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Capitão Rosalie
Tenho um segredo. Na escola, todos pensam que estou a sonhar. Mas eu sou um soldado em missão. Capitão Rosalie.
72 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
7 people are currently reading
590 people want to read
About the author
Timothée de Fombelle
49 books428 followersAs a child...
Timothee de Fombelle was born in the heart of Paris in 1973, but often accompanied his architect father on his travels to Africa. Each summer his family left for the countryside (the west of France), where the five brothers and sisters lived like wild horses, making huts in the trees, playing in the river and losing themselves in the woods. In the evening they performed plays for their parents and devoured the books in the library. Childhood remains for him the lost paradise which he re-discovers through writing.
As an adult...
After becoming a literature teacher, Timothee taught in Paris and Vietnam before choosing the bohemian life of the theatre. Author of a dozen plays, he writes, designs, builds sets and directs the actress he admires the most, his wife Laetitia. They have a young daughter, Jeanne Elisha, who already loves climbing trees. Toby Alone is his first novel and has already been translated into 22 languages.
As an artist...
Passionate about books and theatre, Timothee has been writing since he was young. The stage has been his testing ground but it is life, with its joys and trials, which inspires his real work. A great traveller, Timothee recognises that the writing of Toby Alone has been his best journey so far.
Timothee de Fombelle was born in the heart of Paris in 1973, but often accompanied his architect father on his travels to Africa. Each summer his family left for the countryside (the west of France), where the five brothers and sisters lived like wild horses, making huts in the trees, playing in the river and losing themselves in the woods. In the evening they performed plays for their parents and devoured the books in the library. Childhood remains for him the lost paradise which he re-discovers through writing.
As an adult...
After becoming a literature teacher, Timothee taught in Paris and Vietnam before choosing the bohemian life of the theatre. Author of a dozen plays, he writes, designs, builds sets and directs the actress he admires the most, his wife Laetitia. They have a young daughter, Jeanne Elisha, who already loves climbing trees. Toby Alone is his first novel and has already been translated into 22 languages.
As an artist...
Passionate about books and theatre, Timothee has been writing since he was young. The stage has been his testing ground but it is life, with its joys and trials, which inspires his real work. A great traveller, Timothee recognises that the writing of Toby Alone has been his best journey so far.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
May 13, 2019
5★
“I have a secret.
The others think I’m drawing in my notebook when
I’m sitting on the little bench underneath the coat hooks
at the back of the classroom. They think I’m dreaming
as I wait for evening to fall. And the teacher passes me
by as he gives instruction to the students.
He places his hand on my hair.
But I am a soldier on a mission. I am spying on the
enemy. I am preparing my plan.
I am Captain Rosalie.”
War. At five, little Rosalie is very young to be preparing for her mission, but she is one determined little redhead! Her father is a soldier, away at war, and her mother goes to work every day. The local teacher has agreed that Rosalie can sit quietly at the back of his class, and he will give her paper and pencils to draw with.
A picture of Rosalie sitting on her stool
She likes to put her stool under the coat rack where she can spy on the class, and the children are happy to hang their coats over and around her.
Picture of Rosalie, the spy, blending in with the coats
Rosalie’s mother is always excited to get letters from Rosalie’s father from the front. She reads them aloud to Rosalie. When the letters begin to reminisce, Rosalie gets impatient.
Picture of Rosalie, frustrated with her mother
But mother loves to read and re-read and remember her husband.
Picture of mother, reading and thinking of her husband
Captain Rosalie is adamant she is going to complete her mission, and she continues to plan.
Picture of Rosalie, ready for anything
This is a beautiful, moving story, more than a picture book for children. In some ways, it reminds me of Shaun Tan's unique The Arrival, which is a universal story told solely through illustrations. Like "The Arrival", this will spark a lot of conversation amongst adults and children alike. (Link to my review of The Arrival, with many illustrations)
It is absolutely wonderful. I am impressed that when it was translated from the original French, even the illustrations have been modified for English readers.
I thank NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the preview copy from which I have so shamelessly shared a few illustrations. It is still available on NetGalley and due to be published 11 June 2019.
P.S. To enjoy more of the illustrator's work, visit this website. https://blog.picturebookmakers.com/po...
“I have a secret.
The others think I’m drawing in my notebook when
I’m sitting on the little bench underneath the coat hooks
at the back of the classroom. They think I’m dreaming
as I wait for evening to fall. And the teacher passes me
by as he gives instruction to the students.
He places his hand on my hair.
But I am a soldier on a mission. I am spying on the
enemy. I am preparing my plan.
I am Captain Rosalie.”
War. At five, little Rosalie is very young to be preparing for her mission, but she is one determined little redhead! Her father is a soldier, away at war, and her mother goes to work every day. The local teacher has agreed that Rosalie can sit quietly at the back of his class, and he will give her paper and pencils to draw with.
A picture of Rosalie sitting on her stool
She likes to put her stool under the coat rack where she can spy on the class, and the children are happy to hang their coats over and around her.
Picture of Rosalie, the spy, blending in with the coats
Rosalie’s mother is always excited to get letters from Rosalie’s father from the front. She reads them aloud to Rosalie. When the letters begin to reminisce, Rosalie gets impatient.
Picture of Rosalie, frustrated with her mother
But mother loves to read and re-read and remember her husband.
Picture of mother, reading and thinking of her husband
Captain Rosalie is adamant she is going to complete her mission, and she continues to plan.
Picture of Rosalie, ready for anything
This is a beautiful, moving story, more than a picture book for children. In some ways, it reminds me of Shaun Tan's unique The Arrival, which is a universal story told solely through illustrations. Like "The Arrival", this will spark a lot of conversation amongst adults and children alike. (Link to my review of The Arrival, with many illustrations)
It is absolutely wonderful. I am impressed that when it was translated from the original French, even the illustrations have been modified for English readers.
I thank NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the preview copy from which I have so shamelessly shared a few illustrations. It is still available on NetGalley and due to be published 11 June 2019.
P.S. To enjoy more of the illustrator's work, visit this website. https://blog.picturebookmakers.com/po...
July 2, 2019
This is such a beautiful, sad and moving book. Rosalie's mother is working in a factory doing war work and her father away fighting. Every day while her mother works she goes to a boys class and the master helps her mother by letting her sit at the back of the class with her sketchbook. The master thinks she is drawing but Rosalie is on a secret mission.
Isabelle Arsenault's illustrations are exquisitely beautiful. The scenes of civilian life during war time are austerely depicted in greys and browns with illuminating flashes of the red in Rosalies hair or the bright colours in a comforting crocheted blanket. This book would probably be appreciated more by adults or older children.
Isabelle Arsenault's illustrations are exquisitely beautiful. The scenes of civilian life during war time are austerely depicted in greys and browns with illuminating flashes of the red in Rosalies hair or the bright colours in a comforting crocheted blanket. This book would probably be appreciated more by adults or older children.
July 16, 2024
Je hebt zo snel de neiging om een boek weg te zetten met een label erop. Hoe jammer is dat. Je ziet illustraties in kleur, en je denkt (dus) aan prentenboeken en (dus) aan kleuters. In het geval van ‘Majoor Rosalie’ van Timothée de Fombelle en Isabelle Arsenault zou je weer de denkfout maken, en het boek (dus) onthouden aan heel veel lezers én aan jezelf.
Het verhaal van de vijfjarige Rosalie die zichzelf majoor noemt en een ‘missie heeft’ beslaat amper zestig bladzijden, wat ervoor zou kunnen zorgen dat je het wegzet als ‘een verhaaltje’. Vergis je niet, deel twee. Rosalie maakt je vanaf de eerste bladzijde bondgenoot. Je bent nieuwsgierig naar wat haar drijft, je wilt het geheim kennen, je vermoedt het een en ander, maar (vergis je niet, deel drie) de zaken lopen toch nog geheel anders dan je had verwacht.
‘Majoor Rosalie’ verscheen eerst in het Engels, en ik zou het ook in het Engels ‘a treat’ noemen: iets fijns dat je voor het laatst houdt, een traktatie voor een goed moment. Fijn, door de rake, poëtische stijl van de Fombelle en zijn ode aan de macht van het woord, maar ook door de gevoelige tekeningen van Arsenault. Let op haar compositie en haar standpuntkeuze, ze wekt een hele film op in de bioscoop in je hoofd.
En voor wie dit boek precies is? Laat die vraag toch de allerallerlaatste zijn die je stelt. Ontneem het zo weinig mogelijk lezers.
‘Majoor Rosalie’ is uit het Frans vertaald door Eef Gratama.
Het verhaal van de vijfjarige Rosalie die zichzelf majoor noemt en een ‘missie heeft’ beslaat amper zestig bladzijden, wat ervoor zou kunnen zorgen dat je het wegzet als ‘een verhaaltje’. Vergis je niet, deel twee. Rosalie maakt je vanaf de eerste bladzijde bondgenoot. Je bent nieuwsgierig naar wat haar drijft, je wilt het geheim kennen, je vermoedt het een en ander, maar (vergis je niet, deel drie) de zaken lopen toch nog geheel anders dan je had verwacht.
‘Majoor Rosalie’ verscheen eerst in het Engels, en ik zou het ook in het Engels ‘a treat’ noemen: iets fijns dat je voor het laatst houdt, een traktatie voor een goed moment. Fijn, door de rake, poëtische stijl van de Fombelle en zijn ode aan de macht van het woord, maar ook door de gevoelige tekeningen van Arsenault. Let op haar compositie en haar standpuntkeuze, ze wekt een hele film op in de bioscoop in je hoofd.
En voor wie dit boek precies is? Laat die vraag toch de allerallerlaatste zijn die je stelt. Ontneem het zo weinig mogelijk lezers.
‘Majoor Rosalie’ is uit het Frans vertaald door Eef Gratama.
August 25, 2019
Children's books about war can be very challenging. How do you portray the frustration, anger, loss and hurt of war without over doing it (and terrifying) small children?
Captain Rosalie comes at a WWII story from the eyes of a little girl who is waiting for her father to return home from service. Without a doubt, the most endearing part, of Timothee de Fombelle's story is that the little girl loves to hear her mother read out her father's letters. But little Rosalie is no slouch and begins to suspect that maybe her mother is not reading the real words or telling the whole truth. So Rosalie takes initiative, all on her own, to learn to read! (adorable right!?)
Fombelle does a wonderful job of creating and displaying the confusion Rosalie has over how far away the war is and if it will come to them directly. And so her desire to learn more about the war, and not just her mother's flowery words, is very fitting. The muted illustrations fit beautifully in with the setting and somber war time frame.
All is well until we reach the tragic ending which I feel is not well explained for children. As adults it makes sense to us that Rosalie's mother wasn't telling her the real story in the letters from her father. But to a child I think this would be quite confused. I'm not sure if it's lost in the translation of languages here or just not handled quite very well. However, Captain Rosalie can start a conversation with any child about the nature of war and why 'we', as a society, should try to avoid it. I could also see this being a good book to relate a true historical past to children today who may have had trauma already in their young lives (lost parent, refugee children, domestic violence, etc.) as it does tell the true story of Rosalie's father by the end.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Captain Rosalie comes at a WWII story from the eyes of a little girl who is waiting for her father to return home from service. Without a doubt, the most endearing part, of Timothee de Fombelle's story is that the little girl loves to hear her mother read out her father's letters. But little Rosalie is no slouch and begins to suspect that maybe her mother is not reading the real words or telling the whole truth. So Rosalie takes initiative, all on her own, to learn to read! (adorable right!?)
Fombelle does a wonderful job of creating and displaying the confusion Rosalie has over how far away the war is and if it will come to them directly. And so her desire to learn more about the war, and not just her mother's flowery words, is very fitting. The muted illustrations fit beautifully in with the setting and somber war time frame.
All is well until we reach the tragic ending which I feel is not well explained for children. As adults it makes sense to us that Rosalie's mother wasn't telling her the real story in the letters from her father. But to a child I think this would be quite confused. I'm not sure if it's lost in the translation of languages here or just not handled quite very well. However, Captain Rosalie can start a conversation with any child about the nature of war and why 'we', as a society, should try to avoid it. I could also see this being a good book to relate a true historical past to children today who may have had trauma already in their young lives (lost parent, refugee children, domestic violence, etc.) as it does tell the true story of Rosalie's father by the end.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
June 23, 2019
‘’I am a soldier on a mission. I am spying on the enemy. I am preparing my plan. I am Captain Rosalie.’’
A 64 page novella written by Timothèe de Fombelle for children (probably those over ten) about a 5 year old girl who—with her mother—waits for her father who has been away a long time fighting in WWI. She pretends she is Captain Rosalie, a soldier on a secret mission who hopes for a medal at the war’s end. He mother reads her letters from the front, but she generally refuses to listen. I can’t tell you the ending, but it’s full of a range of emotions throughout.
Most of the emotions are created by the illustrations of Isabelle Arsenault, the main reason I read this, as she is one of my favorite illustrators, so I wish the balance were greater between the words and the art (more Arsenault! More paintings!). The work is beautiful, including some pastiches of the father’s sketches from the front. The tones are mainly somber, as we wait for news, but there are also touches of red and orange to give evidence of hope and courage.
The story was published first in an anthology, The Great War: Stories Inspired by Items From the First World War, but this illustrated version makes a superb stand-alone.
Might work well with another picture book about war, Vanishing Colors:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
A 64 page novella written by Timothèe de Fombelle for children (probably those over ten) about a 5 year old girl who—with her mother—waits for her father who has been away a long time fighting in WWI. She pretends she is Captain Rosalie, a soldier on a secret mission who hopes for a medal at the war’s end. He mother reads her letters from the front, but she generally refuses to listen. I can’t tell you the ending, but it’s full of a range of emotions throughout.
Most of the emotions are created by the illustrations of Isabelle Arsenault, the main reason I read this, as she is one of my favorite illustrators, so I wish the balance were greater between the words and the art (more Arsenault! More paintings!). The work is beautiful, including some pastiches of the father’s sketches from the front. The tones are mainly somber, as we wait for news, but there are also touches of red and orange to give evidence of hope and courage.
The story was published first in an anthology, The Great War: Stories Inspired by Items From the First World War, but this illustrated version makes a superb stand-alone.
Might work well with another picture book about war, Vanishing Colors:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
July 7, 2019
Timothée de Fombelle’s tale for older children is an unusual one. Neither a conventional picture book nor a novel, Captain Rosalie tells the story of a little, flame-haired girl in the France of 1917. Every morning, Rosalie is dropped off at the little village school that is presided over by a one-armed schoolmaster who has returned home from the front. He has kindly agreed to allow the tiny girl to sit at the back of a class of older students while her mother works at the arms factory. Rosalie’s father is away. He is fighting in the war.
Rosalie appears to spend her days drawing in a notebook while the lessons are taught. Really, though, she is fighting her own war, preparing for an important mission, which she believes will earn her a medal. It takes some time for readers to discover what this mission is, but they eventually see that de Fombelle—aided by Isabelle Arsenault (the Canadian artist-illustrator)—has dropped some clues along the way.
Every evening on her way home from the factory, Rosalie’s mother picks the girl up from school. Often she carries new letters from her husband. Sometimes she is tearful, and this is when Rosalie loves her mother best: “when courage deserts her and her eyes are red.” Once at home, the mother reads the letters aloud. However, Rosalie grows impatient with the reports of what her father says he will do—swim, fish, and eat walnuts and trout with Rosalie—if he comes home in the spring.
Rosalie particularly cannot abide hearing her father’s exhortations about behaving herself. He apparently writes that “the children keep us going by lending their mothers support and being good.” “I couldn’t care less about being good,” Rosalie thinks to herself. “I don’t lend my mother to anyone. I don’t want to hear any talk of fish leaping in streams. I don’t believe in stories of walnuts and mills.” The only thing that does seem to be true to Rosalie is a drawing her father includes in one of his letters: “A forest in the distance and the land in the foreground all churned up, with soldiers hiding in holes.”
Rosalie’s mission—her battle—is a psychological one, both intellectual and emotional. It involves cracking a code, penetrating the veil of words (and denial) that adults place between children and the truth.
In a 2012 interview that appears in The Walrus, a Canadian general interest magazine of culture and ideas, Isabelle Arsenault commented: “I am attracted to deeper work, not to bright, funny or commercial art. I feel I’m much more underground than mainstream.” French author and playwright Timothée de Fombelle would seem to be a kindred spirit. Together the two have created a nuanced and compelling piece of literature for older children, and, yes . . . even for adults.
Rosalie appears to spend her days drawing in a notebook while the lessons are taught. Really, though, she is fighting her own war, preparing for an important mission, which she believes will earn her a medal. It takes some time for readers to discover what this mission is, but they eventually see that de Fombelle—aided by Isabelle Arsenault (the Canadian artist-illustrator)—has dropped some clues along the way.
Every evening on her way home from the factory, Rosalie’s mother picks the girl up from school. Often she carries new letters from her husband. Sometimes she is tearful, and this is when Rosalie loves her mother best: “when courage deserts her and her eyes are red.” Once at home, the mother reads the letters aloud. However, Rosalie grows impatient with the reports of what her father says he will do—swim, fish, and eat walnuts and trout with Rosalie—if he comes home in the spring.
Rosalie particularly cannot abide hearing her father’s exhortations about behaving herself. He apparently writes that “the children keep us going by lending their mothers support and being good.” “I couldn’t care less about being good,” Rosalie thinks to herself. “I don’t lend my mother to anyone. I don’t want to hear any talk of fish leaping in streams. I don’t believe in stories of walnuts and mills.” The only thing that does seem to be true to Rosalie is a drawing her father includes in one of his letters: “A forest in the distance and the land in the foreground all churned up, with soldiers hiding in holes.”
Rosalie’s mission—her battle—is a psychological one, both intellectual and emotional. It involves cracking a code, penetrating the veil of words (and denial) that adults place between children and the truth.
In a 2012 interview that appears in The Walrus, a Canadian general interest magazine of culture and ideas, Isabelle Arsenault commented: “I am attracted to deeper work, not to bright, funny or commercial art. I feel I’m much more underground than mainstream.” French author and playwright Timothée de Fombelle would seem to be a kindred spirit. Together the two have created a nuanced and compelling piece of literature for older children, and, yes . . . even for adults.
May 11, 2019
This is a bit of a strange picture book. Being quite heavy on the text, it will probably only appeal to older readers, especially given the subject matter. For me, it almost didn't seem like a children's book: from the mature voice of the supposed five-year-old to the disturbing descriptions of life in the trenches, Captain Rosalie seems almost like it was intended for a much older audience.
The story follows five-year-old Rosalie, a young girl who lives in France during the Great War. Her father is off in the trenches, and her mother works in a factory... which leaves Rosalie in the care of the schoolteacher. Being a little too young for school, she sits at the back of the class while she watches and listens. She repeatedly talks about her mission, the nature of which is a mystery until well into the story. Letters arrive from the front, and Rosalie's mother reads them to her. Rosalie doesn't seem much interested, as she doesn't remember her father (it's 1917, so he's likely been away since she was a toddler). But one day a letter in a blue envelope arrives, and it seems to upset her mother. Rosalie makes a plan to find the letter and figure out what it says.
I'm not sure exactly how this book is supposed to read. Given the mature-sounding voice of Rosalie, it almost seems like she's telling the story years later. But the narrative is written in the present tense, which seems like an odd choice for that sort of story. I'm also a bit confused by Rosalie's comments about liking to see her mother tired and sad. Is there something wrong with this child? (Perhaps not, but in any case, trying to tease out the complex emotions of a five-year-old child is a lot for a picture book to ask of young readers.)
The illustrations are fine, but nothing special. Rosalie's bright orange hair is set off amid a background of more muted pink and grey tones. It works for the subject matter, but I don't know if the pictures are particularly memorable.
Overall, I did enjoy this one, but perhaps not as much as I was expecting. I think my inability to categorize it is interfering a bit with my enjoyment. I'm not quite sure who to recommend this one to, given the subject matter and sophisticated voice of the text.
Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing a digital ARC.
The story follows five-year-old Rosalie, a young girl who lives in France during the Great War. Her father is off in the trenches, and her mother works in a factory... which leaves Rosalie in the care of the schoolteacher. Being a little too young for school, she sits at the back of the class while she watches and listens. She repeatedly talks about her mission, the nature of which is a mystery until well into the story. Letters arrive from the front, and Rosalie's mother reads them to her. Rosalie doesn't seem much interested, as she doesn't remember her father (it's 1917, so he's likely been away since she was a toddler). But one day a letter in a blue envelope arrives, and it seems to upset her mother. Rosalie makes a plan to find the letter and figure out what it says.
I'm not sure exactly how this book is supposed to read. Given the mature-sounding voice of Rosalie, it almost seems like she's telling the story years later. But the narrative is written in the present tense, which seems like an odd choice for that sort of story. I'm also a bit confused by Rosalie's comments about liking to see her mother tired and sad. Is there something wrong with this child? (Perhaps not, but in any case, trying to tease out the complex emotions of a five-year-old child is a lot for a picture book to ask of young readers.)
The illustrations are fine, but nothing special. Rosalie's bright orange hair is set off amid a background of more muted pink and grey tones. It works for the subject matter, but I don't know if the pictures are particularly memorable.
Overall, I did enjoy this one, but perhaps not as much as I was expecting. I think my inability to categorize it is interfering a bit with my enjoyment. I'm not quite sure who to recommend this one to, given the subject matter and sophisticated voice of the text.
Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing a digital ARC.
April 9, 2024
Une pépite ! J’ai pleuré et adoré : c’est beau, c’est touchant, je ne m’attendais pas à autant apprécier sur un format aussi court.
January 6, 2019
Very different to Fombelle's outstanding Toby (Toby Alone, Toby and the Secrets of the Tree) and Vango books, Captain Rosalie is a novella beautifully accompanied by Arsenault's incredible illustrations.
Telling the story of a young girl, Rosalie who, during the first world war, must sit at the back of a village school whilst her mother works in a munitions(?) factory, Fomebelle's story is one of a child who seeks the truth in a time of secrets. Her mother regularly receives letters from Rosalie's father and, because, Rosalie cannot read yet, changes the narrative in order to protect her daughter. But Rosalie doesn't want protecting, she just wants the truth so whilst sitting, largely ignored, at the back of the class, she slowly begins to learn to read and hatches a plan...
This is a beautiful book and although Rosalie might seem far too wily and mature for her age, I would argue that you're missing the point of the story. We are in a world now where lies and hidden truths pervade and what children need now is to know the truth and know how to change the world for the better. Captain Rosalie is a beacon for us all. She is strong, determined yet painfully tender and caring too. This book would make for a fascinating contrast to War is Over.
Telling the story of a young girl, Rosalie who, during the first world war, must sit at the back of a village school whilst her mother works in a munitions(?) factory, Fomebelle's story is one of a child who seeks the truth in a time of secrets. Her mother regularly receives letters from Rosalie's father and, because, Rosalie cannot read yet, changes the narrative in order to protect her daughter. But Rosalie doesn't want protecting, she just wants the truth so whilst sitting, largely ignored, at the back of the class, she slowly begins to learn to read and hatches a plan...
This is a beautiful book and although Rosalie might seem far too wily and mature for her age, I would argue that you're missing the point of the story. We are in a world now where lies and hidden truths pervade and what children need now is to know the truth and know how to change the world for the better. Captain Rosalie is a beacon for us all. She is strong, determined yet painfully tender and caring too. This book would make for a fascinating contrast to War is Over.
September 15, 2021
tout d’abord, c’est Timothée de Fombelle, c’est sa plume, sa manière de raconter et ce sont les personnages qu’il crée. ici, c’est Rosalie, c’est sa mère et ce sont finalement beaucoup trop de familles qui ont vécu le pire et qui ont trop perdu. c’est la deuxième guerre et tout ce qu’elle cause et tout ce qu’elle emporte avec elle. à lire absolument peu importe votre âge ✨👏🏻
March 27, 2021
4⭐️1/2 pour ce récit magnifique. Je l’ai lu dans une perspective d’utilisation en classe pour aborder la persévérance scolaire. L’histoire est celle de Rosalie, 5 ans et demi, qui doit se rendre à l’école des grands puisque son père est parti à la guerre et que sa mère travaille dans une usine. Elle nous dit être une espionne en mission secrète. Au final, on comprend que la petite Rosalie profite de son passage en classe pour apprendre secrètement à lire. Elle souhaite être en mesure de lire par elle-même les lettres reçus de son père. C’est tellement touchant comme histoire, ça m’a beaucoup émue. C’est à lire absolument!
July 2, 2019
Five-year-old Rosalie waits for her father's return from the battlefields of World War I in this spare and immensely powerful children's novella from French author Timothée de Fombelle. Allowed to sit at the back of a classroom of older pupils, while her mother works in the nearby munitions factory, Rosalie is engaged in a secret mission, all of her efforts aimed at . When her mother receives a mysterious blue envelope whose contents she refuses to share, Captain Rosalie knows she must do something, and her actions lead to more that one revelation...
Originally published in France as Capitaine Rosalie, this brief sixty-page book - part novella, part picture-book - manages to pack quite an emotional punch, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that it is so understated. The child's reaction to war here - namely, casting herself as a "combatant," one with an important and secret mission - reminded me of Ahmad Akbarpour's Good Night, Commander , an Iranian picture-book in which the boy narrator struggles to come to terms with his family's experiences in the Iran-Iraq War. The artwork in Captain Rosalie, done by the marvelous French-Canadian illustrator Isabelle Arsenault, is lovely, capturing Rosalie's experiences so beautifully and so expressively. Although short, this is not a book I would recommend for very young children, given that it addresses in such a straightforward way. But for upper middle-grade readers it might make a good introduction to the topic of war in general, or World War I specifically.
Originally published in France as Capitaine Rosalie, this brief sixty-page book - part novella, part picture-book - manages to pack quite an emotional punch, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that it is so understated. The child's reaction to war here - namely, casting herself as a "combatant," one with an important and secret mission - reminded me of Ahmad Akbarpour's Good Night, Commander , an Iranian picture-book in which the boy narrator struggles to come to terms with his family's experiences in the Iran-Iraq War. The artwork in Captain Rosalie, done by the marvelous French-Canadian illustrator Isabelle Arsenault, is lovely, capturing Rosalie's experiences so beautifully and so expressively. Although short, this is not a book I would recommend for very young children, given that it addresses in such a straightforward way. But for upper middle-grade readers it might make a good introduction to the topic of war in general, or World War I specifically.
January 28, 2019
20/20
Je n’aurais pas pu imaginer la profondeur et la beauté de ce court roman illustré qui m’a tant bouleversée que je l’ai terminé en larmes. C’est si beau, lisez-le.
Ma chronique : https://myprettybooks.wordpress.com/2...
Je n’aurais pas pu imaginer la profondeur et la beauté de ce court roman illustré qui m’a tant bouleversée que je l’ai terminé en larmes. C’est si beau, lisez-le.
Ma chronique : https://myprettybooks.wordpress.com/2...
July 16, 2024
'Ik heb een geheim.
Ze denken dat ik aan het tekenen ben als ik op het bankje onder de kapstokken zit, achter in de klas. (...) Maar ik ben een soldaat met een missie. Ik bespioneer de vijand. Ik heb een plan.
Ik ben majoor Rosalie.'
Een bijzondere vertelling in zowel taal als illustraties. Majoor Rosalie als titel en een klein meisje op het omslag zorgden ervoor dat ik dit (prenten)boek reserveerde bij de bibliotheek.
Het is 1917, de vader van de vijfjarige Rosalie is aan het front, haar moeder werkt in de fabriek en zij mag/moet op die dagen bij de meester in de klas zitten. Ze kan nog niet lezen, maar zou zo graag willen weten wat er werkelijk in de brieven van vader staat.
Ze voelt aan dat moeder niet alles voorleest. Dat meester iets anders voorleest dan wat er in de krant staat.
Ze begrijpt ondanks haar leeftijd dat er meer gebeurt dan de volwassenen haar willen vertellen. Ze gebruikt haar fantasie, verzint dat ze majoor is, ze denkt door, ze overleeft op haar manier. Ze let op, ze blijkt ineens te kunnen lezen, ze is nieuwsgierig, ze wil weten wat men haar niet vertelt. Het blauw van inkt, van schrift, van een brief, tekent zich een weg in de werkelijkheid van Rosalie.
De illustraties, tekeningen in veelal zwartwit, vertellen mede het verhaal.
Ondanks dat het mogelijk bijzonder is dat Rosalie ineens kan lezen, hele zinnen met moeilijke woorden, ze soms voor kinderen van nu te volwassen overkomt, is dit een mooi en schrijnend geschreven verhaal over een tijd en gebeurtenissen die een kind niet zou moeten meemaken. Een tijd waarin kinderen volwassener kunnen zijn.
Mooie zinnen met af en toe wat ouder taalgebruik, waarschijnlijk de taal van een ouder persoon, waaruit kan worden gehaald: praat met een kind, wees duidelijk en eerlijk naar leeftijd en het incasseringsvermogen van een kind.
Zelf lezen vanaf ong. 9 jaar. Vooral: lees het zelf, gebruik het bij lessen.
Ze denken dat ik aan het tekenen ben als ik op het bankje onder de kapstokken zit, achter in de klas. (...) Maar ik ben een soldaat met een missie. Ik bespioneer de vijand. Ik heb een plan.
Ik ben majoor Rosalie.'
Een bijzondere vertelling in zowel taal als illustraties. Majoor Rosalie als titel en een klein meisje op het omslag zorgden ervoor dat ik dit (prenten)boek reserveerde bij de bibliotheek.
Het is 1917, de vader van de vijfjarige Rosalie is aan het front, haar moeder werkt in de fabriek en zij mag/moet op die dagen bij de meester in de klas zitten. Ze kan nog niet lezen, maar zou zo graag willen weten wat er werkelijk in de brieven van vader staat.
Ze voelt aan dat moeder niet alles voorleest. Dat meester iets anders voorleest dan wat er in de krant staat.
Ze begrijpt ondanks haar leeftijd dat er meer gebeurt dan de volwassenen haar willen vertellen. Ze gebruikt haar fantasie, verzint dat ze majoor is, ze denkt door, ze overleeft op haar manier. Ze let op, ze blijkt ineens te kunnen lezen, ze is nieuwsgierig, ze wil weten wat men haar niet vertelt. Het blauw van inkt, van schrift, van een brief, tekent zich een weg in de werkelijkheid van Rosalie.
De illustraties, tekeningen in veelal zwartwit, vertellen mede het verhaal.
Ondanks dat het mogelijk bijzonder is dat Rosalie ineens kan lezen, hele zinnen met moeilijke woorden, ze soms voor kinderen van nu te volwassen overkomt, is dit een mooi en schrijnend geschreven verhaal over een tijd en gebeurtenissen die een kind niet zou moeten meemaken. Een tijd waarin kinderen volwassener kunnen zijn.
Mooie zinnen met af en toe wat ouder taalgebruik, waarschijnlijk de taal van een ouder persoon, waaruit kan worden gehaald: praat met een kind, wees duidelijk en eerlijk naar leeftijd en het incasseringsvermogen van een kind.
Zelf lezen vanaf ong. 9 jaar. Vooral: lees het zelf, gebruik het bij lessen.
November 8, 2018
Most of the stars are for the illustration, just so you know.
I would have put the writing on par with the illustration, if not for the fact it doesn't really read like a five year old's voice? It doesn't even read as a child's voice to be honest - if it was someone looking back on their five year old self, then yes, this writing style would be plausible. However, it's in present tense and it doesn't really fit.
I would have put the writing on par with the illustration, if not for the fact it doesn't really read like a five year old's voice? It doesn't even read as a child's voice to be honest - if it was someone looking back on their five year old self, then yes, this writing style would be plausible. However, it's in present tense and it doesn't really fit.
March 24, 2019
Un album tout en douceur et en émotions et qui en plus est magnifiquement illustré. Merci Marie-Claude pour la recommandation!
January 11, 2019
Spoilers seem inevitable, since the end of the story really seems the whole point of the book. Rosalie styles herself “Captain” and weaves a fantasy around herself to act in sympathy with her dad, who is fighting in the trenches. Her growing realisation that all is not as it seems as her mother reads the father’s letters - “the only thing that seems true” - leads her to decipher the letters herself, to find in one the words “killed in action fighting for his country” instead of the description of trout fishing her mother had read.
A heart-rending tale, and with Arsenault’s beautiful drawings (and lovely pastiches of the father’s sketches from the Front), this is both cleverly told and beautifully presented.
A heart-rending tale, and with Arsenault’s beautiful drawings (and lovely pastiches of the father’s sketches from the Front), this is both cleverly told and beautifully presented.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2025
Belles illustrations et touchante histoire
December 17, 2018
Capitaine Rosalie est un petit bijou, une histoire à la fois forte, tragique et émouvante, mais aussi très tendre. Timothée de Fombelle parle avec beaucoup d’élégance des horreurs de la guerre et de l’enfance. Ses mots sont d’une justesse infinie, évoquant certes la noirceur de cette période mais aussi la douceur de cette relation mère-fille qui leur permet de se tenir le cœur au chaud. Il aborde la Grande Guerre à hauteur d’enfant de manière très subtile et cela nous touche forcément en plein cœur. La guerre, dans la tête de Rosalie, c’est à la fois très éloigné et omniprésent. Elle ne l’entend pas, n’apprend les nouvelles que depuis les lettres de son père que maman lui lit, ou par les titres positifs des journaux que reprend le maître d’école. Et pourtant, [...]
Pour lire la suite de cette critique, rendez-vous sur yuyine.be!
Pour lire la suite de cette critique, rendez-vous sur yuyine.be!
July 17, 2019
This is a surrealistic and rather strange little book and it's hard to know what age to recommend it for. The subject is a 5 year-old little French girl during WWI, but she speaks as if she's much older and the subject matter is quite sober -- war, loss, depression and the death of a parent eventually.
The book is about 60 pages long with some gray scale illustrations with Rosalie depicted with more color, especially her red hair. The length and vocabulary make it best suited for slightly older kids, despite the age of the narrator.
This book would be a good accompaniment to a unit on war, especially WWI. Be advised that it deals with the death of a parent (eventually) who is serving in the war, so use caution with children whose parents are in the service or who have lost a parent.
This is ultimately a sweet, well written, sobering story that will probably stay with children. Rosalie's friend Edgar is a caring figure and children may relate to Rosalie's mother's alternating fun mothering and sad resignation and eventual stoic grief. It reminds me a bit of the classic "The 100 Dresses," in that it can quietly help children develop empathy and live through another, sadder life that can give them perspectives about others. Like that book, this isn't necessarily a fun read.
My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost
I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.
The book is about 60 pages long with some gray scale illustrations with Rosalie depicted with more color, especially her red hair. The length and vocabulary make it best suited for slightly older kids, despite the age of the narrator.
This book would be a good accompaniment to a unit on war, especially WWI. Be advised that it deals with the death of a parent (eventually) who is serving in the war, so use caution with children whose parents are in the service or who have lost a parent.
This is ultimately a sweet, well written, sobering story that will probably stay with children. Rosalie's friend Edgar is a caring figure and children may relate to Rosalie's mother's alternating fun mothering and sad resignation and eventual stoic grief. It reminds me a bit of the classic "The 100 Dresses," in that it can quietly help children develop empathy and live through another, sadder life that can give them perspectives about others. Like that book, this isn't necessarily a fun read.
My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost
I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.
June 29, 2019
4.5★s
Captain Rosalie is a book for older children by French author and playwright, Timothee de Fombelle. It is beautifully illustrated in watercolour, pen and ink by Isabelle Arsenault and translated from French by Sam Gordon. The recommended reader age is 8-12 years.
It’s the fall of 1917, and Rosalie is five and a half. She’s too young for her village school, but since her mum has to work at the factory, the teacher lets her sit at the back of the class of older children. What no one realises is that she’s on a secret mission.
In carrying out that secret mission, (to learn to read) so she can find out what her father has really written in his letters (and learn the fate her mother can’t bring herself to tell), she does discover she has a loyal friend, and that many more people than just her mother care about her. In fact, the whole village cares about her.
This is a book that illustrates for children the awful consequences of war. For Rosalie, these include her mother having to work at the factory so they have enough to live on, the teacher having lost an arm in the war, and her father being killed in combat, for which she must console herself with the knowledge of his bravery, to which the shiny medal attests. Sad and poignant, but with a valuable lesson for young readers.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Candlewick Press.
Captain Rosalie is a book for older children by French author and playwright, Timothee de Fombelle. It is beautifully illustrated in watercolour, pen and ink by Isabelle Arsenault and translated from French by Sam Gordon. The recommended reader age is 8-12 years.
It’s the fall of 1917, and Rosalie is five and a half. She’s too young for her village school, but since her mum has to work at the factory, the teacher lets her sit at the back of the class of older children. What no one realises is that she’s on a secret mission.
In carrying out that secret mission, (to learn to read) so she can find out what her father has really written in his letters (and learn the fate her mother can’t bring herself to tell), she does discover she has a loyal friend, and that many more people than just her mother care about her. In fact, the whole village cares about her.
This is a book that illustrates for children the awful consequences of war. For Rosalie, these include her mother having to work at the factory so they have enough to live on, the teacher having lost an arm in the war, and her father being killed in combat, for which she must console herself with the knowledge of his bravery, to which the shiny medal attests. Sad and poignant, but with a valuable lesson for young readers.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Candlewick Press.
June 25, 2019
I think the title "Captain Rosalie" is more relevant for the piece than the first one it received in Emglish, "The Great War" – yes we lose some of the irony, but this story could be applied to anywhere and anywhen; the few references to times and places that pin this as a WWI book can be glossed over, making this universal. And universally heart-tugging, too, for it features a little girl whose only memories are of the wartime. With her father at the front, and her mother at work in a bomb factory, she has got nothing else to do but sit silently beneath the coats at the back of the village school room, and plot and plan her mission. I won't say any more about what that mission is and what it leads to, for this brief work is a wonderful one when it's able to surprise you. That said a lot is also immediately foreseeable, but that's never in a bad way here. Gentle illustrations, whether small cameos or full double-page spreads, add a great side order of mood to proceedings, and all told this has to be recommended. A perfect piece to demonstrate the benefit of something a young reader might take for granted, and to allow debate on the value of being open with the truth. Four and a half stars.
June 7, 2019
A sad and lovely little book about a five year old girl who is starting to learn the cold realities of WWI. The translation is quite lyrical and as always Isabelle Arsenault's illustrations are delicate, evocative and moving.
March 9, 2019
One of those illustrated shsort novels for children dealing with war and grief. Beautifully illustrated and moving story of a young child trying to understand what is happening around her.
July 15, 2019
Don’t let this tiny book fool you. Rosalie knows about war. Her dad is away fighting in one but while he is gone, she embarks upon a journey of her own. Stunningly illustrated.
May 14, 2019
In this short novella, a 5½-year-old girl calls herself Captain Rosalie, thinking of herself as a soldier on a secret mission during WWI, spying on the enemy and preparing her plan of action. And she is sure that one day she will be awarded a medal for what she does.
Living in a small French village, Rosalie is really too young for school, but the teacher, a wounded war veteran, lets her sit quietly drawing in the back of his classroom every day while her father is away fighting in the war and her mother works in the factory for the war effort. Rosalie is given a notebook and pencils with which to draw. But since it contains her plan of action, she never, never leaves the notebook where it can be found.
At night, her mother reads letters from her father at the front, a father she has almost no memory of. Instead of writing about war, he writes about what they will do when the war is over, but Rosalie refuses to listen to her mother reading the letters.
Then one night, after Rosalie is in bed, there's a knock and she hears her mother speaking to the gendarme. The next day, there's a blue envelope on the table with a letter her mother doesn't read to her, nor is she able to look at her daughter. Rosalie knows something has changed, and her mission now becomes even more imperative.
Finally, on a day in February, it's time for Rosalie to carry out her secret mission. But first she must convince the teacher to let her go home to get her notebook. She is finally allowed to go, but is accompanied by Edgar, there only student who has ever noticed Rosalie. In the kitchen, Rosalie finds a box containing the letters from her father and her secret mission becomes apparent - Rosalie hasn't been drawing at the back of the classroom, she has been learning to read with the other students. And now, she can read the letters from her father well enough to realize they are about the horrors of war, not about what they will do when he comes home. But one letter, the last on brought by the gendarme, is missing.
Now, Rosalie will have to come up with another plan to find that letter and learn the final truth that has been withheld from her. Luckily, Edgar is just the kind of friend who will help her accomplish her mission.
Captain Rosalie is a beautifully crafted novella that is at once heartbreaking and hopeful. There are no unnecessary words or wasted actions and yet it packs such a strong emotional reaction. de Fombelle brilliantly holds the mystery of Rosalie's secret mission until it is time to reveal it, yet upon rereading, I noticed subtle hints. Narrated by Rosalie, author de Fombelle and translator Gordon never lose the voice of a 5½-year-old as she plans her mission and closely watches the world around her. Her realistic voice is even there when she is reading the letters from her father, not knowing all the words, but knowing enough to understand what her father is saying.
Interestingly, while her mother made up letters that she thought would make Rosalie's father more real for her daughter, and ignoring the truth of what he actually wrote, this only served to make Rosalie more distant from him and inspired her to learn to read. And, it doesn't take much to figure out that the gendarme brought news that Rosalie's father was killed in action. But that isn't what the story is about. It is about adults telling kids the truth so that they don't have to find it out for themselves.
Arsenault's spare watercolor, pencil and ink illustrations are done in cold, barren winter grays and whites, with only touches of color - red hair for Rosalie, her mother, and her ally Edgar, and the flames of a fire, and the blue of the envelopes and letters from Rosalie's father add to the feeling of life and hope in the midst of death and despair.
If Captain Rosalie sounds familiar, it is because it was originally published in an anthology called The Great War: Stories Inspired by Items From the First World War. The stand alone version of Captain Rosalie will be available on June 11, 2019.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley and Candlewick Press
Living in a small French village, Rosalie is really too young for school, but the teacher, a wounded war veteran, lets her sit quietly drawing in the back of his classroom every day while her father is away fighting in the war and her mother works in the factory for the war effort. Rosalie is given a notebook and pencils with which to draw. But since it contains her plan of action, she never, never leaves the notebook where it can be found.
At night, her mother reads letters from her father at the front, a father she has almost no memory of. Instead of writing about war, he writes about what they will do when the war is over, but Rosalie refuses to listen to her mother reading the letters.
Then one night, after Rosalie is in bed, there's a knock and she hears her mother speaking to the gendarme. The next day, there's a blue envelope on the table with a letter her mother doesn't read to her, nor is she able to look at her daughter. Rosalie knows something has changed, and her mission now becomes even more imperative.
Finally, on a day in February, it's time for Rosalie to carry out her secret mission. But first she must convince the teacher to let her go home to get her notebook. She is finally allowed to go, but is accompanied by Edgar, there only student who has ever noticed Rosalie. In the kitchen, Rosalie finds a box containing the letters from her father and her secret mission becomes apparent - Rosalie hasn't been drawing at the back of the classroom, she has been learning to read with the other students. And now, she can read the letters from her father well enough to realize they are about the horrors of war, not about what they will do when he comes home. But one letter, the last on brought by the gendarme, is missing.
Now, Rosalie will have to come up with another plan to find that letter and learn the final truth that has been withheld from her. Luckily, Edgar is just the kind of friend who will help her accomplish her mission.
Captain Rosalie is a beautifully crafted novella that is at once heartbreaking and hopeful. There are no unnecessary words or wasted actions and yet it packs such a strong emotional reaction. de Fombelle brilliantly holds the mystery of Rosalie's secret mission until it is time to reveal it, yet upon rereading, I noticed subtle hints. Narrated by Rosalie, author de Fombelle and translator Gordon never lose the voice of a 5½-year-old as she plans her mission and closely watches the world around her. Her realistic voice is even there when she is reading the letters from her father, not knowing all the words, but knowing enough to understand what her father is saying.
Interestingly, while her mother made up letters that she thought would make Rosalie's father more real for her daughter, and ignoring the truth of what he actually wrote, this only served to make Rosalie more distant from him and inspired her to learn to read. And, it doesn't take much to figure out that the gendarme brought news that Rosalie's father was killed in action. But that isn't what the story is about. It is about adults telling kids the truth so that they don't have to find it out for themselves.
Arsenault's spare watercolor, pencil and ink illustrations are done in cold, barren winter grays and whites, with only touches of color - red hair for Rosalie, her mother, and her ally Edgar, and the flames of a fire, and the blue of the envelopes and letters from Rosalie's father add to the feeling of life and hope in the midst of death and despair.
If Captain Rosalie sounds familiar, it is because it was originally published in an anthology called The Great War: Stories Inspired by Items From the First World War. The stand alone version of Captain Rosalie will be available on June 11, 2019.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley and Candlewick Press
May 13, 2022
»»» A compra:
Passei revista a uma lista de melhores livros num blog, já não me lembro bem qual, depois pesquisei e vi que tinha tido publicação em Portugal e lancei-me logo no encalço de um exemplar.
»»» A aventura:
Estamos no frio outono de 1917, no tempo da Grande Guerra, e Rosalie, uma menina de 5 anos, é deixada na escola dos meninos mais crescidos todos os dias ao cuidado do professor, que teve a bondade de a aceitar enquanto a mãe vai trabalhar para a fábrica e o pai está ausente por ter partido para combater.
Ela é para todos apenas uma pequena sentada no fundo da sala entretida sozinha a sonhar, mas Rosalie considera-se um soldado em missão, a Capitão Rosalie, que tudo observa e regista infiltrada no pelotão que é a turma.
A mãe vai buscá-la todos os dias e em alguns deles vem com uma carta do pai, que é lida em casa com a maior dedicação pela mãe, mas este é um gesto pouco apreciado pela Rosalie, que não gosta do que as cartas significam.
Um dia uma carta diferente é entregue em casa e um grito é ouvido. A partir daqui tudo muda e a Capitão Rosalie toma como missão encontrar e ler a carta, que foi cuidadosamente guardada pela mãe.
»»» Sentimento final:
Avassalador nas emoções, habilmente evitando a amargura e a excessiva tristeza.
É impossível não sentir o carinho desta história para com todas as suas personagens, com destaque para a nossa Capitão, sem esquecer a dedicada mãe, o pai presente através das cartas, os preocupados colegas de turma e o compreensivo professor.
É um livro que trata um tema forte de uma maneira delicada, que nos enreda completamente.
Um contacto com um pedaço negro da histórica que é apropriado e que será apreciado por praticamente todas as pessoas.
Para (quase) todas as idades.
»»» Nota final (Capa e outras considerações):
--- [Capa] – Capa muito cativante que consegue passar o ambiente do livro e destacar e nossa protagonista. A composição da capa e os tipos de letra foram muito bem escolhidos (a melhor das letras que vi nas várias edições internacionais).
--- [Ilustrações] – O tipo de ilustração que serve o livro, tanto na capa, como nos apontamentos que acompanham o texto, embora não sendo o meu género, serve a história brilhantemente e consegue ajudar a transmitir e até a enaltecer todos os momentos e sentimentos desta maravilhosa história.
--- [Dimensões] – A ternura deste livro não é só no texto e na ilustração, é também, para mim, nas dimensões do livro – é do tamanho de um azulejo. Uma fofura.
Passei revista a uma lista de melhores livros num blog, já não me lembro bem qual, depois pesquisei e vi que tinha tido publicação em Portugal e lancei-me logo no encalço de um exemplar.
»»» A aventura:
Estamos no frio outono de 1917, no tempo da Grande Guerra, e Rosalie, uma menina de 5 anos, é deixada na escola dos meninos mais crescidos todos os dias ao cuidado do professor, que teve a bondade de a aceitar enquanto a mãe vai trabalhar para a fábrica e o pai está ausente por ter partido para combater.
Ela é para todos apenas uma pequena sentada no fundo da sala entretida sozinha a sonhar, mas Rosalie considera-se um soldado em missão, a Capitão Rosalie, que tudo observa e regista infiltrada no pelotão que é a turma.
A mãe vai buscá-la todos os dias e em alguns deles vem com uma carta do pai, que é lida em casa com a maior dedicação pela mãe, mas este é um gesto pouco apreciado pela Rosalie, que não gosta do que as cartas significam.
Um dia uma carta diferente é entregue em casa e um grito é ouvido. A partir daqui tudo muda e a Capitão Rosalie toma como missão encontrar e ler a carta, que foi cuidadosamente guardada pela mãe.
»»» Sentimento final:
Avassalador nas emoções, habilmente evitando a amargura e a excessiva tristeza.
É impossível não sentir o carinho desta história para com todas as suas personagens, com destaque para a nossa Capitão, sem esquecer a dedicada mãe, o pai presente através das cartas, os preocupados colegas de turma e o compreensivo professor.
É um livro que trata um tema forte de uma maneira delicada, que nos enreda completamente.
Um contacto com um pedaço negro da histórica que é apropriado e que será apreciado por praticamente todas as pessoas.
Para (quase) todas as idades.
»»» Nota final (Capa e outras considerações):
--- [Capa] – Capa muito cativante que consegue passar o ambiente do livro e destacar e nossa protagonista. A composição da capa e os tipos de letra foram muito bem escolhidos (a melhor das letras que vi nas várias edições internacionais).
--- [Ilustrações] – O tipo de ilustração que serve o livro, tanto na capa, como nos apontamentos que acompanham o texto, embora não sendo o meu género, serve a história brilhantemente e consegue ajudar a transmitir e até a enaltecer todos os momentos e sentimentos desta maravilhosa história.
--- [Dimensões] – A ternura deste livro não é só no texto e na ilustração, é também, para mim, nas dimensões do livro – é do tamanho de um azulejo. Uma fofura.
April 30, 2024
Quin llibre tan bonic, trist i dur, de Timothée de Fombelle. De fet, tenia molt pendent començar a llegir coses seves i m’estreno amb aquesta obra. L’he agafat de la secció de la biblioteca amb llibres marcats per a infants d’entre 7 i 10 anys, però sens dubte no és un llibre per a qualsevol infant d’aquesta edat. M’imagino que se’l cataloga així per la llargada; pel suport que ofereixen les il·lustracions precioses d’Isabelle Arsenault a nivell de comprensió; i per les tries lingüístiques, que combinen un lirisme molt delicat amb una sintaxi senzilla que en fa accessible la lectura. I que interessant que existeixi literatura infantil així de valenta, amb capacitat per apropar a la infància qüestions tan dures amb tanta profunditat.
La històries de Fombelle és fantàstica perquè no només és un relat que parla sobre la guerra, com poden ser-ho moltes altres obres infantils interessants com ‘El viatge’, de Francesca Sanna; o ‘El nen del matalàs’, de Josep Maria Fonalleras; sinó que és una obra que aborda les mentides dels adults; que celebra la curiositat i la imaginació infantils, el desig de saber i la lectura com a arma per alliberar-se d’aquestes mentides imposades. És una obra que parla també de com es teixeixen les aliances i complicitats, de la necessitat de parar atenció, de les contradiccions i de la culpa. Fer tot això i fer-ho tan bé en tan poques pàgines no ha de ser gens fàcil.
La històries de Fombelle és fantàstica perquè no només és un relat que parla sobre la guerra, com poden ser-ho moltes altres obres infantils interessants com ‘El viatge’, de Francesca Sanna; o ‘El nen del matalàs’, de Josep Maria Fonalleras; sinó que és una obra que aborda les mentides dels adults; que celebra la curiositat i la imaginació infantils, el desig de saber i la lectura com a arma per alliberar-se d’aquestes mentides imposades. És una obra que parla també de com es teixeixen les aliances i complicitats, de la necessitat de parar atenció, de les contradiccions i de la culpa. Fer tot això i fer-ho tan bé en tan poques pàgines no ha de ser gens fàcil.
November 5, 2019
This is an amazing book...the view of war from a five year old, waiting at home for her soldier father to return from the war. She attends school every day as a guest because the teacher is watching her while her mom works at the factory, and she is too young to actually take part in the lessons being taught. The little girl sees herself as a spy, watching the enemy, taking notes, drawing pictures. She waits for the letters from her father that her mom reads. But one day her mom does not read the letter that has arrived and no more letters come. Her mom is sad. Rosalie wonders what is happening. While sitting at the back of the school room every day, she discovers she has learned to read. Rosalie goes home to find that last letter and find out what it says and if it has answers to why her mom is so sad.
This is a haunting little book that really illustrates the impact of war on the lives of everyone.
This is a haunting little book that really illustrates the impact of war on the lives of everyone.
December 11, 2020
As ilustrações de Isabelle Arsenault são muito boas. Gostei bastante! Já da história em si, achei-a bastante poética, mas infelizmente não apelou tanto aos meus sentimentos, pelo que por essa razão só consigo dar uma classificação de 3 estrelas.
Rosalie é uma menina que vive com a mãe em França, no período da Grande Guerra. No seu processo de crescimento, Rosalie irá aprender a ler e compreenderá, ao ter acesso às cartas que o seu pai vai enviando da frente da guerra, que a mãe vai sustentando uma mensagem de optimismo de que tudo irá acabar bem, com o regresso do pai a casa são e salvo. .
Rosalie é uma menina que vive com a mãe em França, no período da Grande Guerra. No seu processo de crescimento, Rosalie irá aprender a ler e compreenderá, ao ter acesso às cartas que o seu pai vai enviando da frente da guerra, que a mãe vai sustentando uma mensagem de optimismo de que tudo irá acabar bem, com o regresso do pai a casa são e salvo. .
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