Forgotten Author of the Week - Sempe-Goscinny

Perhaps you have run across the Nicholas books while perusing your local library shelves. More than likely you have not.

Rene Goscinny is the writer of the story. Born in Prais, France in 1926 and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Goscinny discovered his love of reading. He lived in New York City for awhile, but eventually moved back to France in the 50's. Most of Goscinny's books were written in French first and later translated by himself into English. He has written numerous children's books such as the Adventures of Asterix the Gaul and Nicholas.

Jean-Jacques Sempe is the artist of the Nicholas series. Sempe was born in Bordeaux, in the South of France in 1932. When he was a little boy he was always getting into trouble at school, just like Nicholas. When he was older, Sempre tried all kinds of jobs from selling toothpaste to working in a summer camp. When Sempe was eighteen-years-old, he moved to Paris and soon got one of his drawing printed in a newspaper for

the first time. He had no formal training as an artist. He has been drawing cartoons and illustrations for magazines, newspapers, and books ever since.