We met Olivier Tallec

Last Friday we had a “just the two of us” afternoon with P. I had some business to attend to at Ludwig Museum and he came with. While already there we checked out the newly opened Ludwig Goes Pop exhibition.

When we were done there were so many distractions outside, the museum building is changing colors, there is a pyramid you can climb and admire the view (or just run up and down in circles like a maniac). It really did not look like we were getting to the Olivier Tallec (French illustrator) event at Kétegér bookstore that day. P is not even a fan of such events, but for some reason on Friday he insisted. It had nothing to do with the books in question, because neither of us were familiar with them at that point. But now we know them by heart.

First we read the first one (orig: Rita et Machin), then again, and again. P loved it so much he was not going to go home without all 4 from the series. P always loved books, but lately we’ve been in a rut with reading stories. All he wanted to read about were alligators and Africa. I sort of forgot when was the last time we read a nice story and this Friday it came back to us. Both the story and drawings are funny and he just isn’t getting bored of them. It is amazing how very minimal illustration using only a pencil and one color (red) can bring out so much of the story and complement it so well.

Like most boys Pale is not great at waiting, but here he is clutching his 4 books and patiently waiting for his dedication and determined not to go home without it.

And that signing mind you was an event of it’s own. Each book was signed and dedicated by name but each book also got an original drawing right then and there. It was amazing to see how new and new creation comes out of that pencil every few minutes (he needed to do 4 only for us)

And because Mr Tallec worked so hard we gave him two Boya crayons, red and black. We hope he loves them and we’ll get to see what he draws with them.