English - IFLA

Books from
Contacts: Linda Koo Seen Lin – linda.ksl@gmail.com
Anne-Christelle Tiverne – anne-christelle.tiverne@cg974.fr
Reunion Island
(France)
This selection of picture books, made by librarians of the “Bibliothèque
départementale” of Reunion, says many things about this small French island
situated in the Indian Ocean (21°09 S, 55°30 E). In all these books, children
are invited to glance into their natural and cultural heritage (Reunion Island
from A to Z, 100 words about Reunion Island). Reunion is a preserved area where
nature, through rupture in the earth’s crust, has given birth to the island
(The Small Volcano) and has developed some very extraordinary living birds
such as shown in The Paille en queue bird or extinct ones like the dodo bird
(The Bird Dodo’s take off). This nature must be protected: ecology, recycling
and sustainable development are to be taught (Velocity). The island is very
much concerned about its cultural identity; people from Europe, Africa and
Asia have met there and created an extraordinary melting pot: this multiethnic
population has merged in a unique society living together in peace
and harmony but some questions have to be asked (She knows from whom she
inherited it). Different religions co-habit and due respect is paid to each of them
(The Mixing up of Religions). We also have examples of traditional tales with the
mythical animal, the cunning hare who is always trapped in the end (Hare is
going to the Ball) together with nursery rhymes and Creole songs (Ticoulitintin).
Creole is the popular spoken language and how it should be written is much
of an issue. Some tales are drawn from old native stories or from neighbouring
Madagascar, whose history has been quite close to Reunion’s (In my basket).
All these books are remarkably illustrated, some can be considered as art
books. Publishing for young children has increased these last years both
in number and in quality, perhaps thanks to the work done by children’s
libraries. The municipal library of Saint Pierre hosts a contest every three
years; a prize is offered to the best illustrator of a picture book, chosen by
children among a short list made by librarians, of recent picture books; the
“Bibliothèque départementale” gives every newborn baby a book and a leaflet
on how to read to babes together with an invitation to a show for young
children. Moreover most libraries throughout the island have social and
cultural activities with books especially for children and teenagers. This has
boosted publishing. Reunion is only a small island and the sales opportunities
are narrow, this explains why such a small number of books are published
each year.
the world through picture books • books from reunion island (france) • 98
1
Fabienne Jonca • Hélène Moreau, ill.
La Réunion des religions [The Mixing up of Religions]
Océan éditions, 2010 • ISBN 978-2-36247-003-5
The better you know about the various religions
that exist, the better you become tolerant and
make it easier to live together. This book is
accessible to children from very young age, it
offers an abstract for the eight most popular
religions in the world such as: Hinduism,
Buddhism, the popular religion of China that
include Confuciusm, Taoism and Buddhism, the
Judaism, the Catholicism, the Orthodox, the
Protestants, and Islam. Bassam lives in Réunion
Island, a small island in the Indian Ocean where
people about various religions live together. He
is happy about this diversity; in fact he is often
invited to big celebration parties by his friends.
One part of the book could be classified as a
documentary book which is useful for the reader
because it gives answers to questions that are
frequently asked about religions such as: What
are the most popular religions? What are the big
events associated to these religions? And what are
the most important practices of each of them?
We have chosen this book because it gives a
positive image of Réunion Island and its people.
In fact, it gives information about their religious
beliefs, culture and practices and how people
live together in peace with their differences.
This book is accessible to children from the age
of 8; it is a beautiful book with multicoloured
pictures and could be used to read aloud. At the
end of the book there is an index which gives
explanation for all the religious terms and
expressions. It helps children learn about the
variety of religions that does exist in a same
country and respect them.
Mieux connaître les différentes religions, c’est cultiver
la tolérance pour mieux vivre ensemble.
Destiné aux enfants dès leur plus jeune âge, ce livre
propose un tour d’horizon de huit grandes religions :
l’hindouisme, le bouddhisme, la religion populaire
chinoise, le judaïsme, le catholicisme, l’orthodoxie,
le protestantisme et l’islam. Bassam vit à La Réunion,
une petite île de l’océan Indien dans laquelle se
côtoient des fidèles de très nombreuses religions. Il se
réjouit de cette diversité, il est en effet régulièrement
invité à de grandes fêtes par ses amis. Une partie
documentaire permet de répondre aux grandes
questions que l’on se pose souvent sur les religions :
Quelles sont les principales croyances ? Les grands
événements ? Les pratiques importantes ?
Nous avons choisi ce livre car il donne une image
positive de la Réunion et son peuple. En fait, il donne
des informations sur leurs croyances religieuses,
la culture et des pratiques et comment les gens vivent
ensemble en paix avec leurs différences. Ce livre
est accessible aux enfants à partir de 8 ans, c’est un
beau livre avec des images multicolores et peut être
utilisé pour lire à haute voix. À la fin du livre, il y a un
glossaire qui explique tous les termes et les expressions
religieuses. Cet album aide les enfants à comprendre
la diversité des religions qui existent dans un même
pays et à les respecter.
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