Hardback
252 x 270 mm, 9 7/8 x 10 5/8 in
120 pp
70 colour illustrations
40 black and white illustrations
ISBN 0714846228
Martin Pebble
Sempé’s classic illustrated story for children. UK edition.
UK edition
Written and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé
- This is the UK edition of Martin Pebble. This title is not available for delivery to addresses in the Americas. A US edition is available: ISBN 0 7148 4714 3 / 978 0 7148 4714 6.
- A narrative story for children with text and illustrations by the master illustrator, Jean-Jacques Sempé
- Martin Pebble is the story of a little boy whose face keeps turning red for no particular reason. When he meets Roddy, who keeps sneezing for no particular reason, it's the beginning of a life-long friendship
- Told in a combination of linking text and speech bubbles, Martin Pebble is perfect for children learning to read, but also ideal for sharing and reading out loud
- A French classic since 1969, available in English for the first time
- Translated from French by award-winning translator Anthea Bell
Another classic title from world-renowned cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé, this illustrated children’s book tells the tale of Martin Pebble, a little boy who blushes a lot and is happiest in the summer, when everyone else has a red face too. He sets out to find a reason for his strange affliction, and finds a friend instead – a boy called Roddy Rackett, who keeps on sneezing, even when he doesn’t have a cold. It’s the beginning of a life-long friendship.
This timeless, touching and very funny story is told through images, speech bubbles and short linking texts. Featuring the inimitable drawings and perfectly-judged words of Jean-Jacques Sempé, book will appeal to readers and Sempé connoisseurs of all ages.
Jean-Jacques Sempé (b.1932) is one of the world's most successful illustrators and cartoonists. He is the illustrator of the classic children's-book character, Nicholas, and author of a collection of some thirty albums of his cartoons and graphic novels, all published or to be published by Phaidon. His world-renowned illustrations and cartoons are featured on the cover of the New Yorker and in Paris Match
'Children in picture books tend to fall into two types: the vulnerable and the invincible. Often, a story will be about the journey from misfit misery to happy conformity. But Martin Pebble by Jean-Jacques Sempé is no ordinary picture book. It is about a French oddball who stays odd. This 1969 classic…is a treat. It is a boosting tale not least of all because [his] eccentricities are never overcome.' (Observer)