Following the footsteps of Nils Holgerson, he travelled around the
world. His large-format aerial colour-photographs are of extraordinary quality
and illustrate the world's great diversity. Small maps next to the pictures help
identify the respective places. Watercolour paintings depicting children in
their local dress accompany the photographs. At the same time, short comments
make readers aware of the destruction of the ecological balance caused by
people's careless behaviour. The beautiful pictures effectively get this book's
message across: If we want to protect our environment, we have to remain alert.
(8+) <>
119
Dedieu (i. e. Thierry Dedieu) (text/illus.)
Clown d'urgence
(Emergency Clown)
Paris : Seuil Jeunesse, 2001. - [36] p.
ISBN 2-02-051070-7
Clown - Social integration - Child - Illness - Joy - Laughter - Friendship
In this book, the author deals very tactfully with a delicate topic: Clown
Pippo is forced to retire but he cannot get used to the idea that he won't be
able to make people happy anymore. Finally, he finds a new job at a children's
hospital where all the children love him; only Doug, ill with leukemia, refuses
to laugh. When Pippo himself falls ill, a role reversal takes place: Now it is
the boy who tries to make the clown laugh. They become close friends and, from
now on, they work together. In this story, friendship and laughter help defeat
an illness. Expressive pictures show the clown's changing feelings with large
spaces coloured in dark red, black, or white highlighting the actions. The
dramatic intensity of this large-format book is attenuated by its caricaturesque
style. (8+)
120
Douzou, Olivier (text/illus.)
L'ogre (The ogre)
Rodez : Éd. du Rouergue, 2001. - [28] p.
ISBN 2-84156-277-8
Ogre - Boy - Hugeness - Relativism - Game
An ogre lies on the floor sleeping. He is so tall that he does not even fit
on a single page. Thus, his body is drawn in several pieces: Shoes, legs, torso
up to the mouth; all these bodyparts can be discovered on a separate page. Small
arrows beside the body always make the reader turn to the following page until,
suddenly, a big surprise happens. The ogre turns out to be nothing but a
harmless boy, half asleep, observed and presented to the reader from an ant's
perspective. Everything is relative, indeed! The small picture book in square
format plays with typography. Superlatives printed in bold capitals are used to
describe the ogre's size and the graphic pictures further emphasize its
hugeness. Thanks to the light colours, though, the »monster« never appears too
threatening. (2+)
121
Estèbe, Jean-Luc (text)
Bachelier, Benjamin (illus.)
Fils de voleur (Son of a
thief)
Paris : Nathan, 2000. - 132 p.
(Lune noire ; 36 : Policier)
ISBN 2-092-82275-6
Family - Friendship - Theft - Father - Son
Between relaxing games and homework for school Gabriel leads an almost
normal life. Still, he really misses his father, whose postcards cannot
compensate for his absence. One day, the boy notices a shadow, which closely
resembles his father, sneaking into the garden shed. The following day, Gabriel
and Julie, the girl from next door, find a suitcase full of jewels inside the
shed. Could his father be a thief? This humorous and entertaining detective
story is written from the point of view of a child who suffers from an unstable
family situation. The funny story is full of suspense and imaginative games;
nevertheless, it also touches on some serious issues. »Fils de voleur« is
Jean-Luc Estèbe's first novel. (10+)
122
Fabbri, Robert (text)
Lenglet, Maud (illus.)
En avant l'enfanfare! (Come
on, infan(t)fare! <word play>)
Chaillé-sous-les-Ormeaux : Le Dé Bleu, 2001. - 47 p.
(Le farfadet bleu)
ISBN 2-84031-121-6
Celebration - Circus - School - Everyday life
It is not a coincidence that some of the poems in this volume are dedicated
to the famous French poet Jacques Prévert. They deal with motifs and topics
which frequently appear in Prévert's works, such as celebrations, school life,
childhood, and (especially) animals. Even physical phenomena (e.g. how water
evaporates) are made into poems here. Some texts, like »La chanson de Dracula«
(»Dracula's song«), are variations of well-known songs turned into
counting-out rhymes. Others show the world of objects, animated in a very
imaginative way. The tone of the narration is always humorous. The book presents
a varied mixture of puns and word creations and handles the topics in a playful
manner. Colourful collages aptly complement the text. (11+)
123
Fauroux, Catherine (text)
Legendre, Patricia (illus.)
Dytik, l'ogre de la mare
(Dytik, the ogre in the pond)
Paris : École des Loisirs, 2001. - 28 p.
(Archimède)
ISBN 2-211-05852-3
Pond - Carnivore - Water beetles
A meadow in spring ... a pond in its middle ... a bank completely overgrown
... As if watching through a zoom, we dive into the mysterious world of the
water animals. Between tadpoles, dragon-flies, and pond skaters, we approach the
terrifying green water beetle, personified as a man-eating monster. Poetic
pictures intensify the magic of the shimmering water and show us the secrets of
a beetle's life right up to its beautiful transformation in summer. A
double-page appendix contains interesting information about the pond and its
inhabitants. It provides readers with scientific facts about nature, creating a
remarkable contrast to the fairytale characteristics of the fascinating
blue-green aquatint pictures and the personified beetle, Dytik. (9+)
124
Gay-Para, Praline (text)
Saillard, Rémi (illus.)
Le pou et la puce (Louse
and flea)
Paris : Didier Jeunesse, 2001. - [20] p.
(À petits petons)
ISBN 2-278-05081-8
Louse - Flea - Solidarity – Sympathy
A sudden gust of wind disturbs the cosy breakfast of flea and louse,
carrying the louse high into the air and letting it fall on the hot kitchen
stove. But the wind also unleashes another chain of events: The window bangs,
the door creaks, the wheelbarrow rolls up to the tree which drops its leaves.
The sounds travel on and on like a wave until the one who caused the disturbance
sorts everything out. The author's creativity is evident in the poetic
onomatopoeia and the almost dadaist typography which expresses sounds, speed,
and drama. Caricaturesque pictures in clear colours, resembling wood-cuts, lend
power to this traditional and very popular chain tale. (2+)
125
Grimmer, Claude
La vie des enfants au siècle des lumières (The life of children in
the age of Enlightenment)
Paris : Éd. du Sorbier, 2001. - 45 p.
ISBN 2-7320-3700-1
Child - Everyday life - France/1680-1790
In various chapters, adequately entitled with clear headings, this book
narrates the life of children from different social backgrounds in France during
the eighteenth century. Child birth, food, family life, education, working
conditions, games, and celebrations are portrayed. Informative texts alternate
with fictitious and real children's biographies. All of them are convincing and
allow for an individual and lively introduction to the topic. The author draws
an exciting picture of the past and easily succeeds in arousing the readers'
interest. Several contemporary illustrations, most of them discovered in the
French National Library, complete the text. A very detailed glossary is added at
the end of the book. (9+)
126
Hassaan, Ali Ahmed (text/illus.)
Musa, Patricia (transl.)
Le rêve du papillon (The
butterfly's dream)
Orange : Grandir, 2000. - [20] p.
ISBN 2-84166-131-8
(Original text Arab)
Butterflies - Weakness - Power - Freedom - Cleverness - Folktale
The terrifying Zoumba is the undisputed king of the animals until the day
when he loses his eyes in the pond while drinking from it. His subjects pretend
to be willing to help, but instead they humiliate him to take revenge for his
strict reign. Only the weakest animal, the butterfly, seizes the opportunity to
buy himself freedom and safety. Zoumba gets his eyes back. Since that time,
colourful eyes decorate the butterflies' wings. This story demonstrates how easy
it is to reverse the balance of power. Abstract dreamlike colour-illustrations
confirm the statement of this political as well as philosophical folktale. (5+)
127
Louis, Alain (text)
Pommier, Maurice (illus.)
Les châteaux forts (The
castles)
Paris : Hachette Jeunesse, 2000. - 32 p.
(3D explorateur ; 1)
ISBN 2-01-291921-9
Castle - Building - Europe - Middle Ages/500-1500
From the wooden watch-tower to the medieval fortress, this detailed
non-fiction book chronologically traces the history of fortifications built in
Western Europe. Exhaustive texts categorise the buildings according to the
respective periods and show how the inhabitants led attacks or defended
themselves against their enemies. A variety of illustrations and historical
paintings accompany the text and supply additional information. An accurate
two-page glossary at the end explains the technical terms in a comprehensible
language. Moreover, the book holds another treat: With the help of the enclosed
3-D-glasses, some of the illustrations appear three-dimensional. All in all,
this is an informative book that allows children to explore the medieval world
of knights and castles in a playful way. (8+)
128
Missonier, Catherine
Le goût de la mangue (The taste of a mango)
Paris : Magnier, 2001. - 214 p.
(Collection roman)
ISBN 2-84420-104-0
Madagascar/1950 - Independence movement - Coming of age - First love
This novel is set in Madagascar in the 1950s, when this island was still a
French colony. Fifteen-year-old Anna is not happy among all the priviledged
French boys. In her boarding school in Tana, though, she has some very good
friends. One day, she meets Léon, a Malagasy boy, who introduces her to his
country's traditions. Unfortunately, the independence movement and the hatred
between their families threaten the teenagers' love. Anna is pictured as a
curious and humorous teenage girl who slowly realises the complexity of the
world around her. Through her eyes, the readers discover the civilisation of
Madagascar and its colonial society. With a lot of sensitivity, this gripping
novel describes the feelings of the young protagonists. (13+) *
129
Molènes, Thalie de (text)
Sochard, Frédéric (illus.)
17 contes du bouddhisme
(Seventeen Buddhist tales)
[Paris] : Castor Poche Flammarion, 2000. - 99 p.
(Castor poche ; 775 : Senior : Contes)
ISBN 2-08-164805-9
Folktales - Zen Buddhism
When her son withdrew to Tibet for three years, Thalie de Molènes, who had
already written several novels for young adults, spent a lot of time reading and
collecting information about Buddhism, a religion that was fairly unfamiliar to
her up to this moment. She selected seventeen tales from the collection »500
folktales and fables by the Chinese Tripitaka« and rewrote them. Unlike
folktales of the European tradition, these tales do not only provide general
words of wisdom, they also offer a first insight into the Buddhist religion. The
appendix contains a glossary as well as a short description of Buddhism and its
historical development, inviting readers to take a closer look at this topic. (11+) <>
Special Mention
130
Serres, Alain (text)
Zaü (illus.)
Le premier livre de toutes nos couleurs (The first book of all our colours)
[Paris]: Rue du Monde, 2001. - 91 p.
(Les premiers livres)
ISBN 2-912084-52-0
International understanding - Tolerance - Solidarity – Racism
»Your chocolate is African, your numbers are Arabic, and your letters are
Latin ...« In 2001, the
International Year against Racism, these words by the author convey a message of
tolerance and solidarity. In eleven chapters, the book presents the world's
great variety. The author points out some of the violent events of the past,
such as driving out the Red Indians, the slave trade in Africa, the persecution
of the Jews. He then moves on to current problems in the world, mentioning the
immigrants' difficulties of integration, among many others. Additional
information is presented in small, coloured boxes. Black-and-white photographs,
pictures in bright colours, historic illustrations, and the overall design of
the book illustrate the world's colourfulness and its diversity. The author's
words address the child readers directly and, by offering various activities for
them to try out, he inspires them to think independently. (5+) <>