Nicholas on Vacation

This entry in Goscinny and Sempé's series features a number of vignettes spanning a couple of summers. Each chapter opens with a few sentences from Nicholas or excerpts from correspondence between the boy and his parents. Nicholas's forthright voice is full of childlike repetition and exclamations ("fantastic!"). This book isn't notable for its plot. The stories are simple, relating Nicholas's antics when he and his parents travel to the seaside and then when he goes to his first overnight camp. What distinguishes this title is a narrative that captures a child so believably and allows its readers to relate to the action but also at times to see beyond what Nicholas himself sees. Sempé's charming cartoon illustrations appear throughout and reinforce the tone. The strength of voice, multilayered humor, short chapters, and episodic nature of the text make Nicholas on Vacation an ideal family or classroom read-aloud. It may take some selling, but it's well worth a place on library shelves.