Our favorite baby albums for September

In this month of the new school year we have selected a series of albums for children, tested and approved by the journalists of the editorial staff, and by their children.

This is not a dinosaur book, ages 5 and up

Mélina Schoenborn offers a superb children’s album, all illustrated by Felipe Arriagada-Nunez and published by Editions de la Courte Échelle. The step? A squirrel who desperately tries to introduce us to his species, in a calm and collected way, while being cut through every page by a truly invasive dinosaur, convinced that his life is more interesting than that of a vague squirrel.

If in it we can see a slightly disguised wink at certain characters of our species, of those who are intimately convinced that their opinion takes precedence over that of others (follow my gaze), the book This is not a dinosaur book. teaches us, as a bonus, a lot of things about squirrels (and makes us want to record this T-Rex’s mouth forever).

The opinion of our little 5 and a half year old reader: ” But is this dinosaur never quiet? We she didn’t ask him for anything! “

And suddenly, from 4 years old

Written by Rébecca Bach-Lauritsen and illustrated by Anna Margrethe Kjaegaard (who won the Danish Ministry of Culture’s Illustration Award in 2015), And suddenly is a sublime youth album released by Format editions. The graphics are soft, full of eye-catching shades, and the story is so poetic that the book was even nominated for the Nordic Council’s Children’s and Youth Award.

The story tells the life of a little boy who lives alone, with a cactus, in a very tidy and well-ordered house, where calm reigns. Then suddenly, as if fallen from the sky, a huge bear lands. And all the calm disappears, giving way to a joyful mess full of life, laughter and firsts. A beauty !

The opinion of our little 5 and a half year old reader: ” I wish I had a bear like that too, it looks too cute! “

The smelly princess who fart, from 3 years old

The smelly princess who fart is a series of youth albums released by Casterman. In this new album, titled The smelly farting princess and Cunegonde the unbearableCastille de Bonaloi, an unusual princess who likes to eat with her fingers, fart and take care of mud-filled farm animals, must face the jealous Cunégonde, niece of the wizard Merlin Pimpi, who dreams of stealing her place.

Of course, all is well that ends well and the two girls become friends as they accept their differences and learn tolerance and sharing.

On the text side, it is fun, light and current, all drawn from the pen of Marie Tibi and the brush of Thierry Manes. A series of books that will make many children laugh, just for the title.

The opinion of our little 5 and a half year old reader: ” Haha, you said “stink” and “fart” “.

Goodnight monsters, from 3 years old

One of our little favorites. Goodnight Monsters, by Alexandra Garibal, illustrated by Edith Chambon and published by Casterman, can become an essential part of the famous bedtime ritual for the little ones. If many children are afraid of monsters as soon as the light goes out, this is not the case with Noah, a very brave boy who is not at all afraid of the things that lurk in the dark, in front of him.

To the monsters, Noah brings them a glass of water because they are thirsty before putting them back to bed. Noé reads a wolf story before putting him to bed and even accompanies the monster into the closet to take a last pee before going to sleep. Yes, you don’t need to have a Ph.D. in sociology to understand that this book can go a long way in helping the little ones ritualize their nocturnal habits!

Our 3 year old reader’s opinion: ” I too am always thirsty before sleeping, like the monster “

Coco, Padoum and Chapati, from 3 years old

Second favorite here, with the very cute Coco, Padoum and Chapati, written by Véronique Massenot and illustrated by Claire Garralon, all published by the beautiful editions À Pas de Loups. The story tells the life of Coco, a parrot who lives on his perch and who sees the outside, if not a piece of blue sky. Except that one day the blue of the sky turns gray … But what happens?

I’m not going to spoil the ending, but it’s nice. As for the designs, the colors are bright, warm and joyful, and the writing is perfect for the little ones, who will love to discover what the gray hides behind the window.

The opinion of our little reader of 2 and a half years: “I knew it was! It’s nice”

My dear nanny, for 2 years

Written by Louison Nielman and illustrated by Marie Paruit, all published by Casterman, My dear nanny it is a good means of communication between the child cared for by a nanny or daycare and his parents. Although separation can be a little difficult, as it is for Eli in the book, who struggles to leave his father in the morning, My dear nanny helps the child understand what happens to him and his parents when he is kept away from home.

Playful, it is practical and easy to hold even by the smallest hands thanks to its handle on each page, helping to facilitate the autonomy of the heir who can then grab the book by himself to reread it at will. In addition, the author, Louison Nielman, a specialist in child psychology and an expert in parenting, signs this new collection of books on the daily life of the little ones cared for by the nanny or in the nursery.

The opinion of our little reader aged 1 and a half: “* drools on the book and applauds”

See you next month for the October selection!