A Philemon Adventure: Cast Away on the Letter a

On YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2015 List

On an ordinary day in the countryside, Philemon falls into a well on his father's farm and lands... in the Atlantic Ocean? He begins a wild and whimsical journey through a fantasy world as original as Alice's Wonderland, as richly imagined as Little Nemo's Slumberland, and as exciting to explore as Oz.

Frédéric Othon Aristidès (1931-2013), known as Fred, is one of France’s most influential and revered cartoonists. When he was young, he loved to read Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, and Oscar Wilde. In the sixties, Fred co-founded Hara-Kiri, the leading satirical publication of the May ’68 movement--he designed its first 60 covers. Philémon, his story for young readers, was first published in Pilote in 1972 by René Goscinny, the author of the Astérix series. Philémon is Fred’s most celebrated creation: millions of young French people have grown up with it, and it has inspired many of today’s most talented cartoonists. The sixteenth and final volume of Philémon was released in 2013, before Fred’s passing.