Rémi Courgeon

Susana Barbeito (CCFAS2020): "O texto divulgado na edição do Público de 21 de Março deste ano na página Crianças (que, devido à covid-19, tem vindo a ser publicada sem a Agenda do Guia do Lazer, para atividades fora de casa), chamou-me à atenção, na medida em que explica o conteúdo do livro e penso ser um ponto de partida para trabalhar com os alunos as questões que encontramos, diariamente, nas nossas escolas, relacionadas com a vulnerabilidade e diferenciação social, cultural e económica. Parece-me um ótimo livro a ser explorado."… (més)

The moon goes through 8 cycles, in this time people all around the world continue their lives even though it's constantly changing. This constant state of change is the exact state children are in, they are constantly growing and learning new things and experiencing new things around them. It's important that children learn that the world never stops changing, they need to be or become okay with the change in order to survive in the world that is today's.
I did not the first et this hidden meaning when I read it, I re-read it two times and then began to see this underlying theme. I'm not sure if children would see this or would have difficulty like I did. I want to read this to my students one day to see if they can grasp this hidden meaning behind the moon.… (més)

The daughter of a widowed Russian immigrant taxi driver in France, Paulina loved to play the piano. Unfortunately, her brothers, who weren't mean "exactly," always made her do the chores, leaving her little time for her passion. Getting fed up one day with the situation, Paulina takes up boxing, determined to gain the skills to beat her brothers and get them to share some of the housework. Discovering her strength - including a surprising left punch! - Paulina shows her family that she isn't the "Feather" they think...

Originally published in France as Brindille, this engaging picture-book about a girl who has to struggle a bit to find her place in her family, and in the world, was published here in the USA by the wonderful Brooklyn-based Enchanted Lion Books, which specializes in translated children's books. It was chosen as one of The New York Times' Best-Illustrated Children's Books of 2017, and Rémi Courgeon's artwork is certainly attention-grabbing. I liked how expressive his characters' eyes were - Feather's father's eyes, in the rearview mirror, or Feather's eyes themselves - and (of course) I also liked Feather's cat, who manages to get into some humorous scrapes in the scenes set in her apartment home. I also enjoyed the narrative, and thought it was interesting that the heroine takes up boxing simply as a means to an end, rather than as a vocation, as this was somewhat unexpected. When I considered it some more, I really appreciated the ending, as Paulina's true passion - the piano - was her motivation for picking up the boxing gloves in the first place, and I am impatient with the idea that girls and women can only be empowered by becoming fighters. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about strong girls.… (més)