THE MORNING LIST
For this month of November, the columnists of “Le Monde” have selected for you fifteen books to put in the hands of your children, between an initiatory journey, intergenerational transmission or story of emancipation.
“The Odyssey of Seeds”: a herbarium treasure
At best, we crush them with a blow of a tatane, at worst, they make us sneeze. Suffice it to say that it was high time to rehabilitate these nuisances, which turn out to be, in fact, marvels of inventiveness and geometry: the seeds. This new kind of herbarium is a treasure for children, often the only ones to notice these beauties scattered in the wind. The seeds of the sugar maple (commonly known in playgrounds as “helicopters”) or those of the caged love are splendid, and not just by their names. C. G.
De Cruschiform, Gallimard, 152 p., 27 €. Since 8 years.
“The Song of the Thrush”: harassed and stalker
The problem of harassment is often treated in a clumsy way, but not here: we follow the days of a schoolboy darkened by the hurtful remarks of “big Jules”. Each character is nuanced, between, on the one hand, the mistreated narrator who knows the names of all the constellations and knows how to imitate birdsong, but does not shine in class or in the gym. And, on the other, the harasser, who behind his big mouth reveals a certain unease. A non-Manichean story feels good. E.v.-B.
By Martine Arpin and Josée Bisaillon. From Them, 44 p., €18. From 4 years old.
“The Star of Mo”: initiatory journey
Setting out in search of a mysterious star that seems to have smiled at him in the middle of the night, the cat Mo ventures, from encounter to encounter, on the path of an initiatory journey placed under the sign of sharing. Each step gives rise to its share of learning and advice. The titmouse instructs him in the soothing properties of plants in the event of a scratch, the squirrel teaches him the art of greeting with courtesy, the raccoon introduces him to cooking. Mo will make good use of this encouragement until his face-to-face encounter with the bear with a bad reputation, but as benevolent, ultimately, as the tone of this tale with its pretty pointillist style. F. P.
By Yeonju Choi, translated from Korean by Elvire Beaule, Hélium, 176 p., €15.90. From 8 years old.
“Suzie’s Smile”: poetic ode
The cover of this little album sets the tone. We see Suzie, a child with melancholic eyes, her big face and… no mouth. The superb collage and drawing work of Belgian author and illustrator Anne Crahay is condensed into this striking image, awarded at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in 2010. Why doesn't she have a mouth? Because one fine day the little girl lost her smile, like “sometimes we lose our swimsuit because we don’t like pool Wednesdays”. She puts on smiles for the occasion, which deceive us, until the day when everything breaks down. A poetic ode to parents who know how to swim in an ocean of tears. C. G.
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