Meeselphe

Confident, bristly-haired Meeselphe tumbles headfirst into a whimsical world of riddles, monsters, and magical landscapes – celebrated French children’s book author-illustrator Claude Ponti’s latest adventure Leaning out of her treehouse window, Meeselphe wonders what it’s like way down on the ground, a place she’s never been – but she’s certain there are many unfamiliar, delightful, and curious things to discover. So she jumps! Landing on the forest floor and striding fearlessly into the wackanana landscape of chocolate rabbits and Penrose quinces beyond, bristly-haired Meeselphe encounters friends and feckless foes. Malivicious monsters stand in her way and nothing is as it seems in this whimsical and sometimes unfriendly world, but Meeselphe isn’t fazed: she has an answer for every riddle and a red paintbrush for every self-conscious ladybug. In the final showdown, scheduled for pages 38 and 39, our bushy-haired heroine makes a triumphant stand against the malivicious monsters. In detailed illustrations and Claude Ponti’s trademark wordplay, cleverly rendered in this inventive translation by Alyson Waters and Margot Kerlidou, young readers will experience the thrill of adventure and the pleasure of coming home again.