This month, the French Library was saddened by the loss of Jean-Jacques Sempé, famous French cartoonist of The New Yorker magazine, Le Petit Nicolas and much more. In remembrance of him, we would like to point you to where you can access some of his most famous artwork!

  Le Petit Nicolas, by Sempé and Goscinny
First published in 1959, the series counts six volumes. Nicolas tells his own story: his daily life at school and his family are the main topics. He is a little boy who often misses the point of adult behaviour, which makes for a very humorous and yet tender tale of childhood and friendship. If you've been itching to start reading more French fiction, this is a great choice of book, notably in terms of its accessibility and delightful tone. You can check out the first volume of the books at the library here, you can also check out the DVD adaptation here, or watch another one of the movie adaptations on Kanopy here.  




    New Yorker covers, by Sempé
Sempé's worldwide fame naturally comes from having provided the illustrations to more than 100 New Yorker covers! We invite you to discover them in the latest issue of the magazine. 





    Marcellin Caillou, by Sempé  
Marcellin Caillou is a very special and touching story about two little boys who are different from the rest of the world in their own ways: one blushes uncontrollably, the other sneezes. Borrow the book from the library here.  






  We all have our favorite Sempé story. Here at the library we have a great deal of his books and bandes dessinées on the shelves, so you can take your pick! What's your favorite?

Sonia Jacobson

Librarian

A dual citizen of France and the USA, Sonia grew up between the Midwest and Brittany. After obtaining her BA in Philosophy and Modern Languages at Oxford University in 2015, she spent several years in Paris, working in classical music and studying voice & opera at the Conservatoire. She moved to Boston in the fall of 2020, where she now performs as a singer. Sonia is thrilled to also be a part of the French Library’s team, where she can put her deep love of French literature to use while working as Librarian.

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