Nicholas children's book by Rene GoscinyEvery kid needs a Nicholas in his life. That is, the endearing French storybook by René Gosciny (of Asterix and Obelix fame) with charming illustrations by the beloved New Yorker cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé.

The series was an instant hit from its first publication back in 1959, and after a few decades of mega-popularity around the world, it’s finally been translated into English (thanks Phaidon!) and bound in a beautiful, cloth-covered volume that chronicles 19 of Nicholas’s misadventures.

Early grade-schoolers will love getting to know the precocious Nicolas, his croissant-eating best friend Alec, the soccer-playing tomboy crush Louise, and the rest of their gang who can’t seem to avoid getting into hilarious trouble. My little ones are happy just making up their own stories about the illustrations and playing with the very cool Nicholas website.

Just be prepared to find the lights on in the kids’ room way past bedtime. These are the stories they’ll read until you yell at them not to. Kind of like what Nicholas would do. –Liz

nicholasGet a sneak peak of the Nicholas book at the Phaidon Press site and grab your own copy from Pink Olive Boutique.

Congratulations to Ann C, lucky winner of a copy of Nicholas!