Classic french children’s books – bilingual education board – the well-trained mind community

I have requested my French in-laws and regulations for information on this and created…. nothing! Even from those who were elementary level school teachers and those who’ve children my children’s ages!

I requested Rea/Rebecca Berg of lovely Ft (who did a PhD, In my opinion, in children’s lit and you never know much more about children’s lit than anybody I have ever found,) and she or he didn’t have suggestions because of specific books, specific authors, or places I possibly could look to discover more on classic French children’s literature.

I spoken to a few French children’s section librarians after i is at France and browse a magazine around the good reputation for French "children’s literature" as i was there. The conclusion appears to become there is _not_ a convention of children’s literature in France. There are plenty of translations of children’s lit, but very little true, French authored children’s classics.

Translations that appear to become famous France include Enid Blyton’s Club plusieurs Cinq series, Eric Carle books, Cabane Magique (Magic Tree House), along with other American/British children’s lit such as the ubiquitous Twilight, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson books.

Original, classic French books for kids that I have found include fables by LaFontaine or Comtesse de Segur, the Petit Ours Brun series (I really like these for that youngest ones!), Jules Verne books, Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s Le Petit Prince, and also the Petit Nicolas series. Flammarion’s Pere Castor tales for kids to around 10 or 11 years of age are fantastic, typically. Gallimard Jeunesse provides extensive superbly done non-fiction books, however i wouldn’t consider individuals to become "classics" or typically French children’s lit.

Unsure if Krings is really a French author, however these appear to become throughout France: Antoon Krings’ books.

Popular early readers in France appear to incorporate the Max et Lili and Ratus number of books, however these are normal early readers–certainly nothing that even approaches "literature." The L’Imagerie series can also be great (non-fiction) for early readers.

There are plenty of bandes dessinees (caricature style books) and manga books in France, some tolerable because they are classically French like Tintin or Asterix, but mostly sheer trash (imo.) I still remember appearing out of a magazine store in Paris to see youthful adult boys/men located on the steps from the book shop studying. A minimum of 20 of these. Wow, I figured, that’s impressive. Until I saw these were all studying bandes dessinees. (Later I came across that a minimum of some (most?) from the bd’s appear to possess pretty graphic, disgusting sexual content. No question the large appeal for youthful males…. Yes, ok, I might be overgeneralizing, but having seen a few them, I’ll never let them within my house besides Tintin and Asterix.)

Getting been not able to locate much of classic French children’s lit, I made the decision to consider good quality French children’s book illustrators. I spent days in the FNAC book shop and also the library studying the shelves of children’s books, one. at. a. time, wishing to a minimum of look for a couple of illustrators I loved to ensure that I possibly could just order other books ill’d by them. Nothing! I’ve been so spoiled by excellent British and American illustrators! Used to do such as the Ernest and Celestine books and also the Pere Castor division books, although not anything else.

Sadly, there simply isn’t the same tradition of children’s lit in France as there’s in america or perhaps in England.

Oh, and the other little bit of info on buying French books…. New book costs are controlled through the government, which means you will not look for a better cost at one store over another or on-line versus. a mortar and bricks store in France, not really at amazon . com.fr! (Used books are available on ebay.fr, but, because prices for that new books are stored uniform across stores, the costs on used books aren’t as little as you’d find for used books in the usa.)

Let us see. I believe that’s virtually the level of the items I have had the opportunity to discover more on classic French children’s lit.