Jean-Blaise Le Chat Qui se ne Prenait Pour un Oiseau by Emilie Boré & Vincent

 Jean-Blaise Le Chat Qui se ne Prenait Pour un Oiseau

by Emilie Boré & Vincent is an interesting new children's book published by La Joie de Lire.

Important thematic, this one: the knowledge of different temperaments, characters, inclinations that sometimes children experience.

The message  passes through a so cute, tender story: the one of Jean-Blaise. Jean-Blaise is a curious, confused cat: apparently he is like  the other cats you meet along your way: you wouldn'r say that he is different at all. 

Just...He doesn't like to be a cat. He thinks that he is a bird and he acts like a bird. Yes, you read well: Jean-Blaise doesn't just admire birds: he thinks that he is one of them. 

And what can he does? 

He must prove that he is a bird, and not a cat. 

His existence starts to be singular with a lot of funny episodes. 

Birds, at the same time, searched and appreciated by Jean-Blaise can't recognize him as a member of their clan because he is a cat. They try to let him see that he is different: that he is not a bird and that he should accept his being a....cat! It's beauty to be a cat.

Jean-Blaise is stubborn and so tries to fly once, falling after few seconds. 

Jean-Blaise won't never be a bird? Depressed, one day, strolling along a street, Jean-Blaise  notices a beautiful house. The one of a psychologist.

The psychologist is curious regarding this cat and pretty soon discovers his problem.

The psychologist explains him that he is born cat, but also that he has several people thinking that they are Napoleon: that maybe he has the character of a bird. Will he stay with him? He would live as he prefers.

Being happy now, sometimes Jean-Blaise will remember to be also a cat with his new owner. 

A beautiful album on self-acceptance! for everyone.

Emilé Boré is author of other two book for children, while Vincent, the illustrator has had an important experience in a satiric journal called Vigousse and collaborates with the daily magazine Le Courrier. 

Highly recommended.

I thank L'Editions La Joie de Lire for the physical copy of the album.

Anna Maria Polidori