The Story of Ernest and Celestine

As the author of this book writes, "every story has its backstory." In 1985, Daniel Pennac wandered into a bookstore, where he saw an album with sketches from the life of a dog and was so impressed that he sent the album's author his book "The Dog Pooch." Thus began a long correspondence between Pennac and Gabrielle Vincent — the Belgian artist who created the legendary picture books about the bear Ernest and the mouse Celestine.

The albums by Vincent inspired Pennac to create a script for an animated film that was nominated for an Oscar and received a César Award. Following the film, in 2012, the book you are holding in your hands appeared — "The Story of Ernest and Celestine." This is a true novel with a poignant social agenda: about the glaring inequality in society and the possibility of finding a soul mate despite prohibitions and prejudices.