Nicholas on Vacation

Third Title in the Award-winning "Nicholas" Children's Book Series Available for the First Time in English; The Perfect Holiday Gift.

NICHOLAS ON HOLIDAY is the third in the acclaimed Nicholas children's book series, featuring the adventures of a young French schoolboy who is always getting into trouble. With text by René Goscinny, the beloved author of the Asterix the Gaul series, and with illustrations by New Yorker cover artist Jean-Jacques Sempé, NICHOLAS ON HOLIDAY is now available in English for the first time for an American audience. The first book in the series recently won the 2006 ALSC's Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Award for an outstanding children's book originally published in a foreign language.

Following the publication of Nicholas and the second book in the much-loved series, Nicholas Again, NICHOLAS ON HOLIDAY is the equally charming third title, bringing to life the adventures and exploits of Nicholas on summer vacation. We follow Nicholas on his escapades at the beach with his parents and then to overnight camp with a new set of friends. Whether playing miniature golf, going on a fishing trip, or heading out to a treasure hunt in the middle of the night, delightful mayhem always ensues.

Firmly established as a literary cult figure, Nicholas has already charmed millions of readers worldwide since these books were first published in France over forty years ago. Considered classics and available in twenty-six languages, the Nicholas stories have the ability to delight both children and adults.

Amanda Renshaw, Editorial Director of Phaidon Press said, "I was visiting Sempé's French publisher browsing their bookshelves when I spotted a copy of "Le Petit Nicholas." We couldn't believe this classic book wasn't available in English and knew immediately that it was an amazing find for Phaidon. I read the Nicholas books as a child in French and they still make me chuckle out loud. The sublimely innocent world of this special little schoolboy will delight a whole new audience of English speaking children and adults who have never had the chance to read these books before."

For illustrator Jean-Jacques Sempé, who still works from his Paris studio, the secret of the character's enduring popularity lies in his innocence. "Petit Nicolas lives in an ideal world. It is the childhood that everybody would have liked to have had. That was Goscinny's great talent - to have succeeded in creating a children's world that everyone dreamed of."

Offering an insightful glimpse into everyday French life and culture, NICHOLAS ON HOLIDAY, translated by the award-winning Anthea Bell, is the third in the series of five classic titles that Goscinny and Sempé collaborated on between 1959 and 1965. The fourth book in the series, NICHOLAS AND THE GANG, will be published in 2007.