“The Tales of Broca’s Old Town” – a strange story that breaks all fairy tale stereotypes

If adults need a lot of time to "break the mold", children just need to be themselves, carefree, innocent, with unlimited imagination, creating stories that only children can think of.

The fairy tale is written in a novel and engaging way. Photo: Crabit Kidbooks

“The Tales of Broca Street” is such a free book. Published in 1967 and becoming a literary phenomenon throughout France, the book was highly appreciated by readers and critics for its unexpected plot, humor, and strange storytelling – a rare book in the genre of children's literature.

“Fairy Tales from Broca Street” stands out from other works of the genre thanks to its distinctly French sense of humor. Broca’s setting is very simple, with characters that make us feel like… our neighbors.

The book’s unique sense of humor, which does not follow the fairy tale format, is thanks to the “contribution” of children. Specifically, the plot was co-written by author Pierre Gripari and his “child collaborators”. The story is told by children, so the book has details that go beyond the imagination of adults. Still set in France, based on European historical events, but with this book, readers find it difficult to predict the ending, which is not always “they lived happily ever after” as is often seen in fairy tales.

The book is vividly illustrated and has unique typography. Photo: Crabit Kidbooks

Despite its unconventional style, “The Tales of Broca Street” is still an exemplary literary work for children, meeting three criteria: Attractive – Easy to understand – Educational. The lessons from the book are very specific to modern society, such as about family, work, courage, kindness, friendship, love, etc. Thanks to that, the stories stimulate children to think, connect lessons to real life, and develop their imagination when observing daily events.

“The Tales of Broca Street” was translated into Vietnamese by Nguyen Kan, a PhD in linguistics who has lived in France for a long time and understands French culture. The work also has vivid illustrations by artist Nhu Quynh and a different arrangement of words to express mischievous conversations. The work is published by the children's book brand Crabit Kidbooks.

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/nhung-cau-chuyen-pho-co-broca-–-truyen-ky-la-pha-vo-moi-khuon-mau-co-tich-209095.html