Suzy Chic

So many wonderful children's books are never translated into English, and never find their way to the United States, that I am always excited to learn of a publisher which makes a point of releasing foreign children's titles, be they novels or picture-books. Enchanted Lion Books, here in New York - whose high quality output includes the fabulous Big Wolf and Little Wolf - is one such publisher, and I was delighted, in a recent discussion in the online children's books group to which I belong, to discover another: UK-based Wingedchariot Press, "set up to translate and publish innovative children's books from across the globe."

Suzy Chic's Watching..., originally published in French as Attends..., is my first foray into Wingedchariot's catalogue, but I hope it will not be my last. The simple, first-person narrative follows a sleek-looking white creature, described in some blurbs as a "morph" (I have no idea what that means...), who discovers that waiting - and watching - brings its reward. Offered a beautiful flower by the tree he(?) had been contemplating, but advised that if he waits, he will have a fruit instead, the morph leaves the flower to grow. Advised, when it first appears, that if he waits, the fruit will ripen, the morph leaves it on the tree. And when the fruit is finally ripe, the morph is advised to plant it, and (of course) wait for another tree to sprout...

Less of a story than an illustrated fable, Watching offers a gentle lesson about the importance of having patience, of waiting. The morph discovers that watching brings its own rewards, not the least of which is the joy of watching itself. The accompanying watercolor illustrations by Monique Touvay - some full-page, some no bigger than a thumb-nail - are just lovely - peaceful and sweet. All in all, a winsome little picture-book!… (meer)