Natsuki Ikezawa’s 'Tio du Pacifique' Brings Enchanted Simplicity to French Readers

Natsuki Ikezawa's 'Tio du Pacifique', published by Editions Philippe Picquier and translated from Japanese by C. Quentin, offers a collection of tales originally released in Japan nearly twenty years ago for children. The book, known in France for the acclaimed 'Des os de corail, des yeux de perle', achieves a rare literary simplicity that grants universal appeal. The stories are set on a fantastical island in the Pacific Ocean, inspired by Robinson Crusoe, and evoke the spirits of Stevenson and James Barrie. Narrator Tio, a young boy, recounts anecdotes like a girl the gods wanted to steal, a flight into the sky, and a palm tree that held up the world. The first story involves magical postcards that irresistibly draw recipients to the depicted location. Critic Philippe Forest praises the flawless clarity of language, playful tenderness, and melancholic richness, suggesting adult readers should not deprive themselves of this perfect French translation.