In the year 1943, the world was at war. Every day bombs were falling on the city of Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese army was afraid that bombs would hit the Ueno Zoo and wild animals would escape, threatening the public. So the army ordered the keepers to kill all the large animals. Despite their sadness, the guards obeyed. The lions, tigers, leopards, bears and large snakes were the first to perish. Yukio Tsuchiya's book tells the sad and true story of what happened when it was the elephants' turn to die.

Satoshi is a minibus driver in Tokyo. To spice up the trip, he doesn't hesitate to leave the official route to go into alleys and make the delighted passengers discover real little treasures, a few minutes away from the tumult of the city: here, a magnificent park with a mysterious ancient temple, there a street covered with rare and colored plants and flowers, an astonishing alignment of decorated statuettes... With Satoshi, the city becomes a magical universe!

Today is a holiday in Japan: we celebrate summer! At the fair, children catch live fish with nets. Ken caught a black fish with bulging eyes. His little brother and sister were not patient enough, but the fairground man gave them goldfish. When we get home, we find a bucket. The fish swim around at their leisure, but here is a new responsibility...

In front of Shiro's house, there is this man who goes out every day with his bicycle. Shiro discovers that he is a kamishibaïs storyteller, these small paper theatres used in Japan to tell stories. As a child, Shiro faithfully comes to listen to his stories...This album was part of the "Tous nos coups de coeur" Opalivres selection and of the Lire et Faire lire 2018 selection.

Berlin 1988. While playing in the attic, I discovered a cello that belonged to my grandmother. I took it in my arms and we never left each other. Music sounds like a language to me. What's more, my parents fled East Berlin with this instrument, while my grandparents are still on the other side of the wall. But today, more and more people are angry, they demonstrate in the streets and soon, this wall will have to come down.This album has been selected for the Prix Michel Tournier, category CM1-CM2, 2020.

The construction of the century has started: a tunnel that will connect France to Great Britain. Everyone is talking about that! For that matter, Rosa's father, a specialist in underground construction has been called to work on that incredible project. Rosa is not thrilled: she'll have to leave her friends, school, and Martinique to move to Sangatte, in the Pas-de-Calais. "Un jour ailleurs", stories to discover a striking event of the 20th century.

Paolo introduces us to his little world in a playful and original way: his home, his family, his friends, his school, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, his father's café and the ice-creams after school...

Now that she's retired, Joanna can finally make her dream come true.

She buys an old bus, refurbishes it... and off she goes!

She leaves for her native Scotland to present her show in the villages.

But to attract the public, more interested in TV series and cell phones,

her bus will have to look good...

The story takes place in Burkina Faso. The book tells of the tribulations of the chicken Piga who is taken to the big market in Ouagadougou. A journey through the colourful and dusty tracks in a crowded bus. Discovery of the city, its numerous stalls and its intense traffic. Arriving on the big market, Piga understands that he is going to be sold, we then discover bartering, haggling, all the exchanges that allow to be in turn seller or buyer to provide for his needs. Piga, who has no desire to end up in stew, will manage to escape from the city. The story of Chicken Piga was born from notes and sketches collected during several trips of the author to Burkina Faso.

Sipho loves rugby! He is mocked by his brothers and neighbours in the township of Soweto. Rugby is a white man's sport and everyone supports the Bafana Bafana football team. But this year, South Africa is hosting the Rugby World Cup and the Springboks have Chester Wiliams, a black rugby player who is going to unleash the passions.With the help of short texts and large colourful illustrations, this album simply recounts this important event in history. With short texts and large colourful illustrations, this book simply recounts this important event in history. At the end, a few explanatory pages tell the reader more about apartheid, the life of Nelson Mandela and the inequalities that still exist in this country. Le P'tit Libé

Aslam watches helplessly as his father is arrested for disobeying the English authorities by harvesting salt, which is taxed too heavily. The boy is plagued by doubt. Why did his father break the law? Why isn't the salt of the sea for everyone? When he learns that the famous Gandhi is on his way to his village, Jalalpur, Aslam regains hope. With his cousin Kamal, he watches impatiently and relentlessly for the arrival of their hero, the only one who can stand up to the authorities and perhaps free his father.This album was selected for the Prix Michel Tournier 2021.

Navani de Delhi introduces us to a little Indian girl who invites us to visit her city and shows us her little world in a playful and original way: her home, her family, her friends, her school, the bazaars and temples, the Taj-Mahal, the music, the dance and the delicious Indian food...

Bombay Wow! A heartfelt cry for anyone who ventures into the streets of Bombay, a city of strange and miraculous encounters, in the footsteps of characters who are as endearing as they are gifted at finding themselves in funny situations. It is a Bombay teeming with fantasy and colour that is told to us here, with finesse, and which invites us to travel.

Three brothers live in a small farming village on the high mountains of India. One day, they decide to seek for fortune, with the help of an old wise man. He offers each of them a feather, that will help them to find what they are deeply looking for...

This tale is also available in English: The three feathers.

The adventures of Tom Sawyer took place a long time ago in America at the time of the conquest of the West, the cowboys and the Indians. It is the story of a boy who was a bit wild, as was his country at that time.

My father decided that we would move to Montgomery to live with my grandmother. Blacks aren't treated any better there, but I would be safer. Besides, my grandmother makes the best red bean casserole in the neighborhood! We often took the bus across town. The blacks sat in the back, the whites sat in the front. One day, before Christmas, a lady refused to give up her seat to a white man. She dared to say no to him. This was the beginning of a great protest.This album was the winner of the Fleur de sel Prize at the Nau Belles Rencontres 2016.

Yehunda was born in a cotton field and lives under the sun, her eyes glowing with light. Yehunda has a secret that she only finds at nightfall. Her secret has blond hair and skin as light as hers is dark. Together they build their dreams, lightening themselves from the crushing weight of the discipline imposed by the masters. But one day, perhaps they will be free to realize their dreams. This album won the 2016 Confidentiels de Combourg youth award.

In China, Sansan runs an inn by herself. Many travellers come to stay with her and her business is flourishing. It must be said that she treats her customers to famous... magic cakes.

Today, Langlang takes a boat with his mother to the fishing village where grandmother lives. The young boy has just turned six. He will start school tomorrow to learn to read and write, and also to make friends. That's why Grandma wants to give him a very symbolic present.

Under the tree or in front of the den, the farmer and the dogs wait, patiently. They wait, they wait... They wait for the rabbit to fall into their hands. But while waiting, the clever animal has stood them up!

On the Roof of the World, in the heart of the Land of Snow, there once lived a family of peasants. Dorje, the elder brother, took in his younger brother. Of a shady nature, he chased him away, urging him to go and earn his share. How Tenzin will succeed and how Dorje will be punished...

The cat with no name hangs out in the streets with his friends. One day he discovers a nice building and moves in. Each inhabitant calls him by a different nickname, our cat now has several names... This story invites the audience to ask: What are the cat's names? Have you ever been given a nickname?

Can you imagine a doctor as a musician? A few notes of music, no more flu! A few chords on the piano, no more backache! And for the most serious cases, the violin does its work. A dream, a utopia? No, here is Doctor Bellenote, and his dog Ré-Mi, who will cure all your worries.

"I am certain that in the city where I live, lives a gigantic animal"...

Marie de Paris is a little French girl who takes us on a tour of her city and shows us her little world in a playful and original way: her home, her family, her friends, her school, the bateaux-mouches, Montmartre, the Luxembourg Gardens...

This book is also available in English: Marie from Paris.

In the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, the ponies are bored. It has snowed. The park is almost deserted. Finally, a little girl arrives... A mischievous pony and a curious little girl set off to discover Paris and its treasures.

Marie de Paris is a little French girl who takes us on a tour of her city and shows us her little world in a playful and original way: her home, her family, her friends, her school, the bateaux-mouches, Montmartre, the Luxembourg Gardens...

This book is also available in English: Marie from Paris.

Paloma and her parents left Spain because of the war. However, in Paris too, people talk about the dictator Franco, especially since he bombed the town of Guernica. During the May 1st demonstration, Paloma finds a wounded dove. She nurses it, feeds it, and her father builds it a cage. The bird, nestled in her shoulder, accompanies her everywhere. During one of her walks in the streets of Paris with her dove, Paloma exchanges a few words with a man who marks her mind. Later, when she sees the painting of Guernica during her visit to the World's Fair, she realizes that it is Pablo Picasso.This book has been selected for the Prix Michel Tournier 2020 and for the Prix jeunesse Alé of the LEC Festival 2020 (Littératures européennes de Cognac).

This morning, Mistigri, Lola's cat, ran away. And Mistigri is not the kind of cat to linger in the neighbourhood! He likes to travel ! So Lola sets out to find him. A real game of hide-and-seek in Paris, discovering the neighbourhoods and the shopkeepers. Not forgetting the Parisian monuments to admire on the way...

This tale is a social fable. It speaks of the fear that seizes us in front of the unknown, in front of a stranger, even a simple cat. It tells how this fear can grow until it paralyses a whole kingdom... A Persian tale illustrated, in the respect of the tradition, by the patchworks of a major Iranian illustrator of this beginning of century.

Every year, the Sultan's date tree was covered with the most delicate fruits. Travellers from all over the kingdom came to admire and taste the sweetness of these dates. Every year, the harvest took place in the presence of the Sultan. But one summer, the date tree gave only three small dates... The notion of sharing is at the heart of the debates in this album with its softly painted illustrations. A book in my suitcase

"This tale, told throughout the Middle East in different versions, is about initiation. Not the little one, but the big one, the real one, the one that turns the monster into a human." "The illustrations set a funny, light-hearted tone to this potentially scary tale of devouring."

But what a mess all these ideas are!

As soon as night falls

they enter one by one

they jostle, dance, follow each other

they sit on the arm of the sofa

they moo

and off they go!

welcome to the great circus of ideas!