Posted at 7:00 a.m.
Pregnant mothers-to-be often enjoy decorating their unborn child’s room. They choose the color of the walls, the frames to be installed, the baby bed… These elements are not what Claudia Larochelle thought of when it came time to prepare her little Ophelia’s nest eight years ago. . “I thought of the dream library I wanted to make for him. It was the first business for me, even before stuffed animals, tapestry or painting, ”says the author, who admits to owning many, many children’s books.
From an early age, his daughter and son Lambert, 5, were introduced to reading. “In their crib, we always left two or three cardboard books in a corner with their stuffed animals. I was like, ‘They’re going to grow up with this in their sights, it’s going to be part of their life. […] One day, they will go to see them and they will discover that it is like a door to another world, ”says the host of the literary program Claudia on the page on Know Media.
It is a happy coincidence that led the author to write children’s books. The comforter that didn’t smell good, the first volume in the collection, was a story for his daughter and her stuffed rabbit with questionable hygiene. “My publisher thought the idea was good,” she recalls. From there, things tumbled and the volumes followed one another. “Finally, the success was at the rendezvous. »
IMAGE PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHING HOUSE
Excerpt fromAt the zoo with the comforter
A ninth adventure
released last week, At the zoo with the comforter is the endearing character’s ninth adventure. In this third all-cardboard album, we go in search of the cuddly toy who got lost among the animals. Did she want to protect Madame Giraffe from the sun’s rays? Does it serve as a scarf for the pretty pink flamingo? The funny hypotheses are linked. At each of them, the children enjoy evaluating whether they are plausible.
More and more, I integrate interaction into my books, especially in my all-cardboards. […] Parents can ask children questions. Children interact with the story and with the characters.
Claudia Larochelle, author
“Me, I know that these are the type of books that I really like to read with my children, because we get out of history to come back to reality. »
Among the cardboard albums that his family liked very much, there is The Potato on a Bike, by Elise Gravel. “I think it’s a classic now. We never get tired of The Potato on a Bike. That’s a book of interactions. »
Games and a show
Last year, the cuddly toy left the pages of books to take the form of a stuffed animal, a puzzle and a board game. Eventually, it will appear on the small screen.
“We are in development for a TV series. I am scripting it. It’s fun”, enthuses Claudia Larochelle, for whom the comforter, “is a great adventure that came as a surprise in [sa] life “.
Three tips for reading to toddlers
Since 2016, the year the cuddly toy was created, Claudia Larochelle has often participated in story hours, in libraries or book fairs, in particular. Does she have any tricks to capture the attention of young children? Yes. Here are three.
- Choose a quiet place, without too many distractions around. “We dim the lights. We settle in comfortably, ”suggests the author.
- Do not hesitate to brag and take different voices for each character. “We’re not all actors and actresses, but we can do our best to animate the story as much as possible rather than keeping a neutral and monotonous tone. »
- Ask the child questions to see if he has understood the book. “What did you like about the story we just read to you? What is the character’s name? “, she gives as examples.
At the zoo with the comforter
Text by Claudia Larochelle, illustrations by Maira Chiodi
Editions La Bagnole
From 18 months
Other cardboard albums to discover
treasure tree
In the middle of a large meadow stands a tree that houses many secrets. On each page, toddlers make a discovery by lifting a surprise flap. Who hides between the roots or behind the twigs? Nice inhabitants that we take pleasure in meeting.
my tree
Ttext and illustrations by Marianne Dubuc
Casterman Editions
From 2 years old
The beauties of nature
Learning numbers, colors and the names of birds: this is what the new title in the collection “Le petit monde de Camille et Paolo” offers, the first in an all-cardboard format. Like the older ones, toddlers will be introduced to the beauties of nature in the company of the little girl and her little blue parrot.
Like me !
Text by Lucie Papineau, illustrations by Lucie Crovatto
Editions La Bagnole
From 18 months
A book to deploy
What do we find on Earth? A cat, a flower, an insect, but also toys, a bridge or friends. Beautifully illustrated, this picture book is presented in a very playful format. Folded like an accordion, it extends over more than 1 m in length.
On the ground
Natasha Durley
Amaterra Editions
From birth
Children’s words
“In my head…there are birds that smell like chips and taste like honey. ” Their name ? Onion swallow. Inspired by the colorful words of their children, the duo behind the New Fathers web platform presents a first children’s book filled with puns that will make young and old smile.
In my head
Text by Maxime Pearson and Samuel Tremblay, illustrations by Guillaume Boivin
Self-published by New Fathers
From birth
theater under the sea
Jellyfish, flying fish and other sea creatures come to life in this cardboard album to animate. In this book from the “Funny Fingers” collection, the parents’ index and middle fingers become the legs of a turtle or the claws of a crab. Fun.
The animals in the water
Didier Balicevic
Nathan Editions
From 1 year