Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod

The "little girl with a big personality," and the "dog without a name" are back in this holiday story with an edge! As Rita and Whatsit prepare for Christmas - writing last-minute letters to Santa Claus, decorating the tree, and giving an extraordinary concert to a captive audience of two (Rita's parents, we assume, although only their legs are shown) - it quickly becomes apparent that these two friends have settled into a hilariously chaotic routine, in which Rita continually attempts to show more assert control, and Whatsit blithely does his own thing.

Originally published in France as Le Noël de Rita et Machin, this is the third story featuring Rita and Whatsit that I have read, following upon Rita and Whatsit and Rita and Whatsit At the Beach. Humorous, rather than endearing, these two have a boisterous, fun relationship that keeps the reader entertained. Olivier Tallec's simple, cartoon-like illustrations - so different from his painterly work for Nadine Brun-Cosme's Big Wolf and Little Wolf - emphasize the humor of the narrative. Fans of this series will definitely want to take a look at this one! show less

Originally published in France as Rita et Machin, this engaging little picture-book is the first in an ongoing series detailing the adventures of "a little girl with a big personality" and a "dog without a name." In a bad mood, and determined NOT to be pleased with anything at her birthday party, Rita is surprised to find that she is intrigued by at least one of her presents. After all, it's moving! But is she ready for a new companion? And more importantly, is he willing to be that show more companion...?

Olivier Tallec's simple pencil illustrations, with the occasional red embellishment, ably convey Rita and Whatsit's changing emotions, from serious pique to harmonious contentment. Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod delivers a realistic but sympathetic portrait of a willful young girl who - like most children - can be both unpleasant and kind, and a most unusual dog who - when he chooses - can be quite communicative. As the jacket informs us, "Together, they are perfect friends." show less

Originally published in France as Rita et Machin à la plage, this second picture-book detailing the adventures of a strong-willed young girl and her canine companion follows Rita and Whatsit through their day at the shore. As Rita marches onto the beach, followed by a seemingly disconsolate Whatsit (who is lugging both raft and umbrella), the text reads: "Rita loves the beach. Whatsit the dog doesn't like it quite so much." But Whatsit isn't the sort of dog to just accept this state of show more affairs - he has his own ideas about fun - and a hilarious back-and-forth day begins...

I think that if I had not read this second installment shortly after the initial Rita and Whatsit, I might not have taken the characters so much to heart. Although the story has undeniable charm, Rita is a somewhat unappealing figure in that first title. It is only here, in Rita and Whatsit at the Beach, that the reader sees that Whatsit can hold his own, and that Arrou-Vignod's series is really about the give and take of friendship. Olivier Tallec's simple pencil illustrations, with red embellishments, emphasize the humor and fun of the narrative.

I was just commenting the other day, in connection with a conversation about a Swedish children's book, that it is good to see a wide, international array of books made available to young readers, as I believe it broadens their aesthetic and cultural horizons, while also emphasizing worldwide commonalities. With that in mind, I am especially glad that Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod's delightful new series is being sold here in the US. show less

"Rita and Whatsit," written by Jean-Phillipe Arrou-Vignod with illustrations by Olivier Tallec is a story about a grumpy birthday girl named Rita. She is in a bad mood and thus none of her presents are what she wants. Her last present, however starts to move around the room. Intrigued, she opens it to find a dog inside. However, Rita is determined to stay in her bad mood. She threatens to put the dog back in the box if he doesn't stop hiding, yells at him to stop sleeping, threatening to show more name him Floor mop. But, she finally decides that the perfect name for a dog without a name is Whatsit. To her surprise, Whatsit replies, "That's perfect!" Although she is stunned that Whatsit can talk, they decide that they will be great friends.
This book has really cute illustrations which are simple but convey a lot of the emotion in the text. The book doesn't seem to have much of a didactic message and it's overall themes are confusing and would not be easy for a child to understand. Rita comes across as mean and this is not reasoned or dealt with in the end of the story. show less