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Le Petit Nicolas
(Le Petit Nicolas #1)
by
La maîtresse est inquiète, le photographe s'éponge le front, le Bouillon devient tout rouge, les mamans ont mauvaise mine, les papas font les guignols, le directeur part à la retraite, quant à l'inspecteur, il est reparti aussi vite qu'il était venu. Pourtant, à l'école ou en famille, Geoffroy, Agnan, Eudes, Rufus, Clotaire, Maixent, Alceste, Joachim... et le Petit Nicolas
...more
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Mass Market Paperback, 167 pages
Published
1988
by Folio
(first published March 29th 1959)
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Nov 29, 2007
Mariel
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
my Hobbes
Recommended to Mariel by:
#$#$@#!! (that's the Peanuts adults)
Remember that time when I punched you in the nose? And then you punched me in the nose? And we all started crying and then everything was okay again?

This is a classic collection of stories in French about Nicolas and his inapt parents. Idyllic about life in the late 50s and early 60s, they are full of humour and tales of growing up. In France, they are like the equivalent of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

Apr 06, 2012
Manny
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
People who want something easy and funny in French
Recommended to Manny by:
Mariel
Max And Lili Visit My School
Today when I arrived at school everyone was very excited because there were two new kids called Max and Lili. My friend Alceste told me they had come from the year 2012 in a time machine, I asked Alceste what a time machine was but he was eating a sandwich, Alceste eats all the time and his mouth is always full so he pointed at Agnan and told me to ask him. Agnan is top of the class and the teacher's pet, he's no fun because he wears glasses so you can't hit him when ...more
Today when I arrived at school everyone was very excited because there were two new kids called Max and Lili. My friend Alceste told me they had come from the year 2012 in a time machine, I asked Alceste what a time machine was but he was eating a sandwich, Alceste eats all the time and his mouth is always full so he pointed at Agnan and told me to ask him. Agnan is top of the class and the teacher's pet, he's no fun because he wears glasses so you can't hit him when ...more

Sep 05, 2011
Emily
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-for-school,
read-aloud
I have fond memories of reading some of these stories in their original form (I think) in my 10th grade French class (sadly, these are the ONLY fond memories I have of studying French!). Goscinny's endearingly naughty little boys made a wonderfully refreshing change from the forced profundities of Le Petit Prince, to say nothing of the banal social lives of the dopey looking Parisian teens who populated a text-book called "Nos Amis." Sempe's cartoonishly simply but wickedly expressive illustrati
...more

Review on English, followed by the Bulgarian one. Ревюто на английски е първо, следва това на български.
Amazing book, wish that more people will have a chance to read it.
Because so many adults have forgotten what is to be a kid and what is the way they see the world around us.
Great illustrations as well!
"Малкият Никола" е първата книга, която прочетох на френски. И не защото много знаех френски тогава, а защото беше невъзможно да я намеря в онези години на български.
Това е една превъзходна книг ...more
Amazing book, wish that more people will have a chance to read it.
Because so many adults have forgotten what is to be a kid and what is the way they see the world around us.
Great illustrations as well!
"Малкият Никола" е първата книга, която прочетох на френски. И не защото много знаех френски тогава, а защото беше невъзможно да я намеря в онези години на български.
Това е една превъзходна книг ...more

Reading Le Petit Nicolas series was a great way to improve my fluency in French. It was easy enough to read for pleasure and the vocabulary repeated enough so I actually learned new words! I used these words in conversation with my French teachers and friends while I lived in France and they were quite impressed because I was using slang. Since this book is written for kids, it helped me learn the language like they did. The sentences were quite easy to translate and I got into the rhythm of the
...more

Aug 05, 2007
Kimberlee
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Ages 8-ish and up
I read this book to review for the library I work at, and I seriously just pulled it off the shelf because I liked the way the cover looked. It's about a young French boy, Nicholas, and his school friends. It's written in first-person as Nicholas, and what I found particularly endearing was the way the sentences read as though they were really written by a seven year old. They run on, but are clear to understand. Each chapter is like a short story or an individual episode, and his reactions to t
...more

I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading this book! I also found myself reading it out loud to anyone in my family who would listen. It gave me a glimpse into the mind of my boy and my overgrown boy (husband). So if you want to kind of see how your 7ish year old boy (and his friends) think, read this hilarious book! Sooo cute.

What kid won't love le petit nicolas? Funny, witty and easy to read, with tones of beautiful pictures.
...more

I started reading this with my French tutor last fall, but I finally got around to finish all of the episodes. There are laugh-out-loud moments in this book, but I was especially stunned by all of the violence in it. I didn't catch that so much the last time I read a Petit Nicolas book. I guess little kids are like that, but it was strange.
Great, though, especially if you're looking for a enjoyable book that isn't too hard in French. ...more
Great, though, especially if you're looking for a enjoyable book that isn't too hard in French. ...more

What a hysterical book! This is a French translation that was originally published in 1959, so it depicts a time that has gone by (Nicholas points out that his family doesn't have a television yet). But both kids and adults will enjoy this first person account of incidents in Nicholas' life. We see how much fun young boys have just being boys. For instance, Nicholas describes playing cowboys with his friends. When no one will volunteer to be tied up to be the prisoner, his dad volunteers. This p
...more

Hết sảy ❤❤❤

I'm offended that this was recommended because I read The Little Prince. It's nothing like the mentioned book!
It was okay from the first 2 stories but then it got repetitive in the sense that it kept telling reader who was Nicholas' friend like Cuthbert, Alec and the boys kept fighting & punching each other. I was bored to the end. The only one story that got me chuckled was (view spoiler) & decided to give extra 1 star just because of
...more
Probably one of the most heartwarming things I've ever read.
...more

The book contains a series of 16 short stories, by the end of which you get to know all the little guys and the weird adults (well, according to Nicholas). The stories lend snapshots into the seemingly simple life of an 8-year-old boy shuffling between home and school. All the adults end up feeling horrified at some point, be it the parents, the teacher or just a random seller in a toy store. The kids never stop making us scream, sigh and fall sick. The best part is that they do it unintentional
...more

I judged a book by its spine and chose this book off the shelf at the library!
This is a book originally written in French which has been translated into English. It's told in the point-of-view of a little boy, probably about seven years old. He gets into a ton of funny situations and he is always in trouble and fighting with his friends.
This is like the French version of Junie B. Jones, in that both of the books have a very authentic kid voice! This book was funny, and it really sounded like a s ...more
This is a book originally written in French which has been translated into English. It's told in the point-of-view of a little boy, probably about seven years old. He gets into a ton of funny situations and he is always in trouble and fighting with his friends.
This is like the French version of Junie B. Jones, in that both of the books have a very authentic kid voice! This book was funny, and it really sounded like a s ...more

This certainly wins the prize for the Sweetest Book I Have Ever Read!
Le Petit Nicolas was such a joy to read; it is a children’s book that anyone (child or adult) can connect to. Stories of young friendship, comedy, and growing up are at their best in this collection. Pure, pure delight!
I have heard that this is a bit of a classic in France so that makes me even happier.
I would recommend this strongly to any French speaker/reader!
Le Petit Nicolas was such a joy to read; it is a children’s book that anyone (child or adult) can connect to. Stories of young friendship, comedy, and growing up are at their best in this collection. Pure, pure delight!
I have heard that this is a bit of a classic in France so that makes me even happier.
I would recommend this strongly to any French speaker/reader!

does not read as a 5 star read now, after... euh... 15 years? but I'll keep it for the sake of old times
...more

Right about the time Beverly Cleary was bringing Ramona to life, Goscinny and Sempe were introducing the French world to Nicholas. In the last decade or so, English readers have finally gotten the chance to meet him.
In some dreamworld where the two children could cross paths, they would find in each other sweet commiseration for the miseries of childhood inflicted by adults who just don’t understand.
Nicholas faithfully reports everything just as he sees it in his world of school, home and the em ...more
In some dreamworld where the two children could cross paths, they would find in each other sweet commiseration for the miseries of childhood inflicted by adults who just don’t understand.
Nicholas faithfully reports everything just as he sees it in his world of school, home and the em ...more

I picked this out as a classic beginning French book to read/translate with my daughter while we have been living in Paris. It was obviously a little outdated because it was written in the 50s -- Nicholas and his friends are always insulting each other and beating each other up on the playground. Probably is a better book for a 12-year-old boy, but we got a good laugh from the funny scuffles and mischievous antics!

Good fun, with excellent plotting of the chaos that can ensue whenever small boys get together and do... pretty much anything. The illustrations are awesome, though unfortunately sometimes they spoilt the punchline of the story by appearing a couple of pages too early. Just about easy enough for me to slog through several dozen years after French A-level, and I learned some key vocabulary about punching people on the nose.

4/5 stars
I read this collection of short stories for French class. They were cute and funny. I enjoyed reading about Nicolas and his friends.
I read this collection of short stories for French class. They were cute and funny. I enjoyed reading about Nicolas and his friends.

This was the first book I read in a completely different language: French. It is written for children, but when you’re reading in a language that isn’t your mother tongue, you have to start with something that you can understand without the overwhelming length of a novel with too many words and phrases that ruin the reading experience. The illustrations by Goscinny are a lovely accompaniment to the stories. The book itself is comprised of several chapters that account different stories from the
...more

It would be hard to overstate the charm of these wonderful stories. Like many others, I picked up this book to help with my project of trying to teach myself French. Not only does it serve that purpose, but it is so engaging that it has held me on course when the inherent difficulty of the language and some cross-cultural exasperation has tempted me to chuck the whole project. No way could I ever write this little dude and his copains out of my life.
Although hilarious, the Nicolas stories also t ...more
Although hilarious, the Nicolas stories also t ...more

Dec 15, 2012
Cruth
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens-chapter-book,
read-aloud
Nicholas - written by Rene Goscinny, (who wrote Asterix) and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempe.
Originally published in France, 1959, as "Le petit Nicolas", this edition was first published in 2005 (my version from 2007). Translated by Anthea Bell.
I should admit outright I was never much of a fan of Asterix. I never really got the humour. Maybe 'cause I'm a girl - my brothers all liked them. And so perhaps some of the story here is not my thing because it is so male-centric.
Each chapter stands as ...more
Originally published in France, 1959, as "Le petit Nicolas", this edition was first published in 2005 (my version from 2007). Translated by Anthea Bell.
I should admit outright I was never much of a fan of Asterix. I never really got the humour. Maybe 'cause I'm a girl - my brothers all liked them. And so perhaps some of the story here is not my thing because it is so male-centric.
Each chapter stands as ...more
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René Goscinny (1926 - 1977) was a French author, editor and humorist, who is best known for the comic book
Asterix
, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris (considered the series' golden age).
...more
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