Boubou Was Sure of It
Karen Hottois & Émilie Seron

A touching epistolary story between two children trying to express their feelings to one another.

One morning, Boubou wakes up realizing his feelings for Nadia. He hurriedly writes her a note: “I was sure of it!” and asks his rat, Cheese, to bring it to her. When Nadia reads the message, she’s not sure to understand… On Boubou’s second attempt, Nadia gets it, and she’s so happy: she feels the same way! She entrusts her response to Cheese, but now Boubou is afraid to read it… Unable to understand each other, Boubou and Nadia start sulking. Tired of this fuss, Cheese decides to take things in hand…

A story rhythmed by the travels of an endearing messenger exploring a universal theme: the limits of language when it comes to love and the difficulty to put words on one’s feelings.

Karen Hottois
The author

Karen Hottois was born in 1978. A graduate from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Arts of Paris-Cergy, she is the author of children’s books and a casting director in the cinema industry. In her imaginative and melancholic stories, she confronts her characters to life’s big interrogations and turmoil. Her books are published by MeMo, Didier Jeunesse, Seuil Jeunesse and Albin Michel Jeunesse.

Émilie Seron
The illustrator

Émilie Seron is a Belgian illustrator. Her first picture books were published by Pastel and Casterman. Her watercolours and ink images unveil an uncommon universe full of strange details. She also works for the press (Victoire, Le Soir, Le Vif, Le Ligueur, Courrier international) and is regularly published in the fanzine Cuistax. She lives in Brussels.