Nicholas
US edition. The day-to-day adventures of an amusing, endearing young school boy.
US edition
Text by René Goscinny, with illustrations by Jean-Jacques Sempé
- This is the US edition of Nicholas. This title is only available for delivery to addresses in the US, Canada, or Latin America. A UK edition is available: ISBN 0 7148 4482 9 / 978 0 7148 4482 4.
- The sublimely innocent Nicholas has seduced millions of readers all over the world
- Nicholas is the first of five books that bring to life the day-to-day adventures of a young schoolboy - amusing, endearing and always in trouble
- Much-loved series of classic children's fiction by one of the most successful children's authors of all time, with illustrations by Jean Jacques Sempé, one of the world's most respected and admired illustrators
- Witty, sensitive and engaging, these stories have been expertly translated by Anthea Bell
- Regularly used by primary and junior school teachers in France, Germany, Spain and many other countries, these stories have the ability to delight both children and adults alike and are perfect for sharing or reading independently
Hardback
145 x 214 mm, 5 3/4 x 8 3/8 in
132 pp
118 line drawings
ISBN 9780714845296
0714845299
Nicholas is the first in a series of five books, that bring to life the day-to-day adventures of a young school boy - amusing, endearing and always in trouble. An only child, Nicholas appears older at school than he does at home; his touchingly naive reactions to different situations cut through the preconceptions of adults to result in a formidable sequence of escapades.
This first book in the series contains a collection of 19 individual stories in which, despite trying to be good, Nicholas and his friends always seem to end up in some sort of mischief. In the school room, at home and in the playground, their exuberance often takes over and the results are calamitous - at least for their teachers and parents. Whether confusing the photographer hired to take the class picture, rescuing a 'stray' dog, or trying desperately to help the teacher when the school inspector pays a visit, Nicholas always manages to make matters worse. This hilarious and heart-warming book will ignite laughter in children and adults alike. These stories of Nicholas' cureless antics blend a wonderfully imaginative sense of humour with a refreshing take on life, to leave a lingering aftertaste of ageless romantic charm in any reader.
René Goscinny (1926-77), born in Paris, lived most of his early years in Buenos Aires and New York. He returned to France in the 1950s where he met Jean-Jacques Sempé and together they created the character of Nicholas, the famous schoolboy. He later worked with Albert Uderzo on making the adventures of Asterix the Gaul. A prolific and internationally successful children's author, he is also the creator of Lucky Luke and Dingodossiers, among others. He received Césars repeatedly for his numerous animated cartoons.
Jean-Jacques Sempé (b.1932), expelled from school for bad behaviour, enjoyed a vast range of jobs including winebroker and supervisor at children's holiday camps. His world-renowned illustrations and cartoons are featured on the covers of the New Yorker magazine and amuse the readers of Paris Match and the Figaro Littéraire on a weekly basis.
Anthea Bellwas awarded the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the Helen and Kurt Wolff Prize (USA) in 2002 for her translation of W.G. Sebald's Austerlitz. Her many works of translation from French and German (for which she has received several other awards) include the Nicholas books and, with Derek Hockridge, the entire Asterix the Gaul saga by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo.
'Nicholas has an engagingly positive outlook on life, loves school despite his academic failings, and has refined the art of driving his parents up the wall, while remaining blissfully unaware of how infuriating they find him.' (Guardian)