© Hergé/Moulinsart - 2021

“Bigby Bear” by Philippe Coudray

Unbeatable BDs

Here’s a look at some recent and notable Franco-Belgian comics for middle grade readers. This list reflects the current state of diversity in the French children’s comics industry and the choices that American publishers make as to what to bring over. Bonne lecture!

“Akissi” by Marguerite Abouet. illus. by Mathieu Sapin. Nobrow/Flying Eye, 2018-20.
Gr 2-5–Based on Abouet’s memories of growing up in the Ivory Coast, these books are collections of short stories about the mischievous title character and her equally troublemaking friends. The stories are colorful, funny, and occasionally gross, with some cultural elements that will be new to many readers but humor that transcends any differences. Abouet is also the author of the “Aya of Yop City” graphic novels.

“The Ballad of Yaya” by Jean-Marie Omont & others. illus. by Golo Zhao. Magnetic Pr., 2019-20.
Gr 4-6–Set on the eve of the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in 1937, this nine-volume adventure story follows Yaya, a wealthy, spoiled girl who is separated from her parents just before they are to leave, and Tuduo, the street urchin who rescues her. Yaya and Tuduo set off across the war-torn country to find her parents, pursued by the villainous Zhu, who ran the street gang that Tuduo escaped from and would like to kidnap Yaya and hold her for ransom. Each short volume is filled with action, suspense, and detailed depictions of the setting and the devastation of war.

“Bigby Bear” by Philippe Coudray. illus. by author. Humanoids/BiG, 2019-20.
K-Gr 6–Each page in the three volumes in this series is a short comic that incorporates a puzzle or visual pun. The stories revolve around Bigby and his friend, a rabbit, as they make sculptures, do silly experiments, and explore the world around them, with a fun twist on every page. These are all-ages books, simple enough for young children but intriguing for older readers as well. Originally published by TOON Books under the series name “Benjamin Bear.”

“Billy & Buddy” by Jean Roba. illus. by author. Cinebook, 2013-19.
Gr 4-7–In this seven-book series, seven-year-old Billy lives with his completely normal family and his somewhat less normal dog, Buddy, who can communicate with humans and other animals. Buddy’s best friend, a tortoise named Caroline, also gets in on the action in these goofy, slapstick stories of family life and childhood pranks.

“Castle in the Stars” by Alex Alice. illus. by author. First Second, 2017-20.
Gr 5-9–This beautifully detailed series follows the adventures of a young boy and his friends as they capture the mysterious element known as “aether” and use it to travel through space. The story is set in 1869 in what was then Bavaria, and the sponsor of the project is King Ludwig himself, with the scheming Otto von Bismarck trying to get his hands on the aether for his own nefarious purposes. Alice includes blueprints and technical details for the starship, making this a good choice for steampunk fans as well as readers who simply like a good yarn.

Catherine’s War by Julia Billet. illus. by Claire Fauvel. HarperAlley, 2020.
Gr 3-7–The Germans have invaded France in this World War II story, but Rachel Cohen is safe, separated from her parents and living in a children’s home outside of Paris. When the danger draws nearer, though, she has to change her name to Catherine Colin and go into hiding to avoid the Nazis. Her love of photography sustains her through all this, as she takes pictures of her surroundings and the heroic strangers who keep her hidden at great risk to themselves. This fictional tale is based on the author’s mother’s experiences and includes photos of the real “Catherine.”

Chef Yasmina and the Potato Panic by Wauter Mannaert. illus. by author. First Second, 2021.
Gr 4-7–Yasmina loves to cook, and she particularly enjoys packing lunches for her hard-working single father. She gets fresh vegetables daily from two friends who have side-by-side gardens: Cyril, an older man who never saw a pesticide he didn’t like, and the younger Marco, who is strictly organic. An evil developer comes to town, buys up the land where Cyril and Marco are gardening, and turns it into an industrial farm that makes strangely addictive potato snacks that have a peculiar side effect: They make people act like dogs. It’s up to Yasmina, her friends, and the power of good food to save the town in this satirical graphic novel that pokes fun at modern foodways while affirming the value of friendship and family.

“Chloe” by Greg Tessier. illus. by Amandine. Papercutz/Charmz, 2017-20.
Gr 4-7–This five-volume series is a middle school slice-of-life story for tweens that leans more toward cartoony humor than the more earnest stories of Raina Telgemeier and Svetlana Chmakova, which makes it a good pick for slightly younger readers. The stories are told in short bites as eighth grader Chloe works at being popular, develops crushes, and deals with her loving, but at times clueless, family (who sometimes call her by her childhood nickname, Misty). The sequel series “Chloe & Cartoon” focuses on Chloe’s relationship with her cat and skews a little younger, for grades three to six.

Cici’s Journal: Lost and Found by Joris Chamblain. illus. by Aurélie Neyet. First Second, July 2021.
Gr 3-7–Cici wants to be a writer when she grows up, and she’s preparing by snooping on random people in her French village. Her two best friends, Lena and Erica, and her adult writer friend, Mrs. Flores, help her out and keep her in check, as sometimes she gets too nosy. In the previous volume, titled simply Cici’s Journal, the stories are light mysteries, but this volume goes deeper into Cici’s childhood depression, her father’s death, and her relationship with her mother. It’s beautifully drawn, with plenty of humor and intrigue to lighten the drama.

The Fly by Lewis Trondheim. illus. by author. Papercutz, July 2021.
Gr 2 Up–This wordless graphic novel follows a manic day in the life of a fly, from hatching in a trash can to fleeing a spider to growing huge and intimidating cats and humans to all sorts of wild exploits, many of them physically impossible. The black-and-white story unfolds across many panels—the exact opposite of most books for readers this age—but many children will find the fast-moving story, expressive characters, and silly situations irresistible.

“Milo’s World” by Richard Marazano. illus. by Christophe Ferreira. Magnetic Pr., 2019-20.
Gr 4-7–Each volume of this Ghibli-esque fantasy tale is a complete story, comprising two of the original French albums. Milo is a young boy who is mostly on his own: His mother is gone, his father is always away working, and three older women in his village, the Aunties, watch over him from a distance. His placid life changes with the arrival of a talking golden fish, a salty young woman, and a toadlike predator, and soon he has traveled to another land and become embroiled in a struggle with an evil sorcerer—and that’s just the first volume. Magnetic Press has published these as beautiful hardcover editions at the full size of the original, which makes the story even more immersive.

“The Sisters” by Christophe Cazenove. illus. by William Maury. Papercutz, 2016-21.
Gr 4-6–Wendy is a tween who wants to be popular; Maureen is her younger sister who is all energy and mischief. The two love each other and will gang up on outsiders (including their parents) but also spend a lot of time pulling pranks on each other. This is one of those comics that’s basically a series of one-page gags built around a larger story. With bright colors, slapstick comedy, and likable characters, it’s a good choice for kids who want to read up but aren’t quite ready for middle school drama.

“Where Are You, Leopold?” by Michel-Yves Schmitt. illus. by Vincent Caut. Humanoids/BiG, 2020-21.
Gr 3-6–Leopold is anywhere he wants to be, now that he has somehow achieved the ability to become invisible whenever he feels like it. He uses his new power to tease his older sister, but also to team up with her to pull pranks on their schoolmates. These goofy adventures are each complete in a single page, so readers can dip in and out of the book as they like. The series is two volumes long and was previously published by Lerner under the title “Where’s Leopold?”

The Wolf in Underpants by Wilfrid Lupano. illus. by Mayana Itoïz & Paul Cauuet. Lerner, 2019.
Gr 2-5–This story, which is formatted like a picture book, inverts the fairy tale trope of the scary wolf with a story about a not-at-all-scary wolf, the foolish villagers and animals who are scared of him, and the shrewd villagers and animals who are fanning the flames of fear and profiting handsomely from it. The story is told with a lot of humor to keep the kids giggling and the lessons from being too heavy-handed. This book was nominated for a 2020 Eisner Award. Lerner has published two sequels,The Wolf in Underpants Freezes His Buns Off and The Wolf in Underpants at Full Speed.

Young Leonardo by William Augel. illus. by author. Humanoids/BiG, Mar. 2021.
Gr 3-7–This series of short comics imagines what Leonardo da Vinci would have been like as a kid. He visits his grandmother in her pottery studio, tries out different sets of wings in his attempts to fly, draws the people and animals around him, and often just behaves as a kid. Some of the comics include actual drawings by da Vinci, and the back matter contains factual information, activities, and a teacher’s guide. BiG is also the publisher of Augel’s Young Mozart.