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Seraphin Philippe Fix

Seraphin By Philippe Fix

Seraphin by Philippe Fix


£11.00
New RRP £14.99
Condition - Very Good
Only 1 left

Summary

A dazzling portrait of a dreamy optimist filling Paris with ingenious gadgets, toys, and magical contraptions.

Seraphin Summary

Seraphin by Philippe Fix

Seraphin, dreaming of gardens full of birdsongs, sunny avenues, and flowers, works as a ticket seller in a metro station underground. One day, after being scolded by the stationmaster for trying to save a butterfly that had flown into the station by accident, he learns that he has inherited an old, dilapidated house. Overjoyed by the possibilities, he and his friend Plume set about building the house of their dreams, and much more besides! In a fresh translation, Seraphin now allows a new generation to experience the wonder and inventive spectacle of the original.

Seraphin Reviews

There's so much text in Philippe Fix's odd, captivating picture book that children listening to an adult read it aloud will have plenty of time to pore over the artwork. First published in 1967, Seraphin-back in English in a new translation from the French by Donald Nicholson-Smith-introduces readers ages 5-10 to a childlike dreamer employed as a ticket puncher in the Paris Metro. - Meghan Cox Gurdon, The Wall Street Journal

Rendered gracefully in a new translation by Nicholson-Smith, Fix's winning narrative voice is matched in charm by his wonderfully intricate, warmly lit illustrations...This vision of an existence unbeholden to anyone else offers a satisfying escape from the everyday. -Publishers Weekly

A jovial narrator guides readers through this meandering story, Nicholson-Smith's conversational translation retaining Gallic eloquence. ... Readers will also fall under the spell of Fix's inexhaustible imagination, transferred onto the page as immense, richly detailed, golden-hued watercolor-and-ink - Kirkus Reviews

A Parisian Metro ticket puncher follows a butterfly and his heart, searches for beauty, and loses his job in this beloved French classic. Thought-provoking and made relevant for a new generation, the enchanting artwork of the original is retained alongside a fresh English translation. The winding tale leads Seraphin and his friends along an imaginative path of magical realism, where dolls come to life and heads really might end up in the clouds. - Pallas Gates McCorquodale, Foreword Reviews


Full of unexpected twists and turns, this beautiful idealistic story left me feeling hopeful and starry-eyed. I loved Seraphin's stubborn optimism and determination, despite so many obstacles. I loved Seraphin's sweet friendship with Plume. I loved the gorgeous, whimsical illustrations!! - Delice Herum, The HSP Bookshelf

This is a picture book that will help you explain to your child that being yourself is the best thing you can do and being creative will always, always find a path towards helping you achieve something great. - DoodleMom
Philippe Fix is a creator with an overflowing, off-beat, and funny imagination. He's also an observer, curious about everything and attentive to the most whimsical details ... the images dazzle and pop out of their frames ... complex and provocative. --La Revue des livres pour enfants

About Philippe Fix

Philippe Fix is a French illustrator and author of children's books. He studied at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Strasbourg and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He is best-known for creating the character Chouchou, who first appeared in a comic strip in 1963, in the magazine Salut!. Seraphin received the Prix du meilleur livre loisirs jeunes and honorable mentions for the Premio Critici in Erba for the 1970 Bologna Children's Book Fair, and for the Premio Grafico for the 1972 Bologna Children's Book Fair. His children's books have been translated into over a dozen languages.

About the translator: Donald Nicholson-Smith is a translator and freelance editor. His translation of poems by Abdellatif Laabi, In Praise of Defeat (Archipelago), was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize in 2017, and his translation of Jean-Patrick Manchette's The Mad and the Bad received the 2015 French-American Foundation Translation Prize. Nicholson-Smith has also translated works by Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Henri Lefebvre, Antonin Artaud, and Guillaume Apollinaire, among others.

Additional information

GOR010662577
9781939810250
1939810256
Seraphin by Philippe Fix
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Archipelago Books
20190709
28
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Seraphin