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|---|---|---|
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Searching... Salem Main Library | J Cuevas, M. | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
A TIME magazine Top 10 Children's Book of 2015
The whimsical "autobiography" of an imaginary friend who doesn't know he's imaginary--perfect for fans of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and Toy Story
Jaques Papier has the sneaking suspicion that everyone except his sister Fleur hates him. Teachers ignore him when his hand is raised in class, he is never chosen for sports teams, and his parents often need to be reminded to set a place for him at the dinner table. But he is shocked when he finally learns the truth: He is Fleur's imaginary friend! When he convinces Fleur to set him free, he begins a surprising and touching, and always funny quest to find himself--to figure out who Jacques Papier truly is, and where he belongs.
Readers will fall in love with Jacque's sweet, quirky voice as he gives them a look at life from an incredible new perspective
Author Notes
Michelle Cuevas graduated from Williams College and holds a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from the University of Virginia. She lives in Massachusetts.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Jacques Papier is going through an existential crisis: nobody seems to acknowledge his presence, not even his own parents, and he begins to doubt that anyone can even see him. The exception is his twin sister, Fleur, his constant companion and advocate. While brooding over his predicament at the park one afternoon, Jacques learns the startling truth: he is Fleur's imaginary friend, not her brother. Reeling from the discovery, Jacques sets out on a journey to find himself and determine what exactly it means to be real. This beautifully written, whimsical story contains enough humor to keep the tone light, despite some very heavy themes of identity and the nature of existence and reality. Fortunately, Jacques is an endearing, charming protagonist who, while not "real" in the sense of the story, feels incredibly real to the audience. Much of this can be attributed to narrator Michael Goldstrom, who brings Jacques's colorful personality to life with his zippy narration and lilting French accent. VERDICT Heartwarming and heartbreaking, this is the perfect book to inspire a sense of wonder in children and adults. Highly recommended. ["A lovely and unique tale": SLJ 7/15 review of the Dial book.]-Audrey Sumser, Kent State University at Tuscarawas, New Philadelphia, OH © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This wise and funny (faux) memoir begins with eight-year-old narrator Jacques Papier admitting that he is baffled by his unpopularity. It isn't that he's picked last for kickball-he isn't picked at all. Teachers ignore him, bus drivers close the door in his face, his own dog growls at him. Luckily Jacques's twin sister, Fleur, loves him unconditionally. A playground encounter with a roller-skating cowgirl only Jacques can see forces a harsh reckoning-he isn't Fleur's brother; he's her imaginary friend. One day he was a boy, the next he is "what? Ethereal? Intangible? Invisible?" In one of many hilarious scenes, he joins a support group, Imaginaries Anonymous, whose leader, Stinky Sock, invites Jacques to tell the group why he is there. "I'm not actually here. That's why I'm... here," says Jacques. In the same way that Toy Story 2 imagined an afterlife for the playthings kids outgrow, Cuevas's novel-brimming with metaphors, gorgeous imagery, and beautiful turns of phrase-considers the fate of devoted but invisible companions. Have tissues on hand for the bittersweet ending. Ages 9-12. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Jacques Papier has an existential crisis when he realizes he's imaginary. He sets off on a quest for the meaning of life, identity, and freedom. While the action is weighed down by similes and self-esteem aphorisms, this sophisticated faux memoir is a nuanced portrait of friendship full of smart and funny meta moments. Whimsical line drawings dot the pages. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
An imaginary friend who yearns to be real learns about life along with the children who conjure him up in a variety of guises. Cuevas' episodic story features childlike black-and-white drawings that contrast oddly with the decidedly adult tone of her main character's musings. Jacques Papier is ostensibly 8 years old when he discovers that he is merely a figment of his "twin sister" Fleur's imagination. When her parents take her to a psychiatrist, Jacques is stuck in the waiting room, where he meets Mr. Pitiful, Stinky Sock, and a variety of other oddball characters who invite him to the next meeting of Imaginaries Anonymous. With information gleaned there, he sets out on a series of new incarnations, from prisoner/co-conspirator/damsel in distress through perfect pet to best friend and magician's assistant. New placements are made by the "reassignment office." The description of this hilariously inefficient bureaucracy would make most adults chuckle knowingly, but it seems unlikely that young readers will get the joke. Between assignments, Jacques exists in a dark limbo, remembering bits and pieces of his previous lives and wondering about the nature of reality. Though the writing is clever and there are plenty of amusing incidents included, life lessons and existential truths overwhelm everything, suggesting that the audience for this uneasy amalgam of whimsy and wisdom will be small. (Fiction. 8-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Jacques Papier enjoys being best friends with his twin sister, Fleur, but he is upset that everyone else ignores him. In a clever twist, it slowly dawns on readers (and Jacques!) that he is made only of imagination. Reluctantly, Fleur frees Jacques so he can discover his true self, but it turns out his emotionally wrought frying pan is not nearly as unpleasant as the fire he jumps into when he learns that imaginary friends must be reassigned. So Jacques becomes first an imaginary wiener dog (his least favorite breed) for a dog-crazy girl, and then a pal to boring Bernard, whose favorite pet is a seahorse and whose hobby is peeling corn. Jacques does well by his new pals, but ultimately, he must leave them, too. While the book is short (and peppered with the author's playful, childlike line drawings), the first-person narrative is sophisticated, a good way for children to up their reading game. Alternately amusing and philosophical, this quirky read will get kids thinking about love, loss, and life.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2015 Booklist