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French Awards

		PRIX DU LIVRE M. CHRISTIE 2003 (CHRISTIE BROWN & CO.) FOR BEST BOOK IN FRENCH (AGES 8 TO 11) LA BOÎTE À BONHEUR CHARLOTTE GINGRAS ILLUSTRATIONS: STÉPHANE JORISCH MONTRÉAL: LA COURTE ÉCHELLE, 2003. 62 P. (MON ROMAN; MR3. INTIMISTE) ISBN 2890216683 AGES 9 TO 12
La boîte à bonheur Source

Clara knows exactly when she stopped being happy: when the piano was sold. The new apartment is small, and there was no way the huge grand piano could have fit. Once when she was little though, it was at the heart of the family's happiness. Clara would lie beneath the marvellous ebony instrument, bathed in the strains of its sweet music and her mother's melodious voice.

One fateful day her father leaves for good, and Clara and her mother are overwhelmed by feelings of sadness and abandonment. The girl decides that whatever happens, she absolutely must find the piano. Wandering through the neighbourhood, she at last comes across the longed-for "happiness box."

This sensitive tale invites readers to reflect on the nature of happiness. Stéphane Jorisch's imaginative black-and-white illustrations help bring the story to life.

-CM