Goscinny & Sempe <Nicholas>

Yesterday (last Sunday) I went to Gangnam station to see my cousins. After saying bye to them, I dropped in at Gyobo bookstore neighboring. Looking around the bookstore I could see this book. At that time I thought I had not heard of this book though it was first published in 1960 (French) before I came across it.  (Now, I got to know that I had read that book in my childhood in Korean version)

In fact I was hesitant to buy it at first because of the subject matter and the illustration of the cover. (It seemed to say that this book is for all kids!) But after reading the first chapter and the first three vignettes, I was so intrigued, and decided to buy it. The book has something more in. 

It is translated from the French, and the artwork is done by Jean-Jaques Sempe. (I had come to know Sempe thanks to the one liking his pictures in early 2002) And Nicholas, the title and main character, (but on the other hand, this play has no main character) is a little boy who attends school in France. He's just average kid we had no difficulty in finding. He's not both a genius and prodigy. He's just childish. Sometimes, however he behaves like a grown up; there is funny stuff.

The book is both beautiful and incredibly funny. Some people'd say this book's reading level is the age 9-12. But I'm sure it would appeal to older kids and adults, too, whatever the age of the reader.