We read for you “Un petit garçon au village”, written by Dozilet Kpolo and illustrated by Tiémoko Sylla. Let us discover it.
The book we are going to discover today comes from the “Youpi, je lis” collection and is published by Bayard jeunesse. This collection contains many stories about several topics. These stories are perfect for children from class 2 to class 3.
Let us discover “Un petit garçon au village”, written by Dozilet Kpolo and illustrated by Tiémoko Sylla.
A captivating paratext
This is a small-size book with a fun and colourful front cover. It makes you want to pick it up straight away. On the cover, we see a little boy trying as best he can to balance a small basin of water placed on his head. A young woman accompanies him. The evocative title, Un petit garcon au village (A little boy in the village), pushes you to imagine many things.
On the first page of the book, the authors introduce the heroes of the story. This increases the excitement of discovering them. Therefore, we have five characters: Ange-Marie, the father, the mother, Auntie Benedict and Cousin Marco.
Summary of the Story
In the story, Ange-Marie is very impatient to go to his father’s village with his parents. His excitement can be seen in the way he eagerly loads the trunk of the car and in all the questions he asks on the way. As soon as he arrives and after the greetings, Ange-Marie runs to join his cousin Marco for a game of Football. But, while they are playing, something happens. Ange-Marie mistakenly spills the water in a basin. However, the water in the village is sacred. That is how he discovers a part of the village’s history, rich and interesting, as told by Auntie Bénédicte.
Why must we read Un petit garçon au village ?
The illustrations bring the story to life and make it easier to get into it. The story is short, easy to read and understand. Parents can read it with their children. In addition, the story opens up other topics for discussion with the young readers. For example, one can discuss about his or her village and say what makes it special. One can also narrate secret stories or tell them about African myths and legends, or even plan the next village holiday!
About the authors :
Dozilet Kpolo: After starting out at the Huffington Post Maghreb in Tunis, he is now a multimedia journalist and youth author. The Ivorian writer is passioned about words and loves to describe his surroundings with sensitivity and humour.
Tiémoko Sylla: He lives in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and has been drawing from class 2. Since 2017, he has worked at Bayard Afrique, which publishes the magazine Planète J’aime Lire. Every month, he creates and draws characters, settings and games.