This charming book will delight any child - or adult - who appreciates ballet, Paris, New York, childhood, and mystery (not necessarily in that order). The book's plot is deceptively simple: Catherine, the eponymous heroine, begins her story watching her own daughter demonstrate jazz steps in their ballet school on a snowy afternoon in New York. Memory takes her (and the reader) back to her childhood, spent in the tenth arrondissement of Paris. In her youth, Catherine lives with her gentle father, Georges Certitude, who ...
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This charming book will delight any child - or adult - who appreciates ballet, Paris, New York, childhood, and mystery (not necessarily in that order). The book's plot is deceptively simple: Catherine, the eponymous heroine, begins her story watching her own daughter demonstrate jazz steps in their ballet school on a snowy afternoon in New York. Memory takes her (and the reader) back to her childhood, spent in the tenth arrondissement of Paris. In her youth, Catherine lives with her gentle father, Georges Certitude, who runs a shipping business with his partner, a loud, failed poet named Casterade. The real partners in this story, however, are the father and daughter who share the simple pleasures of daily life: sitting in the church square, walking to school, going to her ballet class every Thursday afternoon. Behind this gossamer storyline, "Catherine Certitude" is filled with mystery. Why did Georges change his name to Certitude? What kind of trouble with the law did Casterade rescue him from? Exactly what does Georges do, and what kind of deals is he always discussing with men in worn raincoats? Why did Catherine's mother, herself a ballerina, leave Georges to return to New York? That these mysteries remain mysteries is part of the book's charm. But that Catherine and her father love the ballet, music, and City of Lights, is certain.
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Seller's Description:
Good. There is a signature or handwriting on the inside front cover. Fast shipping and order satisfaction guaranteed. A portion of your purchase benefits Non-Profit Organizations, First Aid and Fire Stations!
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Seller's Description:
A read-aloud for children from Patrick Modiano, a Nobel Prize winner in literature. "A quirky and utterly charming chapter book in picture-book format, with the famed illustrator Sempe's radiant and adorable illustrations."--Booklist In this enchanting picture book about intangible memories, Catherine Certitude, a dancer in Paris, reminisces about her childhood. She remembers living with her dreamer of a father--whose storefront 'package business' may have been a smuggling operation, her American mother's letters from the States ('Sometimes Mama made spelling mistakes'), her ballet lessons with a tragic woman who feigns a Russian accent, and her father's humiliation at a society party where he pathetically pretends to be rich ('His brown suit clashed with everyone else's light, summery clothes'). As Publishers Weekly said, "This lovely book suggests the delicacy and strength of an eggshell. It demands a nuanced understanding of the past ('We always stay the same, and the people we have been in the past go on living until the end of time, ' muses Catherine) and human foibles." An enriching read-aloud experience for you and your child.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Boston. 2015. David Godine. 2nd Printing. Very Good in Dustjacket. 9780879239596. Illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempe. 64 pages. hardcover. Cover art by Jean-Jacques Sempe. keywords: Literature france Translated Young Adult. FROM THE PUBLISHER-This charming book will delight any child or adult who appreciates ballet, Paris, New York, childhood, and mystery (not necessarily in that order). The book's plot is deceptively simple: Catherine, the eponymous heroine, begins her story watching her own daughter demonstrate jazz steps in their ballet school on a snowy afternoon in New York. Memory takes her (and the reader) back to her childhood, spent in the tenth arrondissement of Paris. In her youth, Catherine lives with her gentle father, Georges Certitude, who runs a shipping business with his partner, a loud, failed poet named Casterade. The real partners in this story, however, are the father and daughter who share the simple pleasures of daily life: sitting in the church square, walking to school, going to her ballet class every Thursday afternoon. Behind this gossamer storyline, Catherine Certitude is filled with mystery. Why did Georges change his name to Certitude? What kind of trouble with the law did Casterade rescue him from? Exactly what does Georges do, and what kind of deals is he always discussing with men in worn raincoats? Why did Catherine's mother, herself a ballerina, leave Georges to return to New York? That these mysteries remain mysteries is part of the book's charm. But that Catherine and her father love the ballet, music, and City of Lights, is certain. inventory #41547.
