My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill

Regnaud, Jean & Bravo, Emile (Illustrator). My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill. Ponent Mon s.l., 2007. ISBN 978-84-96427-85-3

Plot

Jean is entering the first grade at a new school. He is very nervous when his new teacher asks him to tell the class about himself and his family. He does not know what to say about his mother. He has not seen her for a long time. He blurts out that she is a secretary. He is petrified with anxiety. Jean goes home from school. He introduces Yvette, his nanny, and his little brother, Paul, who goes to Kindergarten at another school. His father returns home late from work as a harried factory manager. The group discusses Jean's first day of school. Jean looks thoughtful. Yvette asks him if he wants to say something. He says, "No," as he wonders, "Where's my mommy?" He plays with his neighbor, Michele Meunier, who is two years older than Jean. She will only play with him when she is bored. One day she tells Jean she has a big secret to tell him. She has a postcard sent to Jean by his mother. She reads it to him after he promises not to tell anyone about it. Jean goes to play with Alain, a friend from school, at his house. Jean is intrigued by Alain's pretty mother and his father. He has a big, black beard and sits in a wheelchair. Alain tells Jean he is adopted and asks him about his own mother. Jean says he can't remember her anymore. Jean visits his paternal grandparents on school holiday, survives the difficulties of first grade, visits elderly neighbors, enjoys a visit from his maternal grandmother, and meets the school psychologist. Throughout these adventures, his uncertainty about his mother hovers over him. More postcards mysteriously fall into Michele's hands. At Christmas, Jean and Paul manage to take a picture of Father Christmas' foot next to their Christmas tree. Jean shows Michele the photo. Michele and Jean fight when she tells him there is no Father Christmas. Then she tells him that she has written the postcards because his mother is dead. Jean is heartbroken. He tells himself that his mommy is like Father Christmas. He is too old to believe in her any longer. When Jean returns to school after the winter break, he has a new teacher and new, less unhappy outlook on life

Critical Evaluation

I feel this story is simple and sweet without overt sentimentality. Jean's story tells the reader about the way children, meaning all of us, experience the world, family, friendship, love, secrets, cruelty, and loss. The story is told gently, through a series of vignettes that are typical of a child's life. Through these scenes, the story shows the reader how John finds his way from personal crisis to a centered life and clearer sense of self. The clean style of the illustrations and the simple storytelling will appeal to tweens and teens.

Annotations

First-grader Jean begins the new school year with the question of his mother's whereabouts hanging over him. He is intrigued when his neighbor, Michele, begins to share with him postcards she has received from his missing mother. As he learns the truth about his mother, he moves from confusion and sadness to a more clear understanding of his life and contentment.

Author and Illustrator

Jean Regnaud drew from his childhood experience of losing his mother in writing this story. He didn't know anything about his own mother, so he invented her. Emile Bravo has illustrated other French language comic series. Among his other works are the series Aleksis Strogonov, also in collaboration with Regnaud, and the Jules series, which has been described as "Tin Tin for the 21^st Century."

Genre

Fiction – Realism and humor

Curriculum Ties

English Language Arts – make and confirm predictions about the story using personal knowledge and the ideas presented in the text, illustrations, and foreshadowing clues.

Booktalk Ideas

Introduce Jean, his school situation, and his family to the audience by showing illustrations from the book. Tell the beginning of the story in his voice. Ask the audience what they think might have happened to Jean's mother.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Grade 3 (age 8) and up will find this book appealing, but the story's underlying themes of death and reconciliation are better suited to Grade 5 (age 10) and up.

Challenge Issues and Defense

Absent parent, death, adoption, racism, Father Christmas (Santa Claus).

Younger children who select this book may be surprised, puzzled, or even frightened by some of what they read, especially the idea of a missing parent. It would be appropriate to recommend that readers discuss these issues with a parent or other trusted adult.

Why is it here?

I walked through my public library and saw this book on display with other graphic novels. The title and the cover drew me in. When I flipped it open I was instantly captivated by the style of the illustrations and the tone of the text. I am a fan of other French language comic series such as Tin Tin and Asterix, so this book was an easy choice for me.