Jean-Luc Fromental

When a terrible monster steals Mrs. Strongbones' radius, it is just the first of a series of personal depredations, as the skeletal residents of Bonesville find themselves relieved of pieces of themselves in a string of attacks. Only Sherlock Bones holds out any hope of solving the case, tracking each theft, and working to uncover the identity of the thief. The solution to the puzzle - Sherlock Bones' old friend Dr. Watsbones, with the aid of his faithful hound, Spot of the Baskervilles, has show more been seeking out his own missing bones, accidentally swapped with the various residents of Bonesville - is hinted at by the fact that 205 bones have been stolen...

Originally published in France as Os Court!, this immensely engaging picture-book can be read in a number of ways: as a spooky tale suitable for Halloween time, as a humorous homage to Sherlock Holmes and the mystery genre, and/or as an informative introduction to the human skeleton. I was immensely impressed by Bonesville, finding everything about it well done. The story was engrossing, and featured any number of clever puns and plays on words, leading me to conclude that the translator must have been very skilled indeed (it is so much more difficult to translate the meaning of texts that play around with language), and to wonder what sort of puns the original French version contained. I enjoyed the colorful artwork immensely, appreciating Joëlle Jolivet's bold use of color, shape and silhouette, and her visual sense of humor throughout. As an added touch, the dust-jacket can be removed, for a full-length look at the human skeleton! Recommended to anyone looking for Halloween fare that is spooky and humorous by turns, as well as to fans of this talented author/artist team. show less

A family are somewhat bemused when they receive a gift of a penguin on January 1st. Then another one arrives the next day, and another on the third. So it goes, as a new penguin arrives every day for a year. Needless to say, this involves the family in all sorts of problems - how does one care for so many penguins?! - but it also presents some opportunities for fun mathematical problems. In the end, the mystery of who is sending these avian guests is resolved...

Originally published in show more Frances as 365 Pingouins, this oversized picture-book is the second title I have read from author/artist team Jean-Luc Fromental and Joëlle Jolivet, following upon their Bonesville. As I finished it, I couldn't help feeling that I was meant to find it far more amusing then I did, especially given how entertaining I found their other book. That said, it was engaging enough, and I can certainly see how others would really enjoy it, given its mixture of oddball family adventure story, mathematical education, and appealing artwork. I'm not sure why it didn't quite work for me - perhaps I just wasn't in the right frame of mind? Whatever the case may be, although I didn't love 365 Penguins, I would still recommend it, especially to fans of this author and illustrator. show less

A strange creature is terrorizing the skeleton residents of Bonesville by tearing through town and stealing a bone from each. Sherlock Bones is on the case. Savvy readers might guess correctly who is stealing the bones but not the surprising reason why. The dark, dramatic palette highlights the skeletons as they dash around town in fright. There is something very amusing about the lively depictions of the skeletons; mouths open in shock, partying at the club, sprawled over bleachers in a show more faint. The puns are fun, too...when they work (T-Bone the butcher vs. bonechestra). show less

This is one of the most unique, enjoyable children’s books I've read in a while, for a few reasons. First, it’s very different, which makes it stand out. The book is huge; over a foot long, in fact. As a result, the illustrations are also large, and often take up the entire page. They can be described as chaotic and busy, with many things going on at once. For example, one page of the book illustrates 3 car accidents, a truck of pigs escaping, a fire truck accidentally spraying a bus, a show more fire at the annual meeting of the butcher’s association, and a group of bears relaxing under a tree. This fits well with the mood of the story, which can best be described as hectic or crazy. The greatest part of the story, however, was the plot. It describes a series of chain reaction events that hinder a family from getting to an airport, starting with a bar of soap flying out the window of their penthouse apartment and ending with an alien invasion. Some of the following events, triggered by the bar of soap, include a convict escaping, a high flying limo ride, and a renegade ferris wheel nearly trampling a movie star. This is the far fetched, action packed, face paced energy that makes this book so enjoyable, especially for younger children. Another thing that makes this book unique is that you don’t know about the chain reactions until the end of the book, when the aliens discover that the bar of soap started everything. The very last page is a pop out with detailed illustrations of each page of the book, and a numbered list of the chain reaction events. Each number corresponds to a spot in one of the illustrations. You can then go back and find a chain reaction on each page. The main idea of this book is an illustration of cause and effect, and the notion that the seemingly simplest things can sometimes cause the biggest reactions. show less