Meeselphe

This might be hard for a young reader to try independently but it was a very fun little story. Meeselphe is also a hard name -- I didn't figure out how to pronounce it. But the tale is told with blocks of story and it would be a very fun book to read to a little group.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

A delightful, funny story for young children, telling the adventures of a little girl who explores the land outside her home for the first time. She meets many creatures, some funny, some cute and some dangerous, but always she is filled with curiosity and interest. The illustrations are beautifully drawn. I loved the use of repeated alliteration, which added to the pleasent sound and rythm of a number of pages! The inclusion of riddles was lovely, too, as one can give the chance to children to have a go before revealing the answer.

This storybook is such a whimsical playful one with our little character Meeselphe trying to explore the world. I feel the story depicts the different kind of people and environments every child would encounter: likeable and warm caring people as well as not so likeable harsh people. I find the little story quite fascinating. I love the playful language used. Meeselphe has hair different than most kids for which she would be either judged or be accepted as she is. I like the concept and I feel is appropriate for the age group. However, there are some harsh adult like characters who tend to use some strong words. Parents and teachers would be able to take care of these areas while reading the story to the young ones I feel.

I find the illustrations really good. It gave me a strong feeling of Alice in Wonderland!

Thanks you, Archipegalo/Elsewhere Editions, for the advance reading copy.

Meeselphe is a unique story with an eccentric artistic style. It reminds me of some of the books I grew up with, a very traditional art style that feels uniquely European. The language is a higher level than most children’s books but that’s not a bad thing, it’s never too early to start introducing vocabulary to young readers.
I haven’t seen a book like this in a long time and I quite enjoyed it.
Thank you for the eARC!

I feel like I just read the graphic art version of a Cirque du Soleil show.

I haven’t seen psychedelic illustrations like those in Meeselphe since the days of Zippy the Pinhead and Yellow Submarine. It was bizarre and fun and creative, just so very French.

Every page has something curious and exciting to discover: Are those rabbits growing in the field, alongside carrots as tall as buildings? Why yes! Is His Pointlessness a hand-shaped bird? Sure! There are so many weird and wonderful things to identify.

Will this trippy and fluid book speak to a small child, in the way that Where the Wild Things Are or an intentionally odd Dr. Seuss book might have 60 years ago? There's only one way to find out, and I don't think we should underestimate the imaginations of our children.

A lot of fun. Art is bright and cheery creating a feel of joining the adventure. I enjoyed it and think my kids would have as well.

4 stars

I loved the art style and the story. I really liked Meeselphe as a main character and all the creatures she met while exploring her world. I am so glad I picked this up.