Sylvie Kantorovitz – författare

In a wise and witty graphic memoir, a young artist finds her path apart from the expectations of those around her. Sylvie lives in a school in France. Her father is the head teacher and her home is a flat at the end of a hallway of classrooms. As a young child, Sylvie and her brother explore this most unusual kingdom, full of small mysteries and quirky surprises. But in middle and high school, life grows more complicated. Sylvie becomes aware of her parents' conflicts, the complexities of shifting friendships and what it means to be the only Jewish family in town. She also begins to sense that her perceived "success" relied on the pursuit of math and science – even though she loves art. In a funny and perceptive graphic memoire, author-illustrator Sylvie Kantorovitz traces her first steps as an artist and teacher. The text captures her poignant questions and her blossoming confidence, while the droll illustrations depict her making art as both a means of solace and self-expression. An affecting portrait of a unique childhood, Sylvie connects the extraordinary moments of growing up to a life rich in hope and purpose.

A charming graphic novel for early readers with strong themes of friendship and kindness that celebrates difference and new ideas with a light-hearted touch.Pocketville is a small town, set in its ways, and the arrival of a stranger causes a stir. Monti the mole is stunned one morning to find Leo the crocodile hogging his special reading rock. When Monti visits the bakery and the library, he learns that the last cinnamon roll has been purchased, and the book he was waiting for has been checked out. What’s a fastidious mole to do? When Monti confronts Leo, the newcomer turns out to be agreeable in the extreme, and friendship is a given. Now to convince the town’s cantankerous baker, Ms Sheep, to stop turning everyone against Leo. Together, Monti and Leo hatch a plot that will have Ms Sheep singing Leo’s praises in no time. This reassuring tale of friendship against the odds from the creator of the graphic memoir Sylvie draws on the author’s experiences as an immigrant and will appeal to anyone who has struggled to fit in in a new place.