For the rest of the world
Hekla arrived on a windy day on the way to old Laki. Her little body swirled delicately above the crater like the samara of a sycamore maple. Settled on the volcanic lands of Iceland, these two beings tamed each other so well that, quickly, Laki “didn’t remember[e]nt even more of how it was before Hekla”. Poetic album on passing time and transmission, Hekla and Laki is also an ode to the importance of ties, to life and to the inevitability of death. The delicate and sensitive writing of Marine Schneider gives way to a welcoming, deep and soothing universe. This atmospheric richness is echoed in his illustrations in contrasting hues. In a style that is both refined and dense, the Belgian artist plays with symbolism, ensuring a perfect balance between life and death. On one side, the old Laki – whose name is inspired by an extinct volcano -, dressed in a deep abyssal blue, contrasts in front of the very small and luminescent Hekla, as lively and boiling as the lava of the volcano from which it carries the name. Famous.
Marie Fradette
Hekla and Laki
★★★★1/2
Marine Schneider, Albin Michel Youth, Paris, 2023, 64 pages. From 6 years old.
Wild West Law
A little boy from the Wild West, orphaned by a gold prospector father and a stolen mother, Billy is lucky enough to live with Mr. and Mr.me Fox, guardians and smugglers of memories, “stories of the Wild West” populated by legendary cowboys. Admiring these heroes, Billy would like to become as big as them, but he feels very small, especially in front of Loveless, who makes life difficult for the other children at school. What if we could turn the tide? In My name is Billy, Loïc Clément candidly replays the worn-out but relevant theme of intimidation. He delivers a story punctuated by an endearing character, capable of defying the laws to achieve his ends. This small step off the beaten track is welcome in a story that remains rather predictable. Clément Lefèvre plays with all the clichés of the Far West in illustrations with warm colors that take up the codes of the genre. The text presented on a white background unfortunately has the effect of cutting off the illustrations which would have benefited from being deployed on full pages.
Marie Fradette
My name is Billy
★★★
Loïc Clément and Clément Lefèvre, Little Urban, Paris, 2023, 32 pages. From 5 years.
Living better together
The fate of animals, the state of the living world and our future on the blue planet preoccupy Séraphine Menu. His most recent titles have sounded the alarm about the disappearance of birds (Where have the birds gone?2021) and paid homage to the creativity of animals, which have inspired many human inventions (Biomimicry, 2019). Now his most recent album, Solidarity, seeks to undo this idea that the relationships that exist between living beings are primarily food, where “the weakest are devoured by the strongest. On the contrary, she suggests that mutual aid is everywhere, citing as evidence surprising examples of cooperation between animals and plant species, such as these clownfish which associate with a predator, the sea anemone. author resumes her collaboration with Emmanuelle Walker, who illustrates these scenarios as fascinating as they are instructive, giving us the desire to take part in this living harmony.
Yannick Marcoux
Solidarity
★★★
Séraphine Menuet Emmanuelle Walker, La Pastèque, Montreal, 2023, 70 pages. From the age of 8.
The truth for fake
There has been a lot of talk about Élise Gravel lately, especially about the censorship, in some places in the United States, of her book Pink, blue and you!, which deals with sexual orientation and gender identity. Ironically, this saga comes just as it is appearing Alert: killer panties, an educational and fun guide to raise awareness among young people about misinformation. This complex phenomenon, approached here through six major questions, is comprehensively explained by the author, who takes the time to lay out all the necessary nuances, without inducing heaviness in the subject. His demonstration, nourished by numerous examples, most of them comical, is surprisingly clear, and unravels the complexity of the issues by combining rigor and humour. Eighteen years after the A short course in intellectual self-defense by Normand Baillargeon, Élise Graveloffers her art to the formation of critical thinking in our young people. Do not censor!
Yannick Marcoux
Alert: killer panties
★★★1/2
Élise Gravel, Scholastic, Markham, 2023, 88 pages. From the age of 8.