Monday 28 July 2014

Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio & Christian Robinson

A new picture book turned up at work last week that I knew would be just perfect to share with all my Paris in July and Dreaming of France friends.

Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio is about a family of French poodles.

There are four adorable puppies - Fi-fi, Foo-foo, Ohh-la-la and Gaston.

But a quick glance at the page below will tell you that there is more to this story than meets the eye.
Gaston, is obviously not a French poodle.

However, Gaston works hard, very hard, to be just like the other poodles. He learns to sip, yip and generally behave in a poodle-like manner.

It's not until the poodle family are walking through the park one day and come across a bulldog family that the problem becomes obvious.

The bulldog family also has four adorable puppies - Rocky, Ricky, Bruno & Antoinette.

They have been taught how to be perfect bulldogs - they love to run and play rough and bark loudly.

Gaston & Antoinette decide that they should live with their biological families...but everyone struggles with the swap.

The poodle family now all look the same, but Antoinette is just too rough & boisterous.

The bulldog family now all look the same, but Gaston is simply too tender and gentle.

Another visit to the park, and Gaston & Antoinette return to the family that they feel they belong with.

The families continue to meet as the years go by, so that the poodles learn to be a little tougher and the bulldogs learn a little tenderness.

Gaston is a gorgeous story about family, belonging and identity. The acrylic paint illustrations have a lovely retro feel and complement the gentle humour and grace that this story is told with.

But for now, I will let you discover the satisfying ending for yourself, below.


6 comments:

  1. This sounds so sweet, plus, they're in Paris. Thanks for playing along. Here’s my Dreaming of France meme

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  2. This looks so adorable, I'll be certain to keep an eye out for Gaston and his pals.

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    1. I read Gaston at storytime this week - he was a HUGE hit with kids and parents alike :-)

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  3. How very French.

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  4. What fun! Love the pictures and the ending is adorable!

    Joy's Book Blog

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  5. I am catching up on my Paris in July posts, which I suspect I will be doing till next July! I'm so entranced with the bright and happy colors of this delightful book -- I've long ago decided that children's books are truly for all ages -- and this one is a total delight!

    Oh, and thanks for visiting The Marmelade Gypsy during that event. I love visiting all the links!

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