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Poetry TitlesFrench Poetry Titles (continued)
Available in English under the title Murphy the Rat: Tales of Tough City This collection of short poems may unnerve the bravest of readers, for Raoul the Rat, Monsieur Unijambiste, Les Frères Fréron, Maurice the Fireman and the rest of the crowd inhabit a realm that is sometimes funny but often dark, and almost always a little bizarre. Monique Grandmangin's translation does full justice to the original text, cleverly capturing the (we have to admit) somewhat tortured imagination of its author. The vocabulary, rhythm and metaphors are right on the nose. And the illustrations! Our friend Raoul the Rat must feel right at home in the colourful but exceedingly strange world portrayed. People with a rather special sense of humour will find Deux squelettes au téléphone hilarious. -NS
The books in the poetry collection published by La courte échelle are beautifully designed and illustrated. In this particular example, Jacinthe Tétrault's etchings resemble blow-ups of microscopic images of the bark, knots and cross-sections of a tree. Du haut de mon arbre is a map that takes readers on a stationary voyage. The narrator explores the complex symbolism of the tree -- a source of stability and refuge but also of dreams. Readers travel with the narrator at the top of the tree, the crow's nest of a ship that does not move. And as we read, we fall back in the snow, forming an angel, the stars above guiding us on a journey whose rhythm alters with the passing seasons. From the stasis and hibernation of winter, which "lazily draws itself out," we pass to the burgeoning explosion of spring. This is the moment when we meet the narrator's father, a woodworker whose skilful hands and steady character are frequently associated with the tree as refuge. A lexicon of regional words, words in Malecite (an Algonquian language) and specialized terminology complete this fine book. The work of poet Serge Patrice Thibodeau has earned him numerous honours, including the 1996 Governor General's Literary Award. He travels around the world in his work for Amnesty International. This book, perfect for young naturalists and dreamers, is at once an exploration of poetry and a tribute to nature. -JP
Sarah, heroine of Germaine Mornard's La fille orange, is a complex character: with her cut-off jeans, scruffy look and off-hand manner, she sometimes comes across as a surly rebel, while at other times this musical girl seems full of laughter. She's about as hard to grasp as the memory of a dream lying just at the edges of the mind. The torrent of warm, sensual colours, the longing to escape, the passion for music, the impossible, broken friendship chronicled in these texts are conjured in a poetry filled with unusual juxtapositions and odd images: "Alone among the squirrels / I fly on the trapeze / My absent afternoons… twirling through the night in the shreds / Of a forgotten coat." Catherine Farish's orange-toned cover etching is splendid, although those inside the book unfortunately lose much of their impact in the black-and-white reproductions. But, unobtrusive and scarce, they are an accurate reflection of Sarah, who, despite a sometimes-glowing presence and an intriguing halo of mystery, seems to slip through our fingers. -JMB
Available in English under the title Big Week for Little Mouse (Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2004) Eugenie Fernandes's charming series recounts the adventures of an endearing young mouse. This time, Little Mouse's birthday is coming up and she has only a week to prepare her party. She's going to be busy. Will everything be ready in time? The story of Grosse semaine, petite souris!, told in fast-paced rhyming verse, can be used to teach young children the days of the week and opposites, both of which appear in bold typeface. On Monday, for example, Little Mouse washes the floor, energetically pushing and pulling her mop. The pages of simple text alternate with illustrations featuring stunning Fimo artwork by Kim Fernandes. The marvellously colourful pictures, brimful with detail, just beg to be pored over. Reading and looking at this attractive book can help children broaden their vocabulary and learn new concepts while having fun! The other two books in the series are Une souris grise and Grosse journée, petite souris! (available in English under the titles One Grey Mouse and Busy Little Mouse). -AC
Poetry is currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity, and young people are increasingly interested in the genre. Luckily for them, Henriette Major has contributed to this revival with a collection of poems that shares her love of words. The poems are grouped under four themes: playing with words, expressing emotion, praising nature and celebrating the imagination. The book also offers a myriad of brightly coloured pictures created using diverse techniques, including watercolour and collage. In some of the more subtle illustrations we see traces of the artist's fingerprints, while others feature magnified faces dominated by Philippe Béha's signature motif, the eye. The reader is positively bombarded with words and images, and with each picture the illustrator has skilfully zeroed in on the essence of the text. Exquisitely designed, this book is sure to be enjoyed by all. -ST
With its promise of unexpected encounters and new discoveries, the theme of travel is always a popular one. In Mamie part en voyage, the illustrations play a major role and the general mood is festive: anything and everything is an excuse for dancing, making music and singing. André Hamelin's collection includes 21 nursery rhymes, some quite delightful. Wordplay is everywhere, and children will be tickled by the surprising rhymes and exaggerated liaisons. In her travels across the world, Granny -- the Mamie of the title -- meets domestic and exotic animals of all descriptions. The funny happenings and cartoon-style drawings make this joyful menagerie entirely appealing, despite some dangerously large teeth and matching appetites! Between them, author and illustrator show young readers what it takes to be a good traveller: absorb the rhythm of your surroundings, be ready to have fun, and be open to the customs and traditions of the countries you visit. -JMB
This collection of fast-moving poems allows us to accompany a young girl on her daily run through a park, offering in the process fascinating glimpses into her life and fears. Her regular marathon soon becomes an escape, a running away that has no goal but the desire to be somewhere else, in some mythical place where, with "An uncluttered, airy head and just enough wind to satisfy a longing to fly," she can forget her troubles. As she bolts, she encounters people with whom she never seems to connect, who remain strangers despite their sympathy for her dream of love. She yearns for the consolations of romance, for that other presence that will ease her suffering. In her quest, she realizes she must ultimately renounce silence and find the words that will take her towards that other "voice that perches, victorious, on the topmost branch." Denise Desautels paints an intricately observed and compassionate picture of the experiences and emotions shared by many teenage girls. This highly regarded poet has won numerous awards for her work, including the 1993 Governor General's Literary Award and the Prix de la Société des écrivains canadiens. The etchings and lithographs by Maria Chronopoulos, also well worth noting, reinforce the spirit of the texts and occasionally add a slightly gothic flavour. -SJ
As the title suggests, the 14 humorous and musically rhythmic poems in La mer en devinettes are chock full of puzzles and riddles. The answers, as well as being provided at the end of the book, are revealed in two-page spread illustrations. Cartoon-like in style, the images are done in brilliant colours -- predominantly aquamarine and orange by turns -- that are sure to grab children's attention. Most of the pictures show sea creatures of one kind or another, thus providing a useful tool for teaching youngsters about the marine world. The book's vertical format seems to echo the unfathomed depths of an ocean; it's a thrill to explore, even if we're still a little afraid of the water… -CM
As you begin turning the pages of Mine de rien. Comptines & poésies, you'll discover a wealth of unique characters woven into amusing little tales that pay verbal tribute to all sorts of animals, fruits and vegetables. Twisty plots and sudden surprises follow in a series of fantastical stories that will have children bubbling with laughter. The book ends with a series of poems about various aspects of the natural world, celestial and terrestrial, that slow the pace and encourage reverie. The texts have been cleverly integrated into painter Mélisandre Lafond's naïve-style illustrations, which occupy a large proportion of this attractive book. -CM
In this marvellous collection of poems, filled with a melancholy and a torment that are generally lightened by a glimmer of hope, Louise Desjardins has excelled in capturing a teenage girl's state of mind. The book, which at first seems a little disjointed due to the complete absence of punctuation, recounts the existential voyage of a lonely, troubled girl. Each text slides like a knife into her day-to-day existence, bringing to light her fears and preoccupations. Louise Desjardins casts a poetic but ruthlessly realistic eye over the family, school and social environment of a contemporary teenager facing a variety of situations -- some difficult, some funny -- at this crucial turning point in her life. In a sequence of very short verses and in a style relying heavily on metaphor and ellipsis, the poet has fashioned a world that is deep, dark and unique. The book is soberly illustrated by the magnificent etchings of well-known printmaker Marc Séguin. With its black-and-white images and classical presentation (text and illustration on facing pages), this is a truly artistic book. -BF
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