Der kleine Nick (Little Nick)

Author: René Goscinny, Jean-Jacques Sempé (illust.)
Original Title: Le petit Nicolas
Genre: Children's book

Original publisher: Denoël,
Date first published: 1960
Date first read: 1994/1995

Main character(s): Nicolas (aka Nick, a boy of 7 or 8 years), Alceste (aka Otto, Nick's best friend, who likes to eat a lot), Rufus (aka Roland, Nick's classmate, whose dad is the policeman, and who therefore has a whistle he uses a lot), Clotaire (aka Chlodwig, Nick's classmate, who has the worst grades but is a great guy), Eudes (aka Franz, Nick's classmate, who is the strongest in the group and tends to resolve problems with his fists), Geoffroy (aka Georg, Nick's classmate, whose father is very rich and who is therfore very spoiled), Joachim (Nick's classmate, who likes to wear a beret and gets a little brother one day), Agnan (aka Adalbert, Nick's classmate, the best in the class and teacher's pet, who wears glasses), Maixent (aka Max, Nick's classmate, who is as fast as Nick in running), Marie-Edwige (aka Marie-Hedwig, Nick's pretty neighbor and his friend), Louisette (aka Louise, who plays soccer better than some boys), Nick's mother and father, the Teacher, the school's Principal, M. Dubon, "le Bouillon" (aka Herr Hühnerfeld, or "Herr Hühnerbrüh", a strict teacher at Nick's school)
Favorite quote: Talking about his teacher: "Sie ist ganz prima, außer wenn wir sie wütend machen." (She's really awesome, except when we make her mad.)

Synopsis:
Little Nicholas, also known as Little Nick, is not the best of students, but he has some really great friends. Otto, his best friend, is a great guy, tho he does eat a lot, often putting things off for the sake of food, which kind of makes the others annoyed. Or Georg, whose rich dad buys him some great toys and costumes, though he can get pretty annoying when he then acts all important. Or Chlodwig, whose grades are so bad, he just stands directly in the corner when he is called upon without answering, but who is a super-duper guy. Even Adalbert, the teacher's pet is ok, though he is very annoying being a smarty pants - and one can't even hit him as often as one likes for it because he wears glasses! And speaking of hitting, there is Franz, who often solves problems by hitting someone. Yeah, Nick has a fun bunch of friends. Sure, they sometimes quabble...well, ok, they get into a fight at least once a week, either on the field where they play soccer or even at school, like when they're taking a class photo, which doesn't amuse their Teacher or the school's Principal - and certainly gets them in trouble with Mr. Hühnerbrüh, who constantly yells at them to "look me in the eyes"...he's a bit weird that way. But yes, Nick and his buddies are all "prima" (aka awesome in English), as told through these 18 stories.

Review:
Le petit Nicholas - where to start with reviewing this amazing work of humorous art? The book is a collection of short stories from the life of the protagonist, a little boy of roughly 7 or 8 years called Nick, told in his own voice and as he perceives things. As a child, it's very easy to associate oneself with Nick - after all, many of the especially odd things happening with the adults around Nick seem equally odd to any child. But that makes these books even funnier to read as an older child or adult.

The innocent, often naive, way in which Nick recounts the events in his life - be they the frustration of the teachers during class-photo day or the fights that break out when Roland uses the whistle during soccer matches at times when the others disagree - the often-times resultant chaos can't but make you chuckle. To top it off, Nick's verdict on most of these events is very much that of the child: they kids all love their teacher as surely as she loves them even though she gives them all extra homework for making a mess of the class photo taking; the guys may fight a lot, but they're all 'prima, or awesome, as Nick tends to pronounce often.

The master of humor behind this is none other than René Goscinny, one of the fathers of Asterix, who is also known for a witty sense of humor and keen intellect. It's no wonder that these books are therefore just amazingly funny. It's a true treat and they should be mandatory reading for any kid - including the adult ones.

Sequels: Der kleine Nick und die Schule; Der kleine Nick und die Ferien; Der kleine Nick und seine Bande; Der kleine Nick und die Mädchen