A collection of witty observations on New York City, with imaginary letters home from a bemused French tourist, reveals Big Apple office parties, clubs, marathons, gourmet food, and more

Par Avion

Comics & Graphic Novels

Sempé, Jean-Jacques

Comic Strips

KNOPF

Jean-Jacques Sempe's witty drawings and keen eye for the finer points of the human condition have delighted readers in France and beyond for over forty years. Now, his sharply observed and beautifully drawn cartoons are available in English for the first time. 'Nothing is Simple' is classic Sempe - a timeless mix of tender moments and absurd situations. Sempe's world is populated by nosy neighbours, mischievous schoolboys and thwarted lovers, by snooty holidaymakers and crowds of frustrated commuters in the big city. Sempe's inimitable drawings are as fresh, engaging and funny today as when they were first published in 1962. The captions were translated by Anthea Bell, who also helped to bring Asterix the Gaul to the English-speaking world.

Nothing is Simple

Phaidon Press

Jean-Jacques Sempe's witty drawings and keen eye for the finer points of the human condition have delighted readers in France and beyond for over forty years. Now, his sharply observed and beautifully drawn cartoons are available in English for the first time. In 'Everything is Complicated', first published in 1963, a number of Sempe's favourite subjects are already clearly in evidence, such as mild-mannered men and women with colourful inner lives and people who choose to express themselves through the medium of the protest sign. There are also cartoons about hapless tourists, pipe-smoking novelists and unruly schoolchildren. Sempe is equally adept at capturing the little indignities (and triumphs) of everyday life as he is at high farce and physical comedy. The captions were translated by Anthea Bell, who also helped to bring Asterix the Gaul to the English-speaking world.

Everything is Complicated

Arts & Photography

History & Criticism

Jean-Jacques Sempe's witty drawings and keen eye for the finer points of the human condition have delighted readers in France and beyond for over forty years. Now, his sharply observed and beautifully drawn cartoons are available in English for the first time. In 'Sunny Spells', originally published in France in 1999, Sempe explores a wide range of topics, from troubled relationships and office politics to doping scandals in the literary world. His cast of characters includes pious churchgoers, amateur painters and lovelorn palaeontologists, as well as psychiatrists, actors and football fans. Many of Sempe's intricate and evocative illustrations are accompanied by laconic, perfectly judged captions, which were translated by Anthea Bell, who also helped to bring Asterix the Gaul to the English-speaking world.

Sunny Spells

- 24 postcards in a cloth-bound clam-shell box featuring witty illustrations of cyclists- Each card features a watercolour or drawing of a cyclist, from Tour de France aficionados to children taking their first ride on two wheels and from beret-wearin

Sempe: A Question of Balance

Teen & Young Adult

This charming travel journal features vacation-themed illustrations by Jean-Jacques Sempé, one of the most successful and best-loved cartoonists in the world. The journal mixes Sempé's illustrations with blank, lined, and graph paper, and features an unusual tie fastening. Small paper envelopes are sewn into the binding, perfect for collecting small souvenirs such as paper tickets and postcards. This journal is an ideal gift for any traveler and the perfect accompaniment for any excursion.

Sempe Journal: Zip-Up Case (Stationery)

- 24 postcards in a cloth-bound, clam-shell box featuring sharply observed and beautifully drawn illustrations on a musical theme- Each card features a watercolour or drawing of a musician - amateur or professional - from the classical virtuoso and glamorous diva to supper-club planist and unlikely jazz hero- Ideal as thank-you notes, Invitations, or simply to pin on your wall- The perfect gift for all music lovers

Sempe: Musicians Postcards (Stationery)

.A collection of stories which continues the adventures and misadventures of little Nicolas and his friends at school and at play.

Nicholas Again

Children's Books

Goscinny, Rene.

Animals

"Martin Pebble" is a timeless, touching and very funny book which will appeal to readers and Sempe connoisseurs of all ages. The story is told through images, speech bubbles and short linking texts. Children and adults alike will be able to relate to this tale of a little boy, Martin, who blushes a lot, and who is happiest in the summer, when everyone else has a red face too. He sets out to find a reason for his strange affliction, and finds a friend instead - a boy called Roddy Rackett, who keeps on sneezing, even when he doesn't have a cold. But one day, his new best friend moves away. Martin Pebble makes other friends, but doesn't have the same bond with any of them as he did with Roddy Rackett - the kind of friendship where you play games and make jokes but are also happy just to be in each other's company, saying nothing but still never feeling bored. Years pass and Martin grows up, but he never forgets his childhood friend. One day they meet again, on a crowded bus in the city. There is a lot of catching up to do, but they soon realize that some things never change: Martin still blushes, Roddy still sneezes, and the two of them are still the very best of friends.

Martin Pebble

Monsieur Lambert is a gentle, and unmistakably French, graphic novel with text and pictures by one of the world's best-loved illustrators. Jean-Jacques Sempe offers a glimpse of the everyday lives and secret passions of the regulars in a small Parisian bistro. When Monsieur Lambert does not turn up for lunch at his usual time, the other regulars speculate that he must have met a woman. How else can they explain his strange new behaviour? The diners start discussing women they have loved and lost and, in doing so, they reveal unexpected facets of their own lives and personalities. The restaurant and its regulars are brought to life vividly in a series of drawings which, together with handwritten dialogue and a laconic commentary, display Sempe's signature unerring eye and ear for the telling details of human behaviour. The text was translated from French by award-winning translator Anthea Bell.

Monsieur Lambert

BELL, Anthea

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Books by Sempé, Jean-Jacques