Meeselphe
$20.00
By Claude Ponti
Translated from French by Alyson Waters and Margot Kerlidou
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.
Praise
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What a weird and wonderful book! I loved the illustrations and the wordplay, the humor and the completely unflappable Meeselphe. We should all be so calm in the face of All Devourful creatures who insult our haircuts.
— Beth Pierson, White Lake Community Library -
Ponti weaves language like a master puppeteer, turning ordinary words into whimsical spells . . . The illustrations burst with color and imagination, inviting readers to linger and explore . . . Meeselphe embodies curiosity, resilience, and the magic of embracing the unknown . . . So, dear reader, grab your own bristly hair (real or imagined), leap into the unknown, and discover the magic that awaits.
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When [Meeselphe] leaves her house-tree one day to explore a phantasmagorical landscape portrayed in sprightly, clear lines, she befriends a “sadbandoned” baby bird and coolly answers riddles posed by a series of blobby monsters . . . Waters and Kerlidou deal creatively with puns and invented words (“confusifying”) in this surrealist excursion that builds . . . to a final triumphant showdown.
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Meeselphe's admirably straight and bristle-like hairdo remains as upright as the girl's resolve throughout a series of strange encounters . . . Readers who enjoy imaginative fare and adventure tales will return to this book many times . . . Illustrations are a blend of the fanciful and realistic, with an emphasis on the fanciful . . . It may remind one of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
— Children's Literature -
There is so much to love in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed that it was not sparse in language. The abundance of language and repetitions add to the cadence and enjoyment of reading Meeselphe aloud . . . Readers are invited to accompany Meeselphe on her adventure, to be carried from one sentence to the next like a carnival ride, to marvel at all she discovers, and to take their time considering them.
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Fans of Seussical nonsense or Sendak’s art style will find comfort in Claude Ponti’s whimsical fable-worlds. The gift is in their completeness. The action picks right up – Meeselphe decides to venture out of her treetop for an exploration . . . Meeselphe’s lessons of exploration and generosity explain that we are uniquely a part of this strange place.
