Happy French Friday! It’s the summer holidays so I thought I would share a recently-published French-themed children’s book that I adore!
About the book:
This children’s book follows the story of Kylie, a crocodile that lives in the Canal Saint-Martin of Paris. She explores Paris secretly by day, watching people from the safety of storm drains (can you find her on every page?).
At night, she sneaks out of the canal, via the sewers, and into some of the most famous places in Paris like the Louvre Museum and the big department stores.
Written and illustrated by Paris couple Oliver and Lina Gee, you’ll surely delight in Paris as seen from the eyes of a crocodile. Don’t miss the informative and fun Paris facts at the end of the book!
Now, I’m a sucker for a good children’s book (I use storybooks in my language teaching classes all the time), especially a storybook IN RHYME! My favourite! I also love storybooks where there’s a hidden element to find on each page (in this case, it’s Kylie). And the absolute trifecta is a BEAUTIFULLY illustrated storybook. Kylie The Crocodile in Paris meets all these criteria (so much that I wish it were in French so I could use it in my classes!).
Kylie The Crocodile in Paris is the brainchild of Oliver Gee (of The Earful Tower podcast and Paris On Air: A Memoir and his wife, Lina Nordin Gee (of Parisian Postcards) and it’s their first children’s story. It’s quite delightful and they’ve done a lovely job of capturing whimsy and a very “Paris” ambience -everything you’d expect to see including Ladurée, but not in a clichéd way at all, it’s so charming! The whole book has a very “Madeline“ quality to it if you are familiar with that series of books.
The book included some fun facts about Paris for kids (I REALLY wish I would have had a book like this in French for a recent project my Grade 4s did!) as well as the REAL story behind Kylie and her adventures (the book is based on a story told to Oliver by an old lady he met wandering by the Canal St Martin one day….). The images are rich with detail (every time I look at the book, I see something else I didn’t notice the last time) and the rhymes are fun and funny.
A treat for adults and children alike!
Fun fact: this book was produced thanks to a Kickstarter campaign. Love to see people backing wonderful ideas to make them a reality!
Buy Kylie the Crocodile in Paris on Amazon (this link should bring you to the Amazon store geographically closest to you). You can also buy directly from The Earful Tower’s website here.
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This means that if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you). Thank you in advance!
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MY BOOK! In the French kitchen with kids is out now! Click here for details and how to order!
Love the illustrations.
It suddenly reminded me of a classic (this for CathyB!): Big Max, The World’s Greatest Detective by Kin Platt, circa 1965…
(And yes, I probably have a hardcover of that still…)
Oh I don’t know that book *looks it up immediately* 😉
Often, the most creative books are for children. This sounds like one of them. Nice post, Mardi.
It’s a fun read with lots to keep little eyes and minds busy!