Necessary need for solitude
In a forest like there are so many, three friends share their daily lives and do everything together. At least that’s what they claim. Until the day when Rabbit takes the famous little path “too dark and too far” that none of the three has supposedly yet dared to explore. He then discovers that his friends have not told him everything. In three great friends, Nadine Brun-Cosme tenderly evokes the essential need for solitude felt in any relationship, even the most sincere. The text, alternating between dialogues and short narration, is punctuated with repetitions which, in addition to insisting on the unfailing union of the trio, lead to a significant finale. Olivier Tallec, as a skilful storyteller, creator of universes as sensitive as they are hilarious, portrays his endearing and singular characters in a flamboyant decor that changes with the seasons. The alternation between double pages and sequential images, which isolate pivotal moments, also gives rhythm to this story that is as timeless as it is universal.
Marie Fradette
Three great buddies (on the tiny path)
★★★★
Nadine Brun-Cosme and Olivier Tallec, Père Castor, Paris, 2023, 40 pages. From 4 years old.
A sheep among wolves
Boulibel Petitelaine, solitary sheep, lives happy days until the morning when ululations curb his desire to go pick blackberries. Shutters closed, he then made himself a “fearsome wolf’s coat” which would allow him to go out without fear of danger. Fearsome until a seam cracks and reveals its true nature. With In the dress of wolf, Torontonian Sid Sharp signs a first youth comic strip in which he flirts with the codes of the marvelous tale and reveals a universe that is both humorous and disturbing. This atmosphere is made possible thanks to her particular style, a mixture of the naive and disturbing line of the Belgian Kitty Crowther and the bright and contrasting colors of the Quebecer Mireille Levert — in the lead, Rose’s nights. If the fall is hilarious, the addition of a few pages at the end of the story unfortunately abruptly curbs the striking effect felt a few moments earlier. An album that is certainly worth the detour.
Marie Fradette
In the wolf’s clothes
★★★1/2
Sid Sharp, translated from English (Canada) by Fanny Soubiran, Gallimard, Paris, 2023, 128 pages. From 4 years old.
Child games
In the wake of the Montreal BD Festival, the I don’t like your dress, a colorful verbal jousting signed by Danielle Chaperon and illustrated by Samuel Cantin. In a school yard animated by children’s games, a boy crosses the yard to meet a little girl and say to her: “I don’t like your dress. After having taken the blow, the little girl replies, launching hostilities where an escalation of repartee and grimaces will lead them on the path of complicity. Deep down, they just wanted to play together. Juggling skillfully with these tender feelings that take detours to express themselves, Danielle Chaperon offers us a saucy universe, where exaggeration is queen and pleasure is king. In the illustrations, Samuel Cantin telescopes us into parallel universes where the most improbable ideas materialize into lunar royalty and children’s monsters, an enjoyable colorful immersion covering this resolutely free proposition.
Yannick Marcoux
I don’t like your dress
★★★★
Text by Danielle Chaperon and illustrations by Samuel Cantin, Monsieur Ed, Montreal, 2023, 44 pages. From 5 years.
Is there a culprit in the class?
André Marois is a magician writer who, more than once, orchestrated disappearances. This time, it is the sudden absence of a hamster in Madame Tzatziki’s class that serves as the premise of the story of Mocha has disappeared. Marie, the young student narrator of the story, is particularly upset: it was her turn to take care of the animal. However, the next morning, a hamster is back in the cage. “Moka is back,” proclaims the teacher, but Marie isn’t convinced and decides to investigate. Full of suspicion, Marie’s investigation turns out to be a fun way to reflect on the motives that guide the postures and actions of her classmates, as well as the prejudices that feed her thoughts. Summary introduction to sociology, following the thread of a skilful suspense, Mocha has disappeared is supported by illustrations by Audrey Malo, with a sparing but expressive line, which nods to the dilapidated state of our schools.
Yannick Marcoux
Mocha has disappeared
★★★1/2
Text by André Marois and illustrations by Audrey Malo, La pastèque, Montreal, 2023, 144 pages. From the age of 8.