Description

Louise goes to stay with her grandfather Léon during a war. Her mother leaves her at his remote home on La Valette road. At first, Louise feels afraid, but she soon grows close to him. Léon gives her extra soup and their hen’s egg. He makes a whistle for calling birds and turns a chair into a swing in an oak tree.

Near the tree, Louise meets Gaspard, a boy with a southern accent. They climb haystacks, watch stars and find shapes in clouds. They also sing with a guitar. When Louise introduces him to Léon, her grandfather drives him off with a potato launcher. He forbids them to meet again. Yet Louise and Gaspard meet years later and stay together.

This illustrated children’s story explores how adults can shield children from war’s harm. Thibault Prugne writes and draws the story through a child’s eyes. Léon builds a life around simple meals, play and care for nature. He shuns other people and fights a losing battle against dam builders. Rather than bend the world to his will, he seeks to live within it. His care shapes Louise’s later life. Images captured with a camera also preserve these memories for later exhibitions.

This edition includes Prugne’s colour illustrations and Diana Calangea’s translation from French.