Paul Berna (1908–1994)

This is an agreeable children's adventure story from a more innocent age. The hero is a fourteen-year old who regularly skips school to sail his small boat around the Gulf of Morbihan in southern Brittany. He finds an abandoned boat which he cannibalises to improve his own vessel. This gets him and his twelve-year old pal - can't really call her a girl-friend - involved with skull-duggery from a group of villains who, in the manner of Enid Blyton books, are bad but not truly threatening. Despite being on the run from his school master on account of his recidivist truancy when the chips are down he finds him a valuable ally. Hardly a spoiler to say that all turns out well - always does in this sort of book.… (meer)

The story is set in an outlying workingclass area of Paris after WW2 and features a gang of children, a train robbery and a battered headless horse/tricycle. All the elements of classic children's literature here with the intrepid children outwitting a bunch of fairly bumbling robbers, along with supportive parents and a distracted policeman. What I really liked was just the simple joie de vivre of the children whose favourite pastime is taking turns to ride the old horse trike down the steepest street in their area. Also Marion, the oldest girl, has trained most of the neighbourhood dogs and adopted numerous strays which comes in handy when dealing with the thugs.
There are a couple more books about this gang of children and I read somewhere that Berna grew up in this area of Paris so really captures the essence of these children and their community. I also have to commend the b&w illustrations in my edition by English illustrator Richard Kennedy, in the notes it says he made his sketches in Paris and this adds to the authenticity.… (meer)