Nicholas Paperback – Illustrated, March 30, 2011

I love this book even as an adult! Have given it for gifts. If you like Lucky Luke comics, this is written by one of the writers of that comic!

It's really hard to create a mischievous character who is still, at heart, appealing and sympathetic. It's easy to create a character who is a snot or a brat. Well, Goscinny has done the impossible. Nicholas and all of his friends are just cheerfully, exuberantly, appealing. I think part of this comes from the fact that the stories are narrated by Nicholas, and he is often unaware of the implications of his observations. So, you actually get a very subtle deadpan view of the events through the author's tinkering with Nicholas's versions of events, (sort of like in the Kinney "Diary..." books). It helps that this book is actually a collection of short stories. Instead of his trying to sustain a single story arc for the length of a book, what we get from the author is short pieces, that allow for a great deal of variety and change in tone, even though patterns and connections do begin to appear. But this is all starting to sound way too complicated and over-analyzed. Suffice to say that Nicholas is a great character, and your kids will likely enjoy reading about his calamitous escapades.

Several years ago, when this book first came out, I read rave reviews of it and decided I'd give it a try. When the book arrived, I thought maybe I had made a mistake: the children's story was set in another time (the 1950s, I think), another place (France) and the book had a tiny bit of an old-fashioned look and feel to it. Once I started to read, all my doubts were blown away. This is a thoroughly enjoyable, delightful look at how children (in this case young schoolboys in France) were before the days of television and computers. But even to today's children, who have television and computers and smart phones, the stories ring true. The things the boys do, the things they say, are so real. And so funny. The stories are episodic: that is, one story follows another but is not a continuation of the previous story. The characters remain the same, but they have different adventures in each story. Definitely recommend.

My brother had to read it when he was learning French and he would laugh so loud my mom had to buy One for us.I bought it now for my husband to read to my children 11, 8.5 and 6 before bed.The language is very simple a sweet. They are reading the never ending story and sometimes is a little to much for my 8 and my 6 doesn't even like it. So I'm hoping the 3 of them will like this one.Also it has some drawings inside with Nicholas and his friends.😊

Genius writing of Gosciny, wriiten like little boys speaks while telling naughty stories from their innocent eyes. Funny, real, and sweet. MUST READ!!!

I highly recommend "Nicholas," especially as a read-aloud for children of all ages. Even as an adult, I find refreshing humor in this collection of tales about a young school boy and his group of friends. Narrated by the main character, the book wonderfully tells the exploits and innocent mischief that can happen when young boys are left to their own devices. Set in France in the 1950s, the author manages to tell a story that is universal, and is sure to make you laugh right along with your kids.

My 5 year old nephew is named Nicholas so I thought it would be fun for him to have this book. The reading is too difficult for a five year old to read by himself, but perfect for a family member to read to him at bed time, for a few chapters a night. It is a good excuse for a parent to read to their children and keeps his interest with the boy named Nicholas' adventures

Very happy to have found this in english! I know the originals written in French and, even if the jokes are different, it is still enjoyable and has clean humor.

Highly recommend this book! It is beautifully illustrated and the stories are a lot of fun. It also gives an insight into French schools and how do little boys and girl act. Great book!

Rene Goscinny was indeed a master story teller.I bought this book for my 10 year old and now my son and I are fighting over this book. Offcourse we both finished the book and now dispute is over the ownership of the book and also the fact who will read it again. Everybody go for it.

I first read the Nicholas books when I was at school. I really wanted to read them to my own children but they were out of print until very recently when Phaidon have done a fine job of publishing the whole series in some beautiful hardback editions. They are not cheap, but they are absolutely worth every penny.Nicholas is a naughty French school boy who tells stories of his life with his friends both in and out of school. He is a marvellous mix of innocence with a pinch of gravitas that is just hilarious. He is always totally amazed when he gets into trouble, like the time he pours ink over his mother's brand new carpet and can't understand why she is so cross. I have just finished reading the book with my daughters 8 and 4, both of whom love the stories as much as I remember doing. We particularly liked Playing Cowboys, Playing with Cuthbert and Mr Bainbridge and the Fine Weather.The cast of characters is wonderful, Alec the fat friend who is always eating something, Eddie the boy who likes to punch his friends on the nose, and our favourite, Cuthbert, the swot who nobody is allowed to hit as much as they want because he wears glasses!The story telling is sharp and as funny and rewarding for adults as it is for children, the tales, though somewhat old fashioned, do not really date and maintain their charm and humour, and the illustrations are superb.

Classic book that anyone over +6 year old would love

Very good